What are the best things to do in Birmingham?
Top picks in Birmingham include Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, IKON Gallery, Lapworth Museum of Geology. See the full list and itinerary on this Birmingham travel guide.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom travel guide
Europe · Northern Europe
Birmingham Travel Guide
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Photo: Stephen JG · CC BY-SA 2.0
Why visit Birmingham
Travel guide for Birmingham, United Kingdom — practical tips, places to visit, and planning help.
Birmingham is a stop in United Kingdom, not a country-in-a-weekend. Plan about 1 days. If time is short, prioritise Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, IKON Gallery, Lapworth Museum of Geology instead of racing the whole list. Mid-range ground costs are about 120–260 USD per person per day, excluding international flights. Best time: May–June & September–October for mild weather and thinner crowds. Rankings, stay length and cost bands on this page come from Global Itinerary’s trip-planning models.
Best time
May–June & September–October for mild weather and thinner crowds
Weather
Temperate, with warm summers and cool winters
Experiences
Things to do in Birmingham
1
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
2
IKON Gallery
3
Lapworth Museum of Geology
Plan your trip
Birmingham itinerary (1 days)
- 1
Day 1
Icons & landmarks
- Visit Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
- Visit IKON Gallery
- Visit Lapworth Museum of Geology
- Eat at Eat4Less
Budget
Birmingham trip cost
Budget
USD 55–90
per person / day
Mid-range
USD 120–260
per person / day
Luxury
USD 300–495+
per person / day
Typical on-the-ground spend in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Hostel/guesthouse + local meals ≈ budget; comfortable hotels + mix of dining ≈ mid-range; luxury hotels and fine dining ≈ luxury. Figures exclude international flights.
Trip budget estimator
Typical mid-range for Birmingham
Estimated total (USD)
$3,265
≈ $1,633 per person · $466 per day group total
Ground costs ≈ $195/person/day (lodging + food + transport + activities)
Defaults match Birmingham mid-range ground costs (budget 55–90 · mid 120–260 · luxury 300–495+ USD/day). Edit freely — flights vary by origin.
Where to eat
Local favourites
Eat4Less
Breakfast sandwiches are generous in size and tasty. Known for their baguettes but also do burgers, pizzas, omelettes and jacket potatoes.
Grand Central Kitchen
Perfect English breakfast. You can fully comprehend why there is a queue outside on a Sunday for breakfast because the food is so good.
Tortilla Birmingham
Tasty from the burritos to the chips and the sauces. The meat is tender and juicy and the flavours are distinct and bold.
The Chicken Hut
Fire food, try the supreme burger. A chicken steak burger for £2 (April 2021).
Caspian Pizza
Lovely vegetarian panini. The seating is comfortable and the overall decor is nice.
LEON New Street Station
Leon serves high quality tasty food and extremely quickly when on the move. They have a great vegan selection as well. Relaxing atmosphere a
Where to stay
Tourist favourites & top-rated
Comfort Inn
Comfort Inn is a brand of non-standardized properties where price often trumps modern comforts, and this hotel is no exception. It also boas
Gables Hotel
mid-priced and provide easy access to the centre of Moseley Village but in need of refurbishment.
Hampton by Hilton Birmingham Broad Street
Contemporary 3-star hotel offering 285 stylish rooms, free WiFi and complimentary breakfast.
Hampton by Hilton Birmingham City North
The new Hampton brings some colour to Birmingham's economy hotel market, merging new with old as it is located in a building dating back to
Holiday Inn Express Birmingham-Snow Hill
The tall tower with 224 rooms has relatively large common areas and everything expected of a Holiday Inn Express, including free WiFi and br
Shopping
- Bullring
- The Mailbox
- Grand Central
- Martineau Place
- Great Western Arcade
- Picadilly Arcade
Nightlife
- Bull
- Figure of Eight
- Bacchus
- Craven Arms
- Edmunds Lounge Bar and Eatery
- The Malt House
Museums & culture
- Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
- IKON Gallery
- Lapworth Museum of Geology
In pictures
Birmingham gallery
Photos: Stephen JG, BlueandWhiteStripes, David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, Roger Kidd, Jim Osley — via Wikimedia Commons
Good to know
Birmingham travel FAQs
When is the best time to visit Birmingham?
May–June & September–October for mild weather and thinner crowds.
How many days do I need in Birmingham?
Plan at least 1 days in Birmingham for the highlights on our suggested itinerary; add more time for day trips.
Where should I stay in Birmingham?
Popular stays in Birmingham include Comfort Inn, Gables Hotel, Hampton by Hilton Birmingham Broad Street. Book central areas if you want to walk to major sights.
How much does a trip to Birmingham cost?
On the ground in Birmingham (excluding international flights), budget travellers often spend about 55–90 per person per day, mid-range about 120–260, and luxury about 300–495+ (USD). Typical on-the-ground spend in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Hostel/guesthouse + local meals ≈ budget; comfortable hotels + mix of dining ≈ mid-range; luxury hotels and fine dining ≈ luxury.
Keep exploring
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