York travel guide

The ancient cathedral city of York has a history dating back over 2000 years. Romans, Saxons, Vikings, and Britons from all eras have each left their mark. It is home to some of Europe's best-preserved historical buildings and structures, including York Minster and dozens of other churches, the Shambles medieval shopping street, countless handsome townhouses, and the city's walls and gatehouses. Other popular attractions on the bucket lists of York's eight million annual visitors include the Jorvik Viking Centre and Britain's National Railway Museum.

York is a medievalist's paradise (Photo: Chris from Poznań, Poland, CC BY 2.0)

York is in North Yorkshire, England, and is the unofficial capital of the entire region of Yorkshire. The city is a perfect base for exploring "God's own county", having some of the finest hotels around, and all the comforts and amenities of a large city, while retaining the atmosphere and scale of a small town. York's shops, markets, pubs, and restaurants delight in offering Yorkshire-made produce, so you will find it difficult not to overindulge.

A UNESCO City of Media Arts, York has a festival for every occasion, celebrating everything that has shaped the city's culture over the centuries: music, dance, chocolate, theatre, literature, horseracing, digital media. Whatever time of year you come, you're sure to find a gig, show or exhibition that tickles your fancy.

So, plunge forward, and discover York!

Understand

Orientation

Although only the sixth-largest city in Yorkshire and having no official status, York is regarded as the county's capital, and is also positioned just east of its geographic centre. For 1800 years, it was the largest and most important city in northern England, though today has a rather modest population just shy of 200,000 people. Despite its size, York packs in more history and culture than many much larger places, and is a fascinating and beautiful destination any time of year.

York city centre is a compact and dense warren of mostly pedestrianised streets lined with centuries-old buildings in a mix of architectural styles, from Roman and Viking remnants, through timber frame medieval structures, to much grander stone and brick edifices from later periods. The centre straddles both banks of two rivers - the Ouse (pronounced ooze) and the Foss - which merge just south of the castle. At the city's heart stands the imposing York Minster, one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world, and the mother church for northern England's Anglican community. It serves as the cathedral for the Archbishop of York (Stephen Cottrell, since 2020), who holds the third-highest office in the Church of England, after the King and the Archbishop of Canterbury. York's old town is completely encircled by a series of defensive medieval walls. At just over 2 miles (3.2 km) long, 13 feet (4 m) high, and 6 feet (1.8 m) thick, they are the UK's most extensive and best-preserved city walls.

Most visitor attractions are within or just outside these walls, so you will seldom find yourself venturing into York's outer neighbourhoods. However, if you do, you will find them pleasant and residential, mostly containing red brick houses from the 19th and 20th centuries. There is a modern university campus around Heslington in the south-eastern suburbs, a large racecourse called the Knavesmire in the south-west, and extensive parks along the Ouse's journey through the northern and southern suburbs. This urban sprawl is bounded by a modern day city wall of sorts: the ring road separates York from its rural surroundings, the well-endowed farmlands and villages of the Vale of York.

History

York has played a crucial role in many eras of English history, and the city's own story closely mirrors that of the country as a whole.

Evidence of human settlement in York dates back to 8000 BC, but the city wasn't founded until 71 AD by the Romans, who named it Eboracum, as a Latinisation of the Celtic Eburākon, meaning "yew tree place". Eboracum began as little more than a military outpost at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss, but quickly became one of the most important cities in Roman Britain, and from 211 was the capital of the Britannia Inferior province; Emperors Hadrian, Septimius Severus and Constantius I all visited during their military campaigns against the native Britons and Picts. The latter of the three actually died during his stay, and his son, the future Constantine the Great, was first proclaimed Emperor in the city by his generals. Constantine later converted to Christianity, and legalised freedom of religion throughout the Empire. Eboracum was prosperous and particularly attracted merchants and retired veterans of the Emperors' wars. Why said retirees apparently chose the damp and chilly Yorkshire climate over the Empire's many Mediterranean provinces remains one of history's great mysteries.

