If you haven’t been to Leeds yet, this is your sign that you need to. A couple of hours via train or car from the Midlands and you’re in the centre of Leeds. Quite possibly one of my favourite weekend destinations to date in the UK.
First of all, you need to find a hotel. Leeds needs at least 2 full days to enjoy. So an overnight stay is a must.
Leeds Marriott Hotel
We stopped at Leeds Marriott Hotel, centrally located within walking distance of so many attractions in this vibrant city. The hotel is modern and comfortable, but with that classic Marriott Bonvoy, look and feel to it.
There’s over 200 rooms in the hotel (the internet kindly informs me that there’s 236 rooms and 8 suites – to be precise), there’s a 24 hour fitness centre complete with up-to-date equipment including peleton bikes, weights and cardiovascular equipment, an Italian restaurant (more on this later) and an Executive Lounge (a huge plus side to booking an executive room).
The Room
We booked a family room, which consisted of two double beds, a flat-screen TV, a desk with an ergonomic chair, a comfy side chair, a coffee machine, a kettle, hairdryer and high-speed wi-fi access.
The girls even had a kids colouring pack each too, which they were really chuffed with.
The beds were incredibly comfy, with crisp white linen and the room was bright and filled with light, overlooking a picturesque square (which had some lovely twinkling lights in the trees at night).
The bathroom consisted of a toilet, sink and a walk-in shower and came with shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, soap and hand lotion – so all you need to bring with you is your toothbrush and toothpaste.
Executive Lounge
For those who book an executive room, you have complimentary access to the Executive Lounge. A brilliant space to sit and enjoy a book, catch up on some work, or sit and watch the TV whilst enjoying complimentary food and drink.
We had some snacks in here on the first day when we arrived and then enjoyed a full cooked and continental breakfast in here the next morning. It includes unlimited drinks and snacks and is worth its weight in gold.
Gino D’Acampo Restaurant
Situated on the ground floor of the hotel is an in-house Italian Brasserie, an opulent, open-plan restaurant, lounge, and cicchetti bar (with a heated outdoor terrace for those summer months). The restaurant is open all day, every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until late, and you can even order room service from here, too. The menu, designed personally by Gino and his esteemed team of chefs, encompasses classic Italian dishes with a real focus on quality and ingredient provenance.
We decided to have our evening meal here and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Take a look at Leeds Marriott here: https://www.marriott.com/en-gb/hotels/lbadt-leeds-marriott-hotel/overview/ . With rooms starting from just £83 based on two adults sharing, it’s an excellent choice to explore Leeds.
Exploring Leeds
Leeds City Centre is an absolute gem and after spending the weekend exploring here, I can confidently say it’s a place you’ll want to visit. The mix of stunning Victorian architecture and modern city vibes, won all four of us over.
We wandered through the beautiful Corn Exchange, packed with independent shops and took in the lively atmosphere of Kirkgate Market (one of the best indoor markets in the country). Shopping lovers will adore Trinity Leeds, while foodies (like us!) are spoiled for choice with everything from quirky street food stalls to elegant restaurants. If you’re a fan of museums, then you’ll love all the FREE options here in Leeds including Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds City Museum and the Royal Armouries Museum, and don’t forget a go on the Leeds Dock Water Taxi.
Whether you’re after culture, history, great food or just a fun trip out, Leeds City Centre delivers on all fronts!
Leeds Corn Exchange
If you love unique, independent shopping, the Leeds Corn Exchange is an absolute must visit! Stunning Victorian architecture with its beautiful domed ceiling, curved balconies, and cascading staircases. It is home to a brilliant mix of indie shops, from quirky fashion and handmade jewellery to vintage treasure, books, plants, and artisan treats.
More details about Leeds Corn Exchange: https://www.leedscornexchange.co.uk/
Kirkgate Market
A bustling hub of history, culture and amazing finds in one of the largest indoor markets in Europe. It is also the home of where Marks and Spencers first started! And you can still see their artwork sign today.
From the moment you walk in, the smell of fresh food stalls hits you (I really want to go back and work my way through these) and the chatter of friendly traders. There’s everything from fresh produce, world foods, flowers, fashion, hardware, and more. There’s apparently a viral Yorkshire Wrap stall in there, too, although we didn’t spot this (a sign of how big this market is).
