Walking tours: history, culture and ghost walks

Wonderful. There are many walking tours and ghost walks that run throughout the year. The volunteer-led walking tours tend to focus on history and culture, and take place throughout the daytime, while the ghost walks normally start from 6PM onwards and invariably include an element of street theatre. Tours last for one or two hours. Just look for the posters and billboards posted throughout the city centre for details and the meeting point for that evening, or else look through Visit York's directory. While most tours are in English, Descubre York also offers tours in Spanish and Portuguese, while Yorktour offers French, German, Italian and Turkish tours.

history

Price: History and culture tours free, ghost walks £5-10

Suggest a nearby place

Listing from Wikivoyage: York, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

No exact location on record.

More in York

Do
City walls walk
Enjoy the great views, and try to imagine yourself in the role of city watch keeping a lookout for approaching enemy armies. The walls are medieval, built on Roman foundations, though the Station Road bridges are modern. The total walk is around 2 mi: if short on time or energy, the best section is along the western perimeter from to, close to the Minster. There never was a wall to the north-east, as the swamps along the River Foss were sufficient defence, so this is the least interesting section, where you have to walk along busy Foss Islands Road. No dogs, except guide dogs, are allowed on the walls. You can download a map and guide of the walls courtesy of the Friends of York Walls here.
Daily 8AM-duskFree, except the Micklegate Bar, and Monk Bar towers, which are small museums
DoLive music venue
York Barbican
Email via online contact form. A medium-sized venue for touring music and comedy gigs, orchestral performances, opera, ballet, and tribute acts for past pop legends. One of two venues for the Laugh Out Loud comedy club.
Box office Mon-Fri 10AM-2PM, show nights from 5PMWheelchair accessible · Live music
DoTheatre
Grand Opera House
It was built as a corn exchange in 1868, and was converted to full-time theatre use in 1902. The auditorium is indeed very grand, if a little faded. Despite the name, the Grand hosts a wide variety of plays, musicals, gigs and dance, although opera and ballet performances are rather scarce.
Box office Mon-Sat noon-4PM, show days until 15 min before start of performanceLimited wheelchair access
DoPark
Rowntree Park
Named for the Rowntree company, which gifted the park to the city, and dedicated to company employees lost during the First World War, this is a 30-acre green flag oasis next to the Ouse. Facilities include tennis and basketball courts, a skate park, children's playground and café. Use the Millennium Bridge to cross over the river and grab something cold from the "ice cream boat" , which is moored on the opposite bank on fine afternoons.
Mon-Fri 8AM-dusk, Sat Sun 9AM-duskFree