Runway Visitor Park in Manchester

Great place to watch runway 23R-05L with planes landing and taking off regularly. Has a cafe,gift shop and a Concorde experience in which u board their Concorde and have a talk giving in Concorde.

Fantastic day. Had the technical tour of Concorde. The guys showing us around were knowledgeable and entertaining and the experience was quite special. As an added bonus we were there the day they operated the nose cone which was something very special indeed. Would thoroughly recommend.

I had a wonderful time with Concorde G-BOAC. Big thanks to my tour guides Gereth and Tony, both amazing guys, there knowledge is impressive. Almost know as much as me ha ha. Well worth the £40. A glass of champagne or orange juice was wonderful finish to. I would 100% recommend. Thanks Again.

Great for people who want the experience of the airport without wanting to board a plane to Ibiza. Not a lot of variety for die hard avgeeks but still a great watch. Transport can be a little tricky for newbies as there are quite a few turns after exiting the motorway that are easy to miss. There's also a cafe which doubles as a hangar displaying the Concorde ( if you don't know, the Concorde is a very famous plane with a droop snoot.) There is also a gift shop, picnic area, and a guy who does commentary on weekends. I would advise downloading the flightradar24 app (not sponsored) to keep track of in and outbound flights. Great visit no matter how vast your plane knowledge. There are also older planes on display including the front of a dc-10 and you can go inside of a renovated Avro rjx.

We took our grandaughter, who is 7, and we all had a great time. There is plenty to do and see, but beware the fairground rides are very expensive at £3.50 and £4.00 for a ride. Parking is £5 for up to 2 hours.

Good for an hour or so entertainment

Absolutely fantastic, a visit on the iconic bird Concorde. What a great find this was, we had a brilliant time there. Pleasantly greeted on arrival, and advice was freely given. One day we will not forget in a hurry, added bonus of being right next to the runway. Here you get to see the ✈️🛫 and 🛬,then they taxi right in front of you. You even get a certificate to say that you have been 👍👍

Excellent Concord experience which included free parking, but the parking fees seem a bit steep otherwise: £4 up to 2 hours, then £10 for more than 2

Fantastic experience for all the family. A good sized picnic area and a lovely cafe too

Brilliant way to watch the planes both land and take off. There us a shop cafe and playarea.

Superb location and proximity to the runway. Well worth a visit!

If you're into plane watching this is a good day out, beware of the parking cost, I walk here during my lunch break.

Excellent venue to watch the planes. Cafe is a touch expensive and car park has puddles as big as lakes! Nice atmosphere.

Amazing facility, lots of friendly and enthusiastic staff. Plenty of parking. Well stocked shop. Lots of space and good viewing areas. Limited viewing areas with cover. Lots of seating and picnic benches when weather allows. Cafe was large with plenty of tables and reasonably priced.

If you love aircraft your gonna love this place they have rides for children you can go on concorde and there is a cafe

I have two young children who loved seeing the planes so close up! Great play area and outdoor space… as well as seeing and exploring on the old planes too. The price of parking is pretty steep!

The Nimrod is in excellent condition, which I toured with Derek - who was exceedingly knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Nimrods were a de Havilland Comet spin-off and after about two years of flight testing, entered service in 1969. (The Comet's prototype first flew in 1949!) The final Nimrod was retired in 2011. With such a long lifespan, the poky internal space is thus one of slightly haphazardly accrued features. I think this adds to its retro-charm and makes for a more interesting tour. P.S. don't forget to check out the "nuclear option!"

Love this place. Full of like minded plane enthusiasts plus always lots of families. Great value.

Nice place to spend half a day with a play area and cafe and concorde tours. Toilets were clean.

Concorde Platinum experience was great, lots of info given. Glad to be able to touch the real seat used by celebrities and the Royal family and real seats pilots used (seats were covered by a plastic film last time I was on a Concorde G-BOAD, Intrepid museum, New York, US). Even got the experience to see the nose droop twice, it moved faster than I expected! Great to see it preserved so well in those regard. Access to the location is poor, no public transport nearby, but I would not mind paying two taxi rides to see a real Concorde.

