York travel guide

This walled city was founded by the Romans, and continues to prosper to this day. It’s one of the best places in Britain to visit if you have an interest in history, and for that reason, it attracts thousands of tourists every year.

The Shambles

One of the oldest streets in York, the Shambles are lined with little tearooms and boutiques (you can’t get much more British!) It’s great for shopping and for having a spot of lunch while you explore the city. Just walking down it feels like you’ve travelled back in time, with some of the buildings dating back to the fifteenth century.

Bettys Tearoom

Betty’s stores are renowned in Britain as being some of the best. There’s six in the country, but York’s is the best known. It does famously good afternoon-tea, and is almost always packed. It’s worth the queuing to get in to experience it, but it’s least busy early in the morning or late afternoon. It also has a shop for buying their handmade chocolates and other gifts.

York Minster

The Gothic church is one of the most stunning landmarks in York. It also has great views from the top (if you’re willing to tackle the 275 step climb!) If you visit with your partner, share a kiss beneath the Heart of Yorkshire window – rumour has it that if you do, your love will be eternal!

York Dungeon

Many British cities now offer the dungeon experience, but it doesn’t stop them being entertaining. Take to the dungeons and take a walk through York’s history, brought to life by actors and special effects. It’s perfect for history lovers, especially those who are fascinated by serial killers (namely, Jack the Ripper!)

York Castle Museum and Clifford’s Tower

It’s not a good British city if it doesn’t have a castle. There’s not much left of York’s but Clifford’s Tower, the remainder of it, is open to the public to explore. But for a rainy day, the York Castle Museum is there to provide the castle experience from indoors. There’s plenty of old artefacts to look at, and interactive experiences such as the Castle Prison and a reconstruction of a Victorian street.

The Jorvik Viking Centre

This is the perfect experience for history nuts. Take a ride through medieval York on a cart, and experience the sights, smells and sounds of the time (be warned, the smell isn’t great!) Afterwards, there’s unlimited time to explore the rest of the museum and dig your teeth into York’s history.

City Walls

There’s no better place to get a view of the city than from the city walls. It takes two hours to walk the entire wall, but it’s worth it to see the city from another angle, especially if the weather is nice.

Yorkshire Museum

Not only does it offer a view of York’s rich history, it also has a beautiful set of gardens, which are perfect for a stroll in the summer or spring. The grounds also hold the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey.°°

Eating and Shopping in  York

York Market

The market is situated in an area of the Shambles and has all the necessary stalls: baked and dry goods, plants, fruits, cheeses, hats, bags, belts, souvenirs.

Supermarkets

York has several supermarkets located in city centre. Tip for budget travellers: visit supermarkets in the evenings, as they do amazing price reductions for items nearing their sell-by date (typically about 75% off). Just look carefully on the product to see if there is “Reduced” label sticked and it contains new price information.

Henshelwoods

This is an excellent place to get a delicious made to order sandwich or salad. Prices start at £2.45 for sandwich and £3.50 for salad. Link.

Homemade Italian style ice cream

If you are an ice cream lover, than there are two places to get a fantastic ice cream: Luxury Ice Cream Co (20 Back Swinegate) and Roberto Authentic Italian Gelato (3A Goodramgate). 

Shopping

In the centre of York you will find many mass fashion stores like H&M, GAP and others. If you need designers clothers, visit McArthurGlen’s York Designer Outlet with 120 stores. Take the Park and Ride Bus  from York railway station.

Do you also know any great place to visit in York? Let me know about your favourite York attraction in the comment box below!

Images: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]