Exploring the city of York!

There is so much to do when exploring the city of York, and that can make it tricky to decide where to start.

It’s a place that I genuinely love, and hopefully this jam-packed week plan will give you a few ideas that’ll help you fall in love with the city too!

Monday

It’s your first day in York! With any new place, it’s important to get your bearings, and that can be an intimidating prospect when faced by the winding cobbled streets of a Medieval city. So, why not get outside and follow a walk of the city walls? It takes about two hours to do the full circuit, but it’s easy to do as much or as little as you want. When I did this with my flatmates, we made many stops to take pictures and enjoy the cafes en route. If walking isn’t your thing, why not embrace your inner-tourist, grab an ‘I Heart York’ shirt and jump on one of the many hop-on-hop-off sightseeing buses.

Tuesday

York is teeming with culture and, thankfully for our student budgets, so much is available to do for free when exploring the city! At the moment, with your University of York student card you can enter the iconic York Minster at no cost. For lunch, why not head to the nearby Museum Gardens and see the ruins (which look particularly spooky when Halloween comes around!) before heading to the York Art Gallery, which is also currently free admission.

At the moment, Tuesday is the student club night at Kuda – luckily there’s a bus stop which drops the 66 off from the campus right outside the venue, so no need to blow the budget on an Uber either.

Wednesday

Now you’ve seen the sights of York, it’s important to taste the food. York has so much delicious food on offer, with cuisine from all over the world. There’s your traditional English pub fare, alongside restaurants serving (among others) Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Polish and Nepalese dishes. I can’t say for sure (because there are so many amazing restaurants I’ve not tried yet!), but if you’re craving a certain dish or wanting some home comfort as an international student, I’m almost certain you can find it in York.

Wednesday is also when the student club night at Salvation now happens, and if you’re interested in joining any sports or societies, this is when they have their weekly socials.

Thursday

York is also a great place to do some shopping. The Shambles is full of small independent businesses which are perfect to buy Christmas presents from, sample some delicious chocolatey treats, or do some window shopping. As a literature student, I can also admit that I love a good bookshop – and York is teeming with them! My favourite is Minstergate Bookshop, where there are some amazing bargains to be had, with rooms across four floors of a beautiful historical building.

Friday

It’s nearly the end of the week! So, it’s time to relax and explore some of the amazing bars and pubs in York. The Lowther and Stone Roses are student favourites for a cheap pint and some good chat. But, if you want to get adventurous and try some cocktails head down to quirky Evil Eye, take a trip from old York to New York in Manahatta, or head to the riverside and go to Revolution before dancing the night away there on Sunday.

That’s the end of a pretty hectic week plan, but I hope this has given you some ideas about how to get the most out of your time exploring the city of York. No matter what your interests are, there’s something for you. So get out there, try something new, and have a good time!