Absolutely brilliant day out Get close up to the aircraft Excellent amenities Would recommend to all

Great place to watch that planes taking off and landing

For plane enthusiasts it's a great way to see the planes take off. Plenty of space to move around. I use a mobility scooter but everywhere is lovely and flat and paved. The cafe is good aswell and doesn't take the mick with it's prices. Meal deal was £6 ...you got a nice sandwich...bag of crisps choc bar and a hot chocolate which is great value as far as I'm concerned

Amazing seeing planes land & take off from soo close

Literally on the runway getting to watch all the planes, great fun, little cafe for a nice warm coffee to warm your hands while you wait for the a380 to arrive!

Was raining but good in a way not too packed. Good cafe. Good way to spend the day

Went as a family of 7, ate in the Concorde Cafe came to £58 which i appreciate it sounds alot as that was just the food but you got plenty for your money and it was lovely. Staff lovely and polite and very apologetic for the delay, we waited 30-40 minutes but didn't mind as we had a great advantage point of the runway. Youngest loved the playpark, plenty of choices for her to choose from. The runway park itself was clean and tidy. Spent a good three hours here. Would recommend

This is a great place for aviation enthusiasts! There's plenty of good spots for viewing and now additional commentary which is informative especially with eta updates if popular aircraft, such as the A380, are running late. I've visited many times over the years, starting when Concorde was parked outside. Sadly now, it's tucked away inside a building and, on my last visit, hidden behind curtains due to a wedding. It's a shame such an iconic aircraft isn't more visible. The Avro, however, is free to visit and you get a great view of the flight deck and many of its 'innards' Yes, £12 to park your car is expensive if you're travelling alone in the vehicle, as I was, however, it's a very fair price for 5 hours, especially if you've a the family in the car. The cafe too is quite expensive, about £2.70 for a bottle of pop, but you can bring your own picnic to keep costs down. Plenty of things in the playground to keep the kids amused.

Great Views, most staff are not happy to talk to customers.

Quick raxi ride from the airport, lovely and clean, plenty of areas to sit or stand, undercover area to picnic, great cafe and shop was well stocked for souvenirs, shame concorde wasn't open as there was a private function only downer as we had travelled up from Surrey just have to come up again all in all a lovely relaxing time.

Great place to watch airplane landings

Had a great time here,lots of families enjoying watching take off and landings. Staff in the tower at the side were doing the commentary on the aircrafts

Its great when they are giving the information about the flights arriving and departing from the control box which is broadcast on the loudspeakers.

Enjoyable day at the visitor park with a running commentary about the planes.

Definitely improved over the years. Would recommend. Toilets need improvement / investment.

No customer service. Website booked the wrong date for our Concorde tour. I asked for the 6th of October but it booked the 19th for some reason. Lady at reception said this was not the first time it had happened yet we were not entitled to a refund. Poor form from a greedy setup with no interest in good customer service.

Great afternoon out for the kids, cafe and parking. £5charge to park

Absolutely amazing , can view planes after every 4 mins some are local airlines , the park is so good and the cafe is huge , the best time to spend with kids along with all facilities. Worth a visit once .

Great for a few hours, but bring your own food if possible a little pricey.

AMaZiNg.. bae flagship Concorde inside. Brilliant, had brief tour need to go back for full tour.

Manchester Airport's Runway Visitor Park is a fantastic spot for plane enthusiasts! The views are incredible, with great vantage points to watch aircraft take off and land up close. The facilities are well-maintained, with ample parking, a café, and even a Concorde on display! Whether you're a casual visitor or a die-hard aviation fan, this place is a must-visit. Make sure to check out our latest vlog on YouTube, where we capture the excitement of plane spotting at Manchester Airport. Watch it now for some amazing footage and tips for your next visit!

As well as the topics I have covered, there are rides (for payment, not open on our visit), a cafe, shop, and a conference centre which includes an undercover retired Concorde .

