School trips to Manchester
If you're looking for an education-filled day trip, then a school trip to Manchester could be an excellent choice for you and your students. We offer a range of guided tours and trips that can be tailored to your curriculum requirements and year group.
Easily accessible by the motorway and rail networks with a range of attractions to enrich students across topics, Manchester is a fantastic location for your next school trip.
Manchester is the digital hub of the North, with excellent facilities for students studying media. MediaCity is one of the UK’s leading TV and radio hubs, offering a unique experience for media students looking to break into the industry.
The BBC offers a tour where students can go behind the scenes of programmes like Match of the Day, Blue Peter, and BBC Breakfast. Students also have the opportunity to create their own news and weather bulletin in an interactive studio. There’s a separate CBBC tour for children aged 6-11.
Manchester is famous for its rich music culture, historical buildings and art. A visit to one of Manchester's galleries will provide an enriching learning experience for any art student. Explore the latest exhibitions of historic and contemporary art at the Lowry, the Manchester Art Gallery, or the Whitworth Art Gallery.
Manchester is also home to a range of museums, including the Museum of Science and Industry and the Manchester Museum - both of which can offer interactive exhibits and workshops. The Museum of Science and industry has lots of excellent interactive exhibitions, which are ideal for every age group.
Get in touch with NST today for more information and advice on planning your Manchester school trip. Or take a look at some of our most popular options below.
Browse our most popular Manchester school trips
Why choose NST?
Here's why thousands of teachers choose NST each year...
- Unrivalled school trip knowledge
Your dedicated Tour Co-ordinator will use their trip planning knowledge and expertise to create a tailor-made, curriculum-linked itinerary to meet your group’s exact needs.
- Making it easier for you
Your own trip organiser, travel app, free classroom packs and trip promo resources.
- Free group leader inspection visits
Visit your chosen destination free of charge and plan with confidence.
- Value for money, always
We work hard to make every penny count.
- Over 55 years’ experience
With NST you can rest assured that your group is in safe hands.
- Aligned to your learning outcomes
Every trip can be built around your specific goals — from the latest GCSE and A level curriculum requirements to particular themes, interests or visits you want to focus on.
- Risk assessment guidance
Clear, practical support to help you manage group safety including our free guide.
- Offsetting carbon emissions
Through our partnership with Carbon Footprint, we're committed to offset one tonne of CO2 emissions, and plant a tree on school grounds in the UK, for every trip booked.
Manchester trip highlights - our groups love
Manchester Art Gallery
Uncover the history and rich culture with the Manchester Art Gallery, one of the country’s finest art museums. With a mix of wonderful historic collections alongside the best international contemporary art to bring fresh perspectives to familiar images, Manchester Art Gallery offers a blend of historic and contemporary architecture that echoes an innovative arts programme.
The Lowry
Set in a magnificent waterside location at the heart of the redeveloped Salford Quays in Greater Manchester, The Lowry brings together a wide variety of performing and visual arts under one roof. The Lowry offers school groups the best in entertainment and education in the arts in the North West.
Whitworth Art Gallery
The Whitworth Art Gallery has been part of the University of Manchester since 1889, and holds both historic and contemporary collections and exhibitions. The gallery is well-known for its displays of modern art and sculpture, including works by British sculptor Jacob Epstein, British artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth, Vincent van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso.
The Manchester Museum
This museum, based at the University of Manchester, is host to a mix of collections. From natural history to science and technology, dinosaur skeletons to mummies from Ancient Egypt, this diverse museum showcases objects which will engage and education any mind. The Manchester Museum is perfectly suited to students who are studying history, science and culture. With free, public tour running throughout the week, this would be a fantastic time to generate the student's interest and gain an insightful view into the museum's history and the collections housed here.
The Trafford Centre
Situated just five miles outside of Manchester city centre, where groups can enjoy a vast range of stores along three miles of granite and marble boulevards! There are many restaurants and places to eat plus the Trafford Centre is also home to the Odeon 20 screen cinema - one of the largest in the UK. Not only that, but the Trafford Centre is also home to Sea Life Manchester, which is filled with lots of family-friendly sealife exhibitions.
