Lady’s Guide to a Day Trip to York

Today I want to share my guide to a day trip to York with you. This city in the north of England is worth a visit for its stunning cathedral, historic streets, and beautiful heritage architecture.

Day Trip to York

I was 5 years old last time I was in York. My mother, who has a notorious sweet tooth that has most definitely skipped a generation, bought me a giant pink peppermint stick with the word YORK emblazoned across the top.

No matter how much of the candy I begrudgingly ate, the YORK wouldn’t disappear until I had finished every last bite. Neither did the memory, apparently. Like the never-ending candy, the experience of York stuck in my head.

Having taken an unintentional break from my beloved day trips from London, on Saturday I took advantage of a special offer for £9 train tickets and took a day trip to York with two of my friends.

York, England

Founded by the Romans in 71AD, York is brimming with history. My inner nerd (okay, my outer one too) was drawn to the city for all its famous historic gems.

The Gothic cathedral of York Minster, the medieval walls, the castle, the impossibly narrow cobbled streets, and the prospect of getting out of frigid London to head north to an even more frigid city in Yorkshire all appealed.

Things to Do in York

We arrived in York at noon after a 2-hour train ride from London and walked the short distance from the York train station to the city center.

York Minster

We followed signs to York Minster, crossing a bridge over the river and trailing the miniature train from the National Railway Museum to the entrance of the cathedral.

It was beautiful to see the interior of the church, and I particularly liked its stunning stained-glass windows.

Snickelways

After visiting York Minster, we continued our day trip to York by heading into the Snickelways, narrow cobbled streets and alleys that make up much of the historic city center.

Full of shops, boutiques, cafes, tearooms, and restaurants, the York Snickelways had us drooling over the delicious baked goods at Bettys Stonegate, taking photos of the shops, and smiling at the cuddly critters in Stonegate Teddy Bears.

Lunch in York

My friend had made us a lunch reservation, so after our window shopping we meandered over to the restaurant.

The chef—a former chef from Leeds who had relocated to York with a Michelin star under his belt—supposedly cooked up some of the best food in York.

We sat down to a three course tasting menu (for only £12…take that, London!) at 1pm.

After eating our way through a delicious smoked salmon salad, an orzo dish served in the world’s tiniest black cauldron, and a rectangle of savory pork belly, we moved on to devour two cheese plates, dessert, and a glass of port.

It was 3:15 by the time we left. Like most days in my life, I never intended to spend so much time on food, but somehow my appetite took precedence over everything else.

Thankfully I had no regrets this time, as the restaurant lived up to its reputation.

York City Walls

We left the restaurant to continue our day trip to York with a walk along the city walls. We were told it was one of the highlights of any trip to York.

Sadly, we arrived to find a sign explaining that the walls were closed due to inclement weather.

We decided on plan B, which was to walk through some even narrower Snickelways than the ones we had seen before. Their historic building counterparts leaned in over them with the weight of age.

York Castle

The next stop on our day trip to York was York Castle, or Clifford’s Tower, which was perched atop a grassy knoll. This too was closed, but only due to early winter closing hours.

We made a preliminary charge up the stairs, but abandoned the task when one of my friends reached the top and told us that the “king’s eye view” was more of a literal description than an aesthetic one.

St Martin Le Grand Church

By then darkness was falling, so we walked up the road and poked our heads into the low doorway of St Martin Le Grand Church, a beautiful relic of a holy place that was half destroyed by bombing in 1942.

The colorful ceiling and golden Last Supper sculpture above the altar were highlights, as was the sign on the door asking us not to let pigeons inside. So much for all God’s creatures.

York Minster Gardens

We walked back to York Minster in the creeping darkness and explored the gardens while the mist rolled in and made the cathedral look like a haunted house. By the time we left, it was dark and time to travel back to London.

York Day Trip

I left York feeling like there was so much more to see than just the little bit I had explored that day. Like the giant peppermint stick, it seemed that no matter how much I saw of York, there was still more waiting to be discovered.

Next time the £9 train fares come up, I just might head back for another day trip to York to do some more exploring. I’ve heard great things about the York Christmas markets, so maybe I’ll time my trip to see them in person.

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