Excellent few hours Great place to chill out cafe a bit on the pricey side

Guided tour, Brilliant, the guys taking the tour certainly know their stuff and were very entertaining. You get short videos , tons of info on the history of Concorde then a tour of Concorde. You take any seat and the guide explains all about what you see. During this very informative talk you are taken in turn to sit in the cockpit in the pilots seat and are shown how to fly this amazing craft. At the finish of the tour we had a couple of glasses of Champagne and given time to take photos. Highly recommend this visit.

Such a great day out for adults and children, I find aviation fascinating as a User Experience Designer but I don’t love flying 😂 I haven’t been for a while but I am pretty sure it is still free. It’s great to see the Concorde, too!

I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for the positive experience my son, who has autism, had during our recent visit. His fear of aeroplane sounds has been a significant challenge for us. However, our visits to your park have been instrumental in helping him overcome this anxiety. The exposure to planes and their sounds in a controlled and welcoming environment has been incredibly beneficial. Thanks to your park, I now feel confident that my son will be able to fly with me without fear. 💖

Great place Family friendly There are plenty of picnic benches Children's rides & play area Cafe Tours available

We had the most fantastic afternoon at Runway Visitor Park. We did the Concorde tour and would highly recommend it! Very informative and interesting, our guides were very well informed and had a pleasant style. If you like aeroplanes this is a great place to go, Manchester Airport was busy including seeing the A380 come in and take-off while we were there.

Brilliant place to visit would have been nicer if ot wasn't raining but there you go can't be helped and having lunch in the hanger made it very worth while

Brilliant place to visit up close to major domestic airlines.

Absolutely fantastic. Such a great concept and so well executed. There really is something for everyone. The cafe was great too and not overpriced. Couldn't fault this place. If you have an aviation fan in your family, they will absolutely adore this for a day out. Great selection of food in the cafe, it was really clean too. Toilets were spotless and there were loads. Playground is great for little ones. The shop was an absolute haven for aeroplane gifts. So impressed and we will definitely return.

This is a super nice place to observe flights taking off and landing. If you're lucky, you'll even have some captains waving at you.

Very few of the attractions were open on a Monday. The receptionist in the visitor centre was very unclear on how the tours for aircraft worked and couldn't advise. There are certain tours on certain days which I don't think is very clear if you're planning in advance. Also, the parking attendant was quite rude and barely looked at us when servicing us. It's great to watch the planes, the cafe is alright but expensive, customer service could do with looking at. On the plus side, the kids play park was good and well maintained and there are plenty of picnic areas.

Went to Runway visitor park yesterday and did the classic Concorde tour with my grandsons, son in law and his farther. The tour was absolutely fabulous, well organised and well worth the cost. Would recommend a visit if you are interested in aircraft.

Parking can seem a tad expensive but there is lots to see and do keeping the kids entertained . On our last visit , there was someone over the sound system giving you plane and flight info , so if you don’t have flightradar24 , you are still informed of what you are seeing . There are a few planes for you to see and the spectacular aviation queen that is Concorde is in the hangar . There’s a cafe , a playground , a shop and covered areas for the great Manchester rainy days .

Excellent place to see a few planes. Whilst we were there nothing particularly exciting took off or landed. Price to park the car for a couple of hours is very reasonable (£5) and car park staff were very friendly and helpful. Once inside prices are a little on the exorbitant side - suggest you take your own food for example. The "gift shop" I found very unimpressive but that is a personal observation. The day we went they were celebrating USAF at Ringway Airport during WWII which was very entertaining with all the old vehicles, many people dressed in '40s finery both uniform and non-uniform. Also a band dressed and playing music from that timeframe.

A great place for kids who love airplanes. There is lots of space to sit and watch and play. It has a play area, a cafe, various exhibits and loos. If you just want to plane watch, you only pay for parking £5 for two hours.

