Things to do in Leeds when the sun is out
A dry day in Leeds means Roundhay Park, the ruins at Kirkstall, the waterfront walk from the dock, or a train out to Ilkley Moor.
11 picks that fit, best first. The order assumes the conditions in the title; the live forecast only nudges it.
Roundhay Park and Tropical World
Roundhay
Seven hundred acres of lakes, woods and lawns, with a tropical glasshouse of butterflies and meerkats.
Clear skies, and this is best outdoors. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Park free; Tropical World cheap
Ilkley Moor and the Cow and Calf
Day trip: Ilkley
The moor from the song, half an hour by train, with rock climbing at the Cow and Calf and tea in Ilkley.
Clear skies for the view.
- Under £10
- Outdoors
- A full day
Free; train fare
Kirkstall Abbey
Kirkstall
The ruins of a Cistercian abbey in a riverside park, free, with a museum of Victorian streets over the road.
Clear skies, and this is best outdoors. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Otley Chevin
Otley
A forest park on a ridge above Otley with a view over Wharfedale and the airport’s planes.
Clear skies for the view. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
Leeds Dock and the waterfront
Leeds Dock
A walk along the Aire and the canal from the station to the dock, with bars on the water.
Clear skies, and this is best outdoors. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
Meanwood Valley Trail
Meanwood
A wooded valley walk from the edge of the city out to the countryside, with a farm and a pub on the way.
Clear skies, and this is best outdoors. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Elland Road stadium tour
Beeston
Behind the scenes at Leeds United, from the dressing rooms to the dugout.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
Harewood House
Harewood
A great Georgian house with Chippendale furniture, a bird garden and Capability Brown grounds.
- Over £25
- In and out
- A full day
- Good with kids
Temple Newsam
Whitkirk
A Tudor-Jacobean house in a Capability Brown park, with a rare-breeds farm children love.
- Under £10
- In and out
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Park free; house and farm cheap
Call Lane and the Corn Exchange quarter
Call Lane
The city’s densest run of bars and restaurants, from cocktail cellars to late-night rooftops.
Comes alive in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
Headingley
Headingley
The student suburb with the cricket ground, the pubs of the Otley Run and good cheap food.
- Under £10
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
Good to know
Where should I go in Leeds when it is sunny?
A dry day in Leeds means Roundhay Park, the ruins at Kirkstall, the waterfront walk from the dock, or a train out to Ilkley Moor. This page keeps 11 outdoor and open-air picks, with viewpoints and parks pushed up the list when the forecast is clear.
What if the weather turns?
The list is re-ranked with the live forecast. If rain is on the way, mixed indoor-outdoor places move up and the fully outdoor ones move down, so you can still pick something that works.