I’ve lived in Liverpool for 15 years but recently got to see the city from a completely different perspective and discover one of the best views in the city.
Liverpool has all kinds of places where you can see it from up above and take in a bird’s eye view of its impressive skyline. From the Wheel of Liverpool and the top of the Radio City Tower, to the Goodness Gracious Roof Garden and swanky Panoramic 34 and 360 Sky Bar, we really are lucky to have so many places up high, to marvel at the city that lies beneath.
One thing I’d had on my list to do for a while was the RLB 360 tour - doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue admittedly - so let’s call it by its full name the Royal Liverpool Building 360 Tour. The Liver Building started doing these tours back in 2019 but some people in the city still don’t realise you can go behind the scenes at Liverpool’s most recognisable building.
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You can book online, or just turn up, but tours are limited so if you want to go at a specific time it’s best to secure your slot in advance and you’ll get it £1 cheaper too.
To access the tour you need to head to the riverside of the building and strangely go down some steps, in order to then head up. I’d waited for a sunny day to do the tour, booking just the night before so I was pretty sure the weather would be on my side and give us the most impressive views.
Along with the rest of the small group, my family and I were met by our cheerful tour guide who first played us a short safety video and gave us a few facts about the Liver Building and what to expect from the tour.
Now, in my opinion, the safety video did make the climb up to the top sound a bit more dramatic than it actually was - you get a lift part of the way and the steps aren’t quite as narrow as we expected. My four year old came on the tour and was more than capable of climbing up and down, holding onto the hand rail, as were the more senior members of the group.
The first view you get is out on the balcony from the level right underneath the famous clocks. From here we enjoyed stunning views out as far as the Welsh hills and it was wonderful to see the world going by at the Pier Head beneath us. We even saw a just-married couple posing for photographs in front of the Three Graces.
After a few more facts from our tour guide about who made the clocks, it was back inside and up some more steps to a really special part of the tour - we got to go behind the clocks in the original mechanism room to see where they operate.
Here we were asked to take a seat on one of the stools provided and watch an audio visual display, which took us on a journey through the city’s recent history and showed the Liver Building’s significance. Images of the football clubs, the Giants, River of Light fireworks displays and much more flashed before us and it was a really clever way of telling Liverpool’s story without words.
After it ended, our final stop on the tour was the 15th floor where we were treated to panoramic views of the city. Despite it being a sunny day, it was really quite windy and cold up there, so my advice would be to take some extra layers for this part.
We were given around 10 minutes to take in the views, which was plenty of time to enjoy it from every aspect and see which landmarks we could spot near and far. From one direction you can see right out to Goodison and Anfield, from another the lighthouse in New Brighton. The towering cathedrals, Cammell Laird, the work going on at Bramley-Moore Dock - there’s was so much to see and of course photograph.
It was also amazing looking out directly in line with the other Liver Building clock tower, having so often viewed it from street level and it made us appreciate just how big those birds are.
The tour lasted around 70 minutes in total and with two children and two grandparents in tow, it was an ideal duration for us all. Whether you’ve lived here all your life, are new to the city or here on a day trip, this tour is a great way to really soak up the impressive Liverpool skyline and learn a few cultural and historical facts along the way.
You can book a place on the Royal Liver Building 360 tour here. Prices in advance are £15 per adult (16+) and £10 per child (5-15).
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