LEEDS: THE ACCESSIBLE CITY

HUB CONNECTIONS TO LEEDS

AMSTERDAM 1HR 10MIN

BARCELONA 2HR 35MIN

DUBLIN 1HR 5MIN

HEATHROW 1HR

LEEDS: THE COMPACT CITY

A City waiting to be discovered

Historic, modern with four Universities,

history runs throughout its DNA.

Leeds is famous for its stunning

Victorian arcades. Unique to Leeds

these architectural masterpieces rival

those found in Budapest and Milan.

The Town Hall, Corn Exchange and

Kirkgate Market are three of the most

historic buildings in the city.

Shopping Experience

Leeds is the 3rd largest shopping destination outside London

The Corn Exchange – home of independent shopping in Leeds

Trinity Leeds –home to over 120 shops, bars and restaurants plus an Everyman cinema

Victoria Gate – is a premium new retail destination whose design is a modern take on on the Victorian arcades for which Leeds is renowned. Victoria Gate houses a flagship John Lewis outside London and the largest casino in the North of England

The Victoria Quarter – 70 of world’s leading fashion and lifestyle brands including Harvey Nichols, Louis Vuitton, Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood and Liz Earle

Leeds Kirkgate Market – largest covered market in Europe and dates back to 1875, the birth place of the first Marks and Spencer

Art, Galleries and Museums

Home of Kirkstall Abbey, the largest

medieval cistercian abbey in the UK.

Royal Armouries - National museum

with the largest collection of weapons

and armour in Europe.

Harewood House, one of the Treasure

Houses of England.

Leeds Art Gallery – flagship visual arts

venue

Culture, Sport and Events

Light Night – every October

Summer festivals including Carnival,

Waterfront Festival and Leeds Fest

Music – Millennium Square Summer

Series, first direct Arena, O2 Academy,

Slam Dunk, Made in Leeds

Sport – includes: Leeds United, Yorkshire

Cricket, Ashes Test Cricket, Leeds Rhinos

Rugby League, World Triathlon Series,

Tour de Yorkshire, UCI Road World

Championships

Arts and Culture

Internationally renowned The Henry Moore Instituteand Leeds Art Gallery, located in the heart of the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle.

Yorkshire Sculpture International 2019, showcasing sculpture in all its forms.

Leeds is the only UK city (outside London) with its own resident ballet and opera companies, Northern Ballet and Opera North.

Leeds has four major theatres including the Grand Theatre, Leeds Playhouse and the Leeds City Varieties - one of the UK’s most preserved Victorian music halls.

Leeds2023 – festival and celebration of arts and culture

Food and Drink

Leeds food and drink scene is growing at a

rapid pace

World cuisine all within the city centre

More than 30 food and drink festivals a year

including Leeds Food Festival, Cocktails in

the City and Leeds Indie Food a city wide 2

week festival of Leeds independent food and

drink scene.

World class street food in Trinity Kitchen and

Kirkgate Market

Leeds City Region capital of craft beer with

10 micro breweries - 19 annual beer festivals

including Leeds International Beer Festival.

Hotels

25 hotels including Hilton, Marriott, Park Plaza, Radisson Blu and Crowne Plaza.

Boutique Hotels including, Quebecs and Dakota Leeds.

4* – 2,695 hotel rooms.

3* – 223 hotel rooms.

2* – 239 hotel rooms

Budget hotel – 2,120 hotel rooms.

Serviced apartment rooms – 411 rooms.

University accommodation – 4550 beds*.

Future plans – 23 hotel proposals offering2,736 beds.

2019 and beyond hotel openings include, Hampton by Hilton and the Wesley Hotel.

Access to the countryside

Yorkshire Dales National Park – 1,770 square kilometres of natural scenery

North York Moors

Close to the village of Haworth: Bronte country, UNESCO Saltaire World Heritage Site (David Hockney exhibitions) and Betty’s Tea Rooms in Ilkley and Harrogate

Yorkshire experience days – walking, cycling and TukTuk Tours

Ilkley only 25 minutes by train

Bolton Abbey only 45 minutes by car

Fountains Abbey close to historic Ripon

1 Day in LeedsMORNING

Visitors can soak up the incredible diverse shopping in Leeds. Victoria Quarter, housed in beautiful arcades,

rivalling Budapest and Milan and lunch can also be grabbed in the stylish Harvey Nichols Café.