After Rome, the 5th century brought the arrival of the Angles – the first Englishmen. This period saw the expansion of the city's trading prowess, the founding of York Minster as a small wooden church, and a spell of political prominence under the Kings of Northumbria. By 735, the Minster was already important enough to be the seat of an archbishop. But Eoforwic ("place rich in boar"), as it was now known, proved too much of a success and quickly caught the attention of avaricious Norsemen: Vikings had been harrying and raiding the north of England since the 700s, but why sail for days just to snatch a pig and a bracelet and rush back to sea, when they could harvest this rich farmland for their own? So, in 866, a huge army of Danes captured Eoforwic and, realising that name was a hopeless mouthful, rechristened their new city Jórvík (pronounced "Yor-vik"). From here, they controlled pretty much all of northern and eastern England, in a region known as the Danelaw. Jórvík was pretty perfect as a Viking capital, since its inland location offered defence and shelter, while the Ouse provided their longboats easy access to the sea via the Humber. Even though Viking power waxed and waned over the centuries, large numbers of Scandinavian people settled permanently in the region, meaning Jórvík was a bilingual (Old English and Old Norse) city at the time of the Norman Conquest.

By 1066, the Vikings had once again been ousted by the Saxons, but nursed ambitions to return. Harold Godwinson was crowned King of England, but faced a combined invasion by his exiled brother Tostig and the Norse king Harald Hardrada. The invaders won a battle at Fulford just outside York, but King Harold marched north and defeated them at Stamford Bridge 15 mi (24 km) east. Yet, while his back was turned, William the Conqueror's Normans invaded from across the English Channel. Harold's exhausted army marched south again, this time to crippling defeat at Hastings. England came under Norman rule, and the Anglo-Saxon/Norse society that the country had developed, and York exemplified, was dismantled swiftly and brutally.

York Minster (Photo: Derski at Polish Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Harrying of the North was a violent campaign of oppression against rebellious northerners in the years after the Conquest. From his castle in York, King William ordered the mass murder of civilians, demolition of numerous villages and burning of crops across the north of England, and York was also heavily damaged. As in the rest of the country, Normans became the new aristocracy, with the English and remaining Norse people reduced to serfdom. From this point on, the Normans consolidated their rule with the construction of castles, monasteries and great cathedrals. York Minster's Gothic design first took shape in the 12th century, while the present city walls, their gates (known as bars), and Clifford's Tower also cemented the Normans' impact on York's cityscape.

The late Medieval period produced much important architectural and cultural heritage, which are still evident today. The centuries-long construction of the Minster finally wrapped in 1472, while the higgledy-piggledy timber-frame shops of the Shambles mostly date from the 14th and 15th centuries. York's Mystery Plays, performing weird and wonderful Bible stories, were begun in the same era and continue to the present day. Then, in 1455, England was consumed by civil war: rival royals from York and Lancaster fought a brutal series of campaigns for control of the crown. Yorkist armies marched under the banner of a white rose, while their enemy Lancastrians followed the red rose, hence the name of this conflict, the Wars of the Roses. The last Yorkist king, Richard III, was finally defeated in combat at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, 30 years after the wars began. The Lancastrians' leader, Henry VII, became the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty, and both York in general and King Richard in particular were subsequently demonised.

The city's economy and status went into a long decline which wouldn't be recovered until after England's second Civil War, during which Royalist York was again on the wrong side of history, and besieged by the ultimate victors (Parliament) for 10 weeks in 1644. The siege and subsequent storming of the city destroyed many medieval buildings, but paved the way for fashionable new brick townhouses to be built as York regained its mojo in the late 17th and 18th centuries.

