Pre Planning A Trip To York

Photo taken by Nikki at Yorkshire Wonders

I’ve been very vocal about how much I want to explore the UK and with the house saving being high on my list I know over the next few year’s I’m not going to get the chance to go on holiday as much so when the opportunity to visit York presented itself to me I jumped at all.

Next month I’ll be visiting York and working with Visit York and I am so excited as I’ve never been to the city but it’s been on my to-visit list for a long time. The city is pretty small but there’s so much packed in from historical gems and culture to nightlife and amazing shopping so it covers pretty much all my loves. 2018 is a really exciting year for the city as Bloom! came to the city earlier this year which is a biennial international arts festival, York Mansion House has re-opened its doors after the biggest restoration since it was first built and one of the cities car parks has been transformed into Europe’s first-ever Pop-Up Shakespearean theatre which is pretty exciting. The theatre is there until 2nd September so make sure you give it a visit if you’re around York.

I am a huge fan of a city pass having got them in multiple cities before like Copenhagen and New York and when I head there next month I’ll have a York Pass which grants access to a whole host of places that I can’t wait to explore. I’ve started making a plan for my trip and I’m really trying to work out how much I can pack into a long weekend. Here are some of the attractions I am keen to visit:

Photo from Abbey Louisa Rose

York Minster

York Minster is always the first image that comes to mind when I think of the city and photos of it look absolutely stunning. It’s the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe which is pretty impressive and it took a massive 250 years to build. I always love going to cathedral when I’m away and I’m sure this is going to be incredible both inside and out.

Jorvik Centre

The Jorvik centre is all about Vikings which in itself is really cool and the centre houses a lot of cool things as York was the trading hub of the Viking world so the authenticity of it is really unique. It’s one of the countries top visitor attractions and I remember seeing school trips going here when I was younger but I always missed out 🙁

Photo also by Nikki from Yorkshire Wonders

York Designer Outlet

Of course it wouldn’t be a weekend away without some shopping and the York Designer Outlet has over 120 stores including some of my favs like Ted Baker and Fossils so I’m planning to head here and just see what good deals they have. Plus there’s a Mulberry store so I can just stand and dream that maybe one day I’ll be able to justify the price.

National Railway Museum

The National Railway Museum in York is the largest railway museum in the UK and you can take a step back and discover all about the steam engine trains. I am really hoping the steam trains are there when I visit as I’ve never ridden on one and it’s something I’d love to experience.

Photo also taken by Nikki from Yorkshire Wonders

Clifford’s Tower

I am all for a panoramic view and Clifford’s Tower is the perfect spot for that. It’s about all that remains of York Castle which was originally built by William the Conqueror so there’s plenty of history there. From the top, there are great views of the city including the Minster and in the distance there’s the North York Moors.

Chocolate Story

For 300 years York’s fame and fortune rested on chocolate and at York’s Chocolate Story you get to find out how the simple cocoa bean transformed into chocolate, discover the history of some of York’s most iconic chocolate brands alongside finding out the secret of why chocolate makes us feel so good. There’s also the chance to see the chocolatiers showcasing their chocolate-making skills before creating your own hand-made chocolates which of course will be a hit with me.

If you’re looking to book a York or North Yorkshire adventure make sure you check out Visit York for loads more recommendations and grab a York Pass as it will give you entry into over thirty York attractions and tours alongside discounts and offers.

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