As a place to shop, Guildford has a particularly good selection of high street stores alongside a huge variety of smaller and specialist shops. Offering a rich variety of entertainment throughout the year, the delightful Yvonne Arnaud theatre stages pre-and post-West end productions and the Guildford Civic is host to everything from stand-up comedy to classical concerts by Guildford's own Philharmonic Orchestra. A number of festivals are held from spring through to autumn, celebrating music, literature, arts and crafts and even cricket! The wide range of activities available at the spectrum Leisure centre includes swimming, ice-skating and tenpin bowling, while the recently refurbished 1930's Lido is ideal for swimming outdoors in the summer months.

In the 21st century Guildford is a bustling English town, with an attractive cobbled High Street, numerous shops and department stores. There is a Tourist Information Office and several hotels including the historic Angel Hotel which long served as a coaching stop on the main London to Portsmouth stage coach route. There are two railway stations (Guildford railway station, near the Friary Centre, and London Road (Guildford) railway station) which provide a convenient link to London Waterloo for commuters, and the main line station also connects to Portsmouth, Reading, Epsom and Gatwick airport. In addition there is a bus station, a free town centre shuttle bus and a 'Park and Ride' service from the south of the town.

There is a small museum in the town centre and a nationally successful sports centre, known as the Spectrum, in Stoke park which is home to the Guildford Flames ice hockey team. The University of Surrey is situated to the north-west of the town centre, about ten minutes' walk from Guildford main line train station. Guildford Cathedral is adjacent to the university's main campus and the Royal Surrey County Hospital is nearby.