Leeds Walking Tour: City Highlights, Arcades & Kirkgate Market

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.95 (221 reviews) 96% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/7

Duration2h

GroupUp to 25

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Leeds stories in every step from Georgian squares to Kirkgate Market

You’ll wander Leeds’ historic streets with a local guide who brings stories alive — from sleepy stone lions at Town Hall to the golden-lit arcades and bustling Kirkgate Market. Expect laughs, small surprises, and sensory moments that linger long after you leave the city center.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Leeds city highlights

Visit Leeds Georgian Square
See Cuthbert Brodrick's Town Hall
Explore award-winning city centre space
View Contemporary Art Collection
Walk through Leeds' earliest Shopping Arcades
Marvel at Frank Matcham Gem
Visit stunning 21st Century Arcade
Explore Leeds Kirkgate Market
Discover elliptical space with traders

The Experience

First thing I noticed was how our guide, Tom, didn’t even wait for us to settle in before launching into a story about the old Town Hall. He pointed up at the stone lions — said they were meant to look fierce but honestly, one just looked sleepy. I laughed and almost tripped on the uneven pavement (watch your step near those cobbles). Leeds feels like it’s always moving; there’s this low hum from buses and street musicians drifting through.

We ducked into one of those glass-roofed shopping arcades — the light in there is weirdly soft, kind of golden, and you can smell coffee mixing with perfume from some fancy shop. Tom told us about Frank Matcham and his obsession with curves (in architecture, not people — he made a joke about that). The group got quiet for a second when we hit the Georgian square; it’s smaller than I expected but somehow grander? A couple of locals nodded as they passed, like this was just their normal Tuesday.

I didn’t expect to be so taken by Kirkgate Market. It’s loud and smells like spice and fresh bread — someone handed me a free sample of something I couldn’t pronounce (Li laughed when I tried to say it in Mandarin — probably butchered it). The place is huge, almost dizzying. We ended up in this elliptical space filled with tiny traders selling everything from vinyl records to handmade soap. By then my feet were tired but I didn’t really want it to end. I still think about that view down the arcade, sunlight catching on all the brass details. Leeds gets under your skin a bit — in a good way.

What’s included

Your day includes a guided walk led by a professional local guide through central Leeds landmarks like Georgian Square and Kirkgate Market; it’s suitable for all fitness levels and accessible for wheelchairs or strollers—just show up ready to explore on foot.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Leeds Walking Tours