Things to do · York · United Kingdom
15 best things to do in York
15 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Peter K Burian, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in York are York Minster, York City Walls and The Shambles. Of the 15 picks below, 4 are free, 8 work on a rainy day and 7 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- York Minster
- Free sights
- 4
- Good on a rainy day
- York Minster
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| York Minster | Minster Quarter | 2–3 hours with the tower | Mid-priced |
| York City Walls | City Centre | 1–2 hours | Free |
| The Shambles | Minster Quarter | 30 minutes | Free |
| JORVIK Viking Centre | Coppergate | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| National Railway Museum | Leeman Road | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Clifford's Tower | Castle Area | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| York Castle Museum | Castle Area | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Merchant Adventurers' Hall | Fossgate | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Museum Gardens and Yorkshire Museum | Museum Gardens | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| York Art Gallery | Exhibition Square | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Treasurer's House | Minster Quarter | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Holy Trinity Goodramgate | Minster Quarter | 20 minutes | Free |
| Fairfax House | Castle Area | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Evening ghost walk | City Centre | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| River Ouse cruise | King's Staith | 1 hour | Low cost |
The 15 best things to do
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Religious site · Minster Quarter
1.York Minster
Built over about 250 years from the 13th century, the Minster is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in northern Europe. 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.
Climb the central tower early, before the narrow stairs fill, and return for Evensong to hear the choir for free.
- 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 medieval walls, built largely on Roman and Viking defences, run for about 3.4 km around much of the old city, with four main gateways (bars): Bootham, Monk, Walmgate and Micklegate. 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.
Walk the stretch from Bootham Bar to Monk Bar for the best Minster views; the full circuit takes about two hours.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Outdoors
Street · Minster Quarter
3.The Shambles
York's most famous street is a narrow medieval lane of timber-framed buildings whose upper storeys almost touch overhead. 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.
Visit early in the morning or in the evening, when the street is quiet enough to see the buildings properly.
- 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.
Book a timed ticket online; walk-up queues can be long, especially in school holidays.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Timed-entry tickets bought online help avoid long queues in summer and at half-term.
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Leeman Road
5.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. There are outdoor play areas and a turntable demonstration.
Walk from the station via the footbridge in about 10 minutes, and check for turntable demonstrations on arrival.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Iconic
Castle · Castle Area
6.Clifford's Tower
The 13th-century stone keep of York Castle stands on a steep mound built by William the Conqueror. 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.
Climb on a clear day for one of the best views of the Minster from the south.
- 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.
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
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.
Look up at the huge oak roof timbers in the Great Hall, then visit the undercroft below.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Garden · Museum Gardens
1.Museum Gardens and Yorkshire Museum
Botanical gardens beside the Ouse surround the ruins of St Mary's Abbey, once one of the richest Benedictine abbeys in England, and part of the Roman fortress wall. The Yorkshire Museum inside has Roman, Viking and medieval collections, including the Middleham Jewel.
The gardens are free; picnic among the abbey ruins before visiting the museum.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Nature
Gallery · Exhibition Square
2.York Art Gallery
On Exhibition Square below Bootham Bar, the gallery holds paintings from the 14th century to the present and the Centre of Ceramic Art, one of Britain's largest collections of studio pottery.
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
3.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. It is also known for a ghost story of Roman soldiers said to have marched through the cellar.
Ask the guides about the cellar ghost story, and enjoy the small garden facing the Minster.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Religious site · Minster Quarter
4.Holy Trinity Goodramgate
Hidden behind a small archway off Goodramgate, this 15th-century church has a rare interior of 17th- and 18th-century box pews, uneven stone floors and medieval stained glass. It is cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.
Look for the small gateway on Goodramgate; many visitors walk straight past it.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
Historic site · Castle Area
5.Fairfax House
A Georgian townhouse on Castlegate designed by John Carr, with some of the finest 18th-century plasterwork in the city, furnished with a collection of Georgian furniture and clocks.
Visit at Christmas, when the house is often decorated in Georgian style.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Experience · City Centre
6.Evening ghost walk
York calls itself one of the most haunted cities in Europe, and evening ghost walks have run for decades, setting off from points such as the Minster and the Shambles to tell stories in the medieval lanes after dark. Tours mix history, theatre and humour.
Most walks set off around dusk without booking; bring cash or check whether card payment is accepted.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- After dark
- History
- Kids
- Couples
Experience · King's Staith
7.River Ouse cruise
Sightseeing boats leave from King's Staith and Lendal Bridge for a one-hour trip on the Ouse past the Museum Gardens and out towards the Archbishop's Palace at Bishopthorpe, with commentary on the city's history. Evening cruises run in summer.
Take an evening cruise in summer for the light on the riverbanks and the pubs at King's Staith afterwards.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Views
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | JORVIK Viking Centre, National Railway Museum, York Castle Museum and York Art Gallery |
| History | York Minster, York City Walls, The Shambles and JORVIK Viking Centre |
| Views | York Minster, York City Walls, Clifford's Tower and River Ouse cruise |
| Outdoors and nature | York City Walls, Museum Gardens and Yorkshire Museum and River Ouse cruise |
| After dark | Evening ghost walk |
| With children | JORVIK Viking Centre, National Railway Museum, Clifford's Tower and York Castle Museum |
| On a rainy day | York Minster, JORVIK Viking Centre, National Railway Museum and York Castle Museum |
What to book ahead
- JORVIK Viking Centre: Timed-entry tickets bought online help avoid long queues in summer and at half-term.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do 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.
+What can you do for free in York?
York City Walls, The Shambles, National Railway Museum and Holy Trinity Goodramgate. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in York when it rains?
Head indoors to York Minster, JORVIK Viking Centre, National Railway Museum and York Castle Museum.
+What is there to do in York at night?
Evening ghost walk are best after dark.