York ideas please

[TheDutchHouse]

Suggestions for quirky things to do in York
maybe cafes, exhibitions, places to stay etc

Harry Potter golf, dungeon (not if they're little, though), castle,, ghost walk. Lots of food places but it's better if you just look at Trip Advisor as it depends on you rown favourites, boat ride-you can hire one to drive yourself, chocolate experience.

Sorry should have said no children, on own . Chocolate sounds good as does Ghost walk

The best Ghost walk is Dorian Deathly's Dark Tours 👻👻👻

Is the van Gogh experience still there ? Go if it is

Bus tour or walking tour, Viking museum, Shambles and of course The Minster. Fossgate has lots of good cafes - The Black Wheat Club is superb for evening food (do good breakfasts too but worth an evening visit) House of Trembling Madness or Evil Eye Lounge for cocktails. Depends what you’re looking for with places to stay - Premier Inn or if you fancy a treat, The Grand.

Walk around the city walls.
Viking pub.
Theres a lovely hall called Bedern - afternoon
teas and tea/ scone, off Goodramgate.
Barley hall is good.
Spark food court was fun.
The park off museum street is lovely.
have fun !

Florian Poirot on the Shambles for macarons. Friends travel from where we live, an hour away, for the Nepalese restaurant Yak and Yeti cafe, gets rave reviews. We often eat at Red Chilli. Last time we were there we visited Spark food hub which is also worth a look. Will you have a car? Castle Howard is great and not too far away if you have transport. Rievaulx Abbey a bit further on, but also really interesting.

The Cold War bunker is really interesting.

Surprisingly, the railway museum. I thought I would be bored senseless but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The highlight for me being the Royal carriages. We stayed at The Grand. Very nice.

If you're going before the end of this month there's an exhibition about the Japanese great wave prints thats really interesting.

https://www.yorkartgallery.org.uk/exhibition/making-waves-the-art-of-japanese-woodblock-print/

It includes a little station that is aimed at kids but you can make your own postcard sized print, I love mine.

I love York and visit a few times a year. But its so busy in the summer and at weekends. I like to eat at the Shambles market, walk around the walls and along the river to Rowntree Park.

A few miles outside is Pool Bridge farm which has swimming lakes and saunas and is glorious but needs to be booked a few days in advance in the summer especially at weekends.

I would go in the Minster but its so expensive, about £25. We went in the big cathedral in Girona which is probably comparable and it was 8 euro.

I second the railway museum. I think we spent nearly an hour on the Royal carriages alone. And it’s free!

Some great ideas thank you 🙏
Japanese art exhibit is perfect .
i won’t have a car , are most things walkable if staying near station ?

I live in York.

The nuclear bunker in Acomb 100%

It's absolutely brilliant.

About 15 minutes from the train station.

Yes absolutely York is much better being car free. Do book restaurants if you're keen to go somewhere in particular! Walking the walls is one of my favourite things to do.

You can absolutely do York without a car. Although a bus trip out to Beningbrough Hall is a nice day out too, at Newton on Ouse. Walk the walls in York, there are many many lovely cafes down by the river, walk along the river, take a boat trip, go down Walmgate or Gillygate for quirky little shops, there are two museums which are great, go up Clifford's Tower for a good view.

I live near York and go in at least once a month and I can always find something to do!

There’s an excellent exhibition of Japanese woodblock prints on at the York Art Gallery until the end of the month. It needs booking in advance, but is well worth it.

The Novotel is a good place to stay. It is just outside the city walls, so it is a bit cheaper, but walkable to everywhere, and has a pool.

For excellent sandwiches and pastries - Cosgriff & Son on Tower St, facing Clifford’s Tower. They are open 8-3, Thur-Sun.(maybe not Sun actually).

If you have English Heritage membership, and are ok with steep steps, Clifford’s Tower has amazing views of the city form the roof.

For evening entertainment - there’s usually something good on at the Barbican, Theatre Royal or Grand Theatre, and two Everyman cinemas.

Lots of little eateries and cafes everywhere - try and break out of the touristic centre and head for Copmanthorpe or Gillygate.

If you fancy an outdoor swim and sauna - Pool Bridge Farm, but book. You’ll need a car.

Walk the city walls (free)

Lots of old and new bookshop on Micklegate if that’s your thing.

The Minster of course.

The chocolate story is actually pretty interesting.

if you like gardens - Goddards - the garden of the Terry family house (as in Terry’s of York). It’s NT. the house is not open.

York is very good for just pottering too.

ETA - the nuclear bunker in Acomb is superb. Again, English Heritage.

i work in York, and we have days out there, but have had a mini break there just to do all the things I miss as I’m running for my bus.

The Poetry Pharmacy is cute too,

There’s a Betty’s if you fancy queuing. I think you can book for afternoon teas.

Race across the world York

https://raceacrosstheworldexperience.com/york/

it’s absolutely brilliant and a great way to see the city

Yes, York is a small city. I second going to the National Raiway Museum which is very close to the station and also recommend the Castle Museum, which is full of social.history exhibits, including Victorian streets.

Do Acomb nuclear bunker on a Saturday and then Holgate Windmill just around the corner will be open.

Then BlueBird cafe for lunch and an amble through West Bank Park to look at the huge redwoods.

In town:

• Barley Hall
• Prison museum in the castle, the rest of the castle museum is pretty shit
• Walk the walls
• Merchant adventures hall in Fossgate
• LICC ice cream shop in Swinegate
• Go on a hidden history walking tour

Go on the Ghost bus tour and Mad Alice’s ghost walk, both are great fun, we also enjoyed The Dungeons.

Saw this on another thread asking about York. https://kynren.com/

That theme park's in County Durham - no where near York.

Another idea for a quirky thing to do in York is York Maze: The UK's Biggest Corn Maze | York Maze

It's awful during the school holidays but really good outside of term time!
Edited: Sorry, this year it closes just at the end of the six week holidays. Dammit.

Drift cafe on Clifford Street is excellent for brunch but very popular.
Spark Street food place on Piccadily for casual dining on a nice evening (again, can be difficult to get a table!)
if you like cats York Cat Trail - York Lucky Cats
The Race across the World experience mentioned above is excellent.
The HOHO bus tour is very informative.
Walk the city walks.
Geek out in the railway museum.
Moan about all the bloody tourists in the Shambles.
Boat trip on the river.
Day out to Castle Howard if you like that sort of thing.

So many great things already suggested, but I recommend taking a bit of time out to relax in Museum Gardens, my favourite place in York ❤️

Museum Gardens get very busy.

Dean's park is also wonderful and slightly less crowded.

Or take a 15-minute walk out of town, down the river to Rowntree Park which is beautiful an comparatively uncrowded