York is one of the best city breaks you can do in England. This compact city is packed with so much history that the whole city centre feels like a living museum. World-class attractions like the Shambles, Jorvik and York Minster secure York’s position as one of the top choices for a weekend away.

Here’s my full guide to exploring this wonderful city.

How Much Time Do I Need In York?

Two full days is a great amount of time to explore York, making it perfect for a quick weekend getaway.

The Highlights of York

You can cram a lot into your time in York. Here are my highlights.

The Shambles

Without a doubt, the Shambles is one of the best things you’ll see in York. This narrow, historic shopping street features incredibly well-preserved medieval buildings dating from the 14th century. The buildings overhang the narrow cobbled streets with so much character. You’ll feel like you are walking right through history.

The Shambles was originally a meat market with butchers shops and slaughterhouses. In fact this is one of the reasons the buildings overhang – they were intentionally built this way to protect the meat from going rancid in the sun.

Nowadays the Shambles is not only stunning to look at and walk through, but the street is packed with little independent shops selling all kinds of goods such as beer, fudge, chocolate, pies and even ghosts.

The Shambles does get busy with tourists, so I would recommend coming back at night if you can. You’ll have the place to yourself and it feels even more haunting and eerie in the quiet of the night.

Fun fact: The Shambles was also the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter movies.

Jorvik Viking Centre

York has a very strong Viking history, being a significant Viking settlement and the capital of the Viking kingdom of the Danelaw in the 9th century.

In the 1970s the Viking settlement was discovered under York which led to the creation of the Jorvik Viking Centre on the excavation site to showcase the Viking legacy of York.

The Jorvik centre is a museum containing fascinating glimpses of Viking life such as cookware, jewellery, coins, combs and much more. As well as the artifacts on display in the museum Jorvik has a ride that goes through a recreated Viking village. This interactive ride, complete with animatronics and the sounds and smells of Viking life, really helps to bring the Viking settlement to life.

Jorvik is a great choice for the kids. Read my favourite tidbit of information I learned about the Vikings that all parents will relate to here.

Tickets and time slots for Jorvik must be purchased online and do sell out, so book well in advance. Tickets are £17.50 for adults and £12 for children.

York Minster

York Minster is a magnificent Gothic cathedral and the seat of the Archbishop of York. It’s a beautiful building inside and out, with spectacular architecture and the largest collection of medieval stained glass windows in the country which you can see in the resplendent Chapter House.

You can climb to the top of the Central Tower for nice views over the cathedral and city from the highest point in York. Keep in mind climbing this tower involves 275 steps on a winding tower staircase.

York Minster is also surprisingly child-friendly. Little Explorer backpacks can be borrowed for free from the welcome desk. These backpacks contain binoculars, magnifiying glasses, torches, a compass, a notepad and activities to keep your little explorers busy while you marvel at the glory of the cathedral. This is an inspired idea from York Minster and very welcome for parents.

Don’t miss returning to York Minster in the evening for Evensong. Listening to the haunting sounds of the choral voices and organ right in the middle of a 13th century cathedral is memorable indeed.

Tickets for the York Minster are £20 for adults, children are free. You can add the Central Tower to your ticket for £6 per person.

National Railway Museum York

Housing an amazing collections of trains and locomotives, the Railway Museum is a must for any train enthusiast.

The highlights of this museum are:

• The Mallard – the world’s fastest steam locomotive.
• The Flying Scotsman – perhaps the most famous steam train in the world.
• The Japanese Shinkansen bullet train – which you can also climb aboard.

Most of the trains are display only and you cannot climb aboard, but there is a children’s play area and model train set to keep the kids entertained.

Entry to the Railway Museum is free, donations welcome.

Clifford’s Tower

One of the more iconic landmarks of York is Clifford’s Tower. The tower is the largest surviving part of York Castle, once England’s greatest medieval fortress. Clifford’s Tower is positioned at the top of a mound which you’ll need to climb, but this affords more great views over the city. Inside you can explore the internal walkways, tower staircases, garderobe and chapel.

Clifford’s Tower is part of English Heritage, so your entry will be free if you have membership. It doesn’t take long to visit so can easily be added onto the end of your day in York.

If you don’t have English Heritage membership, pricing is £9 for adults and £5 for children.

For combination tickets to Clifford’s Tower and other York attractions you’ll get the best deals here.

The City Walls

York City Walls consists of an elevated circular route around the city centre. You can access the walls from a number of Bars and walk as much as you like in either direction. The most attractive section is between Bootham Bar and Monk Bar for a view of York Minster.

