Today, I’m taking you on a weekend trip to York – a beautiful, medieval city in the north of England, filled with charming roads, quirky shops and interesting landmarks. I went to York during the bank holiday weekend at the end of August, and spent three days in that stunning city. I tried some local food, visited lots of museums, and even joined a ghost tour. But most importantly, I strolled along the medieval roads, admiring the architecture. Join me on this trip, with dozens of pictures!

Getting to York from London

I typically use public transport to travel around the UK, and this trip wasn’t an exception. I took a direct LNER train from London King’s Cross to York, and the journey took just under 2 hours.

I got to York just before 10am and headed straight to the hotel, which was a 15 minute walk away. It was way before the official check in time, but I wanted to leave my luggage there. To my surprise, my room was already prepared and I was allowed to check in, at 10 am. That never, ever happens! I left my luggage in my room and headed straight to the centre of York.

Day 1

The city walls surrounding the main part of the city were a 10-minute walk away from my hotel. Then, it was another 10 minutes to get to the most iconic part of York – the Shambles.

The Shambles

This narrow alley, filled with old buildings – each of them looking different than the others – is believed to be the inspiration for Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley. It does actually look like it was taken out of a fantasy book! I couldn’t find any proof of the Shambles actually being the inspiration for Diagon Alley, but the local businesses certainly make sure to fuel that belief. There is a large shop with Harry Potter merchandise in the Shambles, as well as a place offering Harry Potter branded potion making experiences.

Other than that, there are many other interesting shops at the Shambles. A great place for gift shopping for sure! There’s a shop with hundreds of types of loose leaf tea, a chocolate shop, some souvenir stores, and a year-round Christmas shop, which I loved. In fact, I later discovered that there are two Christmas shops in York, open all year round. As a Christmas enthusiast, I approve.

There is also the famous Ghost Merchants shop in the Shambles, but more about that later.

Oh, by the way. The Shambles can get busy. Very busy.

York Minster

From the Shambles, I headed towards York Minster, a cathedral. I love visiting medieval British cathedrals – most of them are built in my favourite architectural style, gothic. The cathedrals around the UK do all look very similar, but I still enjoy visiting them. I particularly liked the stained glass windows in the Chapter House.

I paid £20 for an adult ticket, which is valid for unlimited visits for a year.

At York Minster, you can take a Tower Challenge and climb the 275 steps to the top of the central tower, via an old, narrow, spiral staircase. There are no lifts to the top, you have to use your feet! It’s quite a common thing in medieval cathedrals in the UK, and I always take the opportunity to climb the towers to catch a glimpse of the panoramic views. As a person who always chooses regular stairs over lifts and escalators, I found the climb easy.

Taking the Tower Challenge requires a separate ticket, which was £6, and only valid once, at a specific time.

You can check the official website for current opening times and prices.

Parkin – local gingerbread cake

I left York Minster starving. I didn’t want to leave the cathedral for a break, as I would have to queue again to get back inside. I also didn’t want to eat in the cathedral – I don’t know if it’s disallowed, but I was brought up with respect for places of worship and wouldn’t feel comfortable eating inside one. So, when I finished the sightseeing and left York Minster, I was desperate to sit down and eat something.

There is a small green space next to the cathedral, Dean’s Park. There were some benches and picnic tables there, and, even though the area was really crowded, I managed to find a seat.

For a snack, I had a slice of parkin – traditional local ginger cake. I bought it for takeaway at one of the bakeries at the Shambles earlier that morning. I loved that cake! I’m a huge fan of spiced cakes, and it hit the spot. I might have to find a recipe for it and try to make it myself one day. I’ve never seen parkin in any bakeries in London.

In Dean’s Park, there is also a bench with Paddington Bear, very popular with tourists. There was a long queue of people wanting to take a picture with the cute bear.

A stroll around York – quirky, independent shops

Fuelled with the cake, I walked around the neighbourhood exploring the independent shops. York seems like the perfect place for gift shopping, with lots of vendors selling unique, often handmade items. I didn’t buy anything, but I thoroughly enjoyed window shopping.

Yorkshire Museum

Next, I headed to Yorkshire Museum. I’ve visited countless local museums around the UK, and, frankly, they all seem very similar. England isn’t huge, and most regions in the country share the same history. Local museums typically showcase ancient tools and trinkets excavated in the area, often linking to the Romans or Vikings. Yorkshire Museum was pretty much exactly what I expected it to be: not too big, and mainly focusing on local history. Nothing groundbreaking, but I always try to visit local museums when I travel.

There is an entrance fee at Yorkshire Museum, and the ticket is valid for a year. I paid £9.50 for a standard adult ticket. You can check the official website for current opening times and prices.

