Leeds Staycation Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do and Where to Eat

Leeds is often overlooked for a staycation, which is a shame, because it is one of the best cities in the north for a food-and-shopping weekend with history on the side. The Victorian arcades and covered market are right in the centre, the Royal Armouries sits on the waterfront, and within half an hour you can be at a Cistercian abbey, a stately home or the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. York and Harrogate are both close enough for a day trip.

How long to stay

Two nights gives you a day for the city centre and a day for Kirkstall Abbey, Roundhay Park or Harewood. Leeds station is one of the busiest in the north, with direct trains from London, so the city works well without a car, and most of the centre is walkable in twenty minutes from end to end.

Where to stay in Leeds

Stay near the station or City Square for the easiest arrival, or out towards Headingley and Otley Road if you want green space. Our Leeds hotels page has the full range.

Central and stylish

Dakota Leeds is a four-star boutique hotel near City Square with dark, design-led rooms and a well-regarded grill, rated 4.6 on Google. The Queens Hotel is the city's grand art deco railway hotel, right beside the station. DoubleTree by Hilton Leeds City Centre overlooks the canal basin at Granary Wharf, a few steps from the platforms.

With a pool

Leeds Marriott Hotel has an indoor pool and leisure club in the heart of the centre, and Village Hotel Leeds South has a pool and spa just outside it.

Greener and dog-friendly

Weetwood Hall on Otley Road accepts dogs, has countryside views and its own heated outdoor pool. On a budget, easyHotel Leeds City Centre on Lands Lane is in the middle of the shopping streets.

Things to do in Leeds

The city's big attractions are a mix of free museums and grand historic sites on the outskirts. See our Leeds attractions page for everything.

Royal Armouries Leeds at Leeds Dock holds the national collection of arms and armour, including Henry VIII's armour, and is rated 4.7 from over 15,000 Google reviews. In the centre, Leeds City Museum covers natural history, archaeology and the city's own story, and Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute sit side by side on The Headrow.

Three miles west of the centre, Kirkstall Abbey is one of the most complete Cistercian abbey ruins in the country, set in riverside parkland. Harewood House, north of the city, is an 18th-century stately home with Robert Adam interiors and landscaped grounds by Capability Brown. Nearby, the Emmerdale Village Tour takes fans around the soap's outdoor village set.

Roundhay Park is one of the largest city parks in Europe, with lakes, woodland walks and space for dogs, and next to it Tropical World has glasshouses full of tropical plants, butterflies and small animals, a good choice with children on a wet day.

Where to eat and shop

Leeds Kirkgate Market is one of the largest covered markets in Europe and a good place for a casual lunch, and the Victoria Quarter's glass-roofed arcades are worth a wander even if you are not shopping. For meals, Bundobust pairs Indian street food with craft beer, Federal Cafe & Bar is a popular brunch spot, and Etci Mehmet Steak House is rated 4.8 on Google. See more on our Leeds restaurants page.

A two-day plan

Day one

Browse Kirkgate Market and the Victoria Quarter in the morning, then visit Leeds City Museum and the Art Gallery. After lunch, walk along the river to Leeds Dock and spend the afternoon at the Royal Armouries. Eat in the city centre or around Call Lane in the evening.

Day two

Head out to Kirkstall Abbey in the morning, then cross to Roundhay Park for a lakeside walk and a visit to Tropical World. If you have a car, swap Roundhay for Harewood House, which easily fills an afternoon.

Day trips from Leeds

York is under half an hour away by train and could fill a trip of its own. Harrogate is a Victorian spa town with Turkish baths and elegant gardens, and Skipton, with its castle and canal, is the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales. Bradford has the National Science and Media Museum and the World Heritage village of Saltaire, and Huddersfield is a handy base for the Pennine moors.

Camping and cottages near Leeds

Most campsites lie north of the city towards Harrogate and Wetherby. The Cud Life takes tents, caravans and motorhomes, has electric hook-ups and welcomes dogs. Glenfield Caravan Park at Bardsey is another dog-friendly site with electric hook-ups and wifi, and Wighill Park Glamping near Wetherby has pods and lodges. Browse camping near Leeds or cottages near Leeds.

Practical tips

The centre is compact, but Kirkstall, Roundhay and Harewood are all easier by bus, taxi or car. Leeds suits our guides to UK city breaks without flying and foodie staycations, and with so much under cover it works for rainy-day staycations too.