BIRMINGHAM, UK: ONE DAY ITINERARY & THINGS TO DO

birmingham

WHY VISIT BIRMINGHAM, UK

I’ve visited Birmingham from London more than seven times already and lived there for a couple of weeks while I was renovating my Airbnb. When I asked in my Instagram stories I realised no one really visits Birmingham, but it’s quite an interesting city! Some of the things that make it special are that it’s actually the second largest city in the UK and also the youngest city with over 40% of the population being under 25 (fun! right?).

Also, Birmingham is home to more canal waterways than Venice and is home to the Bullring Shopping Centre which is one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe. If you ask me personally, I really like the industrial vibe of Birmingham, the mix of old and new architecture and the artsy vibe the neighbourhood of Digbeth breathes. On top of that, Birmingham boasts of fine arts, fine dining and greenery. It is the home for some of the most ground breaking music in the world (metal was born here!), Cadbury’s chocolate factory and the Peaky Blinders!

BIRMINGHAM, UK: ONE DAY ITINERARY & THINGS TO DO
BIRMINGHAM, UK: ONE DAY ITINERARY & THINGS TO DO – Victoria Square

VISITING BIRMINGHAM: THE ESSENTIALS

Transport / Birmingham is a very walkable city, there’s great transport links to it and a great bus system in the city. Many still choose to drive there using a rental car as some attractions are a bit spready out. Book your rental using DiscoverCars, the website I recommend for all car hires. If you are not renting a car, should you require an airport transfer from Birmingham airport, I always use WelcomePickups.

Tours / Here’s Birmingham’s most popular tours:
Birmingham: Slogging Gangs Guided Walking Tour
Stonehenge & Bath Day Tour
Birmingham Guided City Center Walking Tour
Cotswolds Full-Day Tour
Victorian Canals and Modern-Day Birmingham Tour
Digbeth, Public art and Peaky Film Guided Walking Tour

Stay / We own a lovely Airbnb in possibly the best location you can be in, should you prefer a hotel, these are the best in the city:

The Grand Hotel Birmingham $$$
Malmaison Birmingham $$$
Hotel du Vin & Bistro Birmingham $$
Staybridge Suites Birmingham $$
Hampton by Hilton Birmingham Broad Street $$
EasyHotel Birmingham $

Eat / My top recommendations for each meal:
Brunch/Breakfast: Medicine Bakery
Dinner & Beer: Indian Brewery


Connect / You’ll need mobile data while you are in Birmingham, I always recommend using an eSIM (there’s absolutely no need for a physical one!) – here’s some eSIM options for UK.

Get Insured / Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

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VEGAN TASTING IN LONDON @ GAUTHIER SOHO

For my birthday this year one my boyfriend’s gifts was a vegan tasting menu in a London restaurant which was once awarded a Michelin star.

My boyfriend isn’t vegan, and in fact loves any kind of meat, so when eating out we normally resort in omnivorous restaurants, and most of the time in Indian (which I love) and Chinese. None of my girlfriends are vegan either, so I normally end up eating chips or salad, which I don’t mind at all. The vegan restaurants I’ve been in London have been nice but still not mind blowing.

On the day of the booking, we grabbed a refreshing pomegranate gin & tonic in Muriel’s Kitchen and then headed to the venue: Gauthier Soho.

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