Season guide · York · United Kingdom
York in autumn
September–November: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Mild September with the food festival, autumn colour in October and the Christmas market from mid-November. Expect highs up to 18°C (64°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 31 rainy days across September–November. September is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- September–November
- Temperatures
- 4°C (39°F) to 18°C (64°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 31
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in autumn
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 18°C (64°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 9 | 12.6 h | 4/5 |
| October | 14°C (57°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 11 | 10.4 h | 3/5 |
| November | 10°C (50°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 11 | 8.4 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 14°C (57°F) against a yearly 14°C (57°F), and 31 of the year's roughly 117 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in autumn
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- September: York Food and Drink Festival (usually late September)
- November: York Christmas Market (usually mid-November to just before Christmas)
Good choices for autumn
Historic site · Fossgate
Merchant Adventurers' Hall
One of the finest medieval guild halls in the world, built in the 1350s for York's merchants, has a great timber-framed hall, an undercroft once used as an almshouse and a private chapel, with displays on the guild's trade.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Gallery · Exhibition Square
York Art Gallery
Combine it with the stretch of wall from Bootham Bar, a minute away.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
Historic site · Minster Quarter
Treasurer's House
Behind the Minster, this National Trust house was restored in the early 20th century by the collector Frank Green, who arranged rooms in different period styles.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Historic site · Castle Area
Fairfax House
Visit at Christmas, when the house is often decorated in Georgian style.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Religious site · Minster Quarter
York Minster
Built over about 250 years from the 13th century, the Minster is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in northern Europe.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours with the tower
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Views
- Rainy day
Day trips in autumn
- Harrogate (About 35 minutes by train) — An elegant Victorian spa town with the Royal Pump Room Museum, the Turkish Baths, the Valley Gardens and the original Bettys tearoom, surrounded by the open lawns of the Stray.
- Knaresborough (About 30 minutes by train) — A small market town on a gorge of the River Nidd, with a railway viaduct over the river, rowing boats for hire, castle ruins on the clifftop and Mother Shipton's Cave and petrifying well.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is autumn a good time to visit York?
Yes: September is among the best months. Mild September with the food festival, autumn colour in October and the Christmas market from mid-November.
+What is the weather like in York in autumn?
Highs of up to 18°C (64°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 31 rainy days over the season.