This resurgence in the city's wealth may have been what saved York's ancient streets from the smoke-stack industry which sprang up in many other northern towns from the late 18th century onwards. However, the industrial revolution didn't bypass York completely. In the 1840s, the first long-distance railway raced north from London to Edinburgh, and York's station was constructed as a cathedral of sorts in homage to the great connecting power of trains, while the locomotive yards next door kept the country's engines moving. The city found its other manufacturing niche soon after when the Rowntree family opened their chocolate factory. Many of their creations – among them KitKat, Aero and Smarties – are still staple snacks in the UK and around the world. The Rowntrees, known for their philanthropy, were Quakers, a religious group which has had a strong presence in York for three centuries, and whose members have done much to shape its development – they were also behind the burgeoning rail industry.

While its prominence and relative size in comparison to other cities have dwindled since the 19th century, and its status as capital of the north credibly challenged by the likes of Manchester and Leeds, York remains prosperous and lively; in 2018, it was named the best city to live in the UK by The Sunday Times. In 2021, the city celebrated its 1,950th anniversary, and today's visitor will easily recognise and marvel at just how well York has preserved aspects from every major episode of its history, as much in the way of culture and traditions as in the built environment.

When to visit

Summer brings very long days and the best chance of sun and warmth, and is thus the finest time to make the most of the city's squares, parks and rivers. If you really like flat caps and whippets, then be sure to be in town on 1 August for Yorkshire Day, when a procession of proud Yorkshiremen march their white rose flags all through the streets. Summer visitors may also get the chance to see festivals dedicated to chocolate, early music and folk dance, and the really lucky may even catch a mystery play – although these follow an irregular schedule and don't take place every year.

On the other hand, summer is when everyone visits, so is not the best time if you don't like mingling with thousands of your fellow tourists. Besides, nobody comes to North Yorkshire for the weather, and summer washouts are just as likely as heatwaves, so why not take a punt on autumn or winter? Some of the city's key annual events, such as the Viking Festival and Christmas celebrations, take place in the chillier half of the year. What's more, you need short days in order to experience the magical atmosphere of a twilit evensong in the Minster, and you need to get cold to fully appreciate the cosiness of a hearty meal and pint next to a roaring fire in one of York's pubs.

By the way, if you're planning to use York as a base to explore the wider region's countryside and coast, then spring is the season for you. The fields and trees are at their greenest, wildflowers are in bloom, visitor numbers are fewer, and the late spring weather is often better suited to hiking and walking than high summer. And honestly, who doesn't love the sight of spring lambs gamboling about joyfully?

Visitor information

• Visitor information from Visit York
• Visitor Information Centre, 28 Back Swinegate, ☏ +44 1904 909487, info@visityork.org. Mon–Sat 9AM–5PM, Sun, bank holiday 10AM–4PM. A first port-of-call for maps, hundreds of leaflets, attraction discounts and impartial advice from local experts.

Visit York Pass is a 1-3 day visitor pass for 35 attractions in the county, mostly in the city. In 2026 the price for one day is adult £72 / child £45, two days £95 / £55, three days £109 / £65. A “day” means a calendar day not 24 hours. The two days must be consecutive, but the three days can be any within a six-day period. Since individual admissions are typically £15, you need to see three or more a day to benefit, so you have to gallop along. They’re sufficiently nervous of visitors doing those maths that they warn there’s no refund, unless you pay extra for cancellation cover (£5). The pass doesn't give priority access, you still need to book the busiest attractions, but there's no extra charge for that.

Seven sights on the Pass are beyond the city, widely separated so you could only see one per day even if the roads weren’t congested. Those are Beningbrough Hall 8 miles north of York, Yorkshire Air Forces Museum at Elvington 7 miles southeast, Birds of Prey Centre within Duncombe Park near Thirsk, Castle Howard near Malton, North Yorkshire Moors Railway between Helmsley and Whitby, Captain Cook Museum in Whitby, and Stump Cross Cavern near Pateley Bridge.

