York's Historic Journey: Discover the Secret Side of the City on Foot
5.0
606 Ratings
York
Embark on a historic journey through York's secret side on foot. Discover the city's key sights, delve into the medieval maze, and uncover the influence of the Romans and Vikings. Join our family-friendly walking tour with a small group for an engaging and immersive experience.
Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • St. Mary’s Abbey - The magnificent ruins of the largest abbey in northern England
  • Museum Gardens - A stunning Victorian botanic garden containing the standing remains of the Roman fortress - the place where York began!
  • York Minster - The largest medieval gothic cathedral in northern Europe
  • Stonegate - Explore the labyrinth of medieval shortcuts or ‘Snickelways’
  • Shambles - The best-preserved medieval street in Europe - famous across the world as the inspiration for Diagon Alley
What's Included
  • Personalized welcome sign at meeting point
  • Multimedia-enhanced guided tour with iPads
  • Complimentary map of York included
What's Not Included
  • Entrance fees: the tour is outdoors and does not include museums or the interior of the cathedral.
Additional Information

York’s history is the narrative of England, depicted in timber, masonry and confectionery. Allow our learned tour guides to walk you through an hour and a half trip spanning across two millennia, from Roman times right up to the creation of the KitKat. Our family-friendly walking exploration covers all major attractions - the Minster and Shambles included - but also delves into the complex labyrinth of the medival period, known as the Snickelways. This lesser-known aspect of York is a sight you’ll miss aboard an open-top bus!

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE WELL-BEING OF OUR GUESTS IS OF UTMOST PRIORITY: WE ARE COMMITTED TO ADHERE TO CURRENT RULES REGARDING SOCIAL DISTANCING. TO ENFORCE THIS, TOURS ARE RESTRICTED TO SIX PEOPLE PER GUIDE.

Location
YO1 7DS
We will be in the square in front of the central library - York Explore Library and Archive, Museum Street YO1 7DS The guide will have a sign with your name so you should be able to find us (please don't join any tour that does not have your name displayed as it won't be ours)!
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(606 Ratings)
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Elizabeth
Jun 20, 2024
History on Foot in York - Sarah the Guide very knowledgeable and informative. Covered history & current facts and stories. Small group. York fascinating
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nora_m
Jun 20, 2024
Great tour. - What a wonderful experience we had. Our tour guide Sara is so knowledgeable and amazing. She gave us a wonderful tour of the city and even made it fun for our kids. Highly recommend her. 😊👍
Review provided by Viator
Cindywh714sx
Jun 19, 2024
Go to York, you won't be sorry. - York is filled with history and is an easy walk around. Our guide was absolutely excellent, well prepared, flexible, and mindful of our walking pace and interests.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ianenglish
Jun 17, 2024
Fantastic walking tour of York - Took this tour on the morning of Saturday June 15th, Sarah the guide couldn't have been more helpful and informative. The small tour size really helped add a personal touch to proceedings and it was good to not just do the obvious sights so highly recommended. Also walked the part of the walls that Sarah recommended the day after and was splendid.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Krugs
Jun 11, 2024
Great way to start a visit to York - This was a great tour of York. She was able to fit a lot of history into a short time and we came away with a good overview for the rest of our visit. We avoided the crowds and saw some interesting sights that I don’t think are included on other tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kymmy16w
Jun 11, 2024
Great Tour Experience! - We unfortunately only had 1 day to visit York and this tour came highly recommended. Sarah gave us an extremely educational and interesting tour. I highly recommend this tour as it really helps to educate you on the abbreviated history of York and you can ask all sorts of questions. Thank you Sarah for showing us around!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
60lori
Jun 9, 2024
Learned the story of York. - What a fantastic tour. Alfred was so knowledgeable and adept at presenting complex history in an engaging manner. I highly recommend if you’re interested in learning about York.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jillg321
Jun 5, 2024
Interesting tour! - Lovely relaxed walking tour. Our guide Sarah was very knowledgeable and gave lots of interesting facts plus tips on places to eat etc. Only 9 of us in the group so really easy to keep together!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Margaret_r
Jun 3, 2024
From Romans to Normans within two hours - Sarah was a lovely Guide for this excursion, knowledgeable and kind. She enabled an understanding of York's dense history through the four main invasions, and brought clarity.
Review provided by Viator
Tom_k
Jun 3, 2024
Alfred of York Led Us On A Grand Tour - Alfred was brilliant. An animated university professor in a porkpie hat, he led us on a walk through York’s thousands of years of history from the Romans to the present. He pointed out the layers of stone in the wall, discussed Norman castles and minsters, Tudor houses and Henry VIII, the Vikings, and so many more builders of York. What a journey! Highly recommend Alfred for your tour in York.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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