Traveling to Liverpool as a Beatles fan.
Pictured above: Mural of The Beatles inside of The Cavern Club.
If you are a big fan of The Beatles, you know how important the city of Liverpool was in each of their lives. Songs such as Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields Forever, and a Day In The Life pay tribute to their childhood experience in Liverpool.
Being a big fan myself, it was a must for me to travel to the city to celebrate the Fab Four, and it did not disappoint. It was such a beautiful experience to see where they used to run around and grow up.
A Day In The Life in Liverpool
The city has Beatles references peppered all throughout, with each bar and restaurant offering different memorabilia or unseen photos. Downtown Liverpool, also known as the City Centre, has a very fun and entertaining environment, and there are so many live artists performing Beatles songs all throughout. Needless to say, you will not be bored on your visit- there is always something to do!
During the day, Liverpool is very safe and welcoming. Once the sun went down we noticed that it does get a little rowdier, especially on John street where the Cavern is. I would always recommend using precautions at night, and making sure you are with a buddy if you are walking around incredibly late. Still, I never felt unsafe or at risk while walking around.
Pictured above: Albert Dock.
Tangerine Trees and Marmalade Skies
While you are spending your day perusing the streets of Liverpool, you might get a little hungry! A little off of the Beatles theme, but the restaurant I recommend is Festival Food and Drink Grill; it provides a hip and retro vibe and has unbelievable food. They also have lots of cool history about other English bands all around the restaurant.
Tip: Liverpool actually has its own soup exclusively to the city called Scouse! It has a beef broth base with a variety of vegetables and served with a crunchy baguette. It’s just one of those things that you have to try while you’re here. Trust me, it does not disappoint!
Pictured above: Scouse from Festival Food and Drink Grill.
As for drinks, if you are looking for a unique and older English pub vibe, I recommend the Baltic Fleet. It is a little bit of a walk from downtown, but it worth it for the quaint Irish vibe. They have plenty of beer on tap and other mixed drinks.
Tip: If you have never been to Liverpool before, you might get thrown off by their accents. They are sometimes very hard to understand, as their accent is a mix of Queens English and Irish (which they also called Scouse… and Liverpudlians are also known as Scousers... seeing a pattern here?)
Pictured above: Baltic Fleet Bar.
Magical Mystery Tour!
All aboard! The Magical Mystery Tour is a fantastic way to see all of the Beatles sites that are on your bucket list. On the tour, you are able to see John, Paul, George, and Ringo’s childhood homes, and the schools they attended. You also drive past Elenor Rigby's grave! You are able to get off the bus and take pictures at Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, and in front of George and Paul’s childhood homes. You also get to see the church where Paul and John met!
I recommend the Magical Mystery Tour because the sites that were on my list to see were further away from each other than I originally thought. It is much easier to let the professionals do the driving and relax and take in the city. Our tour guide actually grew up in Liverpool at the same time as the Beatles, so he knew of them when they were just kids.
Pictured above: Magical Mystery Tour Bus.
The Cavern Club
The last Magical Mystery Tour stop is to the Cavern Club, where the Beatles famously played over 200 times. You get free admission with your tour ticket, so you can actually go down to see the stage. There are musicians playing on the main stage at all times, and there is a bar as well. It is such a fun environment and sucks you back in time to the early 60’s.
I recommend taking your time and looking at all of the amazing memorabilia. They have displays of all of the different bands that have played there to pay tribute to The Beatles, including Oasis and the Rolling Stones. Stay a while and listen to the local artists; they usually play Beatles songs. The Cavern also has plenty of merchandise to purchase!
Pictured above: Local musician performing on The Cavern Club main stage.
The Beatles' Statue
Located near Albert Dock and the Royal Liver Building, the Beatles statue is a great photo op. I recommend asking other people to take pictures of you with the statue! It’s worth it.
Pictured above: Beatles statue with the Royal Liver Building.
Lennon Home Tour
Separate from the Magical Mystery Tour, you can take a tour of John Lennon’s childhood home that he shared with his Aunt Mimi. If you are a musician, it is worth the ticket price to visit his home. There is no photography permitted inside the home, so you really have to soak it all in. The curator in the Lennon home was very knowledgeable and friendly.
The Lennon home is actually a part of the National Trust, and was recreated from old pictures and from what John shared about his memories there. Yoko was the driving force to recreate his home just as he remembered as a child, and to open it for others to see and get inspired.
Pictured above: John Lennon's childhood home.
McCartney Family Home Tour
Paul McCartney’s home is very similar to the Lennon house, it is recreated just as he remembers as a child. It is part of the National Trust too, and he asked that instead of it being called “Paul McCartney’s Childhood Home”, that it be called the “McCartney Family Home”.
There are plenty of old photos of Paul in the house, taken by his brother. The curator in this home was absolutely amazing and very kind. If you play the piano, I recommend playing the one in the home (you are allowed to and encouraged) you will never forget it!
Pictured above: McCartney Family Home.
The Beatles Story
The Beatles Story is an amazing tribute to the best band in the world. It is laid out chronologically, and includes a headset so you can listen to commentary about each section (and sometimes you hear from Paul and Ringo in interviews). I don’t want to give away too much, other than it is worth it.
Pictured above: Outside of The Beatles Story, located on the Albert Dock.
John Lennon Statue
Located on John street across the street from the Cavern Club is the John Lennon statue. This is another photo opportunity! And a great tribute to a legend. Also in that alley is a wall of every gold record from a Liverpool artist.
Abbey Road Studios
I decided to include this here because you are obviously a Beatles fan if you are reading this. I bet you’re wondering where Abbey Road is! It is actually in London. But don’t worry, you will still experience most of the Beatles sites in Liverpool.
Pictured above: Abbey Road Studios in London.
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