The Magnificent and Mysterious History of Glasgow

Overview

Available languages

English

Mobile ticket

Discover some of the top attractions in the ancient city of Glasgow such as the spectacular City Chambers, the stunning medieval Cathedral and even some lesser-known sites such as world’s oldest, surviving music hall, the Britannia Panopticon.

Marvel at the grandeur of the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian architecture and sculpture that can still be found on so many streets.

Follow in the footsteps of the merchants, traders and pioneers who transformed the city’s fortunes and reputation and the workers who enabled that transformation.

Hear about some memorable moments from Glasgow’s history, including a few scandals and darker secrets.

Additional Info

Service animals allowed

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

There is walking time between attractions, around 40-45 minutes

The tour will last approximately 2 hours and 45minutes

Even when we're walking between the main attractions, there's plenty to see and talk about.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Historical Information

Storytelling

Local knowledge

What To Expect

City Chambers

Probably the most spectacular building in Glasgow, the headquarters of Glasgow City Council. There is some astonishing sculpture on this building which goes a long way to explaining how Glaswegians saw themselves in the 19th century. 10 minutes

10 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Glasgow War Memorial

Glasgow's monument to the citizens who fell in the First Word War. Rich in symbolism, this monument marks a turning point in Glasgow's history

4 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Options

The Magnificent and Mysterious History of Glasgow

Reviews

4.82

44 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Our guide, Henry Bell was...
Heather D,
Nov 5, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Our guide, Henry Bell was excellent. He communicated clearly. The information he shared was informative and entertaining. I would highly recommend this tour and guide.
Good way to orient yourself to the city
MacrobertsonA,
Nov 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Bruce was passionate and knowledgeable as our guide and the time flew past. I found the cathedral and other buildings more interesting than quite so many murals but appreciate they tell a story of Glasgow. There was a nice touch of gruesomeness - that is enough without being too much.
Top Shelf Tour.
190nickg,
Oct 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
One of the best walking tours I've been on, heaps of detail with lots of different stories, well presented & with great delivery. Highly recommended.
Exactly enough
Amanda R,
Oct 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Our guide was fabulous. So smart. Could tell he really loved talking about the history of his city. He had a great humor about him. He filled you in, but wasn’t flowery. Pretty direct which was appreciated. There wasn’t a question he didn’t know. Pace was great. It is 2.5 hours so be prepared to be a good listener. Our walk was a walking tour around Merchant City. And you cover A LOT. Love that included some of the popular murals along the way. If you are staying in the Merchant City area then definitely do this so you can get comfortable with the area around you.
Great walking tour and guide.
Mitch W,
Oct 11, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Bruce, our guide, was outstanding!!! Great sense of humor, super knowledgeable and lots of fun tidbit facts. We really came away with a better understanding and appreciation of Glasgow. He set a quick, but comfortable pace, which we liked as it enabled us to see and learn so much in the time allotted.
Great guide friendly fun...
Aishling M,
Oct 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great guide friendly fun tour. Great way to get to know the city and see lots of interesting sights.
Great overview with some...
Tammy S,
Sep 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00
Great overview with some interesting facts. Very knowledgeable guide. Unfortunately, the park square was under construction & we were unable to go into the beautiful church due to a private service. Would still recommend this walking tour.
Missed Opportunity
blockbox78misc,
Sep 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
2.00
We book tours based on Viator reviews, so feel the need to point out that this is not a 5 star tour. The tour guide is very likeable and approachable, but the structure and the content of the tour need to be dusted off and redone. The first 6 stops on the tour don’t exist because of construction that started 4 months ago and will last for 2 years. But the tour still starts in the same spot. It is clear that there are many overarching themes that the guide could expand on based on his choice of stops (the art scene in Glasgow, the impact of religion from founding through wars to present day, the quirky anti-establishment vein in Glasgow and where that came from, the impact of the slave trade on Glasgow’s finances vs its stand against apartheid, etc), but the guide’s explanations don’t make these links clear. It is a stop based tour (this is the art museum) not a insight tour (Glasgow was named as one of the top cultural cities in the EU because xxxx and the art museum is an example of this). If you want to see Glasgow, this is a good tour. If the guide wants you to understand and embrace Glasgow, he needs to rework the material.
Exhilarating and enlightening exploration of downtown Glasgow
zintastikcowbell,
Aug 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Booked this instead of a ship excursion from our cruise, and I am so glad we did! Henry was affable and engaging and did a great job of sharing the nuances of Glasgow's history. The pacing and duration were good, though I do wish there had been a bit more time to chit chat with him personally, however we were a decent sized group, and had a lot of ground to cover. Great tour for people who are interested in art, architecture, history, and politics--particularly for those who are at least sympathetic to progressive ideals. Wear good walking shoes.
Great walk around Glasgow
551johannah,
Aug 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Our guide, Bruce, for this walk was amazing, made the 2.5hour walk very enjoyable. He always made sure everyone was together and no-one got left behind, told us lots of history/details on every stop we made and had time to take photos. Was a great way to see Glasgow and ended up at the Cathedral to look around in our own time. Would recommend this.