Get in

By plane

• Manchester Airport (MAN IATA), 85 mi (137 km) south-west of York, has global direct connections, including from North America, Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, East Asia, the Caribbean and pretty much everywhere in Europe. A direct train to York, operated by Transpennine Express, runs every 30 min, taking 1 hr 50 min. By road, from the airport, follow the M56 onto the M60 Manchester Ring Road (east/anticlockwise), then at junction 18 take the M62 towards Leeds. This takes you across Saddleworth Moor, the highest section of motorway in Britain; in good weather, it's very scenic, but snow and extremely dense fog can badly affect or even close the route any time of the year. At junction 29, take the M1 north. This soon merges onto the A1 (M), and from here you take the next exit for the A64 towards York.
• Leeds-Bradford Airport (LBA IATA) is the closest airport to York, 31 mi (50 km) away by road. It has decent connections across western Europe, and is mostly served by budget carriers. Aer Lingus and KLM connect to their respective hubs at Dublin and Amsterdam Schiphol. The airport is north of Leeds, so you can mostly dodge the city traffic by following the A658 past Harrogate to the A59, where you pick up signs to York. By public transport, take bus A1 from the airport into Central Leeds. From here, you can take the train: Crosscountry, LNER and Transpennine Express all operate trains to York, taking 25 min and offering a 'turn-up-and-go' frequency.
• The London airports obviously have a huge range of flights, especially Heathrow (LHR IATA) and Gatwick (LGW IATA). However, by public transport you have to travel into central London before heading north to York from King's Cross Station: from Heathrow use a combination of the Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express and London Underground; from Gatwick take the Thameslink train to St Pancras, adjacent to King's Cross. LNER trains depart King's Cross every 30 min and take roughly 2 hr. Alternatively, with a car you have to endure a long journey (at least 5 hours in good traffic) around the M25 ring road and up the A1.

By train

Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in Great Britain.

The roof of York station (Photo: Gerryfosterraz, CC BY-SA 3.0)

York is on the East Coast mainline, with LNER trains running every 30 min or so from Doncaster (20 min), Durham (50 min), Edinburgh Waverley (2 hr 30 min), Leeds (25 min), London King's Cross (2 hr) and Newcastle upon Tyne (1 hr). Hourly Crosscountry trains link to York from Birmingham New Street (2 hr 45 min – 3 hr 15 min), Bristol Temple Meads (4 hr 10 min), Plymouth (6 hr 15 min) and Sheffield (45 min – 1 hr). Transpennine Express trains run twice-hourly from Manchester Airport (1 hr 45 min), Manchester Piccadilly (1 hr 30 min) and Manchester Victoria (1 hr 15 min), via Huddersfield (47 min) and Leeds, and hourly from Liverpool Lime Street (2 hr 10 min). Transpennine and Northern branch lines run from Scarborough (50 min) and Hull (1 hr 10 min) on Yorkshire's east coast, and from Harrogate (40 min) and Knaresborough (30 min) in the west of the county. Although there are multiple train companies, times and prices for all can be found on the National Rail Planner or by calling ☏ +44 345 748 4950 (non-geographic).

King's Cross in London is adjacent to St Pancras International, the British terminus for high-speed Eurostar trains from the near continent. This very easy interchange brings York within 4 hr 30 min from Paris and Brussels, 3 hr 30 from Lille, and under 6 hr from Amsterdam.

• York railway station, Station Road, YO24 1AB. Just outside the western walls, access the city north along Station Road for the Museum Gardens and Minster, or south via Queen Street to Micklegate and the Jorvik Centre. Bus stops for many services are in the station forecourt, and any bus that doesn't pass here is likely to run through Rougier Street just inside the walls. The excellent National Railway Museum is adjacent on the west and is signposted from the platforms. There is no left luggage service at the station; the nearest one is on High Petergate, about 50 m from York Minster.

By bus

Navigating York's streets is a breeze (Photo: Aqwis, CC BY-SA 3.0)

National Express operate daytime and overnight coaches from Birmingham, Hull, Leeds, London, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, and Sunderland. The coaches call outside the railway station, at

• bus stop RC for northbound services, and at bus stop RG for southbound services.

