5 City Tours in York Worth Booking

1.Daytime Sightseeing Boat Cruise in York

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,256 reviews · 45 minutes (approx.) · from $20Our pick

Cruise the River Ouse from King’s Staith for about 45 minutes, with views of York Minster, Clifford’s Tower, city walls, bridges, pubs, and riverside parks. A live captain’s commentary adds local history and humor. Choose an open-air or indoor seat, and buy hot or cold drinks on board.

“The app sent us to the wrong meeting spot on the wrong side of the river! We missed our boat but they were very accommodating and let us take a later boat. The tour was very nice and a relaxing way to see some of the city!”

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2.City Sightseeing York Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 545 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $23

See York from an open-top double-decker bus with a 24-hour hop-on hop-off pass. The roughly 60-minute loop links Exhibition Square, Clifford’s Tower, Monk Bar, York Racecourse, the railway station, and more. Expect recorded commentary, with live guides on some departures, plus indoor and open-air seating.

“The nice preciseness of the ride matching up with all the history as we made our rounds about the city.”

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3.J & M York City Walking Tours

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 480 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $18Best value

Walk York with local guides such as Nick or James, covering the Minster, Shambles, city walls, Monk Bar, guild history, Constantine the Great, and Dick Turpin. This two-hour route mixes major sights with easy-to-miss corners, historic streets, odd tales, and practical orientation. Museum admissions are not included.

“This is an outstanding intro to the city and a great way to orient oneself as to what to see while you are visiting. Nick, our guide, was phenomenal!”

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4.York City Pass: Access 35+ Attractions for One Great Price

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 122 reviews · from $88

Use the York Pass to enter more than 35 York attractions, including York Minster, Jorvik Viking Centre, Clifford’s Tower, York Dungeon, Castle Howard, and the National Railway Museum. Choose a one-day or multi-day pass, then build your own schedule. A 24-hour sightseeing bus ticket and river cruise are also included, though some attractions need advance reservations.

“The selection of attractions was great ended up going to a couple of attractions I wouldn't have considered if they weren't on the pass. Make sure to check the attractions list before you go as some of these need to be booked in advance on the attractions websites directly. Overall I found it great value for money with what was included.”

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5.Immersive Murder Mystery in York, A City Treasure Hunt Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 54 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $20

Start near Clifford’s Tower and follow a 4-kilometre trail through York using Telegram on your phone. Solve 19 riddles tied to a 1491 murder, visit tucked-away streets and optional pub stops, and race your friends on a leaderboard. The private game takes about 2.5 to 3.5 hours and finishes back near the starting point.

“We got to see streets of York that we would never have seen without the experience. The riddles were really fun to try and decipher, very cleverly thought up! We would have enjoyed having a few more pub stops if we were to do it again”

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