No other city in northern England says 'medieval' quite like York, a city of extraordinary cultural and historical wealth that has lost little of its pre-industrial lustre.
A magnificent circuit of 13th-century walls encloses a medieval spider's web of narrow streets. At its heart lies the immense, awe-inspiring York Minster, one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in the world. York's long history and rich heritage is woven into virtually every brick and beam, and the modern, tourist-oriented city – with its myriad museums, restaurants, cafes and traditional pubs – is a carefully maintained heir to that heritage.
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The best things to do in York mostly revolve around the city's long history, which it proudly displays. The maze of historical streets in the city center create the feeling of walking back in time. It’s a place of old traditions and quirky little details that make it a great place to just walk around and explore. Don’t think that the city is just a giant museum, though – it’s a busy, lively place with a lot to see and do throughout the day.
Be sure to pack some comfortable shoes because the City of York is best explored on foot. The distances between attractions is rarely long, many of the old streets are too narrow for vehicles, and parking is hard to find. To make your first day in York a little easier, take a look at our recommendations for the essential stops on the way.
Start the day in the Shambles
Walk and shop down 14th century streets
The Shambles is one of York’s oldest and most fun streets. The buildings date back to the 14th century and have the iconic overhang of that period, but are now so old that they lean over and virtually touch at the top. Be sure to check out the Shambles Market, which is best explored early in the day, before it gets busy, and get your photos before the very narrow, very popular streets fill up too much. This whole part of York, leading up towards the Minster, is a maze of narrow streets, with interesting shops on every corner. Go explore!
Jorvik Viking Center
Visit York when it was the capital of Viking Britain
Before York was York, it was Jorvik – the heart of the Viking dominion in England. The city was captured in 866 AD and remained under Norwegian control until 1066 AD. The Jorvik Viking Center gives you the chance to step back to that time and explore the city as it was under Norwegian rule. It combines archeological finds with dioramas, making it one of the more fun and immersive museums in York. The center also organizes the Viking Festival every February, which goes a step further and brings the dioramas to life. It’s a busy and popular place, so be sure to head their early to avoid the long queues.
York Minster
Get a gargoyle’s-eye view of the center of York
Fun fact: an ancient local law ensures that the historical York Minster remains among the tallest building in the city. The Gothic-style cathedral towers over the old part of York, at a height of 235 feet. If you’ve got the energy (and the money to pay the modest ticket fee), climb the 275 steps of the central tower to see the rooftop gargoyles and share their view across the historical streets of York City Center. Alternately, if heights aren’t your thing, just enjoy the vaulted magnificence of the interior and the sense of peace it provides.
York museum gardens
Enjoy local culture and history in floral surroundings
Yorkshire folk are famous for their no-nonsense attitude, and the York Museum Gardens are a great example of this. It’s basically a museum and a garden combined into one beautiful location in York. This staggeringly simple name conceals a real treasure of the city. The city center gardens contain the ruins of a medieval abbey and those of a historical hospital, as well as an art gallery, an old observatory and a museum dedicated to the history of Yorkshire, dating back to when dinosaurs roamed the area. The delightful gardens themselves are popular with locals looking for a quiet place to relax and enjoy some summer sunshine.
city walls
Enjoy great views of the City Center
York has been a walled city since Roman times (about 71 AD), but the striking stone walls surrounding the city center today were mostly built between the 12th to 14th centuries, around the same time as York Minster. They remain in very good condition and walking the ramparts around the city center is one of the most enjoyable things to do in York, giving you lovely views across the old town within and the newer areas without. The gatehouses (or “bars”) are especially impressive – particularly Micklegate Bar, to the south. Be careful on rainy days, though, as the stones are very smooth from the many feet which have come before yours.
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