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What to see/do in York?

101 replies

ssd · 13/07/2025 10:21

We have a few days coming up in York soon, we've never been. I quite fancy doing a tour bus thingy to cover the main areas. Does anyone have any recommendations please?
No kids with us.

OP posts:
YorkResident · 15/07/2025 09:36

ssd · 13/07/2025 10:33

Ohh great suggestions, thanks.
Is york a walkable city? I was thinking of doing the hop on hop off bus to cover a larger area. I read of people going all the way round then hopping off somewhere.
Would love to see the shambles, I love the name.

Hi, I live in York and you’ll have a great time, it’s a wonderful place. It’s very walkable, small and easy to navigate.

I wouldn’t bother with the bus tour as you have to go round the outside of most of the good bits of the city. I also wouldn’t bother with the GhostBusTour if you want history, it’s quite shouty and daft (which is fine if you just want a fun nonsense bit of entertainment). You don’t mention kids but the Wizarding Walk is very good if you do have them. Otherwise there are lots of walking tours you can join.

The Minster is fantastic, see if you can do a Tower tour as that’s interesting and you get good views (many stairs though ) and make sure you go into the Chapter House. Deans Gardens round the side is lovely and leads to some interesting streets.

Yes to Treasurers House (you might need to book a tour for that in advance, it’s national trust).

Cliffords Tower has been renovated recently and is now really excellent. Combine that with a walk along by the river and a trip to what was Dyls but is now Sophie’s - you can sit outside by the river or up in a little turret room for lovely drinks or lunch or cakes etc.

Shambles is iconic but crowded, but go out early for a walk (before 9am) around the centre of York and you’ll have lots of space for photos. The Shambles has got a lot of scaffolding up at the moment though.

Fossgate for cafes and some independent shops. Stonegate for more small shops and many jewellers. Low and High Petergate ditto.

Walk round the walls. Total loop is just under 3 miles but if you don’t have time for it all I’d get on at Layerthorpe and walk anti clockwise round to Bootham bar as you get the best views of the back of the Minster and other interesting stuff like lovely gardens. Stop off at Monkbar gate for gelato from Roberts. One of the bar gates on the walls holds another small historical museum.

Walk along the river - head down to Judi Dench Walk and along from there.

Jorvik is fun but short. Not sure I would bother if no kids unless you’re very into Vikings.

Dick Turpin’s grave is near Walmgate.

Bar Convent museum is good and you can reach that by walking up Micklegate which has interesting shops and cafes and Partisan and Skosh mentioned by another poster. Also off Micklegate are interesting streets to wander around if you like churches and quirky doorways etc.

The cat trail is a good way to see a lot of York on foot.

Museum Gardens is lovely and you can get to the Yorkshire Museum from there.

The art gallery is fine, they have a good ceramics room upstairs and a lovely outside space at the back and may be doing the summer pop up bar there again too.

personally I’m not a fan of Castle Museum but others love it. The Dickensian street there is good but everything else is a bit tired and it’s a bit of a mish mash of eras, in my opinion!

happy to help with any other pointers if useful.

YorkResident · 15/07/2025 09:41

Coffeeishot · 15/07/2025 08:42

The ghost shop queue is madness are they still as popular?

Yes. It’s crazy. People turn up an hour or more before the shop opens and queue for up to four hours. The queue has to be managed by staff so as not to completely piss off anyone else working or walking in the Shambles.

At Halloween I saw someone who had brought a camping chair and turned up to wait the night before. Madness!

Coffeeishot · 15/07/2025 09:48

YorkResident · 15/07/2025 09:41

Yes. It’s crazy. People turn up an hour or more before the shop opens and queue for up to four hours. The queue has to be managed by staff so as not to completely piss off anyone else working or walking in the Shambles.

At Halloween I saw someone who had brought a camping chair and turned up to wait the night before. Madness!

I was in York 2 years ago my Dd stood in the queue we just left her to it and met her later on with her ghost. She's a 20 something and was silly excited about her 👻

Stumbleine · 15/07/2025 09:50

Cocoa Joe's - hot chocolate cafe is great

YorkResident · 15/07/2025 09:57

Stumbleine · 15/07/2025 09:50

Cocoa Joe's - hot chocolate cafe is great

Cocoa Joe’s has closed sadly. Teen DS is gutted! There is a Knoops though.

