Season guide · York · United Kingdom
York in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Kaly99, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Daffodils on the wall banks, mild days and the start of the racing season, with busy Easter weekends. Expect highs up to 16°C (61°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 27 rainy days across March–May. May is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 2°C (36°F) to 16°C (61°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 27
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 10°C (50°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 9 | 11.7 h | 2/5 |
| April | 13°C (55°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 9 | 14 h | 3/5 |
| May | 16°C (61°F) | 7°C (45°F) | 9 | 15.9 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 13°C (55°F) against a yearly 14°C (57°F), and 27 of the year's roughly 117 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- May: York Races Dante Festival (usually mid-May)
Good choices for spring
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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
Museum · Coppergate
JORVIK Viking Centre
Book a timed ticket online; walk-up queues can be long, especially in school holidays.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Leeman Road
National Railway Museum
Behind York station, the free national museum fills vast halls with locomotives and carriages, including Mallard, the fastest steam locomotive in the world, royal carriages used by Queen Victoria, and a Japanese Shinkansen bullet train.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Iconic
Museum · Castle Area
York Castle Museum
Start with Kirkgate, then visit the prison cells; children enjoy both.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
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
Day trips in spring
- Castle Howard (About 40 minutes by car or bus) — One of England's grandest stately homes, designed by John Vanbrugh in the early 18th century, with a painted dome, a vast landscaped park with temples and lakes, and an adventure playground.
- Whitby (About 1 hour 30 minutes–2 hours by car or coach) — A fishing port on the North Yorkshire coast where 199 steps climb to the clifftop ruins of Whitby Abbey, which helped inspire Bram Stoker's Dracula.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit York?
Yes: May is among the best months. Daffodils on the wall banks, mild days and the start of the racing season, with busy Easter weekends.
+What is the weather like in York in spring?
Highs of up to 16°C (61°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 27 rainy days over the season.