Entry to the City Walls is free and open all year round.

York Museum Gardens

York Museum Gardens is a beautiful green space in the middle of the city. With trees, flowers, open spaces and squirrels everywhere you look, these gardens are a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Also in the York Museum Gardens are the ruins of the medieval St Mary’s Abbey. Once a powerful Benedictine monastery that rivalled the York Minster, the abbey now consists of the ruins of the church and cloisters.

Entry to the York Museum Gardens and St Mary’s Abbey is free and open all year round.

Walk Around The City

Make sure you spend some time just walking around the city, marvelling at the history all around you. Down this street is a 16th century pub. Turn that corner and you see where Guy Fawkes was born. Down this alley is the remains of a Norman house. Think that building looks cute? Oh it was built in 1484.

I always find the best way to really get a feel for a city is to get a little lost in the backstreets, and York is a great city for this. Keep your head up and really take in your surroundings. Want to know another city where the best thing to do is get lost in the backstreets? Find out where here.

Shopping

Central York has a wealth of individual shops, especially in and around the Shambles. Here are my favourites.

York Ghost Merchants

Something of a viral sensation and situated right in the heart of the Shambles, the York Ghost Merchants offers you the opportunity to take your own York ghost home.

The queues to get into the ghost shop can be very long, up to 3 hours at peak times. Top tip: there’s a second location in St Anthony’s Garden which has significantly shorter waiting times and the same experience inside the shop.

Inside the shop you’ll see all the ghosts, which are are charming little ornaments in a rainbow of colours and designs, all made onsite. You can take your time choosing one, and the number of people allowed inside the shop is strictly limited, hence the long queue outside.

Once you have selected your ghost he can have his photo taken, and he’ll get placed in a special box with a window so you can take him home. It’s all a little twee, but you can’t help but get swept up in the excitement. This is a great stop for kids, if they can be patient enough to wait in line to access the shop. And don’t worry, the ghosts are extremely durable so even if little fingers knock them off the shelf they won’t break.

York’s Chocolate Story

This is a must for all chocolate lovers. Not just a chocolate shop, you can join a guided tour of 4000 years of chocolate history and taste some unusual flavour combinations. My favourite was the orange and rhubarb.

Shambles Sausage and Pie Company

You can’t miss their pies piled high in the shop window.

Where To Eat And Drink

York is a large city with plenty of food and drink options available. Here are my top picks.

York Roast Co.

You’re in Yorkshire, you can’t leave without having a Yorkshire pudding. At the York Roast Co. you can have a whole roast dinner inside a Yorkshire pudding. Try the roast turkey and cranberry in the Yorkshire pudding wrap and thank me later.

Betty’s Tea Rooms

A traditional and upmarket tea room since 1936, Betty’s is pure class. Serving breakfast, lunch, cakes and of course afternoon tea in an elegant setting. Don’t miss the gift shop where you can purchase luxurious foodie gifts to take home.

There will often be a queue to get inside Betty’s, especially at peak times. If you don’t fancy waiting for a table you can get some takeaway items from the gift shop at the entrance.

Pubs

Given the astonishing amount of history in York’s city centre you won’t be surprised to learn there are some very old pubs as well. These make for a very atmospheric stop, so grab a pint of local ale and absorb the incredible history around you.

Some of the most famous pubs are:

• Ye Olde Starre Inne – claiming to be the oldest pub in York with a license dating back to at least 1644.
• The Black Swan – also claiming to be the oldest pub in York in a medieval house dating from the 15th century.
• The Golden Fleece – the most haunted pub in York.

You will stumble upon a lot of pubs and bars in beautiful old buildings as you walk around the city. So choose whichever takes your fancy, you can’t go wrong!

Where To Stay in York

York has an abundance of accommodation on offer, from guesthouses to large hotels. It’s best to stay somewhere central so you can walk to all the sights. For the best prices on accommodation have a look here.

Getting To York

Well-served by a fast train directly from London, you can get from Kings Cross to York in 2 hours.

If you’re driving, you’ll want to park you car at your accommodation and leave it there for the duration of your stay.

Getting Around York

York is a medieval city with narrow cobbled streets, parts of which are fully pedestrianised. You’ll want to leave your car behind and explore the city on foot. Do not attempt driving around the city centre, you’ll only get stressed. York is compact and perfect for walking around.

Further Afield

The county of Yorkshire has a lot to offer from moors to dales to coastline. Read my full guide to Yorkshire here.

We recently visited York as part of a month-long road trip around England. Read the full trip report here.