Tourism in Leeds
Leeds in West Yorkshire is a popular tourist city. In 2017, Condé Nast Traveler named Leeds the 6th best city in the UK for visitors, and Lonely Planet listed it as a top 10 city to visit that year.
Getting there is easy. Leeds Bradford International Airport has direct flights to many British and European cities. Leeds railway station is a major hub with a tourist information office on site. The nearest port is the Port of Hull, with ferry connections to Zeebrugge and Rotterdam. Leeds is connected by motorways (M1, M62 and A1(M)) and by National Express and Megabus services to many UK towns and cities.
In 2017, tourism supported more than 20,000 jobs. The city welcomed about 26.6 million day visitors who spent around £1.19 billion, and about 29.01 million day and night visitors who spent around £1.75 billion. From 2013 to 2017, tourism’s economic impact grew by about 16.6%, with staying visitors rising by around 22.6%. Visitor numbers also rose between 2015 and 2016.
Leeds has many attractions. The Royal Armouries, the Henry Moore Sculpture Centre, the West Yorkshire Playhouse and Harewood House are major sites (Harewood House was praised in a 2003 tourism award). Leeds is one of the few cities outside London to have its own opera and ballet companies—Opera North and Northern Ballet. The Leeds Civic Trust runs walking tours of the city.
Top things to do, as rated by TripAdvisor, include Roundhay Park, the Royal Armouries Museum, City Varieties Music Hall and Abbey House Museum. Notable buildings include Leeds Minster, Harewood House, Thornton’s Arcade and Leeds Civic Hall.
Leeds is known for sport and big events. The city hosted the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2014, the Rugby World Cup in 2015, and ITU World Triathlon Series events in 2016–2018. In 2019, Leeds hosted major events such as cricket, world championships in cycling and triathlon, the Tour de Yorkshire, a major Ashes Test and other competitions. Emerald Headingley Stadium near the city centre seats about 22,000 and is home to Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Leeds Rhinos and Yorkshire Carnegie; it is undergoing a £40 million expansion. Elland Road Stadium, home to Leeds United, holds about 40,000 spectators. Light Night turns the city into an art show, and Leeds also hosts the Leeds International Film Festival, Leeds International Piano Competition, the Leeds West Indian Carnival and the Leeds Festival.
There are many hotels in the city centre, including Malmaison, DoubleTree by Hilton, Radisson Blu, 42 The Calls, Quebecs Hotel, The Queens, Novotel and The Marriott. The city has plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants, including the historic Whitelock’s Ale House and the Adelphi near Tetley’s Brewery. Outside the city centre, Hyde Park and Headingley are popular with students for their pubs and cafés, while Chapel Allerton, Roundhay and Horsforth offer more upmarket options. The market towns of Wetherby and Otley are part of the City of Leeds and are popular for day trips, with Wetherby especially busy after meetings at Wetherby Racecourse.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:51 (CET).