Question for people who know about York & surrounding area

[AlexaShutUp]

Teenage dd and I will be spending a few days in York next week, staying near the city centre. I have a few questions and am hoping that someone who knows the area can help!

1. Apart from the Minster, what are the absolute must-visit places in the city? We quite like just mooching around and don't have loads of time, so don't want to go into full-on sightseeing mode, but don't want to miss anything really good either!

1. We'd really like to spend a day outside the city walking in the dales. There are package day trips that offer this, but I am wondering if we can just hop on a bus/train to somewhere instead. Are there any nice spots for walking that would be easily reachable via public transport?

1. Is there anywhere that you would recommend in the city centre for a nice afternoon tea one day?

Any other suggestions more than welcome! TIA!

The answer to number 3 is Bettys, the only place to have afternoon tea in Yorkshire. There’s a large and small branch in the city centre.

Oh ok, thank you. Have heard of Betty's in Harrogate but didn't know there was one in York too. I imagine it will be pretty busy so I guess we'll need to book in advance?

1. Castle museum is good, and you can climb up Clifford’s Tower. Have a walk around the walls - you don’t have to go all the way around. The Shambles is still worth visiting, although these days it’s crammed with Harry Potter shops

1. Pickering is nice, and you can do the steam railway between there and Goathland. I’m not sure what public transport you’d get to reach it though. If you fancy something quieter, you could try walking in the Wolds instead. Take the 746 bus to Pocklington, then you can walk from there through the Wolds to Kilnwick Percy, which has a beautiful Buddhist centre set in lovely grounds with a vegetarian cafe, woods, gardens, a lake. It’s fab.

1. Betty’s. Got to be.

Number 2, the dales cover a huge area and not well served by train from York. I can’t actually think how you would manage a day trip by train to somewhere you could go walking. I suppose a bus might work but York isn’t actually that close to what you’re probably hoping for so maybe a package would be worth a look.

Number 1, if you mooch around inside the city walls you will come across the old narrow streets such as The Shambles that are typical of the city. It’s actually quite small and flat, very walkable and great for ambling.

You can’t book Bettys I’m afraid. Part of the experience is queuing I’m afraid

1. Walking the city walls is good free fun.

Check if the Jorvik viking museum is open again yet. I think it shut for flood repairs. Lots of pubs!!

1. Check out heading coast wards - the coast itself is awesome - trains definitely go to Scarborough to get off at Filey, the beaches there and out at Filey Brigg is meant to be fab for nature.

I think Betty's is overrated, pretentious crap
The castle museum is my favourite. You can spend ages there
I had free tickets for Jorvik. The queues are bad and it's short for what it is but well done
The Christmas shop is fab
Do the ghost walk. The tall guy who meets at the end of the shambles. He is very good

I’m afraid the Christmas Shop has gone

But Jorvik is definitely open!

The Jorvik centre is open, I haven’t been for years though and the queues get pretty big during half term, check the website to see if it appeals.

The coastliner bus 840 goes across the moors to Scarborough from York... that is the bus you want, stops loads of lovely places like goathland, grossmont, Thornton le dale, whitby etc

You must walk at least part of the city walls in York for the beautiful views.
The Shambles is a lovely street to walk down, it was used in the Harry Potter films! It's also fun to get lost in all the little alley ways round York.
The Museum Gardens are lovely and in the centre.
Fossgate is also a nice little street to walk down and the river foss is very pretty (it's the smaller of the rivers in york)

Fab, thank you. I do remember visiting the Shambles 35+ years ago, and I loved it at the time so will definitely go back there. I reckon dd will love it, and she'll probably be delighted with all of the Harry Potter shops!

Walking through the wolds sounds nice, if the Dales is an unrealistic plan. The Buddhist centre sounds fabulous!

Happy to wait for Betty's if it's worth it!

Will also investigate the castle museum.

Crumbs Cupcakery near the Minster is absolutely lovely. Its tiny but has tables outside in the shadow of the minster window. Much nicer than Betty's imo.

Jorvik is good, the shambles is definitely a good place to see. The railway museum is quite interesting. I love York, I think it's a fascinating place to wander around. We are going back to Yorkshire this summer and I can't wait to visit York again.

Ooh, lots more suggestions, thank you so much! Will look at coastliner bus 840 and trains towards Scarborough. Will also ensure that we squeeze in a walk around the city walls. DD needs to take some cityscape photos for a school project, so the views would be helpful!

Have heard really good things about Jorvik but don't want to spend too long queuing so might give it a miss if it's likely to be heaving in half term!

Oh and Stonegate is one of the quintessential York streets too but you will most likely go down that without even trying because it leads to the minster from the centre. Theres a small Bettys on that street too if the bigger one is too crowded and you dont want to queue.

Crumbs Cupcakery is a fabulous name - think we might have to visit.

I getting quite excited now Drogo

Fab, thanks Ribbons.

Brew and brownie by museum gardens for the best ever brownies!

Whipmawopmagate, Clifford's Tower, Jorvik, Castle Museum, National Railway Museum. There's a chocolate museum that's very good (not the Cadbury's one). The Shambles and the Minster are lovely. The city wall is a pleasant amble on a nice day. Take a quick look at the burial grounds just outside the city walls - some are plague pits from the Black Death.

For a nice day-walk, park at Pickering station and take a steam train on the North York Moors heritage railway to Goathland, then walk to Grosmont and get the steam train back to Pickering.

Betty's. Definitely Betty's.

Noooo. I wanted to go back to the Christmas shop

Double Dutch Pancake house is worth a visit. Nice for Brunch or breakfast.

I work in York ( dont live in York) and all this is making me think I need to actually visit!!

kaethe-wohlfahrt.com/en/kaethe-wohlfahrt-at-york/

Are you sure it's completely closed?

Opening Hours
From 1. January 2019

Monday to Friday:
10:00 o'clock to 18:00 o'clock

Saturday:
10:00 o'clock to 18:00 o'clock
Sundays:
10:30 o'clock to 17.30 o'clock.

Please note: the shop will be closed from the 6th of January 2019 until the 20th of January.

Please call our customer service during weekdays before your visit to check the actual opening times. Tel: +49 (0) 9861/409-0

Contact:
Mulberry Hall
17-19 Stonegate
York, North Yorkshire, Y01 8ZW
Tel.: +49 (0) 9861/409-0

I've always fancied doing the Cat Trails, it's free, download a map and wander around spotting cat statues throughout the city and find out their stories.

www.visityork.org/explore/york-cat-trail-p801381

www.yorkluckycats.co.uk/york-cat-trail/