Things to do in York, United Kingdom - York Travel Guide (England)

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York has some great ruins, museums, and shopping to offer travelers visiting the United Kingdom. It's really worth staying over in York for at least a few days if you're traveling through the United Kingdom's England region. York is one of the United Kingdom's more popular travel destinations, and travelers usually go there to see the York Minster and Shambles. There's a lot more to check out in York, so be sure to look around the York travel guide for more great things to see and do.

There are 41 Things to Do in York

York Minster

York

(26 reviews)

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The Shambles

York

(17 reviews)

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The Kings Arms

York

(2 reviews)

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Ruins (8)

Museum (5)

Castle (4)

History Museum (3)

Park (3)

Walking / Strolling (10)

Shopping (5)

Hiking (1)

Boating (1)

Trekking (1)

There are 158 Hotels and Hostels in York

Blossoms York

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From $33.40

YHA York

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From $22.27

Romley House York

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From 54 GBP

Beech House York

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From 48 GBP

Grange Lodge York

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From 77 GBP

The Heathers Guest House York

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From 70 GBP

Express by Holiday Inn East York

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From 52 GBP

Georgian House Guest House York

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From 70 GBP

St Paul's Lodge York

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From 141 GBP

Bull Lodge Guest House York

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From 34 GBP

There are 17 Restaurants in York

Cafe No 8

York

(1 reviews)

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Gbk

York

(1 reviews)

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Friar Tucks Fish and Chip Shop

York

(1 reviews)

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Pete S.

I have been to York many times over the years and have been repeatedly enticed by its historic charm to go back. It is one of the singularly most important historic cities in England and indeed the whole

. It has a history dating back to before the Roman conquests, with many ancient archaeological artefacts on view in the various museums. During the Roman occupation it was the most important settlement in the North, when it was called Eberacum. There are still ruins from the fortifications the Romans built; of particular note are the wall towers which were copied from the plans of the hugely important Constantinople (also known as Byzantium and later Istanbul). In the period following the fall of the Roman Empire, the city gained notoriety as the capital of the sea-raiders from Scandinavia - who are often called the Vikings (all though this is disputed by some historians). Yorvik was a key trading centre and flourished, partly due to its easy river access to the shipping lanes of the North Sea. For those interested in this period visit the Yorvik centre, which although quite expensive is well worth it, as you gets the chance to see rebuilt copies of what historians and archaeologists believe the Viking settlement looked like. Also on show are many excavated weapons and coin finds. During the Medieval period York was the key bulwark against the numerous cross-bordering raids of the war-like Scots. (Under leaders such as King Robert I, victor at Bannockburn in 1314) There is an extensive network of walls which surround the city and also the partially ruined Clifford’s Tower. Large sections of the walls are available for the public to walk on and offer a great view of the city. There are still some of the fortified 'bars' of gatehouses standing, although some have been damaged by having been altered to allow traffic through them. The two other interesting medieval sights are the 'Shambles' which is one of the oldest streets in the UK - the name coming from the fact that it used to be where the butchers cut out all the innards from animals for sale. The other and far more famous sight is the Minster. This is the second most important Church building in the Anglican faith, with the Arch-Bishop of York being second only to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury. It is a huge piece of Gothic and Norman architecture and is one of the most visited religious sights annually in the world. The interior design is exquisite and from the top of the Minster tower it is possible to view large sections of the Vale of York in all directions. York continued to be a key city during the complex Civil Wars of the 1640s, which involved participants from England, Ireland, Scotland and

Wales

. One of the most important battles of the whole period was fought nearby at Marston Moor, when the Royalist forces of the Earl of Newcastle and Prince Rupert were routed by the Parliamentarians.

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Hollie L.

The Moors

Victoria wanted to see the Moors, so on our way to Edinburgh we disembarked the train in York for the soul purpose of making Victoria’s dream come true. Once in the station we had no idea where exactly “The Moors” could be found. The station master pointed us in the direction of a bus headed out of town. To this day I cannot remember the name of the town where we ended up but there we were, practically in the middle of nowhere, with all of our luggage and barely two hours before the last bus back to York. Victoria ran into a storefront and inquired about the location of The Moors. When she reemerged we started walking, in the direction she was given, through the town. Time passed and still no moors. Our luggage started to strain our pace and I finally offered to sit on the curb and wait with our bags so Victoria could run ahead and find them. I must have looked like quite the vagabond sitting there on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with a pile of luggage surrounding me. Suddenly a white van pulled up to the curb and a deep voice with a thick brogue called out, “Hollie get in the van!” The van door swung open and inside were 3 teenaged boys and my friends. The boys jumped out of the van and threw our luggage into the van and helped me inside. Apparently the driver was bringing his son and his son’s friends home from a church camp in Wales and were almost home when they saw my friends walking along the side of the road. Victoria explained to them her mission so he decided to make her wish come true. We spent the next hour driving through “The Moors”, skipping through heather and walking along the Roman Road, all with our own personal tour guide! We were invited home for supper, but sadly had to catch the last bus back to York and made it to the bus stop just before the bus was about to pull away. I will always remember the kindness of strangers and this memory is one of the favorites I have burned in my memory. My sincere thanks to that man and his son for their generosity and kindness!

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Hollie L.

Take a walk on the wall

Unfortunately, because of our adventure on the Moors and our early departure from York the next morning, we didn’t have the opportunity to walk the wall during our stay because the entrance near our hostel was closed, but it is one of the things I would love to do if I ever return. Some of the wall dates back to the 12th Century and there are 3 major access points to the wall around the city. I’ve heard it’s a nice and interesting walk, and it’s a beautiful wall surrounding the city.

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