As part of my husband’s 50th birthday present, we made a surprise visit to the Runway Visitor Park this morning. It’s been a horrible, rainy Sunday in September but it was literally the best family morning out! From the moment we arrived on site, we were greeted by a wonderful gentleman at the parking kiosk who we chatted with for some time about his incredible experience with Concorde. Then again in the main reception, the lady made such a fuss of the birthday boy and printed him a wonderful certificate for his office wall. Being a plane geek, we booked him on the Classic Concorde tour with my son and they had a great experience whilst my daughters and I sat watching planes take off and land from the Runway cafe. The food was delicious and we stayed so long we had both breakfast and lunch! It was a relaxed atmosphere with great viewing. This really is a wonderful place to visit for several hours. Thank you to the staff who were so friendly and welcoming. We will be back - on a sunny day next time!! ✈️

The park has been transformed over the last couple of years. A huge amount of benches have been added with the addition of outside covered areas. Also there is a playground for a great day out. No dogs allowed unfortunately and it's £5 for 2 hours

If you like planes it's a great place to go... Commentary on the arrivals and departures on the runway and where they're going or been... Great day out .

Took My kids here as they are fascinated with planes. Had a really good time, got to see the concord too! Seating is difficult as it gets busy but you will eventually get one. Cafe is nice too!

Runway Visitor Park is an absolute gem for aviation enthusiasts and families alike! The park offers a fantastic view of the runway, where you can watch planes taking off and landing up close, making it a perfect spot for plane spotters and anyone fascinated by aviation. The facilities are well-maintained, and the entire place is well set up for families, with plenty of benches and some roof covers to shelter from rainy days, ensuring everyone can enjoy the day regardless of the weather. A highlight of my visit was the Concorde Classic Tour. Stepping aboard this iconic aircraft was an unforgettable experience. The knowledgeable guide provided fascinating insights into the history and technology behind Concorde, including stories of its famous passengers. The Concorde was a favourite of the British Royal Family, and celebrities like the Beatles, Elton John, and many more regularly flew in style aboard this supersonic marvel. One of the standout moments of the tour was seeing the incredible cockpit of the Concorde up close. The sheer complexity of the dials, switches, and controls was breathtaking – a real testament to the skill of the pilots who flew this pioneering aircraft. Booking the Concorde Classic Tour also gives you free parking, which is a nice bonus. In addition, the park features a lovely coffee and sandwiches area, where you can sit inside or outside depending on the weather. It's perfect for a quick bite or a relaxing break while watching the planes. The aviation shop on-site is also well-stocked with a variety of aviation-related souvenirs, models, and memorabilia. While the prices are slightly higher than in other shops, the range of products is excellent, especially for aviation enthusiasts. Overall, Runway Visitor Park offers an exciting and family-friendly day out, with something for everyone to enjoy. Highly recommended!

Expensive shop and cafe, but it is an airport and you can take your own food. Parking is reasonable at £5 for 2 hours, you could potentially have a family day out here with a packed lunch for £5 and the cost of fuel. Good for a day when you're at a loose end on where to take the family. Not dog friendly, obviously.

Spot on place for watching the planes.

Amazing views of the planes with a nice cafe and a british Airways concorde that you can tour, Would recommend 😊

Was a great place to take the kids, didn't get to see concorde due to a private function hopefully next time

Great place to watch planes, there's a good amount of seating and a small amount of that is under shelter too.. There's also a restaurant and a hangar where you can see Concorde, and some small rides on the outside for the kids.

Great place to take the kids 👍👍👍

Nice open spaces and retail and cafes with outdoor seating.Also information given over tannoy about incoming and outgoing planes and not overly expensive as you pay only for the car

A great place for aviation lovers. I booked the Concorde technical tour and it did not disappoint. Our tour guides were absolutely fantastic and knowledgeable. I personally feel that the tours are excellent value and well worth booking a tour if you are heading to the Runway Visitor Park. The shop on site is great, and the cafe is too. There's a gluten free pizza option which was delicious!

brilliant place to go and watch planes

The park wasn’t overly busy, which made it more enjoyable. There are plenty of activities for children, including a well-equipped play area that would keep them entertained for hours. The abundance of picnic benches made it easy to find a spot to relax. It’s definitely a good day out for the whole family. The only downside was the parking area, which could use some attention. There are quite a few potholes, and after some rain, they filled up with puddles, making it a bit tricky to navigate. Other than that, it’s a lovely spot, and I’d recommend it for a family outing.

