Beatles Tour in Liverpool, Part I (Self Guided), Liverpool

Situated in Albert Dock, the Beatles Story is a museum where you can get in touch with the very beginning of the band's history, starting in the late 1950s. A large amount of exhibition space is dedicated exclusively to the band and its four young lads. Your themed adventure will start with audio guides narrated by Paul McCartney, where he tells you how he first met John Lennon, and by Julia Lennon, who discloses the “Living History” of the band. You'll follow the Beatles in their hometown, to Germany and the Star Club, back to Liverpool in the famous Cavern Club and the next stops: London, USA and USSR. In addition, you can visit the "Going Solo" halls, the interactive Discovery Zone, FAB4STORE-1 with a multitude of souvenirs and merchandise for you and your family, the specially-designed Starbucks Coffeehouse and even see some of the band's original instruments.

Why You Should Visit:
However expensive, the place is tastefully laid out and very well organized, and the admission fee does include a multi-lingual headset which adds quality to the visit.

Tip:
It can be difficult to get tickets on the day, so if you are planning to go then it would really be worthwhile booking online (that way, you also avoid queueing). Cheaper tickets available if you search the web for discounts/vouchers.

This larger than life statue of the Beatles, located right in front of the Liver Building on the Waterfront, is a great place for a photo stop for the Beatles fans. If looked at closely, each member of the band displays a small personal detail.

- Paul McCartney carries a camera on his back, which may be a subtle hint to his relationship with Linda Eastman.
- John Lennon has two acorns in his hand. Yoko Ono and John Lennon planted two acorns in the garden of Coventry Cathedral in 1968 as their wish for world peace.
- Ringo Starr's boot has the number ‘8’ on it, which may be the size of the shoes he wears.
- George Harrison has Sanskrit written on his belt.

The Beatles statue is the city's most popular selfie spot!

Billed as the best Beatles-themed hotel in the world, Hard Days Night is a historic building with a classic decor which dates back to 1884. The elegant edifice is decorated with artists' statues; the stairway is adorned with exclusive Beatles photographs and there other memorabilia throughout the building, like a Yellow Submarine jukebox in the hotel's lobby. There are also two special rooms for Beatles' fans: Lennon Suite and McCartney Suite.

Whether you’re an avid Beatles fan or not, the non-stop Beatles music is inoffensive and contributes to the special atmosphere. Make sure not to miss Hari's Bar where you will discover many of Ringo's photos and other interesting objects.

The hotel's location is ideal for Beatles' fans visiting the city as it is just minutes away from Mathew Street where the famed Cavern Club is located.

Opened on 16 January 1957 as a jazz club and later becoming a center of Liverpool's rock-and-roll scene in the early 1960s, the Cavern Club became closely associated with the Merseybeat music genre and, famously, regularly played host to The Beatles in their early years, initially as part of the weekday "beat sessions" at lunchtime.

The Beatles made their first appearance at the club after returning to Liverpool from Hamburg, Germany where they had been playing at the Indra and the Kaiserkeller clubs. There and then, on Tuesday, February 9, 1961, they were signed up as the club's resident lunchtime group, working in alternation with Gerry and the Pacemakers. Narrow, cobbled, uneventful Mathew Street thus began to lead an unexpected new life in daylight hours. At noon, Mondays to Fridays, a four-abreast line would begin to form at the Cavern's hatchlike entrance, growing by the minute until it stretched back past the warehouses and delivery trucks and piled-up fruit crates, eighty-odd yards to the junction with Whitechapel. Inside, there was no "security" whatsoever, and no alcohol was sold either at lunchtimes or at night, only coffee and soft drinks.

From 1961 to 1963, the Beatles made 292 appearances at The Cavern. By summer of 1963, "Beatlemania" was sprouting across England, and with girls demanding to see the Beatles and screaming just to get a glimpse of them, the group had to hide or sneak into concerts, and the small club could no longer satisfy audience demand. So on 3 August 1963, the Beatles made their final appearance at The Cavern.

In the decade that followed, a wide variety of popular acts appeared at the club, including The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Hollies, The Kinks, Elton John, Black Sabbath, Queen, The Who, and John Lee Hooker.

Even if you're not that bothered about the Beatles, The Cavern is a must-visit experience when in Liverpool. The live music is still brilliant, and the door charge of £2.50 per person after noon is not much to pay for such a historic place.

Why You Should Visit:
To check out the most legendary cellar club on the planet that has been the beating heart of Liverpool’s iconic music scene for over seven decades, visited by millions of people from all over the world passing down its famous stairway.

The Cilla Black Statue stands as a poignant tribute to one of Liverpool's most beloved musical icons. Unveiled in 2017 on Mathew Street, near the iconic Cavern Club, the life-size bronze sculpture honors Cilla Black's remarkable journey from a cloakroom attendant to a celebrated singer and entertainer. Created by sculptor Andy Edwards, the statue depicts a young Cilla performing one of her early songs, with her dress adorned with images symbolizing her illustrious career.

Born Priscilla Maria Veronica White on May 27, 1943, in Liverpool's Vauxhall district, Cilla grew up near Scotland Road. After attending Saint Anthony’s School and Anfield Community College, her love for entertainment led her to the Cavern Club, where she impressed The Beatles and others. With encouragement from promoter Sam Heath, she debuted at the Zodiac Club and was later discovered and signed by Brian Epstein as his only female artist.

Cilla rose to fame with her debut single "Love of the Loved," produced by George Martin and written by McCartney and Lennon. Her 1964 hits "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World" topped the UK charts, making her the decade's best-selling female artist. Expanding into TV, acting, and writing, she became a British entertainment icon before passing away on August 1, 2015, at 72, in Estepona, Spain.