Stumbleine · 15/07/2025 10:52

@YorkResident Noooo!!! 😭

Y2ker · 15/07/2025 10:54

I love walking round the walls. There is a great walk/trail following some markers. It takes you all around the city.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 15/07/2025 11:10

Definitely still called Fat Rascals

If you like NT gardens Goddards is nice. 10 min bus ride from the city centre. It's the garden of the house that was the Terry family home (as in Terry's of York. The house isnt open.

DrCoconut · 15/07/2025 11:11

The castle museum is good. It's a full day out in itself. Chocolate story is interesting but unless it's changed since we were there you have to go round in a group and it feels like they are rushing you to get the maximum number of groups through, we didn't get time to see everything properly. There are river cruises too.

ssd · 15/07/2025 12:23

Wow, brilliant advice here, thanks again!!

Will definitely take my walking shoes 😁

OP posts:
mustytrusty · 15/07/2025 13:52

York is really walkable - you probably won't need the bus at all.

Jacobs4 · 15/07/2025 13:59

@YorkResident hi, what is York like in Winter? I’ve heard the river floods a lot, and it’s icy cold? What do you think? I was pondering a January visit.

Pootles34 · 15/07/2025 14:12

@Jacobs4 I don't personally think it's icy cold - we don't really get proper winters anymore. What part of the country are you used to? It's better than the west part of the country I think as we don't get as much rain.

January is probably the quietest time of year.

WhereDoesTheRoadLead7 · 15/07/2025 14:17

It's so tiny, an open bus tour might be wasted. A boat cruise might be a nice way to spend your time?

You will fill an entire day walking around the Shambles market, lots of nice chocolate markers etc. it's worth getting a ticket to go into the Minster itself.

Definitely walk the walls, it's free and all the views are lovely. No dogs allowed though

For food, if you are on a budget, Spark (it's a shipping container place)- lots of food and drink stalls. If you have more money to spend, Skosh- Asian fusion Michelin bib gourmand. You will probably need to book in advance. If you are here on a Sunday, a Sunday roast in the Whippet Inn. I'm not a fan of roasts generally and it one of the best meals I've ever had.

Lots of lovely pubs too... The (old) House of Trembling madness- there are two (not the Lendel one) for pints or Evil Eye for cocktails.

There is also a lovely pathway along the river Ouse which is worth walking too.

I moved here eight months ago and I'm still not over how lovely it is! Just be aware it gets very busy with tourist, and it's uncomfortably busy on a Race Day.

Enjoy!

StrongandNorthern · 15/07/2025 14:22

No idea if this is you taste a At All but, if you like spot of charity shopping - go to Goodramgate.

Toddlerteaplease · 15/07/2025 14:24

Betty’s is massively overrated. There are much better places to have cake. The luxury ice cream company in baxknswine gate is amazing.

Piggywaspushed · 15/07/2025 14:25

A boat trip is nice because you can see York from a different angle. The commentary can be entertaining!

Toddlerteaplease · 15/07/2025 14:26

A the gooey rascals are better then the fat rascals though!

SpikyHatePotato · 15/07/2025 14:28

I grew up there and still have family locally - agree with almost all of what @YorkResident said, apart from I have a soft spot for the Castle Museum, but that's probably just nostalgia from many visits as a kid.

The centre of York is really quite small, and is pedestrianised, so the tour buses can't go near a lot of the centre (including the Minster), I definitely wouldn't bother.

Recommend a walking tour, there are lots, York is stuffed full of history. The Snickleways are good for an amble around, and to avoid some of the crowds. I wouldn't put the Shambles at the top of the list, it's so crowded.

Recommend Thomas the Baker's for fresh sandwiches, cakes and other bakery things. I have a minor obsession with their cheese straws! There are 2 or 3 branches in the town centre, they also do a knock-off fat rascal for about half the price.

Jacobs4 · 15/07/2025 14:31

Pootles34 · 15/07/2025 14:12

@Jacobs4 I don't personally think it's icy cold - we don't really get proper winters anymore. What part of the country are you used to? It's better than the west part of the country I think as we don't get as much rain.