National Railway Museum

Next, I decided to visit the National Railway Museum. Looking at Google Maps, it seems to be just a stone’s throw away from Yorkshire Museum, just on the other side of River Ouse –  which seemed fine, as there was a bridge nearby. In reality, it was a really long walk. I was exhausted by the time I got to the Railway Museum! There were roadworks on the route to the entrance, and I had to walk around the whole premises of the Museum – and the area is huge.

Anyway, I finally got to the Railway Museum. The entrance is free – it was one of very few things that were free that weekend.

The museum is essentially a huge hall filled with dozens of trains, from centuries old ones to a few modern ones. It was rather impressive! I certainly recommend visiting that museum if you’re ever in York.

There was also a smaller room, adjacent to the main hall, filled with random railway-related objects, stacked on rows of tall, industrial shelves. Walking around that room was like a treasure hunt. So many intriguing pieces!

The Railway Museum also has a second, smaller building, located a few minutes away from the main hall. However, the Station Hall is undergoing a reconstruction this summer and was closed during my visit. It’s due to reopen at the end of September.

You can check the official website for current opening times.

Yorkshire scone – more local foods

After I left the Railway Museum, it was time for another snack. I bought a Yorkshire scone earlier in the day in some bakery, and I was curious to try it. I love trying local foods, especially sweet ones!

My expectations were quite low for this one, actually. I like traditional scones, but probably wouldn’t eat them on their own – they definitely need the jam and clotted cream. The Yorkshire scone, however, wasn’t exactly like traditional scones. It was a bit more moist, sweet, and had a rich flavour – I’d describe it as somewhere between butter and brown sugar. It was actually delicious and exceeded my expectations. Yum!

Ghost tour

From the Railway Museum, I walked back to the hotel to get some rest. I bought some savoury, nutritious food on the way too. At that point, I had been walking for about 8 hours, and a break was desperately needed. I spent a couple of hours at the hotel before heading back to the city centre.

While I was strolling around York in the morning, I noticed a lot of posters advertising evening walking tours – specifically, ghost tours. I was intrigued! They didn’t require advance booking, and they were quite cheap – under £10. Since all museums and shops close around 5-6pm and there wasn’t much to do in the evening, I decided to join a ghost tour.

The tour I joined was £7 and lasted just over an hour. Our guide took us on a walk around the centre of York – mainly near York Minster and the Shambles – and told us stories about ghosts that supposedly haunt some of the houses in the area, throwing some jokes in between as well.

I don’t know whether the stories were based on real events at all or just entirely made up, but frankly, I wasn’t amused. They were neither scary nor interesting to me – and the jokes made by the guide just didn’t do it for me. I suppose those guided tours are always hit or miss, and whether you enjoy them highly depends on whether your sense of humour is similar to that of your guide. It didn’t click for me, but the time wasn’t entirely wasted. During the tour, we walked down some smaller roads and alleys, and I got to discover charming places that I probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

Our guide also showed us a few cat sculptures located on the walls of some buildings. Turns out, there are many cat sculptures scattered around the city, and many people go on a ‘cat hunt’ to try to find all of them. If I had known about it before I came to York, I probably would have tried to do it during the weekend! Since I was already one day into the trip I decided it was too late for it, but it sounds like a nice way to explore the city. There is a website with a directory of all York cat sculptures, which might be handy if you plan to do the cat hunt.

Evening photos

The ghost tour ended near the Shambles, around 8:30pm. It was the perfect opportunity to try to take some evening photos of the beautiful medieval street.

The area was surprisingly busy, considering that all shops in the neighbourhood had closed a long time ago. It took me a lot of time to finally take a few photos without a crowd of people in it. I’m not entirely happy with those shots – photos don’t do the justice. The area is much more stunning in person.

As I was walking back to the hotel, I spotted a road with umbrella decorations. I really like how it turned out in the picture!

Day 2

Breakfast time

On the second day of my trip, which was a Sunday, I woke up feeling fresh and well rested. I usually struggle to sleep in hotels, but had no issues this time, luckily! I got up relatively early, quickly sorted myself out and headed downstairs for breakfast. It was a full English breakfast, cooked to order, and it was delicious. Fuelled with the food, I was ready to continue exploring York.

Morning photos of the Shambles

I went straight to the Shambles and the neighbouring area. I wanted to take some photos without the usual daytime crowds, and my only chance for it was well before the shops opened.

I got to the Shambles around 8:30. There was a handful of people there, but nowhere near as many as during the day. I was able to take some photos, and then went on a stroll around the adjacent streets.

Strolling around York, admiring the architecture

I absolutely loved the architecture in York. The city is filled with old buildings, and I enjoyed walking around, away from the crowds – thanks to the early hour – and admiring the views.

