Manchester was never really a city I thought about going to. That was until I met Christian.
Being an avid soccer and Manchester United fan he dreamed about going to Old Trafford to see Manchester United play on their own turf.
Christmas was coming and I had been working loads of hours. I thought to myself, if I can give somebody a trip of their dreams, I can get away AND I can go abroad for my first time ever, with someone I love, why not?
So I did.
I booked our flight, I bought Manchester United tickets, and I held this secret for a month.
This was hard to contain if you can imagine.
Needless to say, he was shocked.
We had five days in England, three in London and two in Manchester. Of course, we just scratched the surface of both.
Out of our 48 hours in manchester I picked 5 things/places that were our favorites and highly recommend you do if visiting.
1. Walk City Centre
Manchester often gets a bad rep for being an “industrial city” and there not being much to do. This is where the city centre comes in. Manchester’s city centre is filled with historic buildings, amazing architecture, restaurants, bars, and lots of shopping. You can take a walking tour or spend the day roaming the streets independently. Whichever way you choose, you won’t be disappointed.
2. Eat at Yard & Coop
We kinda came across this place at random. We had time to kill due to a huge mix up in scheduling and started looking online for fried chicken places. That’s when we came across Yard & Coop. So we hopped in an Uber and went for it.
This place was super cool. Definitely a funky and “it” spot. I mean, it has a giant chicken out front guys. How could you not wanna walk in this place.
Our service at Yard & Coop was great and the food was even better. By far my favorite place on this trip, and that’s saying a lot. This hip little spot is located in the Northern Quarter, a trendy, buzzing neighborhood, so fill up and take a walk around after. The streets boast some of the funkiest street art.
3. Curry Mile – Mughli
Curry mile is an interesting experience to say the least. You’re totally removed from what you know as England and transported to a street you would find in India. There’s loads of shops and resteraunts for, literally, a mile.
Indian food in England is some of the best in world, aside from India of course, so we got our share while we were here. We chose to eat at Mughli. Mughli is rated one of the best on Curry Mile. It’s dark, authentic but trendy atmosphere is calming and inviting. The aromas from the open kitchen immediately make you excited to eat. Per usual we ordered way too much food for any two people to consume but were not disappointed in the least. If two people can eat as much as a family of four, this place must be doing something right.
4. Old Trafford Stadium Tour
Now I can’t say I was neccesarily super stoked for this one. With that being said, it made the list, right?
I was pleasantly surprised. Coming from a girl who didn’t know a thing about soccer, it’s a must see. Soccer isn’t just a sport in England, it’s a lifestyle. This tour isn’t just the history of the club, this tour will walk you through parts of the stadium as if you were a player.
You get to walk out of the stadium tunnel towards the field as if you were about to play in a match. They show you the press conference room and the locker room where the players get ready before games. They let you sit in the players and coaches seats on the field. Interactive tours such as this one, keep you contenstly engaged and entertained.
5. Manchester United Game
Last but not least, if you can make it to a game, GO. There’s not much to say about this besides this sh*t is wild. It’s nothing like any American sport game. I’m telling you, they live and breathe soccer here. Fan or not, if you can make it happen, do it. It’s called the Theatre of Dreams, how could you be disappointed?
