Guide · 6 min read
A perfect first day in York
One day, no car, and the version of York that still feels like a city people live in.
Start before the city wakes. The Shambles at half eight is a different street to the Shambles at eleven, and the walls are at their best with low light across the rooftops.
Give the Minster proper time rather than a quick look. The undercroft explains why the building sits where it does, and the east window deserves more than a photograph.
Afternoon is for the smaller things: the snickelways, the second-hand bookshops, the riverside. Finish somewhere with a fire rather than a view.
