Attractions in York City

York is the reason I came to North Yorkshire: its architecture, its traditional and lively pubs and restaurants, and a history steeped in mystery and intrigue. The North York Moors is what kept me here, with scenery I never tire of seeing.

See them all on our York city map.

Attractions in York city at a glance

Adult prices from each attraction's own website, checked 28 October 2026.

York Minster

The present cathedral was begun in about 1225 and consecrated in 1472. The Minster says its nave is the highest and widest of any medieval Gothic nave in an English cathedral. The Central Tower is 275 steps up and is ticketed separately.

Sightseeing is usually 9.30am to 4pm Monday to Saturday, with shorter Sunday hours, and the Minster closes for services. In autumn 2026 the South Transept is under scaffolding while the Rose Window is examined and conserved. Tickets cover a return visit within the year. Up to four children aged 17 and under go free with a paying adult. Plan your visit to York Minster.

The Shambles and the snickelways

The Shambles is a narrow street of timber-framed, jettied buildings from the 14th to 17th centuries. It was the butchers' street, and some of the wooden meat shelves and hooks survive on the shopfronts. York Civic Trust says it is generally thought to be the only York street named in the Domesday Book.

Around it run the snickelways, the city's narrow lanes and passages. York Civic Trust opened a free Snickelways History Trail in November 2025. Mornings are the quietest time for the Shambles.

The city walls

York has about 2 miles of medieval walls with a walkway along the top, free to walk. The walls open at 8am and are locked at dusk; from the October clock change to the end of January, locking starts at 3.30pm. They close on Christmas Day and in ice or high winds. Access to the walkway is by steps, and the council says there is no disabled access; the most accessible close-up view of the walls is at the Multangular Tower in Museum Gardens.

The best short stretch is Bootham Bar to Monk Bar, with views of the Minster. Neither Monk Bar nor Micklegate Bar has a museum open at present.

JORVIK Viking Centre

JORVIK stands on the site of the Coppergate excavation, which uncovered Viking-age York, and opened in 1984. A ride takes you through a reconstruction of the 10th-century street. Allow about an hour. Tickets must be booked in advance. The combined ticket for JORVIK, DIG and Barley Hall is valid for 12 months. The entrance is step-free by platform lift, and the ride has one wheelchair space.

Clifford's Tower and York Castle Museum

Clifford's Tower is the stone keep of York Castle, built for Henry III in the mid-13th century on the mound of William the Conqueror's castle of 1068. In 1190 York's Jewish community died in the earlier wooden tower during a mob attack. English Heritage reopened the tower in 2022 with a roof deck that gives views across the city. It is open daily, 10am to 4pm. Expect steep steps up the mound.

York Castle Museum is next door, partly in the former Debtors' Prison. It is best known for Kirkgate, a recreated Victorian street. One ticket covers a year of visits.

National Railway Museum

General entry to the National Railway Museum is free, and booking is recommended. Wonderlab, the interactive gallery, is charged. The collection includes Mallard and a Japanese Bullet Train. It is open daily 10am to 5pm and closed 24 to 26 December. Station Hall is closed on Thursday 10 December 2026. The museum says map apps do not always show the right walking route from the station, so follow its own directions.

If you are heading to the Moors, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at Pickering makes a good second half to the day.

See our guide to parking and getting to the National Railway Museum.

Museum Gardens and the Yorkshire Museum

Museum Gardens are free and run down to the river around the ruins of St Mary's Abbey. The Yorkshire Museum in the gardens covers archaeology and natural history. It is open Wednesday to Sunday from November (Tuesday to Sunday in the main season), and a ticket is valid for 12 months.

See our guide to all the museums in York.

Historic houses and halls

• Merchant Adventurers' Hall on Fossgate is a timber-framed guildhall that has stood since 1357. It has a ramp and a platform lift.
• Barley Hall is a medieval townhouse built in about 1360, hidden behind a later front until the 1980s.
• Treasurer's House belongs to the National Trust. It is open Saturday to Wednesday, with Christmas openings from 14 November to 20 December 2026.
• Fairfax House is a Georgian townhouse with the Noel Terry furniture collection. It is closed 2 to 13 November 2026, then runs a Christmas exhibition from 14 November.
• York Mansion House, the Lord Mayor's residence, reopened in August 2025 after restoration. It is open Wednesday to Sunday, but closes for some functions.

Evenings, rain and children

• Ghost walks leave from the riverside most evenings. The Original Ghost Walk of York starts at 8pm outside the King's Arms on King's Staith.
• River cruises sail from King's Staith and Lendal Bridge; check winter sailings before you go. King's Staith is the better boarding point for step-free access.
• York's Chocolate Story and The York Dungeon are both indoors and popular in wet weather. Check their winter hours before you go.
• The National Railway Museum has the most room for children, and general entry is free.

Free attractions in York

• National Railway Museum
• City walls
• Museum Gardens and the St Mary's Abbey ruins
• The Shambles, Stonegate and the snickelways
• Parish churches such as All Saints North Street, with stained glass from about 1410, and Holy Trinity Goodramgate
• The Christmas market (12 November to 21 December 2026)

York in winter 2026

• Christmas market: 12 November to 21 December 2026 on Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square, 10.30am to 7pm. It is closed on Tuesdays and closes at 5pm on 21 December.
• City walls: locking starts at 3.30pm until the end of January.
• Opening times: most attractions close on 24 to 26 December. Treasurer's House has closed for winter conservation in past years.
• No racing: York racecourse has no racing until the spring.

Getting from York to the North York Moors

York is the main rail gateway for the Moors. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway does not run from York; its trains start at Pickering and Whitby.

By bus. The Coastliner 840 leaves York station for Malton, Pickering, Thornton-le-Dale, the Hole of Horcum, Goathland and Whitby. On the winter timetable from 28 October 2026, about ten buses a day run York to Pickering on Mondays to Saturdays, taking around 1 hour 25 minutes. Four of them continue to Whitby, about 2 hours 30 minutes from York. On winter Sundays there is one evening bus to Pickering and none through to Whitby, so check the Coastliner timetable before you travel. Our guide to getting around without a car covers the rest of the network.

By train and bus. Trains from York reach Malton in about 26 minutes. The 840 then takes about 20 minutes on to Pickering. For Whitby by rail, change at Middlesbrough for the Esk Valley line; the journey takes about 3 to 3½ hours, and Esk Valley trains are infrequent.

By car. Distances from York station, with times from a route planner; allow longer in traffic:

Castle Howard by bus. The East Yorkshire 81 runs from York station towards Malton on Mondays to Saturdays. Most journeys call at the Coneysthorpe stop beside Castle Howard; check which before you travel.

• Pickering
• Helmsley
• Goathland
• Hutton-le-Hole
• Whitby
• Hole of Horcum walk

Practical information

• From the station: York station is about a 10-minute walk from the Minster.
• Park and ride: six sites around the ring road. The adult return is £4, and up to three children under 16 travel free with an adult. Grimston Bar, beside the A64 east of the city, is the most convenient if you are coming from or going to the Moors.
• City car parks: City of York Council publishes tariffs for each car park. Central car parks charge over £20 for a full day.