5 Incredible Places You Must See in Glasgow

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This post is all about Glasgow.

Welcome to Scotland’s capital city! Glasgow was definitely a place I wanted to check out after my adventures in Edinburgh as the two are almost like opposite sides of the same coin. Although both have an incredible history and a thriving modern scene, Glasgow surprised me in terms of how much I enjoyed my time there. I will have to give some credit though to the wonderful company of my best friend in making the trip as memorable as it was.

I highly recommend visiting Glasgow during the Christmas time because of how magical the city becomes with a little holiday spirit. There are so many exciting things to do in the city where Christmas is involved, so don’t miss out on the seasonal activities listed below.

But enough introduction! Let’s get into the city of Glasgow!

Where We Stayed in Glasgow:

Since we were lugging some serious weight around with us (five pieces of luggage to be exact), we wanted a place very close to our points of entry and exit. We arrived at Glasgow Central Station via a train from Edinburgh, and we almost cried tears of joy at how close our hotel was. Literally right across the street! 

Just a quick disclaimer, I do not usually travel with so much luggage. The best friend was moving from one study abroad program to the next, so she needed six months’ worth of belongings on hand. It definitely made the adventure memorable in a whole new way. Love you Abbey 🙂

Yotel Glasgow is the perfect place to stay as it is located pretty close to everything including the Christmas market, shopping streets, and plenty of bus stops to venture around the city. The room was exactly what we needed, and the hotel even has a rooftop restaurant/bar.

What to See and Do in Glasgow:

The best part about all of the things I am going to mention below is the fact that they are all free! Also the majority of them, other than the Christmas market, are open year round, so if you can’t make it for the holidays, there is still plenty to do.

University of Glasgow

If you are looking for dark academia, Dead Poet’s Society vibes, look no further. This campus is a beautiful place to wander and admire the chapels and architecture. The grounds are open to the public, but the majority of the interiors are students and faculty only.

Kelvingrove Park

Right below the university, is a sprawling park full of pedestrian paths. Here you can walk by fountains as well as statues of famous Scottish people! A great and easy way to get some history into your day.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Attached to the park is another beauty of Glasgow architecture, but this time you can enter! The Kelvingrove museum is open to the public with free entry to all exhibits. We didn’t plan on staying long as we were just looking for a bathroom, but we ended up spending an hour walking through the halls. We didn’t even get to the second floor before we had to continue our day elsewhere. Definitely suggest taking a look at this family friendly museum.

Elfingrove Ice Skating

Okay, I lied. This one is not free, but I just had to include it! During the holiday season, the city sets up an ice-skating rink right outside of the Kelvingrove Museum. You have to buy timed tickets ahead of time, but I highly recommend it! We did our time for the evening to see the beautiful light show projected onto the museum, and it was absolutely magical.

Merchant City

This little square in the middle of town has some stunning buildings, but nothing compares to when we saw them lit up at night for Christmas. They had the whole place decked out with a Christmas tree, Santa’s sleigh, and a path through glowing baubles. Thousands of lights scaled the surrounding buildings in changing colors. Talk about festive!

Christmas Market

Next up, we have Glasgow’s Christmas market! Two blocks from Merchant City, the city is interrupted by wintery booths holding anything from hot food and mulled wine to souvenirs and hand crafted trinkets. Not only was this a great place to hang around, but it was also where we ate most of our meals while in the city (read about my rankings of the UK Christmas markets to find out which food was best!). Of course, this is another seasonal activity, but I would definitely check it out if you are around during this special time of year.

Necropolis

Last but certainly not least is the Necropolis. This is a bit of a journey (10 min bus ride from central station), but you just must come for a wander. This eerie cemetery is raised up behind the church on top of a large hill looking creepily over the city. We went in the morning which was even better as there was no one else around. If you are looking for a little escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, this is the place for you.

And there you have it! Five places you absolutely must see on your visit to Glasgow. And don’t forget the couple of holiday specific things if you’re in town for the holiday season.