Liverpool iternary suggestions

London would be over 3 hours by train both ways so it isn't much time left to do London but if you go early and come back late you could do some sightseeing of the Major things like the Tower (time tickets reserved). A ride on one of the river taxi from the tower to Greenwich and some touring there would be worthwhile. Most of the Museums are free. But if you don't want travel that far, spend some time in Manchester for sports and theater, or go to Stoke on Trent to visit the famous Potteries like Wedgwood, or Chester for Roman and Tudor History, or the Peak District for nature hikes.

We loved the museums in Liverpool at the water front. The black history museum was fantastic as were the others.

To be more specific, it was the slavery museum that was so fantastic - it was on the 3rd floor of the Maritime Museum which was wonderful too. We also liked the Museum of Liverpool museum. The waterfront is quite nice. My husband and I are really in to museums so it was a great match for our interests.

When we were there we didn't have time to tour the Cathedral, but heard it was beautiful.

If you don't want to spend the $$$ for a full dinner in the Hard Day's Night Hotel, they have an "Any Time At All" menu of tea, sandwiches, and other light fare.

Your ticket stub from the Magical Mystery Tour gets you into the Cavern Club free. They only serve beverages, no food.

Be sure to visit the World Museum.

I wouldn't do a day trip to London. I know people have done the reverse and done day trips to Liverpool from London, but most of those are people who added Liverpool late in the planning process and didn't want to sacrifice a night at an expensive London hotel.

As far as day trips: You can do a day trip to Manchester, it's only about a 45 minute train ride or so. Manchester has the National Football Museum as well as the People's History Museum. The Manchester Art Gallery is small but worth seeing.

Another possible day trip is to the Roman city of Chester, also about 45 minutes on the train.

In Liverpool itself, there are numerous museums as well. The Walker art gallery is excellent, I also enjoy Tate Liverpool, but skip it if you're not into modern art. The Museum of Liverpool is quite good and there's quite a few connections between Liverpool and the USA. In fact, the last Confederate ship surrounded in Liverpool.

In addition to the Magical Mystery Tour, there's also the National Trust tour of the childhood homes of John and Paul. This needs to be booked in advance. It's also a fascinating glimpse into post WWII Britain, it certainly ain't a Leave it To Beaver lifestyle.

There are two cathedrals, one Anglican and one Roman Catholic, in very different styles. If you'e near the cathedral, the Philharmonic Pub is a classic. If you're male, you can see the marble toilets which are actually protected by the government as historic!

You can check what is playing at Philharmonic Hall. They offer different music genres, the Liverpool Philharmonic is world class and you can also find inexpensive chamber music performances. They also host rock bands.

If you enjoy real ale, you'll be spoilt. I suggest the pubs on Dale street.

Liverpool One is far more than just a shopping centre. It's a fun area to stroll around and there are numerous restaurants there.

If you tell us more of your interests, I'm sure we can suggest more. I've been to Liverpool 5 times and still haven't run out of things to do there.

Oh my gosh, now I'm wishing I could stay longer! So many wonderful suggestions, I can see I won't have time to squeeze everything in! Thank you to all of you! I am so excited! I know I will have a fun, trip-of-a-lifetime!

Rick has a very good Liverpool chapter in his England and his Great Britain books (same chapter in each book, so get one or the other but not both).

If you can snag a reservation, a real highlight is seeing John Lennon's and Paul McCartney's childhood homes. Other tours go past the outsides, but this is the only way to get inside. The numbers are very strictly limited, so advance booking is essential. Here's where to do it: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/beatles-childhood-homes

I spent four nights in Liverpool in September 2016, and had a great time. If you want details, here's my trip report (skip the Glasgow sections; you may find stuff of interest in the Manchester section, however): https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/uk-trip-report-glasgow-manchester-liverpool-in-september-2016

With only four days, I wouldn't do a daytrip to London. Not only does the area around Liverpool have plenty to keep you busy, but it's easy to return to London on another trip; this time, focus on places closer by.

Harold, thank you so much for all of the information about visiting Liverpool, especially visiting Paul and John's childhood homes! This is exactly the sort of thing I want to do.
I'm going in October and hope there will be some sort of celebration for John's birthday, and I am so glad I've started asking questions early!
Now, my challenge is figuring out how to get train tickets for a day trip to London. I don't understand all of the options listed on the ticket website.
Soooo excited!!!

There's also the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight, especially if you like the Pre-Raphaelites. (Port Sunlight is an interesting place in general - a planned community created for workers by the Lever Brothers soap company.) You can get there by suburban train from central Liverpool on the cross-Mersey line.

If you do get into the John/Paul home, my rec is to take a taxi tour of the rest of the Beatle sites rather than a bus tour, you can tell your driver to skip the homes because you're seeing them separately. Unless being part of the big bus crowd is part of the appeal.

Hey thanks for the tip. I will definitely consider that.

Spend some time in Manchester too. It was the heart of the industrial revolution so has a great technology museum full of gearhead delights. Its regional art gallery is decent, there are plenty of pubs and some are interested in craft beers. South Asian food is everywhere, some of it quite elegant. And it has two champion soccer teams with stadium tours plus the national football museum, part of a huge rivalry with Liverpool. The two cities were linked by a canal to transport products; now a cruise will take you one way by water and the return on a bus.

Thank you, Southam. Not much of a sports fan but the boat ride sounds interesting. I will check into that!