York Attractions

Galtres Lodge is situated right in the centre of the busiest part of York, on Low Petergate with York Minster directly behind us, and The Shambles just a very short walk away.

We love York and our team will be delighted to offer advice on places to visit during your time in this great city*. We get leaflets from local attractions delivered regularly, and we carefully choose to keep the ones that we think our guests will love, these include:

York Minster

Almost a “must-do” seeing as you’re so close – some guests can even see the Minster from their Galtres Lodge bedroom window! Leave the hotel and turn right, then take the next right (just after Ogden’s jewellers) and the spectacular Minster is in front of you – less than a minute walk away! To get to the main entrance, walk to your left and around the side of the building until you get to the front of the cathedral. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE >>

York Shambles (Free)

“The Shambles”, York’s oldest and most famous street is just a short walk from the hotel (go left out of our front door and walk until you get to King’s Square – where Boots the Chemist and York Chocolate Story is – then The Shambles is the little street between the York Chocolate Story and the Duke of York Pub). This narrow, cobbled pathway is lined with beautiful Elizabethan buildings and was the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter – which is why there are several Harry Potter shops there! VISIT THEIR WEBSITE >>

Shambles Market (Free*)

*Unless you get tempted and end up buying lots of lovely things! See where we get most of our ingredients from: Ye Olde Pie Shoppe on the Shambles provide us with sausages, but Chris also loves their pork pies (Chris’ favourite is the chilli one!); we get drinks from Hebden Teas also on The Shambles. Then on the Market itself we get meat from Swains butchers, and fish from Cross of York. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE >>

Fudge Kitchen

Our next-door neighbour-but-one (turn left out of our front door)! They offer free fudge samples and have an open kitchen so that you can watch them making the fudge several times throughout the day. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE >>

York Chocolate Story

Just a minute or two walk from the hotel (turn left out of our front door and walk until you get to King’s Square). Hear about York’s chocolate history, get lots of samples to try, and make a chocolate lolly to take home – really good fun for adults and children. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE >>

National Railway Museum (Free)

We love the railway museum not least because Rebecca’s dad is a train enthusiast and could spend hours in here reading every tiny detail on every sign next to every exhibition! Great for kids with live shows and hands-on activities. Entry is free, but if you can afford it, it’s nice to make a small donation to keep this attraction thriving in York for years to come. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE >>

York City Walls (Free)

A walk around the city walls is the perfect tourist-y thing to do, and won’t cost you a penny! Walking the full walls might take a couple of hours, so our Duty Manager, Erika recommends a shorter version, which takes you around the prettiest parts and only takes around 30 minutes. Join the walls at Bootham Bar and you’ll see the Minster Gardens and the back of York Minster, then come off the walls at Goodramgate. We have a map if you need help finding the start/finish! VISIT THEIR WEBSITE >>

York Dungeon

This attraction promotes itself as “York's funniest and scariest attraction” and promises scary true stories, horrible characters, and hilarious surprises. Chris and I went to this, and it was good fun, but it is a little gory and rude-ish in some places so they don’t allow under 4 year olds in, and recommend no under 8 year olds but this is at the parents’ discretion. Be warned, there is audience participation – we averted our eyes so we didn’t get picked on, but you may end up part of the show if you’re not careful! VISIT THEIR WEBSITE >>

City Cruises York (Dog Friendly)

A range of options on the River Ouse (the one you walk over to get to the Train Station). From self-drive boats, to daytime city tours, lunch cruises, or afternoon tea cruises. Or from one extreme to the other with a ghost cruise in association with York Dungeon (above) or a romantic floodlit evening cruise. Well behaved dogs are welcome on sightseeing cruises. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE >>

York Castle Museum

Approved by a very discerning 8-year-old (Rebecca’s niece)! Lots of things to do, including learning about the history of the building, which was once a prison – hear what crimes some of its inmates had committed. The best part (in our opinion) is the recreated Victorian Street, Kirkgate – a cobbled street with traditional shops to visit. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE >>

Jorvik Viking Centre

Learn about the history of Vikings in York on the very site where the excavations had taken place. Different to most historical exhibitions or museums, at the Jorvik Viking Centre you are transported abound in what they call a “ride experience” (a bit like a very slow cable car, but only inches off the ground – nothing to be scared of!) – really good fun! This attraction got a big thumbs up by an excited 4 year old (Rebecca’s friend’s son) – it was his second favourite thing that we did in York when he visited – and we did a lot! VISIT THEIR WEBSITE >>

York Pass

If you want to see multiple attractions during your visit, it might be worthwhile considering the York Pass, which gets you access to several places with just one ticket – not all York attractions are included so please check the leaflet or website before choosing this option. Buy your York Pass here >>

* Please note that we have written this guide in an effort to share our love and passion for this city. These are our own personal recommendations and we have no business affiliations with the places that we mention. We try to keep this directory up to date, but if any of the information is old or incorrect, we sincerely apologise, however we cannot accept any responsibility for any inconvenience cause by inaccuracies. We suggest checking opening times, prices, and any other information with the attraction first. If you do spot anything that needs correcting, please mention it to us and we’ll get it fixed. Or, if you have found a hidden gem that you think we should mention to our future guests, please do let us know!