Location: York
Top Things to do in York
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What to do and see in York, England: The Best Things to do
Just two hours north of London by rail, the city of York holds 1900 years' worth of history in its ancient walls. The Romans built the city in 71 AD, and the Vikings captured it in 866 AD. Stop by the Yorkshire Museum and Gardens for a look at what the Roman and Vikings left behind (they must have packed light when they left). From there, move on to the York Castle Museum for a not-so-quick overview of the most recent 400 years.
Restaurants in York
1. National Railway Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 18,169 reviews
FREE ENTRY Home to iconic locomotives and an unrivalled collection of engineering brilliance, we celebrate the past, present and future of innovation on the railways. Dedicated to igniting our visitors’ curiosity about the people, places and engineering marvels behind the railways, we put our passion for amazing stories into everything we do.
Reviewed By andrewmR3427OB
Excellent museum free entry or you can put a voluntary donation toward the upkeep of the locos and museum lots to do and very informative.There are different talks on various subjects of railwayana.The museum has 3 large halls film of locos and railwayana there are also viewing platforms where you can see staff working on different locos.You can easily spend all day here there is a resteraunt and shops well worth a visit
2. York Castle Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9,316 reviews
Famous for its collections of costume, textiles, military and social history, York Castle Museum brings history back to life. Wander through the Victorian streets, venture into the prison cell of notorious highwayman Dick Turpin and discover what life was like on the front line in the First World War. There's something for everyone at York Castle Museum.
Reviewed By RodD185
This is not a straightforward museum all geared around one theme, instead it has a smorgasbord of themes to explore, peppered with historical curios along the way ( such as the face mask for Oliver Cromwell, next to the opening displays of Georgian and Victorian living quarters ). When we went, these including rooms on toys, fashion, victorian living ( the victorian street is very impressive ), the 60s, and the history of an old debtors prison, amidst nods to York's own history. Obviously, what it has in breadth it loses in depth, but if you want to enjoy a little bit of lots of themes, this is a fine place to feel like you've got your money's worth over 90 minutes - 2 hours.
3. Shambles
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15,601 reviews
Shambles (or The Shambles as it is often referred to) is a street in the city centre of York with a long and interesting past. Dating back to Medieval times it was once the street of the butcher shops. Today the Shambles is Europe's most visited street, attracting tourists, shoppers and business clients.
Reviewed By Gailpe
Beautiful and busy It’s a Harry Potter fans heaven There’s also lots of odd little quirky shops with unusual gifts to be had A small market square is tucked away with lots of hand crafted gifts The old buildings add to the nostalgia of this pretty shopping area
4. Castle Howard
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,482 reviews
Castle Howard is one of England's finest historic houses, set in a thousand acres of sweeping parkland dotted with statues, temples, lakes and fountains. Inside discover world-renowned collections gathered by succeeding generations of the Howard family. Built over 300 years ago, today it still remains a family home.
Reviewed By 684bruced - Sydney, Australia
We spent a couple of hours at castle Howard and enjoyed the garden, fountain and the grandeur of this stately home....the TV history was also fascinating...
5. Yorkshire Air Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,720 reviews
The Yorkshire Air Museum and Allied Air Forces Memorial is located on the outskirts of the City of York within easy reach of the City centre. The Museum welcomes family visitors, with lots of things to keep everyone in the family entertained. We are also pet friendly, so you won't need to leave your four legged part of the family home alone. Authentically based on an original World War II Bomber Command Station, this unique history museum is filled with a great combination of original buildings to explore, including the restored Control Tower and more than forty aircraft exhibits, from early aviation biplanes to our unique Halifax Bomber "Friday The 13th" all the way to modern Cold War military jets such as the Victor, Nimrod and Tornado jet fighters. Our regular Thunder Days are always popular as a great family day out and our NAAFI cafe has a range of snacks, drinks and meals for everyone. Our guides are on hand to help you explore the museum. They are all volunteers and love to read your reviews!
