York travel guide
Tours, attractions, events and places to stay, picked by people who know the city.
A walled medieval city on the River Ouse, where York Minster rises over the narrow streets of the Shambles and a 3.4km wall-top path circles the old centre. Roman, Viking and medieval layers sit close together, from JORVIK on the Coppergate dig site to Clifford's Tower, and the free National Railway Museum is beside the station. The centre is compact and mostly pedestrianised, and Castle Howard, the coast and the North York Moors are within easy reach.
- Currency
- Pound sterling (£)
- Main airport
- Leeds Bradford (LBA), by bus and train via Leeds; or Manchester (MAN), about 2 hours by direct train
- Time zone
- GMT, BST (UTC+1) in summer
- Paying for transport
- Contactless Tap On Tap Off on First buses, capped at £6 a day
Most-booked tours
Ratings and prices from verified bookings.
ViatorPrivate Historical Walking Tour of York
2 hoursFrom £141.03
ViatorNorth York Moors and Whitby Day Tour from York
8 hoursFrom £56
ViatorYork's Chocolate Story Guided Tour Ticket
1.3 hoursFrom £21
ViatorThe Deathly Dark Tour of York
1.5 hoursFrom £14
ViatorLuxury Private Yorkshire Dales National Park Tour
8 hoursFrom £950
ViatorWizard Walk of York - WINNER Best Tour & Experience of the Year
1.3 hoursFrom £12
ViatorMoors, Whitby & The Yorkshire Steam Railway Day Trip from York
8.3 hoursFrom £78
ViatorVillainous History and Rum Tasting Tour in York Indoor Experience
30 minutesFrom £25
Day trips from YorkCastle Howard, Leeds, Harrogate and moreTop attractions
The sights most visitors build a trip around.
York Minster
Paid: York's cathedral, tower climb and Undercroft Museum
Tickets from £35The Shambles and Shambles MarketFree
Free: York's best-known medieval street and its market
York City WallsFree
Free: a wall-top walk around the medieval city
JORVIK Viking Centre
Paid: York's Viking-age city, rebuilt on the dig site
National Railway MuseumFree
Free: Mallard, the bullet train and royal carriages
Clifford’s Tower
Paid: castle keep with 360-degree views over York
What's on
Tickets via Ticketmaster and Tiqets. Updated nightly.
Where to stay
Pick a neighbourhood first. Each one suits a different kind of trip.
Minster Quarter
Staying inside the walls beside the Minster, the Shambles and the Christmas market · 10 places we rate
Station and Micklegate
Arriving by train, the National Railway Museum and the bars and restaurants of Micklegate · 12 places we rate
Castle and Fossgate
Clifford's Tower, JORVIK and the independent cafés and restaurants of Fossgate and Walmgate · 10 places we rate
Bootham and Clifton
Quieter guesthouses just outside Bootham Bar, near the Art Gallery and Museum Gardens · 13 places we rate
Local guides
Plans and tips for getting the most out of York.
Christmas in York 2026: market, ice rinks, pantos and opening hours
York Christmas Market dates and its new Tuesday rest day, two ice rinks, the Minster’s Christmas Tree Festival, pantos and what is open over the holidays.
Read the guide · 6 minDay trips from York: Castle Howard, the coast and the moors
The best day trips from York by bus and train: Castle Howard, Whitby and the North York Moors, Scarborough, Harrogate, Leeds and Helmsley.
Read the guide · 5 minYork in 2 days: a first-timer’s itinerary
A two-day plan for a first visit to York: the Minster, the City Walls, the Shambles, JORVIK, Clifford’s Tower and the free National Railway Museum.
Read the guide · 6 minFree things to do in York
Free things to do in York: the City Walls, the National Railway Museum, the Shambles, Museum Gardens, the Minster on Christmas Day and more.
Read the guide · 5 minDay trips from York
Easy days out by train or coach.
- Castle Howard15 miles north-east, about 1 hour on bus 81
- LeedsAbout 25 minutes by train
- HarrogateAbout 35 minutes by train
- ScarboroughAbout 50 minutes by train, or the Coastliner 843 bus
- Whitby and the North York MoorsAbout 2 hours on the Coastliner 840 bus via Pickering
- HelmsleyAbout 1 hour on bus 31 or 31X, Monday to Saturday
Getting around
Walking
York's historic centre is small and best seen on foot. Many streets inside the walls are pedestrianised footstreets during the day, and York Minster says it is about a 10-minute walk from the railway station. Most of the main sights, from the Minster and the Shambles to Clifford's Tower and JORVIK, are within 20 minutes' walk of each other. You can also walk much of the way round on the City Walls, which City of York Council opens daily from 8am until dusk, free.
Buses
First York runs most city bus routes, and other operators including Transdev, East Yorkshire and Arriva also serve the city. On First buses you can pay with Tap On Tap Off: tap a contactless bank card, phone or watch when you get on and again when you get off. Single fares are £1.50, £2.60 or a maximum of £3 depending on distance, and your fares are capped at £6 a day and £24 over seven days, as long as you use the same card. An All York Day ticket, valid on any operator's buses in York, costs £6.
Park and Ride
Six Park and Ride sites around the edge of the city have free parking and frequent zero-emission buses into the centre. An adult day return costs around £4 when boarding at a Park and Ride site, and up to three children aged 16 and under travel free with a fare-paying adult. City of York Council recommends the train or Park and Ride for visiting the Christmas Market.
Trains
York station is on the East Coast Main Line, with LNER trains to London King's Cross in about 1 hour 50 minutes and direct services to Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, which takes around 25 minutes. TransPennine Express runs direct trains from Manchester Airport, and trains also go to Scarborough, Harrogate and Hull.
Airport transfers
York has no airport of its own. From Leeds Bradford Airport, take the 757 bus to Leeds station and then a train to York. From Manchester Airport, TransPennine Express runs direct trains to York in just under 2 hours. Newcastle Airport is also within reach by train via Newcastle.