The Best Outdoor Activities In Glasgow UK

While we love a good museum day, when the weather’s warm or when you’ve spent a long day indoors, getting some fresh air is the only thing on your mind. Luckily, Glasgow is a city that’s packed with outdoor parks, walks, sports and all sorts of other activities to help blow away the cobwebs. Read on for some local favourites.

1. Kelvin Walkway

Hiking Trail, Natural Feature

Looking for a quick, green escape from the craziness of the Glasgow city centre? Take an afternoon walk along the Kelvin Walkway which takes a pleasant, leafy route out of the city with opportunities to spot nesting swans, squirrels and other wildlife. Make a day trip of it by walking the whole 14km (9mi) to picturesque Milngavie, or just take a quick hour’s stroll to clear your head. Recommended by local insider Austin Yuill

2. Glasgow Music City Tours

Music Venue

Glasgow eats, sleeps and breathes music, which is just as well, being a UNESCO City of Music. You don’t have to travel far at all to stumble across an interesting venue with an exciting line-up of talent, whether that’s a large-capacity arena or a fiercely independent smaller venue. Explore the best and most notable with Glasgow Music City Tours, whose guides will talk to you in-depth about the history of the city’s music scene and tell you a couple of local legends along the way. Did they really happen? That’s for you to decide. Recommended by local insider Austin Yuill

3. Glasgow’s Necropolis

Cemetery

Glasgow’s Necropolis, the city cemetery, makes for an atmospheric walk at any time of day – though it’s naturally spectacularly spooky in the evenings. Look out for graves and monuments dedicated to the city’s great and good, plus no end of stunning mausolea from Glasgow’s most famous architects. Once you reach the top of the site, you’ll be rewarded with unrivalled panoramas across the Glasgow skyline – this one’s a must. Recommended by local insider Austin Yuill

5. Bard in the Botanics

Botanical Garden

Outdoor theatre settings don’t come more evocative than this. The Bard in the Botanics festival takes place every summer in Glasgow’s famous Botanic Gardens, offering a handful of performances to punters who’ll turn up rain or shine, picnic basket in hand, to enjoy some of Shakespeare’s best-loved works. Bring food, chairs, an umbrella and perhaps some bug repellant for the city’s notorious biting midges. Recommended by local insider Austin Yuill

6. Glasgow Bike Tours

Sports Center

Glasgow is big, so cycling is a great way to see more of the city quickly. Of course, you could hire a bike and make your own way round, but if you’re interested in learning more about the area’s history and famous landmarks, you could also book onto one of Glasgow’s many cycling tours. Qualified guides will take you all over the city on comfortable bikes, and with both half- and full-day options (including lunch) available, there’s something for everyone. Recommended by local insider Austin Yuill

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

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