MISS MAP

Discover Glasgow: Your complete city guide

GLASGOW CITY GUIDE. Duke of Wellington statue with traffic cones outside the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art.

Your curated city guide for visiting Glasgow

Welcome to Scotland’s largest and most vibrant city. A diverse hub of design, culture, live music, exciting dining, and some of the trendiest bars and coffee shops to be found in the U.K. The Glasgow weather may be ‘driech’ but the welcome here is always warm.

Below, I’ve gathered my top travel tips into my ultimate Glasgow guide.

  1. Planning your visit to Glasgow
  2. When to visit Glasgow
  3. Getting around
  4. What to see and do in Glasgow
  5. Where to eat in Glasgow
  6. Where to drink in Glasgow
  7. Where to stay in Glasgow

Planning your visit to Glasgow

Essentials to know

  • Currency: British Pound (£). Cards are accepted almost everywhere, but a bit of cash is handy for some places.
  • Language: English, with a distinctive Glaswegian accent and occasional Scots words or local slang terms that might take a day or two to tune your ear to.
  • Plugs: The UK uses plug type G: three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern.
  • Weather: Layer up – Glasgow’s weather changes its mind more often than you will.
  • Etiquette: Tip 10% at restaurants if service isn’t already included. Glaswegians are famously friendly and chatty – don’t be alarmed if a stranger strikes up a conversation with you at the bar.
  • Local Events/Festivals: Celtic Connections (January) is one of the world’s best folk and roots music festivals. TRNSMT (July) brings big names to Glasgow Green. Book accommodation early for both

When to visit Glasgow

Glasgow is capable of rain on literally any day of the year, so I can’t say there’s any season you can be guaranteed good weather. The good news, however, is that there’s plenty to see and do indoors if the weather ins’t on your side (more on that later), so don’t let the possibility of bad weather put you off. Here’s a rough guide to the Glasgow seasons:

  • Spring (April to June):
    • Mild weather (for Glasgow), with parks beginning to bloom. Don’t hold me to this, but May can often be the best month for warmer, drier spring days.
  • Summer (July to August):
    • Long evenings, the hottest temperatures of the year, and the best chance of actually sitting outside a beer garden.
  • Autumn (September to October):
    • Crisp cooler days, autumn foliage in the parks and a great time for visiting the city’s museums and galleries if (when) the weather turns.
  • Winter (November to March):
    • Quieter and colder, with days getting much shorter by December. Use the darker mornings and evenings to cosy up in the city’s coffeeshops and pubs.

Getting around

Glasgow is bigger and more spread out than Edinburgh, and its transport links don’t always line up seamlessly, but there are plenty of options for getting around.

  • Walking: Great for the exploring city centre, Southside and West End – all of which are compact and packed with things to see and do – but walking between them is a drag, and pretty featureless along the route, so public transport will save time getting between areas.
  • Subway: Glasgow’s small, circular Subway (locally nicknamed the “Clockwork Orange”) is a quick and easy way to get around – with one circular line running in both directlections it’s impossible to get lost.
  • Buses: Frequent and wide-reaching, useful for areas the Subway doesn’t cover or later at night.
  • Trains: Handy for reaching the West End, Southside and further-flung neighbourhoods quickly.
  • Taxis/Uber: Easy to find and reasonably priced compared to other UK cities.
  • Car: Skip it within the city – parking is a hassle and everything worth seeing is well served by public transport.

What to see and do in Glasgow

Glasgow’s charm comes as much from exploring its neighbourhoods and atmosphere as seeing its top sights and attractions, but there is plenty here to see and do. Local tip: Glasgow’s museums and galleries are almost all free to enter, which makes it one of the best-value cities for a rainy day itinerary.

Don’t miss:

  • Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
    • A stunning Victorian building housing an excellent, free collection spanning art, natural history and more. The organ recitals are worth seeing if your visit lines up.
  • Riverside Museum
    • Glasgow’s transport museum, right on the Clyde – striking Zaha Hadid architecture outside, an unexpectedly brilliant collection inside.
  • University of Glasgow
    • Wander the cloisters and quads of one of the UK’s oldest universities, right in the heart of the West End.
  • Ashton Lane
    • A cobbled, fairy-lit lane packed with some of the city’s best-loved pubs and restaurants – come for dinner and stay for a drink.
  • Glasgow Necropolis
    • A dramatic Victorian cemetery on a hill overlooking the cathedral, with sweeping views across the city – atmospheric rather than morbid.
  • The Barras Market
    • Glasgow’s famous weekend market in the East End, equal parts vintage finds, bric-a-brac and proper local character.
    • Visit: glasgowbarrowland.com
  • Botanic Gardens
    • Free to enter, with a stunning Victorian glasshouse (the Kibble Palace) worth a wander even on a grey day.

