Breakfast before you head out

For a proper breakfast, I usually point people towards Black Wheat Club or Rise. Both are much more my sort of recommendation than a generic hotel buffet. Check the day's opening times before setting off.

An easy York wander

You can see a lot without marching around with a checklist. A good loose route is:

• Start around York Minster and the old streets behind it.
• Drift towards The Shambles, then carry on through Fossgate and Walmgate.
• Loop towards Clifford's Tower and the river.
• Pick up a section of the city walls when the weather is decent.

If you’re visiting York Minster

I would strongly recommend checking whether you can attend a service, rather than only visiting as a sightseeing stop. Whatever your religious background, seeing the Minster being used for what it was built for can be pretty spectacular.

If the choir is singing, even better. York Minster’s choir performs regularly during term-time and the atmosphere in that space with choral music is something else. It is always worth checking the Minster’s official service and events calendar before your visit because times and programmes change.

Where I’d actually send you to eat

York has plenty of places aimed squarely at visitors, but these are the ones I’m much happier recommending because they each do something genuinely well.

• Skosh — if you can get a table, book it as early as you possibly can. In my opinion it is one of the best restaurants in York. Small plates, clever cooking, and the sort of place I’d choose for a special meal rather than just somewhere convenient.
• Los Moros — one of my regular recommendations. North African and Middle Eastern flavours, loads of character, and a very easy place to suggest when people want something a bit different.
• Khao San Road — a great shout for Thai food. Informal, lively and reliably good.
• Cresci — go here for genuinely excellent pizza. If pizza is what you fancy, this is the one I’d point you towards.
• El Gaucho — my pick when the brief is simple: a really good steak.
• NOLA — New Orleans-inspired food, cocktails and a brilliant atmosphere. They also run live jazz on selected evenings, so it is well worth checking what is on when you are in York.
• SPARK:York — ideal if a group can’t agree on what to eat. There are plenty of different independent food and drink options together in one place, so everyone can choose their own thing.

Where I’d look at staying

York has accommodation for every budget and style, but these are a few I’m very comfortable pointing guests towards depending on what sort of stay you want.

• The Grand, York — if you want the full five-star experience, this is the obvious luxury choice. It is right by the station in the former North Eastern Railway headquarters, with proper grand-hotel scale, spa facilities and an excellent city-centre location.
  The Grand, York →
• Hotel Clementine — a much smaller boutique option with 27 individually styled rooms. It feels more personal than a large hotel and sits in a quieter leafy part of York while still being close enough to walk into the centre.
  Hotel Clementine →
• The Lawrance — a really good choice if you prefer an apartment to a conventional hotel room. Their York properties are around Micklegate and Tanner Row, close to the station, restaurants and the city centre, with proper living space and self-catering facilities.
  The Lawrance York →
• 101 House At The End — the fun one. A witchcraft-and-wizardry themed self-catering house near York Racecourse for up to four guests. If the theme suits your family or group, it is far more memorable than another anonymous hotel room.
  101 House At The End →

York with children

If you have children who are interested in archaeology, DIG is excellent. It is a hands-on archaeological attraction where younger visitors can get involved rather than simply looking at things behind glass. It is especially aimed at roughly ages 5–12, although families can enjoy it together.

York is one of the best cities in Britain for making archaeology feel real because so much of the Roman, Viking and medieval city is still under your feet.

If you want a ghost walk

York is absolutely not short of ghost tours. My recommendation is Deathly Dark Tours. They are consistently excellent, genuinely entertaining and very good at balancing humour, atmosphere and York’s darker stories rather than just shouting at people in an alley.

They are multi-award-winning too, so this is not just me saying it.

A pub or a drink later

If you want a proper traditional York pub, The Royal Oak is a good shout. If cocktails are more the plan, Impossible is one I've recommended to guests before.

If the weather turns

York is one of those cities where bad weather does not ruin the day. Duck into the Minster, linger over lunch, explore the smaller streets and use the walls when the rain eases. Do less, not more. The city is better when you leave room to wander.

If you only have one free evening

Walk the Minster area as the day quietens down, head through the old centre without a fixed route, then finish with food or a drink somewhere you actually want to stay for a while. York after the day-trippers thin out feels completely different.

Think you know York?

I’ve added a little 15-clue York challenge too. It is not part of your tour score and there is no pressure. It is just a good way to pick up some of the city’s Roman, Viking, medieval and Minster stories while you are here.