Available languages
2 hours
Mobile ticket
Celebrate the history, culture and exciting future of Media City & Salford Quays on this fact-filled 5km walking tour. Meeting under the big digital screen at the Media City piazza, this healthy outdoor walk takes us alongside the banks of the mighty Manchester Ship Canal and relives the epic tale from Manchester's starring role in the Industrial Revolution to its reinvention at the heart of the UK's media and technology revolution.
Discover hidden gems of information as you marvel at the stunning landmarks and listen as your guide brings the fascinating history to life. The tour takes you past many stunning landmarks such as the Lowry Arts Centre and the Imperial War Museum North, before returning to the Media City piazza where it all began.
The walk beautifully showcases the UK's most ambitious urban regeneration project from its industrial heritage to its digital future.
Brought to you by Quayside Walking Tours, this captivating tour is one of the North's must-do experiences!
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
BBC Manchester
Find out how Salford's Media City has become the UK's heart of media and technology over the past decade
Manchester Ship Canal
The star of the show! Hear all about the 19th century's most awe-inspiring engineering achievement as we walk alongside the banks of the mighty canal.
Qualified Tour Guide
Audio receivers so that you don't miss anything the guide says
Tour commentary in languages other than English
30 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Perry R,Mar 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
Great experience and very informative and entertaining throughout. Takes about two hours but time just gallops past. Walk is level and done at a relaxing pace with many stops and a chance to ask questions. Frank, our guide, was very knowledgeable but friendly during the walk. Would really recommend this as a must do in the Salford and Manchester area. Great value for money.
JW 11801,Mar 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
We took this tour as our introduction to the city on our arrival day. It was fantastic and gave us an understanding of the city's past, present, and future. Frank is a fabulous guide with superb people skills, just the perfect guide. Even if in center city a while, the Media City tour will enlarge your knowledge of an area of the city that is wonderful while learning much about the development of this area and the city in its entirety. The tour is wonderful - no other way to describe it. And, it was so good, we immediately booked their city center tour for the next day (also superb).
paulinemY1582JY,Mar 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
I really enjoyed my tour of media city and the quays. Frank was a really knowledgeable and interesting guide and I learned so much about the history and regeneration of the area. I'd thoroughly recommend this tour with Frank
blondesedge,Mar 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
An excellent tour. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Frank was very cordial, engaging and full of fantastic information. I was the only one on the tour and we had a lovely chat between stops. Yes it rained intermittently, but that meant a rainbow appeared right at the end 🌈. Perfect introduction to Salford and Media City. Thank you Frank

Nora W,Mar 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
A very informative 2 hour walk with history of Manchester and the Quays which we knew nothing about. Photos added to the explanations. Frank was very friendly. Would highly recommend.
colleenr525,Mar 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
Absolutely brilliant! Frank was a perfect Guide; informative, knowledgeable and amusing. We had a great two hours and learned so much about the Quays area and the people who lived there - past, present and future; from the early days of the Industrial Revolution to the next ten years! If you like to know about the area you are visiting, this is an experience not to be missed. Thank you, Frank!
jackieparker23,Mar 6, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
I was the only one on this tour so I very much appreciated Frank, my personal tour guide.This was my first visit to Manchester/Salford so it was very interesting to hear about the history of the area and the plans for future development. An afternoon well spent.
davidmP4684JS,Jan 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
Everyone else has given 5 stars and I'm not going to be any different. Only me and my wife on the tour and it was a cold but really interesting tour and Frank knew so many facts and figures and made it a really enjoyable experience. I wasn't sure what to expect but was really impressed by Frank's knowledge. The individual earpieces meant you missed nothing that was said. Excellent!!

joe thomas71,Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
Thank you to Frank, our guide for persevering with the wind, rain and cold. It was an insightful, fascinating walking tour. It was truly an inspiration on the wonderful impact an energetic and strategic city can achieve. History, the present and future; and business, culture, residential and leisure are all melted together in a symbiotic way. Frank was well informed, humorous and full of energy. I fully recommend this walk.
cecilelP9167YK,Nov 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
We truly enjoyed this tour with Frank. We learned a lot of interesting facts and history about Media City, Salford and the Manchester area as a whole, which Frank illustrated with pictures. The audio system is a very nice addition and made the experience seamless, allowing us to drift off to take a photo on occasion without missing anything! It helped that we were the only booking that day and we were grateful that Frank did the tour just for the two of us!
Operated by Quayside Walking Tours