York
York is one of those cities where you can walk around for five minutes and start feeling slightly inadequate because practically every building seems to be older than your house.
Romans came here, Vikings came here, medieval kings came here and tourists have been arriving ever since.
The good news is that most of them are still trying to find the Shambles, so you can occasionally escape the crowds.
York is a genuinely beautiful city, packed with history and attractions. It is also remarkably compact, which means you can see a lot without spending your entire day on public transport.
The downside is that everybody else has noticed this and York can get extremely busy, particularly around the main attractions and at weekends.
GETTING AROUND
The centre of York is very walkable.
The railway station is only about ten minutes from York Minster and once you're inside the city walls, most of the main attractions are within easy walking distance.There are plenty of buses and taxis, but you probably won't need them unless your legs have resigned. The city centre is largely pedestrian-friendly, although there are plenty of cobbled streets which provide an excellent opportunity to discover whether your shoes have any grip whatsoever.
If you're arriving by car, don't expect to park outside the Minster.
York has Park and Ride sites around the city and this is generally a much less stressful way of getting in.
YORK MINSTER
If you only have time to see one thing in York, make it the Minster.It is enormous, spectacular and very difficult to photograph properly because you are either too close to it or standing in a crowd of people taking exactly the same photograph.
The present building dates mainly from the 13th to 15th centuries and is one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in Europe.
Inside, the scale is impressive.
And then there is the tower. You can climb the 275 steps to the top for excellent views across York.
The Minster currently has sightseeing tickets at Adult £18.20 (rising to £20.00 in September 2026), children and York residents free. Admission and Tower climb Adult £24.20 (rising to £26.00 in September 2026), child 8-17 £6.00. Children under the age of 8 are not allowed in the Tower.
THE SHAMBLES
Now we come to York's most famous street.The Shambles is a wonderfully crooked medieval street lined with timber-framed buildings which lean towards each other as though they're having a conversation.
It is one of York's most photographed locations. Naturally, this means it can become rather crowded, very crowded.
The street originally developed as a butchers' street and some of the buildings still have the hooks and shelves used by the butchers.
Today you will find shops, cafés and plenty of places selling things that have absolutely nothing to do with medieval butchery.
It's worth seeing, but don't expect to stroll along in peaceful solitude while admiring the architecture.
YORK CITY WALLS
York's city walls are one of the best ways to see the city.The walls form a roughly 3.4 kilometre circuit around much of the historic centre and you can walk along them at various points.
You don't have to walk the whole thing. You can simply join the walls, walk for a while and come back down. But if the weather is good, the complete walk is absolutely well worth doing.
You'll get views of the Minster, the old city, the railway station and parts of York that you won't see from street level.
Just be aware the walls are narrow and there are not always safety rails, so keep your eyes peeled.
The walls are free to walk, which is always nice. Particularly in York.
CLIFFORD'S TOWER
Down towards the River Foss is Clifford's Tower.It is the largest remaining part of York Castle and sits on top of a mound overlooking the city. The tower itself isn't enormous, but the views from the top are excellent.
There are a fair number of steps involved again, because York appears to have decided that visitors shouldn't be allowed to enjoy history without first suffering physically.
The tower has a particularly grim history, but there is plenty of information inside explaining the castle and its past.It's worth visiting if you have time, particularly for the views.
Admission Adult £10.90, concessions £10.00, child (5-17) £5.40. English Heritage members free.
JORVIK VIKING CENTRE
York's Viking history is another major part of the city's appeal.
JORVIK is built on the site of a major archaeological excavation which uncovered thousands of Viking-era objects.
The attraction recreates part of Viking York and takes you through the city as it might have looked around 1,000 years ago.
There are reconstructed buildings, figures and plenty of artefacts.
It is one of those attractions that manages to be educational without feeling as though you've been sent back to school.
If you have an interest in Vikings, you'll probably love it. If you don't, it's still a good way of understanding why York was such an important city.
However, it is extremely popular and advance booking is highly recommended as on busy days, on the day admission is not possible.
Adult (17+) £17.50 advance / £18.50 standard, students £14.00 advance / £15.00 standard, child (5-16) £12.00 advance / £12.50 standard
NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM
And now for something completely different and, for me, the highlight of YorkThe National Railway Museum is one of York's biggest attractions and, rather surprisingly, admission is free, although you are encouraged to book a free ticket.
It contains an enormous collection of railway locomotives and other railway equipment.
There are famous locomotives, royal trains and enough railway history to keep enthusiasts happy for hours.
Even if you're not particularly interested in trains, it is worth considering.
The sheer size of some of the locomotives is impressive.
And unlike many museums, you don't have to spend half the day reading labels before you work out what you're looking at.
It's a short walk from the city centre and makes a good alternative if you've had enough medieval buildings.
If you haven't had enough medieval buildings, there are several more waiting for you.
MUSEUM GARDENS
If you need a break from history, York has somewhere rather pleasant to sit down.The Museum Gardens sit beside the River Ouse and contain the ruins of St Mary's Abbey along with gardens, trees and plenty of places to sit.
It is a good place to escape the crowds for a while.
You can wander around the ruins, sit in the gardens or simply stop doing anything for half an hour.
After walking York's streets, you may find the last option surprisingly attractive.
THE RIVER OUSE
The River Ouse runs through the centre of York and provides another way of seeing the city.
You can simply walk along the river, which costs nothing, or take one of the sightseeing cruises.
The riverside is particularly pleasant when the weather is good.
There are also plenty of pubs and restaurants around the centre, so you can combine your walk with something more important.
SHOPPING AND EATING
York has plenty of shops, but the historic streets are really the attraction.
Stonegate, Petergate and the Shambles have plenty of independent shops alongside the usual chains.
There are cafés everywhere.
There are also an alarming number of places selling chocolate. York has a long association with chocolate manufacturing and was home to companies including Rowntree's and Terry's.
You can learn about that history at York's Chocolate Story, although whether you really need an educational justification for eating chocolate is debatable.
Then there is Bettys - Bettys Café Tea RoomsIt's one of York's most famous places for afternoon tea and is almost certainly going to involve a queue at some point. Book in advance and check your bank balance first, you don't want to be embarassed when it's time to pay. It's 44.95 a head for afternoon tea.
If you don't fancy waiting, there are plenty of other cafés.
York isn't short of places to eat.
SPOOKS (IF YOU BELIEVE IN THAT SORT OF THING)
York has an impressive reputation for being haunted, although this may have something to do with the fact that it has hundreds of years of history, numerous old buildings and a tourist industry that has discovered people enjoy being frightened.
If you like that sort of thing, go for a ghost walk.
There are plenty available, and prices typically range from £10.00 to £15.00 per adult, with child/student concessions usually costing £6.00 to £8.00.
SO, IS YORK WORTH VISITING?
Definitely.
York has a lot going for it.
You can spend hours simply wandering around.
Turn down a side street and you'll probably find another old building, another pub or another bit of history.
If you have one day, concentrate on the Minster, the Shambles, the walls and the city centre.
If you've got two days, add JORVIK, the Railway Museum, the Castle Museum or some of the smaller attractions.
Just don't try to see everything in one day, you'll end up marching around York at high speed, ticking attractions off a list and wondering why you haven't enjoyed yourself.
York has been here for nearly 2,000 years. It isn't going anywhere.
And if you do get lost, don't panic, you'll probably end up somewhere interesting.
Just don't ask a Viking for directions, they've been dead for about a thousand years.
(prices quoted correct as at August 2026)
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