10 More Things To Do In York

We’ve previously mentioned the beautiful city of York and why it’s considered as one of the best cities in England. It’s a walled city that’s rich in Roman and Viking tradition. Similar to prominent English cities like London and Manchester, York also has a number of attractions and entertainment that will give you the best of time. To complete your ultimate York adventure, here are ten more things that you should absolutely do while in York:

Chocolate lover or not, you will be interested to know that York has a museum that exclusively talks about chocolate. It’s a lesser known fact, but York is actually known for their chocolate-making industry. York’s Chocolate Story is a visitor’s attraction that offers an entertaining and knowledgeable take on York’s rich chocolate history. You’ll get to know various prominent families in York who’ve made their fortune through chocolate production. The museum also features York’s finest chocolate products and the secrets of chocolate-making back in the old days. After the tour, you will be taken to the Chocolate story’s official shop where you can buy as much York chocolate as you want and complete your ultimate chocolate fantasy.

One of the most beautiful buildings in the entire country, The Fairfax house is a Georgian townhouse located in Castlegate, near the York Castle Museum and Clifford’s Tower. Its impressive stucco work and grand proportions perfectly fit its interior features of antique furniture, clocks, and artwork. Formerly the winter house of Viscount Fairfax, the house has been well-preserved throughout the years. It is currently open to public view. Visitors can explore this great house and experience the daily lives of high society in York during the 18th-century.

Get the full British army experience at the York Army Museum. A merger between two museums, the York Army Museum is home to some of the most important collections of British regimental artefacts in the UK that was collected over the last 300 years. Its main highlights are the Royal Dragoon Guards and the Yorkshire Regiment. The Museum mainly tells the epic stories of both of these great historical regiments of the British Army.

Get the full British army experience at the York Army Museum. A merger between two museums, the York Army Museum is home to some of the most important collections of British regimental artefacts in the UK that was collected over the last 300 years. Its main highlights are the Royal Dragoon Guards and the Yorkshire Regiment. The Museum mainly tells the epic stories of both of these great historical regiments of the British Army.

The Convent of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin, better known as the Bar Convent, is the oldest functioning Roman Catholic convent in England. Established back in 1686, it formerly served as a school for girls, and is home to members of the Congregation of Jesus up to this day. The Bar Convent is a popular destination here in York. Tourists come to the Bar Convent for a stay to mesmerise at the place’s rich history. The Bar Convent offers bed accommodations, meeting rooms, a gift shop, cafes and a museum exhibit exclusively highlighting the Convent’s history.

The exhibit inside the Bar Convent conveys the story of how this remarkable building made its way to become the oldest functioning convent in England. You can also meet remarkable people who are living inside the convent. Mary Ward, who successfully crossed the Alps on foot, also lives in the Bar Convent. Fun fact, she crossed the Alps on barefoot not only once, but twice. From hidden secrets to Luftwaffe bombs, the Bar Convent has a lot of history lessons in store to entertain you and give you insights about how amazing this place is.

As if we haven’t gotten the full medieval experience here in York already, we now move to yet another medieval landmark, the Merchant Adventurers Hall. The Merchant Adventurers hall is a guildhall and one of the most important buildings in York. As the name implies, the structure is made for the great York merchants of the past. These merchants were known for trading along the English channel, northern Europe, and sometimes extend their trading routes far into the Baltic and Iceland. Their expertise in trade brought them back an assortment of desired goods to York.

Dating back to the 14th Century, The Merchant Adventurers Hall took five years to construct. It is known as the largest timber-framed establishment in the UK. Today, it still serves as the home and meeting place of the famous merchant guild in England, the Company of Merchant Adventurers. It is currently open as a museum and a function hall. If you plan on hosting an important event in the Merchant Adventurers Hall, check its availability in advance for its available schedule. If you love to see some architectural brilliance, you should plan a visit to this great place.

Not precisely an attraction, but if you plan on visiting the entirety of York, you need to have convenient transportation. There’s no better way to go sightseeing in York than on a double-decker bus (especially on its open-air deck, provided that it isn’t raining). Walking can be tiring once you’ve run out of energy. Riding a double deck tour bus is much better since all you have to do is sit back, relax, and appreciate all of what York has to offer. When you travel to York between April to October, you can get a tour guide on board the bus that talks about all of the buildings you’re going to see, as well as the history of York’s various attractions. You’ll have to settle with a recorded version during the winter season. But the best thing about the York bus travel is that you can jump in and out whenever you want, as long as it’s on the 18 stops during the 24-hour travel time.

Take the incredible sights of York and its surrounding countryside while on board a comfortable river cruise. The York boat offers multiple daily sailing on a variety of different crafts, most of which feature an open top.

The York boat also offers rental for special occasions. If you love the nightlife, then you can hop on the party boat and get a full dose of the York nightlife experience. If you value your privacy, you can also rent a private boat and cruise along the river on your own or with friends and family. All journeys will depend on river conditions. There are no trips in December and January so you should also keep that in mind.

If you’re into some good old beer, then you’ve got to taste the finest ones in York. While York is also known for its pubs, it’s also known for producing quality beer. You can start your beer-tasting journey with a tasting session at a local alehouse (bar snacks included). You’ll even be educated with the history of beer-making here in York. So not only are you enjoying the most excellent ales in Europe, but you’ll also get to learn it’s rich past.

Finally, despite out mentioning of the Bus travel, there isn’t a way that will give you a better dose of the full York experience than walking and enjoying the ambience and beauty of this magnificent city. Find out more about York’s history by sightseeing famous landmarks; hear chilling stories about York’s bloody past coming from professional tour guides who will educate you in every attraction you visit; and finally, get to learn more about York’s rich history with every visit you make on its famous monuments.

York may not have the appeal of a London or a Manchester; however, it’s still a beautiful city filled with lots of amazing things that you would want to see in a walled medieval Viking city. If you’re planning for a complete sightseeing trip to York, you might want to get your very own York Pass. This pass gives you the privilege of free entry to more than 30 of the greatest attractions in and around York. We’re going to create a new list for about other things you can do in York that also included in the York Pass. For now, if you have other things in mind other than the list, sound them off in the comments below.