Flixbus operate direct from Leeman St services to Leeds, Manchester & London (overnight)

Coastliner run two different bus routes (840 and 843) through York from Leeds (840, 843), Tadcaster (840, 843), Malton (840, 843), Pickering (840), Scarborough (843) and Whitby (840) every 30 minutes during the daytime and every hour in the evenings. Both routes have two calling points in York city centre: outside the railway station at stops RC and RJ, and on The Stonebow. The last buses to York depart Leeds at 11:20PM, Scarborough at 8:25PM, and Whitby at 5:36PM. Daytrippers from Leeds can get the last bus back from York at 10:02PM. (Nov 2024) Enjoy the view: Coastliner's 840 service has won the prodigious title of "Britain's most scenic bus route".

By car

Wikivoyage has a guide to Driving in the United Kingdom.
From the south, take the M1 north to junction 32, then the M18 east to junction 2, A1 (M) north to junction 44 and finally the A64 east to York. Or you can stay on the M1 all the way to the A64, but it gets very congested around Sheffield and Leeds in rush hour. Lighter traffic may be found by taking the A1 all the way from London. From the north, approach via the A1 (M) onto the A59 east, or take the A19. If you're coming from the urban north-west, follow the M62 east onto the M1; from the Yorkshire Dales and Lakes, use the A59. Approach from Leeds using the A64, and from Hull (for ferries from Rotterdam) by the A1079.

The old city is not designed for driving and is positively hostile to parking. If you are just visiting York for the day, don't try to park in town. Instead, use one of the park and ride sites, located close to the ring road and well signposted from the main roads. Each site is connected to the city centre by a unique colour-coded bus route, generally every 15 minutes, seven days a week. A day's parking is free, and a return bus fare costs £3.80 (Nov 2024). However, you can't use the park and ride overnight, so if you are staying in York, make sure that your accommodation offers parking, or consider leaving your car at home.

(Photo: Rugby471 at English Wikipedia, Public domain) from Leeds and the south-west
from the south | 3 | M-Sa 6AM-8PM,
Su 9:30AM-6PM |
| Designer Outlet | from Selby and the south | 7 | M-Sa 7AM-10:30PM,
Su 9:30AM-10:30PM |
| Grimston Bar | from Bridlington and the east
from Hull and the south-east | 8 | M-Sa 5AM-9:30PM,
Su 9:30AM-6PM |
| Monks Cross |

(Photo: Rugby471 at English Wikipedia, Public domain) from Scarborough and the north-east | 9 | M-Sa 7AM-9:40PM,
Su 9:30AM-7PM |
| Poppleton Bar | from Harrogate and the west
from the north | 59 | M-Sa 7AM-6:30PM,
Su 9:30AM-6PM |
| Rawcliffe Bar | from Thirsk and the north-west | 2 | M-Sa 7AM-10:30PM,
Su 9:30AM-10:30PM |

Luggage

Yorbag, 20 High Petergate, YO1 7EH, ☏ +44 7561 852 654 (mobile), info@yorbag.co.uk. Daily 9AM-6PM. Centrally-located Visit York-endorsed left luggage service. No overnight service. Small bag (55cm x 35cm x 25cm or smaller): £4 up to 10 hr. Large bag: £4 up to 2 hr, £6 up to 10 hr.

Get around

York within the city walls (Photo: Open Street Map, CC BY-SA 2.0)

York and its surrounding villages (Photo: Open Street Map, CC BY-SA 2.0)

The City of York Council have a website named i-Travel York, which provides unbiased information for travelling around the city on foot, by bike, by bus and by car.

On foot

The best way to discover York: the city centre is small enough to walk from one side to the other in 20 minutes, and there is only a short distance on flat terrain between most of the sights. That said, the winding, narrow streets can be confusing and aren't always well-signposted, so a map is handy.

Some streets within the old city (i.e. inside the city walls) are pedestrianised during the day, closed to all cars except disabled drivers and emergency vehicles between 10:30AM and 5PM daily. You can see a map of these roads, locally known as footstreets, on i-Travel York. Some streets are subject to additional controls, for instance the Shambles is pedestrian-only at all times. Take care walking around the city centre when the roads open to car traffic at 5PM, as they fill up quickly with delivery vehicles servicing local shops and businesses.