The statue, commissioned by her sons, not only celebrates her legacy but also the vibrant musical culture of Liverpool that launched her career. As part of the Cavern Club's 60th-anniversary celebrations, it reminds visitors of Cilla’s enduring impact on British pop culture and the city's storied musical history.

The Magical Beatles Museum is housed in a Victorian building on Matthew street, just down from The Cavern club. Its collection features over 300 pieces of rare and authentic Beatles memorabilia that tell the story of an incredible journey through The Beatles’ early days in Liverpool and Hamburg to their rise to worldwide fame and the innovative studio years!

Among the displayed items are George Harrison's Futurama guitar (used on their first shows and recording sessions), Beatles drum kits, the earliest ever color footage of the Beatles performing, personal letters, the original police log documenting the security arrangements for the Ed Sullivan Show, original seats from Shea Stadium, props from Help, Hard Day’s Night and Yellow Submarine and so much more never before seen memorabilia.

The Magical Beatles Museum is a must-visit in Liverpool for the Beatles fans.

No trip to Liverpool is complete without a visit to the backroom of The White Star, one of Matthew Street's longest-running pubs, traced back as far back as 1880 and named after the shipping company of Titanic fame. A crowded locals pub on matchdays, otherwise a quiet boozer housed in a traditional Victorian building, it features lots of Liverpool memorabilia and a connection, obviously, to The Beatles.

The pub is known as the place where the Fab Four played their first gig, also where Alan Williams and Bob Wooler (the original deejay of Cavern Club across the road) would pay their artists. Every once a while, the Beatles would come here to receive their money after their Cavern performances, and in that backroom, there is a wall decorated with Beatles memorabilia, known as the "Beatles back wall".

For any overseas visitors looking for a proper English pub, The White Star is still the absolute real thing. The bar staff are friendly and the ales on sale are top class, all well kept and promptly served. Oftentimes, there are visitors to Liverpool drinking alongside locals who want to share their personal experiences and memories of the Fab Four. The only downside is that food is not available.

The Statue of Eleanor Rigby can be found on the pavement of Stanley Street, a couple of blocks from the Cavern Club on Mathew Street. A sculpture of an apparently middle aged woman, wearing a head scarf and holding a hand bag, it is placed on a bench with a space for visitors to sit next to it.

Dedicated to “all the lonely people” of Liverpool, it was crafted, remarkably enough, by English entertainer Tommy Steele, who had a lesser known talent for sculpture. London-based performer Steele donated the statue to Liverpool out of fondness for performing in the city. He claims to have placed a number of items inside the sculpture, including a four leafed clover, a football sock and a page of the Bible.

The statue is of course a tribute to the Beatles’ hit song ‘Eleanor Rigby’. Released in 1966, it was a No.1 hit in the UK. The title character is portrayed as a melancholy soul, reflected in her solitary, bedraggled appearance in Steele’s sculpture. Eleanor Rigby is a fictional character, though the name has been found on a gravestone in the Liverpool suburb of Woolton. The ‘real’ Eleanor Rigby died in 1939, and her tomb has become an attraction for many Beatles fans visiting the city.

A famed music bar founded by the first manager of the Beatles, Allan Williams, The Jacaranda – or simply Jac – has been an important part of the Liverpool music scene since 1958. Another must-see spot on any Beatles tour, it is the place where the band used to rehearse, play and hang out when they were called The Silver Beetles.

As soon as the four met Allan Williams, they hounded him for a chance to play at the venue. Allan agreed with one condition: they must paint the place. John and Stuart painted the lady's toilets, and the band would start rehearsing in the basement. Without those hours of rehearsal time, it is unlikely they would have become the stars we know today. After a dozen or so performances at Jacaranda, for which they were paid with free drinks, Allan became their manager and booked their first Hamburg tour.

Reopened and refurbished in 2014, The Jacaranda has once again put itself at the epicenter of unsigned music of the city. With the famous open mics on every Thursday and Sunday, there are live bands playing every Friday and Saturday from 8pm.

Upstairs is now home to Jacaranda Records – a distinctly unique concept that combines vinyl, coffee and cake! With vinyl record players sunk into the tables, you can listen to a huge range of music whilst enjoying an incredible range of cocktails and hot drinks selection. The club is also home to a 1948 voice-o-graph machine that records a track directly to vinyl; one of only two in the world open to the public!

Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) is a renowned local institute, which is best known as the place where Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Mike McCartney and Ivan Vaughan (the person who introduced Paul McCartney to John Lennon) studied. The institute was closed in 1985-1996, but re-opened in 1996 under McCartney's sponsorship.

Adjacent to the Institute for Performing Arts is the Liverpool College of Art, whose notable alumni include John Lennon, Stuart Sutcliffe and Cynthia Lennon.

Gambier Terrace is a street of 19th-century houses overlooking St. James's Mount and Gardens and Liverpool Cathedral. John Lennon of The Beatles lived at 3 Gambier Terrace in 1960 with former Beatles bassist Stuart Sutcliffe after Sutcliffe asked the others who lived there if the homeless Lennon could move in. They all attended nearby Liverpool College of Art. It was the first place John Lennon independently lived after his childhood home with his aunt. Paul McCartney and George Harrison were regular visitors and often rehearsed here together with the others.

John’s move into a flat was a blessing in sky for his relationship with Cynthia Powell, his future first wife. At last, they had some privacy and could spent some quality time together without the prying eyes from others. Cynthia's mother was against her relationship with John Lennon, so when Cynthia stayed over at Gambier, she had to tell her mother that she was with her friend Phyllis.