This itinerary features the 8 best things to do in Glasgow that are conveniently all FREE, including the Necropolis, Cathedral, Gallery, St Mungo Museum, Kelvingrove Museum and the Botanic Gardens.
Glasgow is Scotland’s biggest city, yet it is often left off tourist itineraries.
If you are just travelling through or short on time, this itinerary will help you make the most of your time in Glasgow.
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Getting to Glasgow
From Inverness:
Trains from Inverness to Glasgow usually take about 3 hours 30 minutes and leave about every hour.
Some are direct, while some include a stop in Stirling.
Bus journeys take slightly longer at 3 hours 50 minutes, but they are a bit cheaper, especially if you are booking at the last minute.
From Edinburgh:
Trains from Edinburgh to Glasgow take about 1 hour. There are about 5 trains per hour.
The bus takes about 1 hour 30 minutes and can be slightly cheaper.
How to get cheap train tickets in the UK?
- Make use of railcards (30% discount)
- Pre-book during early-bird sales (usually 3 month in advance)
- Check prices on different platforms
Where to Stay in Glasgow
$ Hostel $
The Revolver Hotel
62 Virginia St, Glasgow G1 1TX, United Kingdom
Revolver Hotel is the best hostel accommodation available in Glasgow. I stayed here; it’s in a central location close to the train station and in walking distance of the best sights and nightlife. Check availability or see other options.
$$ Hotel $$
Motel One Glasgow
78-82 Oswald Street , Glasgow City Centre, Glasgow, G1 4PL , United Kingdom
Motel One Glasgow is everything you could want in a hotel: clean, modern, and centrally located. It’s the best mid-range hotel in Glasgow with raving reviews (over 20,000!) Check availability or see other options.
How to Get Cheap Accommodation
- Peak time to travel to Inverness is in summer (June-August) and around Christmas. Accommodation is the most expensive during this time. To get the best deal, travel during the off season, when beds can be as low as £20 (as of 2024). Off season includes January to early May, and September to early December.
- Book in advance, especially during the peak seasons.
- Booking via the official hostel website can sometimes (not always) get you a better deal than booking via third-party websites. However, third party websites do sometimes provide more flexibility for cancellation or changes.
Things to do in Glasgow
Glasgow Necropolis
Address: Castle St, Glasgow G4 0UZ, United Kingdom
Opening Hours: 7am-4:30pm every day.
Entry: Free
Website
This is a gorgeous Victorian cemetery set on a hill overlooking the city.
It’s on a hill so there are a lot of steps and it can be a little physically demanding to walk up.
I found the Necropolis to be so beautiful and peaceful. Despite being one of Glasgow’s top tourist attractions, I didn’t encounter many other people.
If you have the time, I imagine the sunrise or sunset would be amazing from up there.
Friends of Glasgow Necropolis do offer a walking tour, but it seems pretty expensive and I enjoyed strolling around and exploring by myself.
Glasgow Cathedral
Address: Castle St, Glasgow G4 0QZ, United Kingdom
Opening Hours: 9:30-5pm, 1pm-5pm on Sundays
Entry: Free
Website
From the Necropolis, head down the hill to the Glasgow Cathedral.
This absolutely stunning cathedral was built in Gothic style in the 1100s and dedicated to St Kentigern (also known as St Mungo) who was dubbed the founder of Glasgow.
It is also famous for being a filming location in Season 2 of Outlander.
You can purchase an audio guide for £2 if you would like to know more about the cathedral’s history.
I recommend getting there by strolling up the quaint cobbled Church Lane.
Travel Essentials
SIM cards: Airalo offers eSIMS for over 200 countries which you can install BEFORE travelling, saving you the stress of running around to find a store or from being ripped off by local vendors. This is perfect for backpackers who are travelling to multiple destinations in a short period of time.
Insurance: You should NOT go overseas without getting travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you in case you get injured or your plans change or are cancelled. I always use Covermore, because the cover is comprehensive and they were easy to work with when I needed to make a claim.
Banking: When travelling and saving for travel I use Up Bank, an online Australian bank, that allows fee-free overseas transactions, unlimited savings ‘pools’ and easy transfers. If you join Up with my invite code we both get $13!
St. Mungo Museum Of Religious Life & Art
Address: 2 Castle St, Glasgow G4 0RH, United Kingdom
Opening Hours: 10-5pm. Friday, Sunday: 11am-5pm
Entry: Free
Website
This museum is just next door to the Glasgow Cathedral and was also established in honour of Saint Mungo.
It has a variety of exhibitions focused on religion and how it has shaped humanity around the world over time.
Visiting the St Mungo Museum is one of the best things to do in Glasgow.
Inverness Travel Essentials
SIM cards: Airalo offers eSIMS for over 200 countries which you can install BEFORE travelling, saving you the stress of running around to find a store or from being ripped off by local vendors. This is perfect for backpackers who are travelling to multiple destinations in a short period of time.
Insurance: You should NOT go overseas without getting travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you in case you get injured or your plans change or are cancelled. I always use Covermore, because the cover is comprehensive and they were easy to work with when I needed to make a claim.
Banking: When travelling and saving for travel I use Up Bank, an online Australian bank, that allows fee-free overseas transactions, unlimited savings ‘pools’ and easy transfers. If you join Up with my invite code we both get $13!
Gallery of Modern Art
Address: 111 Queen St, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow G1 3AH, United Kingdom
Opening Hours: 10am-5pm (11am Fri/Sun)
Entry: Free
Website
This gallery has 4 different exhibitions produced by different artists or in a different theme.
As the name implies, there is a heavy focus on contemporary art. Contemporary is not my favourite style but this gallery is small, easy to explore and best of all, free.
George Square
Address: Glasgow G2 1DH, United Kingdom
This is a square built in 1781 named after King George III. You will find statues of famous Scots scattered around the square.
It’s a good place to relax and people watch, or have a picnic lunch. However, when I visited there were some sketchy people people hanging around, so just be sure to keep a hold on your valuables.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Address: Argyle St, Glasgow G3 8AG, United Kingdom
Opening Hours: 10am-5pm, 11am-5pm on Fri/Sun.
Entry: Free
Website
This gallery is set in the gorgeous Kelvingrove Park, and features 22 galleries of art, ceramics, armour, Egyptian objects, and more.
There are also have free organ recitals every day (1pm on Monday-Saturday, 3pm on Sunday).
The museum’s most famous attraction is Sir Roger the stuffed Asian elephant. Yes, it is literally a stuffed elephant that died over 100 years ago!
Although Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is a little out of the way, it is one of the best things to do in Glasgow.
University of Glasgow
Next door to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery is the University of Glasgow.
This university was founded in 1451 and is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world!
It is worth a visit just to walk around and admire the Gothic architecture.
Glasgow Botanic Gardens
Address: 730 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 0UE, United Kingdom
Opening Hours: 10am-4pm every day.
Entry: Free
Website
The Glasgow Botanic Gardens are just a 15 min walk from the university.
With over 27 acres of plants, the most interesting sight by far is the huge Victorian style glasshouses. There is also a rose garden and vegetable garden.
These Botanic Gardens are quite small so they won’t take long to explore completely.
There is 8 FREE things to do in Glasgow! If you’re travelling to Scotland, make sure to check out my other Scotland posts!
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