Where to eat in Glasgow

As someone who’s spent plenty of time working my way through this city’s food scene, I’ve got recommendations to fill several guides (so stay tuned for even more to come).

Some top picks include:

AM

  • Bramble
    • A Southside brunch favourite in Shawlands, walk-ins only – expect inventive brunch dishes like Korean fried chicken and waffles, and prepare for a queue if you arrive after 10am on the weekend.
    • Visit: instagram.com/bramble_cafe
  • Cafe Strange Brew
    • Self-declared “best brunch in the south,” and hard to argue with – think stacked pancakes with poached rhubarb, and excellent coffee alongside.
    • Visit: instagram.com/cafe_strange_brew
  • Burnfield Bakery
    • A short walk from Queen’s Park, doing beautifully decorated pastries daily – the peanut, white chocolate and raspberry croissant is worth the detour alone.
    • Visit: burnfieldbakery.square.site
  • Kaf
    • Small, minimal, takeaway only spot in the west end – with single-origin coffee and excellent sourdough to grab and go before a wander through Kelvingrove park.
    • Visit: kafcoffee.co.uk

PM

  • Errol’s Hot Pizza
    • A former sweet shop turned Southside pizza joint, oozing character – BYOB, so bring your own bottle and settle in for a great time. Always, ALWAYS, order the ‘big cheesy salad’ on the side.
    • Visit: instagram.com/errolshotpizzashop
  • Ka Pao
    • Subterranean West End spot for inventive South-East Asian small plates – go with a group and order a bunch of dishes to share.
    • Visit: ka-pao.com
  • Margo
    • The newest arrival from the Ox & Finch team, a surprisingly big city-centre spot with an open kitchen and delicious sharing plates built around Scottish produce. The sharing steak here is the best I’ve had in the city.
    • Visit: margo.restaurant
  • Ranjit’s Kitchen
    • Southside vegetarian Punjabi cooking from Ranjit Kaur’s own family kitchen – slow-cooked curries, daily-changing daahls, and homemade paneer that you’ll think about for weeks afterwards.
    • Visit: ranjitskitchen.com

Where to drink in Glasgow

For coffee:

  • Short Long Black
    • A Southside favourite by Queen’s Park, with a window full of temptation – the chocolate, peanut butter and coconut cookie is my personal MVP.
    • Visit: instagram.com/shortlongblackcoffee
  • Papercup Coffee Company
    • A West End brunch and coffee spot built on ethically sourced ingredients – perfect for refuelling before a walk through the Botanic Gardens.
    • Visit: papercupcoffee.co.uk
  • The Good Coffee Cartel
    • A small-batch roaster with a cool, friendly, low-waste ethos, championing zero-waste packaging since they started.
    • Visit: thegoodcoffeecartel.com

For drinks:

  • The Pot Still
    • Glasgow’s definitive whisky pub, pouring drams since 1867 with over 700 malts behind the bar.
    • Visit: thepotstill.co.uk
  • The Rose Reilly
    • A Govanhill corner pub named after Scotland’s female football icon – traditional, welcoming, and a lovely local.
    • Visit: Untappd listing
  • The Laurieston
    • A perfectly preserved 1960s time capsule of a pub near the Clyde, famous for arguably the best pint of Guinness in the city. Cash only.
  • The Finnieston
    • For lovers of local craft gin or gin-based cocktails. You’ll find over 60 gins to choose from, alongside some of the city’s best Scottish seafood. There’s also a beer garden at the back if you’re lucky enough for a warm day to sit outside.
    • Visit: thefinniestonbar.com

Where to stay in Glasgow

Hotels
  • citizenM Glasgow
    • Sleek, minimal rooms right in the city centre, by the Glasgow School of Art – great value for a stay in the city centre.
    • Visit: citizenm.com/destinations/glasgow
  • House of Gods
    • Maximalist, decadent, and unapologetically over-the-top – a Merchant City boutique hotel with a Sacred Garden rooftop bar.
    • Visit: houseofgodshotel.com/glasgow
  • Apex City of Glasgow Hotel
Apartments