24 Hours in Birmingham – What’s Actually Worth It?

Pauline Lys
May 21
4 min read

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If you’re into hidden creative hubs, brunch that delivers, and the occasional “why did I waste my time on this” moment... Birmingham will give you exactly that. And if you have only 24 hours in Birmingham, here are what I loved and what I did wrong!

24 Hours in Birmingham, let’s go 👇

📍 Stop #1: Jewellery Quarter – 7/10, Go Early

We completely failed the timing on this one! We arrived late and most places close around 4 PM. Rookie mistake. But even with everything shut, it’s wild how many diamond boutiques you can spot. This area literally sparkles.

👉 Fun Fact: The Jewellery Quarter still produces 40% of all UK jewellery and used to make most of the world’s pen nibs. Birmingham literally wrote history from here.

💎 And while we’re talking history… did you know this area is linked to the real-life Peaky Blinders? Yep, before it was a Netflix hit, it was a notorious street gang in early 1900s. The name came from sewing razor blades into their flat caps (peaky caps)—though some historians debate if the blades part is more legend than fact. Either way, they ran these streets before Thomas Shelby made it look cool.

Pro Tip: Go in the morning if you actually want to see the workshops in action and maybe find your main character vintage ring.

Diamond Quarter shop with jewelry displays in window. Modern building facade with blue-tinted windows and geometric pattern in background.

Storefront window with gold text reading "Certified Diamond for Every Occasion." Reflection of building and streetlight visible.

🥑 Brunch at Saint Kitchen – 10/10, My Kind of Place

Saint Paul’s Square is charming, but Saint Kitchen? Even better. I’m a matcha girl, and this place delivered. Avotoast perfectly done, matcha latte on point. Vibes? Cozy, chill, and just the right level of aesthetic for your morning scroll check.

🔗 Check them out here

A latte with a leaf design in a gray cup on a wooden table, next to a chocolate cookie on a plate with a knife and napkin.

Red brick building with green door and white trim. Wrought iron fence and a window displaying items. Street in foreground, sunny day.

🦆 Brindley Place to Gas Street – 10/10, This is the Birmingham I Liked

This canal neighborhood is honestly beautiful. Picture old brick buildings, crossing paths with ducks and geese like we’re in some alternate British rom-com.

👉 Did You Know?

Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice, but they were built for industry, not romance.
These canals were once the veins of the Industrial Revolution, moving coal and metal before trains even existed.
Hidden beneath? Cold War nuclear bunkers still sealed off under the city.

This part of the city feels like a peaceful reset button. Take the walk. Skip the tour…

Woman in sunglasses leans on a riverside railing, with modern and historic buildings reflected in the water, under a bright blue sky.

Canal scene with red brick buildings and moored green canal boats. Calm water reflects the sky. Clear day with an urban, tranquil mood.

🚫 Canal Boat Tour – 1/10, Hard Pass

I had high hopes. I really did. But this? The most boring boat tour I’ve ever taken. The view? Construction sites and dumpsters. The commentary? “This canal is X meters wide… and that one’s Y meters.” Riveting stuff.

And yet… the canals have an epic history!

Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice (but built for industry, not romance). They were the veins of the Industrial Revolution, moving coal and metal before trains even existed. There are even Cold War nuclear bunkers hidden beneath the city near the canals. So yeah, walk the canals. Just… skip the boat.

Tall glass building and red-brick apartments beside a canal with trees; clear blue sky, reflecting calm and serene urban landscape.

A woman in a blue top runs joyfully through a brick archway towards a canal, with vibrant buildings and a clear blue sky in the background.

🎨 Ikon Gallery – 8/10, Nice Quick Stop

Free entry and a beautiful building! If you’re nearby, totally worth popping in for a little art break. But don’t feel pressured if you’re on a tight schedule.

🔗 Visit Ikon

👑 Victoria Square – 9/10, Unexpectedly Gorgeous

I wasn’t expecting to love this square so much, but it’s lively, beautiful, and the perfect spot for people-watching. Locals literally treat it like an open-air café for their lunch breaks.

👉 Fun Fact: The famous fountain here is nicknamed the “Floozie in the Jacuzzi.” Iconic, right? And there’s more... beneath your feet is a hidden, sealed-off Victorian-era underground toilet. History… but make it weird.

Bronze statue on pedestal in front of ornate building with domed roof under clear blue sky. Text on base reads "Victoria."

Historic building with tall columns and ornate details under a clear blue sky. Street lamps line the empty stone-paved area.

🛍️ Bullring & Grand Central – 4/10, Unless You Love Malls

It’s huge, busy, and basically the same as every other mega-mall. The bull statue out front is cool for a quick photo, but otherwise? You can skip this one unless you’re on a serious shopping mission.

If you’re looking for something a little more raw and authentic, there’s the Bullring Rag Market nearby. We didn’t have time to check it out, but it looks like a more local, off-the-beaten-path vibe.

A colorful geometric mural on a building with "BULLRING" text. People stand below, near glass entrance, under a clear blue sky. Mood: vibrant.

🛒 Red Brick Market – 10/10, This Is the Good Stuff

Take all my money. This place is vintage heaven. Think indie creators, funky vintage pieces, and handmade jewelry tucked into every corner of a massive warehouse. You’ll walk in for “a quick look” and leave wondering where your afternoon went.

🔗 Check out Red Brick Market here

Artist spray-painting a vibrant mural of a blue and pink face on a brick wall. Paint cans and tools are on the ground. Urban setting.

Graffiti of a woman's face in vibrant blues and pinks on a brick wall, with parked car nearby. Urban setting with string lights above.

🎨 Custard Factory – 10/10, The Coolest Spot in the City

This is where Birmingham’s creative energy explodes. Open-air exhibitions, live graffiti artists, indie shops, street art everywhere. If you’re lucky, you’ll literally watch artists tagging massive murals in real time.

And yep, the name’s real—it used to be a custard factory. Now it’s where you’ll find the coolest humans in the city doing their thing.

🔗 Explore the Custard Factory

Woman posing against vibrant graffiti wall featuring cartoon face with glasses and text "TIW". Sunlit, urban setting.

Graffiti of a person in a hat with orange markings on a brick wall. Bold patterns, dark colors. Text "HXD" above. Urban setting.

📌 Saved for Next Time (Because Birmingham is Sneakily Huge):

If you’ve got more time or are planning a second visit to Birmingham, here are a few other places that are on my radar:

🖋️ Pen Museum – A whole museum dedicated to pens? Sounds niche, but I’m into it.
🎪 West Midlands Circus Centre – Watch circus artists perform and train live.
🍽️ The Wilderness – Birmingham’s fine dining gem (saving this for a special occasion).
🖼️ Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery – Currently closed for renovation, but reopening soon.

🧐 Final Thoughts?

If I’m being totally honest, I only added Birmingham to my travel list because of Peaky Blinders. Blame it on Cillian Murphy’s icy blue stare and those razor-sharp flat caps. But spoiler: while the real Peaky Blinders gang ruled these streets, most of the Netflix show was actually filmed in… Liverpool. Yep, TV magic at its finest.

So, what did I really find here?

A city that doesn’t pretend to be picture-perfect, but underneath the industrial grit, there’s raw history, unexpected beauty, and a creative pulse you don’t see coming. It’s the kind of place where you’re just as likely to stumble upon a vintage treasure as you are a hidden Victorian toilet or a Cold War bunker.

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