If you enjoy walking, you must do the 2-mile (3.2-km) city wall circuit (see below for details), which offers views all around and should give you a feel for York's layout. Additionally, footpaths line the River Ouse for most of its journey through the city north to south, and there is a lot of parkland to discover alongside with the promise of wildlife sightings – see i-Travel's wildlife walks booklet for ideas.

By bike

York is one of the most cycle-friendly cities in the UK - there's an extensive network of cycle routes in and around the city, and most of the traffic controls have been set up to give cyclists priority. There are no significant hills in or around the city centre, which is a big help. The river path along the Ouse contains some wonderful bike routes out of the city. Also beware that police and CCTV operators take a very dim view of cycling without lights after dusk, or cycling in the city centre pedestrianised area before 5PM, and will hand out an on-the-spot £60 fine for doing so. Download your York Cycle Route Map for free from iTravel York.

Get Cycling, 22 Hospital Fields Road, YO10 4DZ (1 mi (1.6 km) S of city centre, via riverside walk or buses 7, 18, 25, 26, 36, 42, 200, 415), ☏ +44 1904 636-812, admin@getcycling.org.uk. Mon-Fri 8:30AM-5:30PM, Sat 8:30AM-5PM, closed Sun and bank holidays. Cycle hire shop with a range of conventional, electric and tandem bikes and trikes. Also rents out disability-adapted and children's bikes. Maps and route suggestions available on request. Conventional/electric/kids' bikes: 4 hr £25/£40/£15, 8 hr £30/£45/£20, 24 hr £45/£60/£35, extra 24 hr £35/£50/£25. Other tariffs for tandem and disability bikes. 10% discount for groups of 10 or more. Helmets, locks and lights included.

By bus

Bus services connect all the points of interest in the city. Download a PDF of the city's network map. A variety of operators run the individual routes, but thankfully you can still buy a ticket which works on every company and line in the city within a set period: All York costs £6.00 for one day. (May 2026). The day tickets are not 24 hour passes, rather they are valid until midnight on the day of purchase. Some operators accept contactless payment by credit and debit card. These tickets are only valid on public bus services, and not on sightseeing tours.

That said, the majority of bus routes are operated by First York, a private company. Adult single fares are £2 under the national bus fare cap in England. in January 2025, the cap will increase to £3. You can purchase your ticket with cash or contactles

By taxi

Like everywhere else in the UK, all taxi services are provided by private companies, but the fares are metered and strictly regulated by the local government authority. In this case, it is the City of York Council which sets the rates, the details of which you can download from the city's website. During the daytime (7AM-10PM), the base fare is £3.40, while the nighttime (10PM-7AM) base fare is £4.40. To these, 20p is added for every 130 metres travelled. Higher rates exist at Christmas, New Year, on bank holidays, and for travelling to/from the Knavesmire on race days. There are small additional charges for pets and extra passengers. (Nov 2024)

All four of the following companies have apps for iOS and Android:

• Fleetways, ☏ +44 1904 365-365.
• Getaway Cars, ☏ +44 1904 707-070.
• Streamline Taxis, ☏ +44 1904 656-565.
• York Cars, ☏ +44 1904 765-765.

By car

The best advice for driving in York is don't. The roads were designed for carts pulled by oxen, and the city council is actively discouraging car use through a combination of high parking charges and traffic-calming measures. If you are bringing a car to York, your best bet is to leave it in a park and ride, at your hotel, or if absolutely necessary, a city centre car park. Free on-street parking can be found on Scarcroft Road (10 min walk) and further out.

If you're using York as a base from which to explore the Yorkshire countryside, you will find all the major car hire companies in town, mostly by the railway station.

See

Clifford's Tower (Photo: Kevin Gordon, CC BY-SA 2.0)

There's plenty to see in York, but if you leave without visiting the Minster and either the Jorvik Viking Centre or the National Railway Museum, you're doing it wrong. If you only have a day, prioritise two of these.