Ghost Merchants shop

After a short stroll around York’s city centre, I went back to the Shambles. The day before, I learnt about a popular touristy spot – the Ghost Merchants shop. A shop that sells ghost figurines, only. Sounds like top level consumerism? Absolutely. Did I fall into the tourist trap? I sure did.

Apparently, during the day, the queue to enter Ghost Merchants might reach up to 3 hours (!). I got there around 9am, one hour before the shop’s opening time, and I was the first in line. A handful of people arrived shortly after me, and by 9:30am there was already a decent queue. The shop opened about 10 minutes early, so I ended up queueing for 50 minutes. Oh well!

The shop is tiny, so only a small group of people is allowed inside. The ghost figurines come in various sizes. They’re all handmade and each ghost is unique. Do I need a ghost figurine? Probably not, but I thought they would make a nice souvenir. I got one for myself and one for my family, both in the smallest possible size – they’re about 2.5 inches tall. They cost £9 each, which isn’t too bad for a unique souvenir. As a bonus, there is a staged scene set up where you can place your ghost and take a picture of them. I found it quite cool and took a picture of the two ghosts I chose.

City walls walk

Once I left Ghost Merchants, I headed towards the city walls. The day before, I saw people walking on the city walls and I wanted to do the whole loop myself too, hoping for nice views. I started in the northern part of the city walls and began walking along the city walls clockwise.

There was a segment of the city walls missing, and I had to walk through the town for a short while before entering the next section of the city walls. After maybe 20 minutes, I got to the south-east corner of the city walls, close to Clifford’s Tower and Castle Museum.

Clifford’s Tower and snack time – fat rascal from Bettys Tea Room

Since I was already near Clifford’s Tower and Castle museum, it was time for a short break from the city walls walk. I decided to visit Clifford’s Tower first – a rather small tower located on top of a small mound.

There was a ticket office at the entrance, which wasn’t a surprise – most of the tourist attractions in York seem to have entry fees. However, for such a small building, the price seemed rather expensive! It cost me £14 to get in. In comparison, I paid £20 to enter York Minster, which is much, much larger – and the York Minster ticket is valid for unlimited entries for a year!

Anyway, I still decided to enter Clifford’s Tower. I don’t know when I’ll be in York next, so I wanted to tick off as many tourist attractions as possible.

Inside, the tower is hollow, and there’s not much to see. The main attraction is the view from the roof terrace. Which, to be honest, wasn’t that spectacular.

I sat down for a few minutes on the roof terrace and enjoyed a small snack – a fat rascal from Bettys Tea Room. Bettys is the most famous cafe in York, with a long queue of people waiting to be seated inside all day long. They also have a shop with baked goods for takeaway, and I decided to use that option earlier in the day. Bettys is famous for fat rascals – a type of cookie/cake similar to the Yorkshire scone that I had the day before. In fact, I think they’re pretty much the same thing! For that reason, I decided to go for a seasonal variety of a fat rascal at Bettys – chocolate and orange. I ate it whilst enjoying the views from the top of Clifford’s Tower, and it was delicious.

You can check the official website for current opening times and prices.

Castle museum

Next, I headed to Castle Museum, located right next to Clifford’s Tower. Again, I had to purchase a ticket – it was £17, and it’s valid for unlimited visits for a year.

Castle Museum is famous for its Victorian street, which replicates my absolute favourite architectural style. There are plenty of reconstructed Victorian shops there, showcasing the types of products that were sold a couple of centuries ago. That section of the Castle Museum is such an eye candy to me! I couldn’t get enough of it.

Castle Museum also had other exhibitions, including one focused on fashion and one telling the story of the Debtors’ Prison. Overall, it was probably my favourite museum in York and I would definitely visit it again – it was well worth the price! You can check the official website for current opening times and prices.

City walls continued

After leaving Castle Museum, I continued my clockwise walk around the city walls. Unfortunately, the final segment of the city walls, right before the section where I started my walk, was closed for conservation works. For that reason, I wasn’t able to complete the whole loop. Oh well, maybe next time!

The Foss Fairy Trail

The day was still young and I had already seen most of the locations I had planned for the day, so I decided to check out some of the less obvious attractions. I often discover interesting places via looking at Google Maps and searching for intriguing pins. And while I was looking at York’s map, I noticed a pin called The Foss Fairy Trail. I looked through the reviews and photos, and learnt that the small woodland area had some miniature fairy houses installed by the local community. I loved the idea, and decided to go and check it out.

It took me about 15 minutes to get there; the fairy trail is located outside of the city walls. I always feel a bit uncomfortable leaving the central area of a town I’m not familiar with when travelling alone. After all, being a young woman makes me a vulnerable target. I’ve never found myself in a dangerous situation, touch wood, but it’s always in the back of my head.

