Date ideas in York
A ghost walk, dinner on Fossgate, evensong at the Minster, a walk on the walls at dusk: York does atmosphere better than almost anywhere.
14 picks that fit, best first. The order follows the live forecast and the time of day.
York city walls
Bootham Bar
Two miles of medieval wall to walk around the city, with the best views of the Minster, free.
Timed right for sunset. Go now, before the rain arrives. Good in the evening.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
The Shambles and Shambles Market
City centre
The overhanging medieval street of butchers’ shops, now sweets and wizard shops, with the market beside it.
Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Fossgate and Walmgate
Fossgate
The restaurant street: independents from tapas to Yorkshire ale, beside the Foss.
Rain is due later, and this is under cover. Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
Museum Gardens and the Yorkshire Museum
Museum Street
Botanical gardens with abbey ruins, a Roman tower and peacocks, free, with the Yorkshire Museum inside.
Go now, before the rain arrives. Good in the evening. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Gardens free; museum ticketed
River Ouse cruise
King’s Staith
An hour on the river past the Guildhall, the Museum Gardens and the bishop’s palace, with commentary.
Rain is due later, and this is under cover. Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
York ghost walk
The Shambles
The most haunted city in England does its ghost stories every night, by lantern, from the Shambles.
Go now, before the rain arrives. Good in the evening.
- Under £10
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
York Theatre Royal
St Leonard’s Place
A theatre since 1744, with a producing company, a famous panto and a glass foyer over medieval walls.
Rain is due later, and this is under cover. Good in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Grand Opera House
Cumberland Street
The city’s touring house for musicals, comedy and bands, in an Edwardian theatre by the river.
Rain is due later, and this is under cover. Good in the evening.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
York Minster
Minster Yard
The largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, with medieval glass and a tower over the whole city.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Free to attend a service; tower extra
Castle Howard
Day trip
The baroque palace of Brideshead Revisited, with a thousand acres of gardens, lakes and temples.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Over £25
- In and out
- A full day
- Good with kids
York Art Gallery
Exhibition Square
Six hundred years of painting and the country’s best collection of studio pottery, free, opposite Bootham Bar.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Free; some exhibitions ticketed
Bettys Café Tea Rooms
St Helen’s Square
The Yorkshire tea room since 1936, with a fat rascal, a queue and a mirror signed by wartime airmen.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Merchant Adventurers' Hall
Fossgate
A timber-framed guildhall from 1357, still owned by the guild that built it, with a garden by the Foss.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Treasurer's House
Minster Yard
A collector’s townhouse behind the Minster, with the cellar where a plumber saw Roman soldiers march through.
Usually closed by now; try tomorrow.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Good to know
What is a good date idea in York?
A ghost walk, dinner on Fossgate, evensong at the Minster, a walk on the walls at dusk: York does atmosphere better than almost anywhere. There are 14 ideas here, ranked for the conditions right now, with viewpoints pushed up around sunset and indoor picks pushed up when it rains.
Are there cheap date ideas in York?
Plenty. Look for the "Free" and "Cheap" labels: galleries, viewpoints and walks make good first dates and cost little or nothing.