Birmingham is an exciting modern city and the West Midlands region, where it is situated, has lots to offer the traveller. Here are our suggestions for some great things to do if you're visiting.

Chamberlain Square in Birmingham with the Museum and Art Gallery (left) and the Town Hall

The UK’s second largest city after London, Birmingham is well-placed as a base for exploring the country, as it is right in the middle of England and Wales, just an hour and a half by train from the capital. However, it is well worth spending time in the city, as there are some first-class attractions, fabulous restaurants and lots of places for a relaxing drink, both indoors and out.

Birmingham is known the world over for its 18th-century history as a manufacturing powerhouse and this legacy can be seen in the majestic architecture of the city, with landmarks including the 19th century Town Hall, The Grand Hotel, Victoria Law Courts and Birmingham City Council House. The futuristic Library of Birmingham and gleaming Bullring shopping centre are two modern triumphs not to be missed.

The futuristic Library of Birmingham

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is a must-see destination for lovers of pre-Raphaelite art, as it houses one of the most extensive collections in the world. Birmingham Botanical Gardens boasts a fabulous 16-acre site with glasshouses of exotic flora, a Bonsai Garden and butterfly house. 

Birmingham Botanical Gardens

The industrial heritage of Birmingham is also evident in the city’s intricate network of canals, which have been restored to create one of modern Birmingham’s most popular visitor attractions. Enjoy a walk along the towpaths, hire a canal boat or just sit back and watch the world go by at one of the many canal side restaurants, cafés and bars. They say that there are more canals in Birmingham than in Venice!

Birmingham's famous canals

Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter is home to the largest concentration of jewellery businesses in Europe. This is the place to find high-quality bespoke jewellery, and while you’re there, why not visit the Jewellery Quarter Museum to discover its long and fascinating history? And while we’re on the subject of shopping, The Bullring, which is right in the city centre, is one of the largest shopping centres in the UK, with over 200 stores.

A short walk from the city centre is Winterbourne House and Garden, a rare surviving example of an early 20th century British suburban villa and garden. Restored to its original Arts and Crafts Edwardian splendour, the house is crammed with antiques and the lush gardens cover over seven acres, with more than 6,000 plant species from around the world.

Winterbourne House and Gardens

When it comes to food, Birmingham is perhaps best known as the birthplace of the delicious Balti curry, invented in the 1970s by the city’s Pakistani community and now popular all over the UK and beyond!

The Balti Triangle is the place to go for this local speciality, but with almost 900 eating places, there is without doubt something for all tastes and budgets in Birmingham. In fact, Birmingham boasts the highest number of Michelin starred restaurants outside of London, with five in the city and a further six in the surrounding area.

Cadbury World - the home of chocolate!

In Bournville, on the outskirts of Birmingham, is one of the UK’s most popular family attractions, Cadbury World, the home of chocolate making, where chocoholics of all ages can indulge in their favourite treats, while finding out all about how chocolate is made.

As well as Birmingham, the wider West Midlands region takes in the neighbouring counties of Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and Staffordshire, and boasts dozens of fantastic visitor attractions. Here is just a handful of our favourites.

Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon is within easy reach of Birmingham and should not be missed! Discover where England’s greatest playwright was born, grew up and went to school; get a glimpse of Elizabethan life at Anne Hathaway’s cottage, on the outskirts of the town, where Shakespeare’s wife once lived, and enjoy a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, on the banks of the River Avon, where The Bard’s works are regularly performed.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

Nearby Warwick Castle is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Britain and offers a packed programme of history-based events and activities for all the family. Take in the views from Guy’s Tower, shiver in the dungeons and experience life as a lord in the Great Hall.

Warwick Castle offers a packed programme of history-based events

The Cathedral Church of Saint Michael, more commonly known as Coventry Cathedral, is a powerful monument to the futility of war. The original cathedral was largely destroyed by bombing raids in World War Two, but the modern cathedral was built alongside the remains of the old, so people would never forget.

The ruins of the original Coventry Cathedral

Another must-see on any tour of the West Midlands is Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is recognised as one of the most important places in the Industrial Revolution. Today a tranquil river valley, Ironbridge was once at the heart of British industry.

Ironbridge in Shropshire

Follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth I at romantic Kenilworth Castle, just a short train ride from Coventry. From its roots as a medieval fortress which saw England’s longest siege, to its time as one of the grandest Elizabethan palaces, the castle is steeped in tales of royalty, treachery and love.

Romantic Kenilworth Castle

The Black Country Living Museum is an award-winning open-air museum that tells the story of life during the Industrial Revolution in this part of the West Midlands. Home to a host of reconstructed shops, houses and industrial areas, the venue also includes part of the Dudley Canal which regularly featured in the TV series Peaky Blinders.

If you would like to find out more about what Birmingham and the West Midlands can offer your group on a tailor-made tour of England or the United Kingdom, please do contact our friendly team today. We can put together the perfect itinerary for you!