January is probably the quietest time of year.

I’m in London, so I’m prepared to find just about anywhere in the UK colder than where I live, but I thought yorkresident sounded like somebody who would give a realistic balanced answer! I did live for a while in the West Country and omg the drizzle… very unrelenting, did not like!

Limehawkmoth · 15/07/2025 14:31

ssd · 13/07/2025 10:35

Is Betty's worth it? And what is a fat rascal😁

Bettys worth the price and queues if you want leisurely tea and patessiere cake ( and savouries) well done in genteel surroundings.
ifyou just want a quick cuppa and slab of Vicky sponge nope- lots of other cafes can do that
I say that as an ex Bettys waitress over 40 years ago now! It’s always been expensive, genteel…but I personally love going there for it’s particular vibe if I’m in the Yorkshire towns where there’s a Bettys ( I live on the wrong side of t’pennines now😱).
fat rascal is a fruity scone / rock cakes thing
I personally go for their patisserie type cakes in cafe and grab a curd tart in shop on way out for next day…these lancastrians don’t know a curd tarts 😢

Pootles34 · 15/07/2025 14:33

Jacobs4 · 15/07/2025 14:31

I’m in London, so I’m prepared to find just about anywhere in the UK colder than where I live, but I thought yorkresident sounded like somebody who would give a realistic balanced answer! I did live for a while in the West Country and omg the drizzle… very unrelenting, did not like!

Edited

Oh yeah I always get too hot in London! Pack an extra jumper!

YorkResident · 15/07/2025 14:40

@Jacobs4 Don’t worry about flooding, it’s all around the river area and very well managed. York doesn’t get as cold as surrounding areas though January is January evidently. The wind can be cold if you’re in the wrong spot, like round the Minster. Some businesses will take holidays in January and plenty even now have odd opening hours. The smaller cafes and bars often only open Weds-Sun for example.

@ssd Having just been out and walked past it I’d also recommend the Merchant Adventurers Hall which sits between Fossgate and Piccadilly. Very reasonable entry price, nice cafe and tea garden in summer and enough to look at for a short museum / interesting building trip.

Personally I couldn’t spend all day in the Shambles market but if you like crafts and trinkets and themed gins and street food there is lots there. There’s a lovely chocolate shop in the Shambles and bakeries galore - Little Arras, CS Sourdough, Bluebird and Black Wheat Club all amazing for breads cakes and patisseries. York Gin is good for a visit - opposite the end of the Shambles.

Limehawkmoth · 15/07/2025 14:49

Jacobs4 · 15/07/2025 13:59

@YorkResident hi, what is York like in Winter? I’ve heard the river floods a lot, and it’s icy cold? What do you think? I was pondering a January visit.

The river does flood following heavy rain in the Dales over previous few days- but we’re talking mega heavy rain and flooding about every 3 years for literally a few days. The Ouse through York centre is major convergence river for the “dales” rivers to run into which flow off the Pennines including the 3 peaks…it doesn’t flood really due to heavy rain in York itself . like most of east of Pennines York is relatively dry normally ( drought right now) . York has always flooded from time to time, annd when it does river can rise quickly and high. But it’s well equipped for centuries to deal with it along embankments, unlike a lot of cities, older houses are built high with stone cellars to take the flooding and not damage. I’d certainly not be considering flooding as reason not to go…that’s a bit bonkers frankly

icy cold? Never heard that …sure in winter the whole of east of uk is colder generally than west, from Kent to Edinburgh if wind direction is coming off continent, but you couldn’t say York is particularly colder than elsewhere on east of uk. Whoever said that must have been there at a cold time, or is a soft western southerner frankly.
You sure they didn’t confuse with New York 🤷‍♀️that can be icy cold 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Oh, and btw , I have close relative living in York..literally 5 mins from river Ouse ..he’s never been flooded. He’s lived in York for nearly 35 years now.

Limehawkmoth · 15/07/2025 14:54

There are loads of great walking tours in York, not just the ghost trails. University has important history and archeology dept so lots a students get roped into doing historic walking tours. They’re great to ground you what there is to see at start of visit.
put-simply there’s too much to do in a weekend, search what’ll interest you most.
One of best cities to visit in uk frankly.