York History

Enjoy this fascinating 90 minute group tour that introduces you to all of the secrets of the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. Enter off limits areas like the two walled cemeteries and an exclusive experience in the CATACOMBS beneath the Old Cathedral. For over 200 years, the CATACOMBS of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral has served as the final resting place for the departed. This unique and historic place has been a silent witness to the many struggles and accomplishments of prominent New York Catholics. It is where bishops rest beside noteworthy New Yorkers who have played defining roles in Catholic, New York and American history.

Experience 5 must-see attractions and save up to 41% with New York CityPASS® tickets. With 9 days to use your tickets, you can take your time exploring. Get admission to 5 attractions. Includes: • Empire State Building Observatory • American Museum of Natural History Plus choose 3 of the following: • Top of The Rock® Observation Deck • 9/11 Memorial & Museum • Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island • Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises • Intrepid Museum • Guggenheim Museum Plan Your Trip: Download and visit the My CityPASS® App to access tickets, make reservations (if required), and view attraction details.

Step into the Shadows of York… Prepare for a walking tour like no other! An immersive, educational journey through history. Dare to indulge in something different as you explore York’s dimly lit streets and eerie snickelways, where echoes of the past still linger… Led by a charismatic witch guide, this unique and alternative tour uncovers captivating tales of those accused of witchcraft, and their ultimate fates. With every step along York's ancient cobbles, you’ll hear chilling accounts of Yorkshire’s witches, and the dark history that unfolded beneath your very feet. This is more than just a tour; it’s an engaging, often enlightening, and ultimately uplifting experience that will leave you simply spellbound! A word of caution, my dears: This is an outdoor walking tour, so be sure to dress for the weather!

Step back in time and discover the darkest moments in Yorkshire’s history with a visit to York Dungeon! The ticket to the spooky walk-around attraction includes access to live shows, a gripping ride and state-of-the-art special effects and staging. Learn of famous foes such as Dick Turpin and Guy Fawkes, and laugh at details of their exploits before they were caught. The top York attraction makes for a fun family visit; just prepare to be spooked!

Dare you take a trip into the past and uncover some of York’s turbulent and tragic history? A past that manifests itself in the unexplained sightings of shadows haunting our streets and buildings. Let us take you on a journey through the streets and snickleways and tell you about the shadows of York. Note: The tour is rated PG and not recommended for under 8's. The stories change from time to time. But they do contain in depth historic details, some of which can be dark, sad or gory. These may include executions, plague, suicide or any other grim facts. Some young children may find it disturbing. Please check FAQ for more information. The shadows are waiting for you…

Experience the best travel stories for yourself! You may not immediately compare Brooklyn to a small town, but the hippest borough is made up of distinct community-oriented neighborhoods that thrive and blossom because of the local mom-and-pop businesses, many of which have been here for generations. Throughout this neighborhood food tour, we celebrate the businesses by telling the stories of the people involved, by sampling some of the delicious food being sold.

Winner of a magical myriad of awards, and York's ONLY tour created for families with children! WINNER Best of York 2024 – Visit York WINNER Best Tour of York 2023, 2024 and 2025 – Little Vikings 3RD Best Family Experience in the World – TripAdvisor Join The Wizard of York for spellbinding magic, comedy and five-star family fun! Ideal for ages 5-10 in particular, or big kids with a silly sense of humour… A great alternative to a ghost walk, this tour focuses on FUN over frights. A truly magical and memorable experience that Harry Potter fans will go Potty for (but no knowledge of the wizarding world required!) *Tours will take place with one of two Wizard Guides, either Phoenix the Red OR Viridian The Green*

The tour begins inside The Guy Fawkes Inn (on High Petergate, opposite Michael Le Belfrey's church). From there you'll learn about the famous conspirators and the gun powder plot, in the very birthplace of Guy Fawkes himself! We'll then proceed to York Minster yard, where you'll learn all about the Minsters rich history. We'll also visit several other famous spots in York, including The Shambles, Museum Gardens, and many more! The important thing to remember when booking, is that no 2 tours are the same! Depending on how much time you have and what your interests are I'll make each tour as personalised as I'm able. The tour stops listed are just a few of many other places I can take you in York, so if you decide to come back for another tour, you can guarantee it will be very different from the previous excursion!

Join your character guide and get an up-close walking tour experience of the city and its delightful hidden gems. Get ready; culture, history, heritage, and best kept secrets await. You will pass by famous landmarks and have some of their surprising secrets revealed; Bettys, Bootham Bar and York Minster to name but three. You’ll learn the unknown truths of York’s most infamous characters Guy Fawkes and Dick Turpin. Your savvy guide will point out treasures hidden in plain sight that even locals don’t know about; concealed courtyards, unusual statues, secluded snickelways, and curious artefacts that are so often simply passed by. Included on this charming tour is a delicious taster from York’s Chocolate Story. This local treat hand-picked by our partners adds a satisfying savouring in a city steeped in chocolate history. Whether you’re a visitor or a local, our Historical Gems Walking Tour will allow you to get to know this beautiful city through a different perspective.

If your intention is to get a complete idea of New York, you should not miss the opportunity to know the districts of Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens with a Spanish-speaking guide who will accompany you throughout the tour, making stops to take pictures, talking about History and sharing experiences. The whole cultural and tourist offer does not end in Manhattan, with the excursion contrasts of New York: The authentic excursion with which you will be able to appreciate the daily life of the New Yorquinos.

