If you only have one day in York, these are the most essential things to do, see, eat and drink!

I cannot explain how much I love York! Being a southerner, visiting this northern city was just so exciting. The city centre is compact with small, cobbled, winding streets and all the shops and necessities, you could want and need. If you like old buildings with so much character then this is definitely the place to visit, a particular fave of mine is the Minster Cathedral. There is so much to do and see, but these are just the very essential things to do if you only have one day in this beaut city! I’ve split the essentials into things to see and do/food and drink spots.

Things To Do and See:

As one day isn’t very long, the best way to see around the whole city is on the Hop on, Hop off City Sightseeing bus. I was sceptical when we did the bus tour as I wasn’t sure how much we’d actually see but it was really insightful – there’s commentary on the tour either by a guide or via headphones and it was actually really fun. It also gives you a good way of finding your bearings which if you’re in a new city, they can take a whole day to work out and then I sometimes feel like I haven’t seen much of city but just wandered around the same areas! And of course, as its Hop on Hop off, you can get off whenever and as many times as you’d like to make sure you do everything you want to do! The 21 different stops are dotted all over the city, including directly outside the train station and tickets options are: Adults – £16.00, Student – £13.00, Family of 4 – £35.00. Look out for the cats whilst you’re on your way round too!

Once you’ve completed however much of the tour you wanted – we did almost the whole loop, the first thing I’d aim for is the York Minster Cathedral. You can’t miss it. Its honestly one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen. You can go inside and explore the Minster, but in the right seasons and if its dry weather, it’s possible to go up the Minster Tower to see all out across the city. So if you have the opportunity to do the tower, I 100% recommend doing it. The ticket for General Admission and the Tower too is £24, which isn’t much more than the general admission (£18) and the views are so amazing (the photo above is from the tower) that truthfully, I’d happily pay the admission just for those views. Also, the Minster is always a good focal point as it’s in the heart of the city without navigating the busy shopping streets too much and so it’s a great place to start exploring the city from there.

The third essential part of the city to be seen are The Shambles. Most of the city centre are windy, cobbled streets but The Shambles is an extremely well preserved medieval shopping street and is the most characteristic of all the York streets. All the shops and buildings have been carefully restored and boast a plethora of shops, cafes, jewellers and restaurants. These streets are the true heart and history of York. On the Shambles street itself is the very famous ‘The Shop That Must Not Be Named’ for all the Harry Potter fans as well as oldest tearoom in York – which is so cute and quirky. More recently, the addition of The York Ghost Merchants. Just adjacent to the street is the lovely Shambles Market which is always worth a wander around. Check out the food trucks whilst you’re in the market as its a perfect spot to grab a snack to fuel your walk around the city.

The final essential recommendation I have for getting a true feel of York are the walking routes around the original City Walls. If you’ve done the bus tour, you’ll have seen some of the wall, but if you have the time to walk it’s well worth it. There multiple different entrances and exits on and off too, so it’s really easy to hop on and walk a section and then hop off if you want to delve back into the city. A good spot to get onto one of the wall sections is right by the hop-on-hop-off bus main stop, next to the York Art Gallery. Hans Hint: Since covid-19 the wall walk way has been set in a specific direction, so if you’re heading there in the next few months I’d check the York City Walls website for an update on the route direction and for any closures before arriving.

Food and Drink:

There are so many options for food and drinks as the city is full of independent and chain cafes, bars, restaurants, pubs and more, so I’m just gonna suggest a few of the very best as sometimes its lovely to just wing it and decide when you see something you fancy!

Betty’s Tearoom – Probably the most famous food spot in the whole of York as it quite often has a queue outside and down the road. It is possible to book (essential during covid) and so if one of their afternoon teas are something you want to definitely want to include in your day trip, I’d get it booked in advance. 

The Ivy – If you’re staying for dinner but want to head somewhere fancier, head to The Ivy in St Helens Square. The food is SO fab and situated in one of the old banks, so the décor and building details are just so stunning. If you take a trip to the bathrooms, you’ll even see one of the original vault doors.

Drakes Fisheries – If you want a quicker lunch or dinner, Drakes is absolutely dreamy if fish and chips is what you fancy. The batter and chips are just delicious. This is one for better weather as we take ours to one of the nearby gardens and enjoy them on a bench in the sunshine. 

Spark – One of my absolute fave places to recommend for anyone visiting the city! If you’re not sure what food you fancy, or you’re in a group where everyone’s craving something different head to Spark. There’s a selection of businesses in this quirky set up of retail, workspace and arts, on top of allllll the food and drink options. It’s super casual – but family friendly, with bench seating and is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for somewhere different to grab a bite to eat! We pigged out on the nicest burgers, halloumi fries and spicy wings. 

Cut and Craft – The last restaurant I’ve got on my list of faves is Cut and Craft. A local and independent brand, this is the place for the best steak. Every meal has been a 10/10 with the nicest sides of mac n cheese, wings and the biggest onion rings I’ve ever seen. You can get a 10oz flat iron steak for £16 which is both delish and such good value. If steak isn’t your thing, they also do burgers, ribs, fish and chips and pies. Hans Hint: It’s super popular, so if you’re thinking of heading here make sure you book in advance. 

Bar wise, there are plenty of the chains like Vodka Revs, The Botanist, Turtle Bay etc but local wise, Spark is good for just drinks as well as; Evil Eye, House of Trembling Madness, Bora Bora – great for pitchers and is always buzzing and Lendall Cellars which is – hence the name – built in the cellars and is perfect for a quirky drink spot.

---

If you want more to do, check out my blog A Guide to York City and as always if you head to York and do any of my recommendations, I’d love hear from you about what you did and what you thought of this beaut city!

lots of love,

Han x

Updated July 2024.