2 days in York

Day by day

1. Day 1: York Minster and The Shambles

   York Minster, The Shambles, Treasurer's House and Holy Trinity Goodramgate, then Evening ghost walk in the evening.

   1. Morning

      York Minster

      Its medieval stained glass includes the Great East Window, the size of a tennis court, and the Five Sisters window, and the Undercroft museum reveals Roman and Norman foundations. A climb of 275 steps to the top of the central tower gives the best views over the city.

   2. Late morning

      The Shambles

      It was once lined with butchers, and some shopfronts still have the wide wooden shelves where meat was displayed. Today it holds gift shops, sweet shops and cafés, with the Shambles Market just behind.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Yorkshire pudding

      Pubs and restaurants serving Sunday roasts across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Treasurer's House

      It is also known for a ghost story of Roman soldiers said to have marched through the cellar.

   5. Late afternoon

      Holy Trinity Goodramgate

      It is cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.

   6. Evening

      Evening ghost walk

      Most walks set off around dusk without booking; bring cash or check whether card payment is accepted.

2. Day 2: York City Walls and JORVIK Viking Centre

   York City Walls, JORVIK Viking Centre, National Railway Museum and Clifford's Tower, then Micklegate in the evening.

   1. Morning

      York City Walls

      The walkway gives elevated views of the Minster, gardens and rooftops, and the section between Bootham Bar and Monk Bar has the classic Minster view.

   2. Late morning

      JORVIK Viking Centre

      Built on the site of excavations that uncovered Viking-age houses and workshops at Coppergate in the 1970s and 80s, JORVIK takes visitors on a ride through a reconstruction of the 10th-century street, complete with sounds and smells, followed by galleries of the finds.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Fat Rascal

      Bettys Café Tea Rooms on St Helen's Square, and other bakeries and tearooms in the city.

   4. Afternoon

      National Railway Museum

      There are outdoor play areas and a turntable demonstration.

   5. Late afternoon

      Clifford's Tower

      English Heritage added a roof deck and walkways inside the ruin, which give views over the city and explain its history, including the massacre of the city's Jewish community in 1190.

   6. Evening

      Micklegate

      York's main bar street, with pubs, cocktail bars and late-night venues running down to Ouse Bridge.

Before you go

• JORVIK Viking Centre: Timed-entry tickets bought online help avoid long queues in summer and at half-term.

If it rains

• Swap in York Castle Museum (Castle Area): Start with Kirkgate, then visit the prison cells; children enjoy both.
• Swap in Merchant Adventurers' Hall (Fossgate): Look up at the huge oak roof timbers in the Great Hall, then visit the undercroft below.
• Swap in York Art Gallery (Exhibition Square): Combine it with the stretch of wall from Bootham Bar, a minute away.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–14 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.4 hours in December to 17.1 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Most sights inside the walls are within 10 minutes of each other, and the walls themselves are a walking route around the city.

More or fewer days

• One day in York
• 3 days in York

Questions travellers ask