Take a thrilling journey though mob history on this walking tour in New York's Little Italy, where some of the most notorious events in American gangster lore took place. Start with the violent tactics of early black hand gangs and the battles to control the liquor trade during prohibition, leading to the rise of Joe "The Boss" Masseria. Learn how Lucky Luciano revolutionized organized crime with The Commission of Five Families and his unlikely deal with the government during World War Two. See the infamous Ravenite Social Club and follow the rise and fall of Dapper Don John Gotti. Meet Lieutenant Petrosino, an early crime fighter, and Frank Serpico, who risked his life to expose police corruption. End with visits to the spots where mobsters "Sally Bugs" Briguglio and Crazy Joey Gallo met their bloody demise. Optionally, see locations from The Godfather and continue to Five Points, the notorious neighborhood popularized by the film Gangs of New York. Distance: 1 mile / 1.5 km

Guided bike tour of York, inside and outside the city walls.  Starting at a central location in the city.  A 2 to 2.5 hour tour with multiple stops to hear the stories of the saints and sinners, the good and the evil, from Romans and Vikings to the sweetness of chocolate makers.  Although factual, your guide will tell the grisly tales in a lighthearted way.  The route is planned for safety and the best stopping view points and is mainly on quiet roads or designated cycle paths.

Discover the extraordinary Viking history of York, and the incredible tales of the most famous Vikings of them all – Ragnar, Ivar the Boneless, Erik Bloodaxe and Harald Hardrada. Why was York such an important Viking city, and why were so many Viking battles fought here? Find out why in this exclusive, personalized 2-hour walking tour of Viking York. … meeting you at a time and location to suit you (for example at your hotel) there are no set times to meet or big groups to join with, this is your own tour which you can take at your own pace. For a small additional fee this can also include a stop off at an authentic Viking Themed Bar in York (great in the cold weather!), located on the same site as the legendary Viking Kings of York!

Is a hotdog a sandwich? Discover the answer on this deliciously fun small group walking tour of New York City that offers a fun twist on a typical food tour. Visit eateries that only NYC locals know about and debate whether the burger, taco or hotdog are a sandwich as you feast on three generous sandwich portions. You also discover street art and learn about the history of New York City and the people behind this foodie destination. · Sandwich-focused food tour of New York · Get a locals-only perspective on the city's best sandwich shops · Tour price includes three generous sandwich portions (you won’t go home hungry!) · A small group means more attention from your guide.

Take an analytical stroll through the evolution of psychiatry on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Main Features: Find out about the journey of psychiatry from Europe to America. Learn about the madhouses of the metropolis. Discover the psychoanalytic explosion that occurred in New York City. Hear about the Sackler family’s beginnings in “valiumania.” Peer at the psychiatric islands of the East River, the first American psychoanalytic society, and the offices, mansions, and townhouses of medical research and Freudian relations.

This tour will take you across the historic centre of York and stop at a number of independent businesses, each one of which will provide you with generous examples of their fabulous food & drink. You'll get to enjoy Yorkshire Cheeses, Fish & Chips, Tacos, Chocolate and Pintxos with Sherry before choosing a sweet or savoury finale with a well earned Yorkshire ale! While walking between the venues you'll hear a bit about the history of York and pass by several of the cities major attractions such as York Minster, Cliffords Tower and the City Walls. Your guide is a York based food writer who knows the city and its hospitality scene intimately. He's been featured in the Lonely Planet guide, is a coordinating judge for the Guild of Fine Food and helps run York Food & Drink Festival….You can recognise him by the cutlery tattoos!

Let your own personalised tour guide take you on a spectacular trip round this world famous city at night. You are provided a unique guided tour experience and picked up at your hotel or elsewhere in town at a place of your choosing, at a time that suits you. You will be taken around the major historic points of interest in York, without a big group to tag along with or time schedules to keep, and even arrange coffee or food along the way at some of York's very best food and drink establishments. Private tour means it will be operated with just your guide and you.

Explore the fascinating history of York, the charming northeast England city that was founded by the ancient Romans! On this self-guided tour narrated by an expert historian, we’ll walk around from Exhibition Square, up the beautiful Stonegate, and visit York Minster, the huge 13th-century Gothic cathedral.  Walk through the old city walls and visit its iconic key attractions such as the Shambles, JORVIK Viking Centre and finish the tour at York Castle Museum, as well as visiting Clifford’s Tower. Delve into York’s secret stories and mysterious past, before learning about its bustling culture at Stonegate, for an epic cultural adventure in this must-see historic town.  Note: This is a self-guided audio walking tour and does not include entrance tickets

Explore Roman York, at your own pace with your own personal tour guide! This is a new private bespoke tour run by York Walls Tours – with over 100 5 star reviews for our other tours on Trip Advisor! Your private guide will take you on a informative and entertaining trip around York, discovering its fascinating Roman past, where for over 300 years the most dangerous province in the entire Roman Empire was governed from. Learn about the emperors who visited (and died here!), discover lost sites missed by tourists and explore the extraordinary history of this most iconic of Roman Cities, from Dark age battles to lost legions, crazed emperors to gladiator cemetaries, the private Roman tour of York has it all!

Explore the history of high society along Fifth Avenue on a private guided tour through one of the worlds most exclusive neighborhoods. Uncover the real-life stories of some of the most notable self-made magnates of the American Industrial Revolution, from rags to riches, ruthless robber barons and the philanthropists who left lasting legacies. Travel through millionaire’s row to see, lavish mansions, elite private social clubs, fine art museums and cultural institutions.