Great place to bring a plane obsessed tot. The speaker was very knowledgeable about the incoming and outgoing planes and the history of the airport. Great play area for little ones and a nice cafe and ice cream stand 😁

When i was a young pup it was a pub that had a big plastic tree/climbing frame den thing, you pass the pub to get here or whats left of it. But wow there is a whole platform, play area, hot food and drinks, fun rides for the kids, planes you can board and view, and the concorde indoors! Ive never seen the concorde in person but wow what a sight. Definitely worth a visit at least once in the year.

Good day out, great position for the planes

Great but the bins need emptying more often

Second time round was much better, with the funfair rides. Bit dissapointed that we couldn't get to explore the few aircrafts that were on display. The Concorde on display was amazing. Good selection of food from cafe. Staff on site were all very friendly. Free entry, Parking £5. Gift shop items were expensive.

Great place to visit Play park the kids loved b8 g5 Informative announcements Good couple of hours

A gem of place this if you wanna see aircraft really close up. They have running commentary of every flight that lands and take offs. They have a great picnic area, ride and a playground for kids. They also do tours onboard aircraft’s too Absolutely brilliant place

Amazing afternoon seeing all the planes , granddaughter loved it, loads of benches ,or just take your own camping chairs or blanket, loads of grass to sit on, £5 for 2hrs in the car park lots of spaces, toilets and cafe lots of seats inside, would definitely visit again ,

A unique experience, a beautiful atmosphere, and a chance to take a close look at the legendary Concorde aircraft.

Fantastic experience. Large park, tour of concord, close up to planes landing and even the pilots give you a wave

Amazing place for kids and for adults who don’t mind plane spotting! A huge car park and tours to go on to planes and see the cockpit, also has a cafe and Tannoy announcement providing information on planes arriving and departing. Worth a visit.

It was okay but not the best view of the planes

Thus is the best place to planespot in England and the UK!

Great to watch the planes before vacation

Great place for kids for a cheap day out

This is amazing got a cafe for food concorde plane models and them beautiful a380s

Security /parking gentlemen extremely pleasant and helpful. Faculties ok but lacking toilet paper. Shop good. Couple of poor bits they have spoilt the viewing by removing the high view points. And the external vendor at the ice-cream kiosk must have been having a bad day. Wasn't very helpful. When asked what ice-creams she had left. So we could check for nut allergy. But overall a good day. Plenty to do and see.

Great place to visit, good selection of outdoor activities, good family cafe and or very reasonably priced. Only downside is you need to have the right weather

We love this place, great day out for our little one!

Lovely place to visit and see aircraft on runway 1 and 2. Concorde, BAe 146, Trident 3 and nimrod to see. Raised and ground level viewing areas, with seating and picnic tables or bring your own chairs for picnic. Play area and some rides for young children. Souvenir and reasonably priced cafe on site. All areas accessible for disabled visitors.

Very busy day, service was quick.

Nice little trip out with the lad. Watching planes take off, good little cafe for coffee and a butty. There's a gift shop, a little park for the kids and you can visit the concorde as well. Yeah its decent

Good day out. Concord tour was bit over priced.

We took our 5 yr old grandchild here and he absolutely loved it.

Nice place to take kids. Overpriced parking. £10 for 2 hours.

Great day out for people of all ages. I came for the Concorde tour which was very informative and the tour guides were very friendly. For £18 we were there for over an hour and car parking is included if you get your token validated at reception, so it’s well worth it! ✈️

Interesting. Seemed to be celebrating the USAF 1943-45, some great looking WWII vehicles with many dressed in the vogue of the day including the band. The disappointment, I guess was that for viewing the actual "live" planes it is not a great spot. £5 for parking your car (no matter how many passengers) for two hours is reasonable, but everything inside is really expensive. Take your own butties/drinks is good advice. I found all the employees exceptionally helpful and friendly, right from the guy at the entrance gate, to the guy who showed us the way out and everyone in-between.

The best thing will be to prebook and plan your visit. Unfortunately we drove and realised to go inside the concord or do any of the activities inside the hanger we had to prebook. Apart from that it’s great that a place like this exists.