Cheap or free attractions in York for visiting on a budget

York is one of the most fascinating cities in the UK. Although it was founded by Romans, called Eboracum back then, we probably think of it as more of a Viking city. Due to its historic roots, the attractions are all fairly close together, meaning that you can see it all in just a weekend! These are my favourite free (or reasonably priced) attractions in York.

1. Walk the city walls

Let’s start with one of the free attractions in York: a trek around the city walls. It’s roughly 2 miles of stone, offering superb views of the city with some hidden surprises on the way, perfect for friends, couples, or families with older children. I wouldn’t suggest taking young children on the walk, and I don’t think a buggy or pram would work, but we did see lots of dogs on the wall.

Keep an eye out for the red boards full of information on your route!

2. Buy a Jorvik Triple Ticket

For just £20 an adult, you can gain entry to three fascinating York attractions. The Jorvik Triple Ticket gets you access to The Jorvik Viking Centre, Barley Hall, and DIG. The Jorvik Viking Centre starts with a ride that tells the story of the Viking age city, packed with animatronics, sounds, and smells. Once the ride is over, there is a museum dedicated to the treasures found during excavations of the city.

Barley Hall is a giant medieval house. On our visit, we stumbled across some birds of prey on display (where I learnt that ravens can actually speak), some actors in costume, and a dressing up box that I couldn’t resist.

DIG is aimed more for children and gives them an opportunity to be bite size archaeologists. I skipped on DIG, as we were a couple in our twenties and I thought we might look a little strange there, but I love history and culture, and this was the very first thing I bought in the city.

At opposite ends of the city walls, you’ll find the Richard III and Henry IV experiences, two mini museums that tell the story of the key figures in the Wars of the Roses. They’re part of The Jorvik Group but are temporarily closed due to COVID – hopefully they’ll open again soon and return to being part of the ticket.

3. Ride the National Railway Museum

Another of the free York attractions is the National Railway Museum, which displays a range of artefacts from full royal steam trains to Japanese bullet trains. The museum is much bigger than it looks and has that wonderful oil smell throughout.

My favourite part of the museum was the workshop, where from a balcony, you could see the machinery and tools used to maintain the excellent condition of the locomotives. Any technology nerd would have a field day in this place.

Browse through the exhibitions here

4. Scout the shops

As well as the typical high street names, York has some of the quirkiest shops ever! Walk down the famous Shambles. It’s one of the most popular free attractions in York, and it’s easy to see why. There are all sorts of gift shops, cafes, and three or four Harry Potter themed shops to browse, which is perfect for any Potterhead. Of course, you don’t have to buy anything!

However, if you’re popping into this part of the city, be prepared to stand in a few lines or dodge a hundred people. I was amazed at how busy this one street was!

Related: Five Yorkshire Locations Worth Visiting This Summer

5. Indulge in York’s Chocolate Story

This is by far one of the best York tourist attractions, or attractions anywhere. At a £15.95 price tag, this isn’t cheap, but it does get you a tour through the history of chocolate in the UK. Be prepared to taste chocolate in every room you enter, and this is the only place I’ve ever been able to munch on 10 minute old fondant filled chocs! You can definitely tell the difference between fresh and packaged chocolate. You also end your tour by making your own chocolate lolly, so you can leave with a delicious souvenir too.

If you still haven’t had enough of the brown stuff, or if the guided tour is out of your budget there’s more chocolate in the café on the ground floor of the tour.

Book your tour here

6. Grab some grub

My favourite part of any trip is trying new restaurants. There are hundreds of bars and restaurants in the city, many of them chains, but I love trying to find independent places to eat. Here are a few places you should try.

It’s a shame I found out about this restaurant after our trip to York. Chloe, a travel blogger and York local – so you know she’s an expert – reviewed The Go Down Restaurant on her blog, and I can say, just reading it made my mouth water. Read what she had to say about it here.

At lunch time on the first day exploring the city, we were starving, so entered the nearest place to eat: Sutlers Bar and Kitchen. When I saw that they did a meat sharing platter, I knew what we were buying. It was delicious and certainly filled a hole.

My last recommendation is a place called Piccolino. On a rammed Saturday night during the York Races, the staff managed to seat us despite not having a reservation. Their menu is diverse, our food was great quality, and the staff were friendly and welcoming. They rescued what could have been a disastrous night!

7. Take a solemn trip to York Minster

The cathedral that stands watch over the city and the north of England is well worth making a visit to. Even if you aren’t a big believer, the 7th century architecture is magnificent to admire, if you want to splash out on the £12.50 tickets. We didn’t so we absorbed the beauty and atmosphere of the area from the outside.

We didn’t pay for tickets to enter the Minster, and chose to do the Chocolate Story tour instead, but I don’t feel like I’ve missed out at all by just seeing it from the outside.

Take a look here for more information

I hope you have a wonderful time exploring York, and if you need a little more inspiration, check out Chloe’s blog – Imjustagirl16.co.uk – for some expert ideas and advice.

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