Reviewed By O7889YImarcelp - Bolsover, United Kingdom
Fantastic museum It’s a Hidden gem Ram packed full of aviation abs military history Some amazing planes , helicopters , Engines , Everything from uniforms to rations in the blitz on display Personally I loved to see the nose and cockpit of the of the Vulcan bomber XL388 Lot of history in that plane There’s harrier, electric lightening Tornados Hawker , helicopters , Staff are really friendly And it’s got a sit down inside area to eat , not a sure if there’s cafe or not Went on wet windy Day But didn’t spoil a thing 80 % indoors in hanger buildings 2nd visit for me And will be definitely going again Most staff are volunteers and are doing an amazing job of keeping our aviation history alive There’s huge section on the Falklands war Large , gift / memorabilia / model shop which is all priced about the average price for items Can’t say a bad thing Also Very proactive COVID aware
6. York Minster
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15,812 reviews
Dating back to medieval times, this splendid Church of England cathedral features magnificent 14th- and 15th-century stained glass, stonework and elaborate tombs.
Reviewed By 354ursulal - Uxbridge, United Kingdom
Have visited york Minster twice now and both times this beautiful building and helpful staff have made it extremely educational and interesting, the tower tour gives exceptional views of a beautiful city and surrounding countryside, a must do for anybody in York.
7. York City Walls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9,565 reviews
No visit to York is complete without a stroll along part of the 2 miles of historic walls that have protected the city for nearly 2000 years. The walls are completely free to walk, however bespoke guided tours can be booked with your own personal tour guide, meeting you at a time and place to suit you, and showing you the extensive hidden history to be found along the walls.
Reviewed By MKing1982 - Colchester, United Kingdom
One of the best preserved city walls we've been to. Well maintained and well marked - the York city wall walk provides a great progression around the city with plenty to look at (both old and new). The walk is atop the walls themselves and along the kings' pond/moat. The walk goes past the Minster and Shambles for a quick detour. Although there are benches along the walk, the wall portion requires the use of stairs. May be a consideration.
8. York Maze
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,461 reviews
Temporarily Closed
Reviewed By Beighton_family - Sheffield, United Kingdom
Really enjoyable day for family with a 3 and 7 year old, plus grandad. Excellent value for money as pretty much everything is included in the ticket price (except coin operated quad bikes and remote controlled boats). Enjoyed completing the huge maze and the smaller ones. My favourite thing (mum) was the House of even more Cornfusion!!! Fantastic!!! Children loved the giant corn snake slides and we all loved the tractor ride!! Really friendly and welcoming staff...Jonny on tractor ride, Ewan on slide (especially for letting kids have a few 'last goes' on them at closing time!), Julie on Angry Crows, ladies and Josh doing the pig racing and KerNoels House party and other staff who stopped and chatted throughout the day. Seemed like they all genuinely loved being there!! Brilliant day out for all. Wish we had been here before but have always been put off slightly by the ticket price. However, considering this was a full day 10am while 6.30pm and it is soooooo much more than just a maze we will definitely be back!
9. York's Chocolate Story
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,828 reviews
York's Chocolate Story is an entertaining and informative guided tour through the history of York's most famous chocolate-making families and their finest creations. You'll discover chocolate's origins, how to make it, how to taste it like an expert and even the sustainable future of chocolate. You'll also uncover a host of surprising secrets and fascinating facts behind York's greatest chocolate products, from the Chocolate Orange to the globally famous KitKat. Once you've explored chocolate making and its history, you can even shop for and indulge in chocolate to your heart's content. There's so much for you to enjoy and discover!
Reviewed By andre888_89
It was an amazing experience and Katy was a really good tour guide she explained the fascinating history of chocolate in detail and made it really fun to learn especially with the free samples. Give her a raise
10. Jorvik Viking Centre
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 7,370 reviews
The year is AD960 and the last Viking King in Jorvik, Eric Bloodaxe, has been banished. The city is thriving with a flourishing manufacturing centre and wide trading links. There are new buildings, new peoples and new stories to be told... What’s New? •A New Ride experience with the sights, sounds and of course, smells, of the Viking-Age •Updated historical interpretation, showcasing the cultural ‘melting pot’ of 10th-century York •The latest cutting edge technology bringing the Viking period to life! Hop aboard our improved ride experience and be transported back in time over 1,000 years!
Reviewed By juleslovesnyc - Harlow, United Kingdom
We had a wonderful time visiting this attraction & it’s worth the queues! If you can pre-book I would recommend it as it’s very busy, the actual ride attraction is brilliant as it takes you through the villages made how it used to be I couldn’t believe how fantastic it was i would highly recommend this to see
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