I just returned from a 3-day tour from a beautiful English city-York. I wrote all about my trip, but I felt like I had so much to share that I decided to write a whole post about the city. Great option for a weekend getaway, find out what to see in York in 3 days.
There is much to see and do, wide range of bars and restaurants to choose from. It also surprised me how easy it is to get to York from London. The LNER train to York takes less than two hours, and once there, the station is nice and close to the action.
York is compact enough that you don’t need a car to discover it .I was only there a few days, I think this guide to spending the weekend in York is a great place to start.
A great recommendation I have is, if you like photography, set your alarm clock early! Even in winter, York is a tourist city, so places like The Shambles and York Minster are very crowded.
The Best Things To Do In York In 3 Days
Walk the walls of York City
You can’t approach the story except by walking on it! York’s city walls are the longest medieval walls in England (3.4 km). While the original city walls were built around 71 AD, most of what you see today dates back to the 12th to 14th centuries. Not only is it a great experience to get close to York’s history, but it offers a fantastic tour of the city, showing you many of the major attractions along the way!
Visit York Minster
The icon of the city, you cannot visit York and not venture inside York Minster. Wonderful on the outside, York Minster is the largest cathedral in England. The interior is breathtaking. Built between 1230 and 1472, it is an incredible example of Gothic architecture. Ticket price is £16.00, for more information I leave the link(York Minster Web Store). Best to buy your ticket online so you can skip the line.
Go for a drink in one of York’s coolest bars
If you like a drink, then you will love York! There are pubs and bars all over the city, and many are full of history and character. Ye Olde Starre Inne is one of the oldest pubs in the city (dating back to 1644).
Golden Fleece is another ancient wonder, and is best known for being the most haunted pub in York. There have been many ghostly sightings, with many people spotting Lady Alice Peckett (wife of the Mayor of York and owner of the hotel) wandering around the hotel areas and moving furniture around in the night! If you are a beer lover, don’t miss The House of Trembling Madness-a medieval brewery that began life as part of the first Norman house in York back in 1180 AD.
Climb Clifford’s Tower
The tower is almost all that remains of York Castle, which was built by William the Conqueror. From the top, there are some splendid views of the city, including over York Minster. Many stories told about York’s torture are related to Clifford’s tower.
Discover York’s Viking heritage at the Jorvik centre
It is quite amazing to imagine York, or Jorvik, as a vibrant Viking city about 1,000 years ago! In fact, by 1066 more than 15,000 people lived in Jorvik, making it the second largest city in England.
This downtown museum is located on some of the ruins, features ancient objects found on the site and gives you an idea of what life would have been like then.
The Shambles
The Shambles is one of those quintessential old English streets you see on postcards of England! With wonderfully rickety buildings dating back to the 14th century, and a mix of tourist stores and gourmet options, it is a nice place to take a stroll. For Harry Potter lovers you will love the magic surrounding the Shambles from the quaint stores scattered throughout the streets (as the Shambles is said to have inspired J.K.Rowling in her description of Diagon Alley), but there are also some fascinating stores to enter and old pubs.
Visit the National Railway Museum
One of York’s biggest and best attractions, the National Railway Museum is filled with fascinating locomotives, from the oldest steam trains and royal carriages to the Eurostar and the Japanese Shinkansen. This is definitely one of the best free things to do in York!
It’s a really interesting museum and you don’t have to be a train-watcher to enjoy it! There is also a lot for children, with demonstrations, a miniature railway you can ride and trains you can ride on.
Night Tour
The night tours were the icing on the cake. There are several scattered around York to participate in, they are almost all related to York’s medieval history, torture, and ghosts. Absolutely unmissable.
If you’re wondering when is the best time to visit York, I suggest planning a trip in May or June. The weather tends to be warm and sunny, rain is at a minimum and it’s off-season, so you shouldn’t even have to battle large crowds. Wishing you an unforgettable stay in York.