The walk towards the fairy trail was fine, as I simply followed a busy road. Once I got to the woodland area, I quickly located the first fairy houses. They weren’t in the best condition, to be honest, but that’s not a surprise – after all, they’re outdoors and have seen various weather conditions. However, it gave me a bit of an eerie feeling.

My anxiety level was further elevated by a few dodgy-looking people sitting on a bench, with empty bottles around them. There weren’t many other people nearby. I decided to trust my intuition and get myself of out the risky area, so unfortunately, I didn’t see much of the fairy trail. I can confirm that it exists, though!

Quick rest and another evening walk

From the fairy trail, I walked back to York centre, and then back to the hotel to have a bit of a rest. I bought some food in a convenience store too, to have a late lunch at the hotel. Then, fuelled and rested, I headed back to the city centre for another evening walk.

Just like the day before, I walked around the city centre: the Shambles, York Minster and nearby roads.

Holgate Windmill after dusk

Finally, I headed back to the hotel. But before I finished the sightseeing, I went to see one final location – the Holgate Windmill. I mainly wanted to figure out how to get there, as I planned to tour the mill the following day. The route felt a bit dodgy after dusk, but I managed to locate the mill, and then walked back to the hotel.

Day 3

Back to the Shambles

On my last day in York, I enjoyed another delicious breakfast at the hotel, and then headed straight to the city centre again. Just like the day before, I enjoyed some quiet time near the Shambles before the crowds arrived, and took some pictures.

Homestead Park

I didn’t have a concrete plan for the day, as I had seen the most important tourist attractions on previous days. The weather was great, so I fancied a walk. I looked at Google Maps and found the nearest park, Homestead Park. It’s located outside of the city walls, and it took me around 20 minutes to get there, but it was fine – I wasn’t in a rush.

The park was pretty and tranquil, and there was a corner with beautiful, colourful flowers. It’s not a huge park, but I spent a while there slowly walking around before heading back to the city centre.

Exploring independent shops

After I got back to the city centre, I spent some time exploring the independent shops. There are so many of them, you could spend a whole day shopping! I didn’t buy anything, but it gave me some inspiration for this year’s Christmas shopping.

Merchant Adventurer’s Hall

Whilst I was walking around York city centre, I saw a beautiful timber framed building. It was the Merchant Adventurer’s Hall, a place with over 600 years of history, still active for members of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York. I paid £7.50 for an entrance ticket to see the inside of the Hall. Frankly, the building isn’t huge, but there was a nice collection of silverware to see.

Before I left the Merchant Adventurer’s Hall, I decided to have a coffee and a slice of ginger cake at the cafe. They had outdoor tables in the garden and the weather was great, so it was a pleasure to enjoy a sweet treat in the sunshine.

You can check the official website for current opening times and prices of the Merchant Adventurer’s Hall.

Holgate Windmill tour

Finally, it was time for the final item in my trip’s itinerary – a tour of the Holgate Windmill. Constructed in 1770, the mill was renovated a few years ago and is now a functional mill again, after a century long break. The mill is open on selected days, with guided tours available – you can check the official website for opening times. Open days are rare, as the mill relies on volunteers. Fortunately, the mill was open on the bank holiday Monday, so I was able to visit it. Conveniently, the mill is located close to the hotel that I stayed at, so it was perfect for the end of my trip.

I paid £5 to join a guided tour of Holgate Windmill. There were 2 other girls who got there at the same time as me, and we were shown around by one of the volunteers. Our host, an elderly lady, was extremely knowledgeable, and I loved listening to her talk about the history of the mill. I could tell that she loves volunteering at the mill, and the passion really showed.

The tour didn’t take very long – around 20 minutes – and we were free to explore the mill on our own afterwards. The mill has a few floors, connected with tall ladders. There is no lift inside, so keep it in mind if you plan to visit the mill.

As a souvenir, I bought a bag of flour milled in Holgate Windmill. I will need to think about what to use it for, it has to go to good use.

One of the most interesting things about Holgate Windmill is its location. It stands inside a roundabout in the middle of a housing estate. But when the mill was built, there were no houses around!

Way back home

Finally, it was time to say goodbye to York. I took a direct LNER train from York to London King’s Cross again. The train was delayed, which isn’t uncommon in the UK. A delay of over 30 minutes meant that I was able to claim a partial refund on my ticket, which wasn’t cheap. I got £37 back in compensation, which paid for a couple of museum tickets. I actually don’t mind that!

Final thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to York. It’s one of my favourite places that I’ve had a chance to see in the UK so far, and I will definitely go back again in the future. The architecture of the Shambles and nearby area is just stunning, I could stroll around those roads all day.

The trip wasn’t cheap – train tickets in the UK are expensive, and almost every museum and point of interest had an entrance fee. But, I loved my time in York and I think it was worth every penny. If you have a chance, I definitely recommend visiting York – ideally, in the off-season to avoid huge crowds!

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