11 Leeds Tours You Should Totally Go On, Even If You Were Brought Up Here

Think you’ve seen everything there is to see in Leeds? Think again, as these tours and walks around Leeds might throw up a surprise or two.

Whether you’ve been a Leeds resident all your life, or just recently moved here, there are few better ways to see a new side of the city than by heading out on one of our guided tours and walks. From revisiting city landmarks to discovering Leeds’ industrial past, haunted buildings and countryside, get yourself booked onto one, two or perhaps even all of these tours.

1. The Leeds Art Walk

On the first Wednesday of every month, Leeds art group Pavilion sets out to uncover something new within Leeds cultural scene on the Leeds Art Walk. Changing it up every time with three, their walks around Leeds range from visits to the latest shows at small, independent arthouses to huge events in the city’s biggest venues or even just stops at some of the great public art dotted about across the city.

The Leeds Art Walk takes place across the city on the first Wednesday of every month. Contact Pavilion to go along.

2. Leeds Civic Trust’s Guided Supper Walks

If you want to find out about more about the city’s impressive heritage, talk to the Leeds Civic Trust. They mix up tours of some of the city’s most important buildings with a buffet supper and wine afterwards – good, right? Lasting around an hour and a half, each walk takes on a particular theme, like the Waterfront or Medieval Leeds, before a chit chat and refuel afterwards.

Leeds Civic Trust’s Guided Supper Walks take place throughout the year. Contact them directly for more information on dates.

3. Real Yorkshire Tours

Whether it’s history, geography or culture, with Real Yorkshire Tours, you can you can tailor your walk to suit your interests. Run by local expert Timothy Barber, they offer a range of single day tours and multiple day getaways, on tours like Jurassic Yorkshire, Historic Houses, or Abbeys and Monasteries, as well as guided walks around Leeds, Harewood House and further afield.

Real Yorkshire Tours take place across the county throughout the year.

4. Goor’s Guided Walks

Kenneth Goor is something of an unheralded Leeds legend – the local has been a tour guide for 30 years and now runs 21 different guided tours around Leeds, with his walks uncovering parts of the city you may never have known about. Whether it’s looking at the city’s old slums, covering the industrial identity of Leeds or exploring the folk who have become a part of the city’s folklore, he’s the go-to-guy.

Goor’s Guided Walks take place intermittently throughout the year. Check out his calendar for future events.

5. Goor’s Haunted Tours

Not only does Kenneth Goor reveal plenty of the city’s history with his walks around Leeds, but he’s happy to show off a darker side too. His haunted tours have become something of a favourite, particularly around Halloween when he takes those not of faint heart around the city on ghost walks as you search for things that go bump in the night. It’s not just around Halloween though, so keep those eyes peeled for dates throughout the year.

Goor’s Haunted Tours take place intermittently throughout the year. Check out his calendar for future events.

6. Michael D Barber Tours

Known as Mike on the Mike, Michael D Barber is one of Leeds’ leading tour guides, offering a range of walks around the city whether you’re visiting or a seasoned Loiner. His Central Leeds tour is popular, looking at the main landmarks across town, while he also offers trips out to to museums, parks and stately homes in the suburbs, as well as coach tours around Yorkshire, so you can see all of the best bits of the county.

Michael D Barber runs guided tours of Leeds and Yorkshire throughout the year. Contact him for his availability.

7. The Ramblers Leeds

As part of the wider association of Ramblers Yorkshire, The Ramblers Leeds is a walking group that offers up a huge variation of walks in and around the city all year round every Saturday morning. Taking advantage of the footpath networks that are in the region, you can explore the likes of the River Aire, trek through Rodley, Thorner and Bramham or climb the famous Otley Chevin – they always have something new to discover.

The Ramblers Leeds have group walks around Leeds every Saturday morning.

8. All Being Well Health Walks

As part of a national scheme run by Walking for Health which aims to get thousands of people more active to improve their wellbeing, All Being Well Health Walks offer the perfect opportunity to get out and see Leeds while looking after yourself. Every Thursday morning, folk meet at the entrance to Leeds Bus Station for walks of between 1.5 and 2 miles around the city, as well as the odd trip into the suburbs too.

All Being Well Health Walks take place from Leeds Bus Station every Thursday at 10.15am.

9. Leeds C.H.A. Rambling Club

For over 100 years, the Leeds C.H.A Rambling Club have been bringing people together to explore Leeds and the surrounding countryside. They offer a range of walks every week at varying distances and difficulty, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a hardened rambler or a beginner, you still get to explore the nooks and crannies of Leeds, with tours including treks around Scholes, Harewood and Horsforth, as well as a few that go deeper into Yorkshire.

Leeds C.H.A Rambling Club offer a range of walks in and around Leeds every week, keep up to date with their calendar.

10. Leeds University Walking Club

Don’t be put off by the name – the Leeds University Walking Club is open to any and all who may have an interest in getting out and about using their legs. Ranging from 6 to 16 miles long, there’s one to suit anyone who fancies joining in with walks around Leeds nearly every Saturday and Sunday, often featuring landmarks like Bramham Park, Harewood House or Wetherby. If you like what you find, they also do walking holidays every year, going as far as China – but we know Leeds will always be more impressive.

Leeds University Walking Club organise walks every weekend, keep up to date with their calendar.

11. Take A Hike

Another Ramblers Association group, Take A Hike are a group that aims to get young people out for walks in and around Leeds and Bradford. With at least one walk every weekend, there’s always somewhere new to discover and it doesn’t matter what experience you may already have. Their tours of Leeds range from casual 4 mile jaunts to more strenuous 14 mile treks that may include some pretty tough terrain – regardless, you’ll see Leeds at its best.

Take A Hike organise walks every weekend, keep up to date with their calendar.

Feature image and image for Goor’s Guided Walks copyright Ollievision. Image of Leeds Civic Trust is copyright KGGucwa licensed under Creative Commons for commercial use. Image of Harewood House courtesy of Harewood House Trust.Image of Chevin Forest Park copyright Andrew and Annemarie licensed under Creative Commons for commercial use. Image of Horsforth Hall Park copyright Chemical Engineer licensed under Creative Commons for commercial use. Images of Wetherby Bridge and Horsforth copyright Tim Green licensed under Creative Commons for commercial use.