History · York · United Kingdom
8 historic sites to see in York
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: webbedduck, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with York Minster, York City Walls and The Shambles. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 11–14 hours across 6 areas; 3 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 11–14 hours
- Areas
- Minster Quarter, City Centre and Coppergate
Historic sites in York
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Religious site · Minster Quarter
1.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.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours with the tower
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Views
- Rainy day
Historic site · City Centre
2.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.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Outdoors
Street · Minster Quarter
3.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.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Shopping
- Photo spot
Museum · Coppergate
4.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.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Leeman Road
5.National Railway Museum
There are outdoor play areas and a turntable demonstration.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Iconic
Castle · Castle Area
6.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.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Kids
Museum · Castle Area
7.York Castle Museum
Housed in former 18th-century prisons, the museum is known for Kirkgate, a recreated Victorian street with shops you can walk into, as well as period rooms, toys and the cells of the old debtors' prison where Dick Turpin was held before his execution.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
Historic site · Fossgate
8.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
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Minster Quarter | York Minster and The Shambles | 2–3 hours with the tower + 30 minutes |
| City Centre | York City Walls | 1–2 hours |
| Coppergate | JORVIK Viking Centre | 1.5 hours |
| Leeman Road | National Railway Museum | 2–3 hours |
| Castle Area | Clifford's Tower and York Castle Museum | 45 minutes + 2 hours |
| Fossgate | Merchant Adventurers' Hall | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 3 free, 2 low cost, 3 mid-priced. Book ahead for JORVIK Viking Centre. The longest visit is York Minster; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- JORVIK Viking Centre: Timed-entry tickets bought online help avoid long queues in summer and at half-term.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Minster Quarter and City Centre): York Minster → The Shambles → York City Walls, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Coppergate and Leeman Road): JORVIK Viking Centre → National Railway Museum, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Castle Area and Fossgate): Clifford's Tower → York Castle Museum → Merchant Adventurers' Hall, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 11 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Cold and frosty some mornings, but quiet; the Minster and museums are uncrowded and hotels at their lowest prices.
- March: highs of 10°C (50°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Daffodils cover the grass banks below the city walls; mild days and few visitors.
- February: highs of 8°C (46°F), about 9 rainy days, moderate crowds. Chilly, but the JORVIK Viking Festival brings battle re-enactments and markets during the school half-term.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Minster Quarter — Medieval lanes around York Minster, the Shambles and Stonegate
- Fossgate and Walmgate — Independent restaurants and bars on the quieter eastern side of the centre
- Bootham and Clifton — Victorian terraces and guesthouses just outside the walls near the Minster
More of York
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in York?
York Minster. Built over about 250 years from the 13th century, the Minster is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in northern Europe.
+Which of these are free in York?
York City Walls, The Shambles and National Railway Museum.