Aside from these three standout attractions, the joy of York is in wandering the ancient streets and coming across surprising buildings and beautiful views all by yourself. You might find old churches, timber-framed shops, the ruins of an abbey, or the leftovers of medieval defences.

Landmarks

York Minster (Cathedral of St Peter in York), Deangate, YO1 7HH, ☏ +44 1904 557-200, info@yorkminster.org. Minster visits: Mon-Sat 9AM-4:30PM, Sun 12:30PM-3PM; Museum: Mon-Sat 10AM-4:30PM, Sun 1PM-3:15PM; Worship: 4 or more services daily 7:30AM-6PM. Seat of the Archbishop of York and the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, York Minster dominates the skyline and dates back to the 8th century at least. The inside of the cathedral has beautiful stained glass and several interesting and peculiar features – look for the modern statues signalling "Christ is here" in semaphore and the dragon hanging from near the ceiling. The Undercroft Museum, beneath the Minster, displays centuries worth of archaeological findings in an interactive display. Then, climb the 275 steps to the top of the Minster's Central Tower to experience panoramic views from York's highest spot (ages 8+ only). The nightly Evensong worship has haunting acoustics, and is the only way of accessing the cathedral on Sunday late afternoons. On the south side of the Minster outside, don't miss the statue of Constantine the Great, who was in 306 AD proclaimed emperor of Rome in York. At the far end of the plaza from this is a Roman column which was unearthed beneath the Minster and reerected in 1971 to mark the 1,900th anniversary of the city's founding. Once you've seen all this, relax in the Dean's Park – a simple expanse of grass and trees that affords views of the north side of the Minster. In spring or summer, you may catch a glimpse of nesting peregrine falcons. Adult £11.50, senior £10.50, student with ID £9, child under 17 free. Access to Minster, museum and guided tour included; £5 extra for tower. Worship, park and plaza free. York Pass accepted.

• Clifford's Tower, Tower Street, YO1 9SA, ☏ +44 1904 646-940. Daily 10AM-6PM (last entry 5:50PM). In the 11th century, the Normans built a castle here to keep the Vikings at bay and subdue the local population following their conquest of England. The Vikings being Vikings, they promptly smashed it, so the Normans built bigger and better - the tower you see today was the castle's keep. The tower was the scene of the infamous massacre of York's Jews in 1190. In 1684, its interior was wrecked by an explosion, but the hollow tower is now the oldest remnant of the castle. The rest fell into disrepair, before being re-built as a gaol, and in modern times housing the Castle Museum. Access is by very steep steps up the hillock; it's a bit like climbing a pyramid. After closure, you can still climb to the front door and look back over the square - this is especially atmospheric after dark. Adult £9.54, child £4.72, concession £8.75, English Heritage members free.
• Fairfax House, Castlegate, YO1 9RN, ☏ +44 1904 655-543, info@fairfaxhouse.co.uk. Mon–Thu 10AM–5PM, Fri entrance by guided tour 11AM, then noon-5PM, Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun 11AM-4PM. A Georgian townhouse built as the winter home for the Viscount Fairfax and his daughter, which has today been lovingly restored as a charming example of aristocratic life in York. It is decorated and furnished similar to how it would have been in the 1760s, almost exclusively using objects from the private collection of chocolatier Noel Terry (1889–1979). Giuseppe Cortese's elaborately-wrought stucco ceilings are a particular highlight, adorning half a dozen of the Fairfaxs' stately rooms. 'Gregory the Townhouse Mouse' will keep your kids entertained with his exploration trails around the property. Audio tours in eight languages. Adult £8.50, guided tour £9.50, children under 17 free, concessions for students & 65+. see website for details.
• Guildhall, St. Helen’s Square, YO1 9QN, ☏ +44 1904 553-979, civic@york.gov.uk. Built in the 15th century as a meeting hall for the guilds of York, the Guildhall is now also home to the city council chamber. Guilds are associations of artisans and merchants of a particular industry akin to something between a professional association, a trade union and a monopolistic cartel. In the middle ages, these guilds had a dominant role in the economies of every English city. However, the Guildhall you see today is a faithful replica, as the original was mostly destroyed by bombing in 1942. Notice the stained-glass window depicting York's history.
• King's Manor, Exhibition Square, YO1 7EP, ☏ +44 1904 320-000. Mon-Fri 8AM-6PM. Now the very apt home for the University of York's Archaeology Department, this was a royal headquarters during the Tudor and Stuart dynasties (16th and 17th centuries). As this is a working academic building, you may have to content yourself with admiring the Grade I listed architecture from the outside, unless you can pass as a scholar that is! Respect the students and staff, or you'll ruin it for future visitors. Free.