AFTERNOONGrab some culture, heading to the Cultural Quarter, home

to a number of museums and galleries just metres from one another. Be sure to visit Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry

Moore Institute, part of the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle and home to the largest collection of sculpture in Europe.

EVENINGTaking destination dining in Leeds to new heights,

Crafthouse is the perfect choice for a special restaurant experience overlooking the skyline of the city. With an

incredible menu and its own rooftop garden it’s tough to beat. For theatre lovers go to Leeds Town Hall, Leeds

Playhouse or The Grand for Opera, Ballet and West End shows.

STAYTreat yourself to boutique luxury at Dakota Deluxe, for a

stay that’s filled with all the comforts of home.

2 Days in LeedsDAY 1

MORNINGHit the city streets taking in the incredible

architecture and abundance of listed buildings, leisurely strolling through the centre of Leeds to the Cultural Quarter. Visit leeds City Museum, Leeds Art Gallery and hidden gem Leeds Central Library. Stop

for coffee at the Tiled Hall.

AFTERNOONAn afternoon spent discovering the incredible retail

offering is the perfect way to discover the city’s hidden gems. Discover the designer offering in the stunning Victoria Quarter, make a pit stop at Mrs Atha’s for delicious coffee and stop for a spot of

lunch in Kirkgate Market.

EVENINGCatch an internationally renowned music artist at first direct Arena or book a theatre show at Leeds

Playhouse, the Grand or City Varieties. Choose from some of Leeds’ best restaurants that

you won’t find anywhere else including OxClub, Crafthouse, Arts Café or Stockdales.

DAY 2

MORNINGJust 20 minutes from the city centre book a tour to

discover the historic Harewood House. With its royal connections, extensive art collections and

impressive grounds, including an exotic bird garden, it’s a pleasure to while away a few hours here.

AFTERNOONMake your way back into Leeds and continue the

theme of discovery, at The Royal Armouries, one of the UK’s best museums is home to the country’s largest collection of armour, arms and artillery.

Arrive at this amazing museum by Water Taxi and wander back to the city along the river.

EVENINGNorthern Ballet, Opera North and Orchestras from

around the world regularly perform in Leeds at iconic venues such as Leeds Town Hall. For the best Indian cuisine in Leeds try Bundobust, Tharavadu,

Hansa’s or the Cat’s Pyjamas. And for the best brewery tour you can book – head

down to Northern Monk.

Attractions and bookable tours

Royal Armouries

The Royal Armouries is the sister museum to The Tower of London and is the United Kingdom's National Museum of Arms and Armour. It is one of the largest collections of historic arms and armour in the world and includes armoury from India.

Harewood House

The breath-taking Harewood House sits in the heart of Yorkshire and only 30 minutes from the centre of Leeds, is one of the Treasure Houses of England. Dating back to the 18th century Harewood has art collections to rival the finest in Britain. Visitors can enjoy exhibitions of contemporary art, Chippendale furniture, the Rare Bird Garden, Farm Experience and over 100 acres of Capability Brown designed landscaped gardens.

Kirkstall Abbey and Abbey House Museum

Explore one of the most complete Medieval Cistercian Abbeys in England with a one hour guided tour of Kirkstall Abbey with our monk guide and a 30 minute tour of Abbey House Museum’s authentic English Victorian streets.

Northern Monk Brewery Tour and Refectory

All of Northern Monk’s ale is brewed in-house in a converted Mill close to the centre of Leeds. Each of their beers are unique in their taste, colour and origins. Meet the team and find out about Northern Monk’s journey from brewing the first pint in a converted garage to brewing 20,000 pints per week which is all over the world.

The Emmerdale Studio Experience and Emmerdale The Village Tour

This fully guided tour takes visitors through the making of one of the UK’s most popular and long running TV dramas. Guests can discover behind-the-senses secrets at The Emmerdale Studio Experience in Leeds, and then during the summer (select weekend dates only due to filming commitments) follow in the footsteps of the show’s best-loved TV stars as they visit the beautiful outdoor TV set.

TRAVEL TRADE CONTACTS

PLEASE CONTACT:

Emma Broadhurst e: emma.Broadhurst@conference-leeds.com

Email: info@visitleeds.co.uk

Web: visitleeds.co.uk/travel-trade

Online Resources: visitleeds.co.uk/travel-trade/Resources.aspx

T: +44 (0) 113 378 1166

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