York holiday

[Hamleysmum]

We're spending a week in York, with our 3 boys ( aged 9 and 6). Any tips on what to do? So far we plan to do Jorvik, Railway Museum and a trip on the river. Any other suggestions? And also I'd appreciate ideas for family friendly restaurants. Staying in an apartment, pretty centrally, but hoping not to self cater too often. Thanks.

[Heleng1982]

I live in York there's the castle museum we love it, Cliffords tower (just next door to castle museum). in the centre there's the museum gardens with the Yorkshire museum that's worth a look. The bar walls that run around the city are also worth a look

[Moln]

Piggy backing on this thread, as this is my planned destination for summer holidays!!

[Dowser]

If you want to visit the cathedral, it's free when there's a service on.

Great shopping. There's also lots of street entertainment. There's a market every day and they often have a craft or food market outside the main marks and Spencer's.

Loads of places to eat. Wagamamas, nandos, pubs doing nice meals or finer dining.
Lots of nice tea rooms.
Betty's tea rooms is nice. Love Betty's fat rascals. Just down from debenhams. It's good just to walk the streets . Great atmosphere. Fabulous architecture.

Don't miss the shambles with the market behind.

You can try the ghost walk if the kids are ok with that.

There's the theatre royal and a lovely little city screen cinema down the side street near the church called coney st. I love it. You can sit outside on the terrace near the river and have a snack.

Lots of lovely places to visit outside of York if you can tear yourself away.

[ChilliCrouton]

York is wonderful! The minster gardens often have an ice cream van in, and there are loads of gorgeous restaurants in the maze of streets between stonegate and kings square, you'll be spoiled for choice. The portions in Oscars are immense, you won't need to eat again for days! Just north of the city off the A19 past Clifton Green is homestead park which is free and has play equipment suitable for older children. Beningbrough hall (National trust) is also close to York and has great grounds.

[Purpleball]

The chocolate story is fab.
Eat at Oscars, have nachos and burgers - go there hungry and be prepared to wait for a table....it's worth it!
Railway museum is free and kids love it. The cafe is nice in there too.
Minster is lovely
Walk round the walls
Boat trip on the river
Walk through museum gardens
Clifford's tower
Get a train to Leeds and go to a Royal Armories/shopping

[badRoly]

I think they're putting 'The Railway Children' on again at the Rail Museum - we saw it the first or second year they did it and it was well worth it!

[VashtaNerada]

Ristorante Bari is a nice little Italian restaurant on the Shambles. I'd also recommend a ghost walk if they don't scare too easily and the Richard III museum at Monkbar which is so bad it's good. Betty's is a must but make sure you go to the big one off Parliament Street, not the little one on Stonegate.

[lokijet]

try DIG - linked to Jorvik - hands on archeology museum

A number of play places around outskirts, York Maze, Creepy crawlies etc

[Ihateparties]

As above Minster and minster gardens, walls, museum gardens, Clifford's tower, castle museum, homestead, rowntrees park, walk down the river or hire bikes maybe? Dig is supposed to be good, there are all sorts of more low key museum/interesting building type things to look at too, none of which I can bring to mind right now it seems! We did a boat trip recently and it was really short, I don't know if they do longer ones but if they do that'd be better imo.

Eating, there are too many places if anything, all the chain stuff wagamama, all bar one, Jamie's italian, gbk, Byron, bills etc. We also like oshibi, wackers for fish and chips (kids eat free), biltmore, oscars, wildes, victor j's, cafe no 8 (kids eat free in school holidays usually). Brew and brownie and/or kafeneion for your tea, coffee and cake needs. There are loads of nice restaurants down fossgate too.

[Lovelydiscusfish]

Castle museum, as pp's said, is fab!
Have you any plans/capacity to go outside York itself. If so I'd recommend Howarth (where the Bronte parsonage is). The area and the village are just lovely, and the parsonage museum itself has things which would be of interest for all ages, I would say.
Plus lovely Fountains abbey - spectacular, and great fun for all ages.

[Dowser]

Big thumbs up for armouries museum in Leeds. That is fantastic and all free.

Really don't miss it. You are right beside canal so could take a picnic as nowhere to eat there. Cafe in armouries but limited.

Brimham rocks near Ripon....amazing. Only 30 miles from York

[5Foot5]

Just to say we went to the railway museum last year and I really enjoyed it though didn't expect to - only went to humour DH actually!

Ghost walks definitely!

Also there is something called the Snickleways walk - we got a book on it years ago. It gave us an entertaining day anyway as it is quite an interesting way to explore the city.

[Mumoftwoyoungkids]

If the weather is nice and you like sitting in pub beer gardens watching the boats go along the river then Vodka Revolution is surprisingly kid friendly during the day. I think that they do half price food on a Monday.

[VivaLeBeaver]

You should eat in Ask just for the setting!

[VivaLeBeaver]

Can you still do a cat finding trail? There is a cat shop in the Shambles and they'd give you a treasure hunt sheet to find the cats in the city. Obviously not real, live cats.

[VivaLeBeaver]

here

[fairyfuckwings]

We go to York a lot. Again, the castle museum us brilliant. And very cheap.

We usually do a river trip. Also do the ghost walk. I like to do it with that Trevor bloke who was on "come dine with me". I can't remember his name but he'll probably come up on Google.

York dungeons is great - depending on the age of your kids. Also the tourist bus is good as you learn quite a lot about the local history.

I don't personally like Royal Armouries. I find it incredibly dull - 3 floors of boredom! If you do go to Leeds, I prefer the Thackery medical museum. We used to go to Kirkstall Abbey museum as kids which I loved but not been for a long time so I don't know what it's like now.

For food I like the old real ale pubs. Ye old starre Inn and another one that's across the road (can't remember the name). Also there are some good child friendly pubs that overlook the river. I'm obviously just an old soak though!

[Dancingdreamer]

My top tip for eating out in York is to Have your main meal at lunch time. We found that some of the best restaurants offered brilliant lunch time deals which were so much cheaper than evening meals. We then just had a snack in the evening.

[fairyfuckwings]

Sorry just realised you did give your children's ages. Probably not York dungeons!

The ghost walk should be fine though. I took my daughter when she was 5 and she enjoyed it. It's not really scary - more local history. Good - but quote sad.

[CycleChic]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned the Barley Hall yet! Great medieval guild hall.

[Hamleysmum]

Thanks for so many great tips, there's quite a few things there that I hadn't thought of.

[Blowninonabreeze]

See if you can catch pedally Steve.

He's a street trader who freehand cuts your name using a bicycle powered saw. Lovely guy, very entertaining to watch and cheap (few pounds for an average length name)

He lets you know where he'll be trading via his fb page. Usually Samson square I think