"God give us good fortune" (Photo: Paul Lakin, CC BY 3.0)

• Merchant Adventurers' Hall, Fossgate, YO1 9XD, ☏ +44 1904 654-818, enquiries@merchantshallyork.org. Sun-Fri 10AM-4:30PM, Sat 10AM-1:30PM. Remarkable timbered guild hall, built by city merchants between 1357 and 1361. The great hall was where they gathered for business and socialising, the undercroft was an almshouse for the poor and sick, and in the chapel all mercantile sins were conveniently forgiven. Good café on-site. Adult £6.50, concession £5.50, under 17s free. York Pass accepted. Admission includes audio tour in English / written guide in other languages.
• National Railway Museum, Leeman Road. (Access routes have changed see website. Bus 59, 10L stop on Cinder St.), ☏ +44 333 016 1010, info@railwaymuseum.org.uk. Daily Apr-Oct 10AM-6PM, Nov-Mar 10AM-5PM. The largest railway museum in the world, with a magnificent collection of locomotives, rolling stock, railway equipment, documents and records. The bulk of it is British, but there are also great snorting monsters from China and the U.S. Highlights include Queen Victoria's opulent Royal Train, famous locos such as Stephenson's Rocket and Mallard, and a first-generation Shinkansen - the only one outside of Japan. When it's not cruising the rails in summer, Flying Scotsman overwinters at the NRM. Out in the yard, a steam-engine hauls rides in the summer, and a miniature railway operates year-round. And the best thing for railbuffs: the museum is in sight of York station and has a viewing deck overlooking the East Coast Main Line!. Museum and all exhibitions free. Steam rides £4, miniature railway £3, under-2s free. Donations encouraged..
• Snickelways. These are the famous medieval (and later) alleys and narrow streets that thread the centre of the city, typically lined with timber frame and brick houses and shops. They are all pedestrianised in the daytime, and indeed most are too narrow for vehicles to use. See Mark W Jones' book A Walk Around the Snickelways of York (ISBN 1871125723) or its hardback companion The Complete Snickelways of York (ISBN 1871125049) with their quirky, hand-written descriptions, and follow his suggested route taking in 50 of the snickelways within the city walls. Jones himself coined the term for his books in 1983, as a triple portmanteau of the Yorkshire dialect words snicket and ginnel, and their standard English equivalent alleyway.

Tulips in the gardens of the Treasurer's House (Photo: Paul Lakin, CC BY 3.0)

• Treasurer's House, Minster Yard, YO1 7JL, ☏ +44 1904 624-247, treasurershouse@nationaltrust.org.uk. Sat–Tue noon–4PM -- confirm on website. Grade I-listed town house and garden dating from the 12th century that acted as the official residence of York Minster's treasurers over the centuries. Frank Green, heir to an industrialist's fortune, purchased it in 1897 and transformed it into a lavish pad to flaunt his enormous wealth and eclectic decorating tastes and collection of art, antiques, and furniture. Today it is managed by the National Trust, and the visitor can discover both Green's dizzying collection and the contrastingly calming gardens. Like all good Trust properties, there's an on-site shop and café. Adult £12, child £5. NT members free.
• York Army Museum, 3 Tower Street, YO1 9SB, ☏ +44 1904 461-010. Tue-Sat 10AM-4PM. Contact via

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