More details about Kirkgate Market here: https://markets.leeds.gov.uk/
Leeds Art Gallery
For all you art lovers, this gallery is packed with incredible pieces from classic to contemporary.
We spent ages admiring the paintings. It has a really good family feel to the gallery, too, as they have a section where children can get involved with art, draw their own pictures, and add them to a gallery wall. It is FREE to enter, and the art activities are FREE to join in with, too.
Don’t forget to pop into the stunning cafe too, even if you’re not eating, you must pop in and look up at the breathtaking ceiling.
More details about Leeds Art Gallery here: https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/pQV2c0/leeds-art-gallery/home
Leeds City Museum
Another FREE museum that we visited was Leeds City Museum. A brilliant, family-friendly day out in the centre. Packed with fascinating exhibits, from ancient Egyptain mummies (a real one!) to local Leeds History. We all had a great time exploring the interactive displays.
They currently have a Miffy exhibition, which was very much loved by my two Miffy fans.
It is the perfect mix of fun and education and a great way to spend a few hours in the City.
More details about Leeds Museum here: https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/pQgdfm/leeds-city-museum/home
Leeds Dock Water Taxi
Who doesn’t love a fun and unique way to get around?
The Leeds Dock Water Taxi is an absolute hidden gem and such a fun way to see the city! It cost us £3 each to hop on the little yellow boat and enjoy a scenic ride between Granary Wharf and Leeds Dock as we travelled to the Royal Armouries Museum.
It took about 10-15 minutes, and with the weather being beautiful that day, it was the perfect way to catch some vitamin d and enjoy the sights along the waterfront.
More details about the water taxi here: https://www.leedsdock.com/whos-here/watertaxis/
Royal Armouries Museum
Quite possibly, our favourite stop of the trip was a visit to the FREE Royal Armouries Museum. Perfect for history lovers, it is a trove of fascinating artefacts, from medieval swords and knights in shining armour to ancient weapons from around the world. We spent hours here and could easily have spent the whole day if we weren’t rushing to fit everything that we wanted to see into our itinerary.
We got to see live demonstrations bringing history to life in an exciting way (perfect for children who might not want to stand and read displays), my husband and our youngest child got to have a go at crossbow! We all enjoyed the interactive elements within the galleries and we saw some absolutely fascinating things.
In June (28th to be precise) a new gallery/exhibition will open (there will be a charge for this). An exhibition that will allow you to step back in time to the world of the gladiator.
This immersive, world-leading exhibition is the first time it has come to the UK and will allow you to discover original artifacts from the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, rare helmets discovered in Pompeii, life-scale models of gladiators in action, and interactive elements exploring their training, combat skills, healthcare and daily life. We have already decided that we will be booking a visit to come back to Leeds again whilst this is on.
Take a look at their website here: https://royalarmouries.org/leeds
Trinity Leeds Shopping Centre
Shopping heaven in the heart of the city.
Trinity Leeds is the ultimate spot for a bit of retail therapy with all the big brands, high street favourites, and some fab independent stores, too. They also have Trinity Kitchen, where the street food vendors change regularly and they have a cinema too!
See what shops are here: https://www.trinityleeds.com/en
Shopping
On the subject of shopping. Leeds has so many brilliant shopping opportunities. A great mix of modern shopping centres and historic arcades. Victoria Quarter and Victoria Gate offer the luxurious shopping experience. Imagine stunning architecture and high-end brands like Harvey Nichols, Louis Vuitton and Mulberry and John Lewis.
Queens Arcade was built in 1889 with Grade II listed Victorian Architecture that offers a characterful place to shop some well known niche independent retailers. Make sure you look up to see some stunning views.
We had a brilliant time in Leeds and can’t wait to return. Have we missed visiting somewhere in Leeds that you would recommend? Let us know in the comments.
Also if you are on Instagram, come and take a look at our reel of the hotel here and our reel of Leeds here and our post showcasing our top 5 places to visit in Leeds, here. You can find us at @smallhousebigtrips. Come and give us a follow.
Disclaimer: We were invited to Leeds Marriott to write a review. All other places visited were our choice and all thoughts and opinions are entirely our own. We loved our stay so much that we are choosing to return again.