York history and ghost tour: Self-guided walk with app

Walk through two thousand years of York in a single afternoon, pausing where you want.

A self-guided walking tour of York that combines Roman history, Viking archaeology, medieval architecture and ghost stories in one route, navigated by phone app with audio and written guides for 19 stops. You set the pace and start time, with offline access so you don't need internet once the app downloads. The tour stays outside, no entry to attractions included, and runs 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on how long you linger at each site.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore York's history and hauntings

• Walk among church ruins
• Spot Roman and medieval stonework
• Trace abbot's luxury residence
• Discover medieval gates of York
• Hear about Georgian wall preservation
• Visit historic bar and proclamation site
• Learn about hauntings at Treasurer's House
• See modern sculpture of Constantine
• Marvel at York Minster exterior
• Follow ancient Roman road
• Piece together Mad Alice's tale
• Explore Shambles medieval street
• Pause at York's most haunted pub
• Visit medieval investors' headquarters
• See Viking city archaeological site
• Count hangings at York Castle Museum site
• End at Clifford's Tower mound
• Pause at Guy Fawkes' baptism church
• Stand on world's shortest street

The experience

You arrive in York with an afternoon free and no guide to book. Download the app before you go, and the entire tour (audio, map, images and written descriptions) loads onto your phone. No internet needed once it's there. The route threads through the city's layers: you'll walk among Roman ruins, spot the line in the stonework where medieval builders picked up where Roman hands stopped, trace the medieval gates called "bars," and stand at Clifford's Tower where a hundred and fifty people sought refuge and never came back down. The app tells you what you're looking at and why it matters, in your language: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Dutch, Polish or Swedish.

The tour doesn't separate history from hauntings. You'll pass the Treasurer's House, where spectral Roman soldiers reportedly walk; the Golden Fleece pub, which claims over fifteen resident ghosts including a one-eyed regular; and the snickelway where Mad Alice's story lives on. You'll walk the Shambles, a preserved medieval street of timber-framed buildings and narrow lanes where St. Margaret Clitherow's shrine still stands, and you can duck into shops or linger for photos without a group waiting. The app marks each stop on an interactive map, so you know where you are and what comes next. Pause for a pint, enter York Minster if you want to (the tour covers its exterior and you can step inside on your own), or skip a stop entirely. The app lets you pick up where you left off.

Because you're walking on your own, you move at your own speed. The 1.5 to 2.5 hour estimate includes time at each stop and the walk between them, but if a site captures your interest, you stay. If you want to move faster, you do. The app works for a full year once you download it, so you can walk the tour again on a return visit or share it with someone else on your phone. If the tour doesn't work for you, the operator offers a full refund.

What’s included

• Audio and written guide for 19 locations.
• offline access to the tour once downloaded.
• interactive in-app map for navigation with images to identify stops.
• one-year access to the app on iOS and Android.
• availability in 9 languages.
• full refund guarantee if you're not satisfied.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish and Russian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Tourific

Is this one for you?At 1.5 to 2.5 hours, the tour fits into a free afternoon and leaves room for lunch or a museum visit afterward. You set the start time and pace, so you can walk it whenever suits your schedule, pause for as long as you want at any stop, or save it for a second visit to York.

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Top questions

Can I walk this tour if I've never been to York before?

Yes, the tour is built for first-time visitors who want the highlights without booking a guide. It covers Roman ruins, Viking archaeology, medieval streets, and ghost stories all in one route, so you get a sense of York's full history in a single afternoon.

What happens if I want to go inside York Minster or the other attractions?

The tour covers the outside of York Minster and other sites, but entry is not included and you'd need to buy separate tickets if you want to go in. You can pause the tour, visit on your own time, and pick it back up whenever you're ready.

Do I need internet or headphones to use the app?

You need internet to download the app and the tour content before you start, but once it's downloaded, the tour works offline on your phone. You'll need your own headphones or earbuds if you want to listen to the audio guide. The app also includes written descriptions for each stop.

How long does the tour actually take if I stop at every location?

The tour runs 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on how long you spend at each of the 19 stops and how fast you walk between them. The estimate includes both walking time and time spent at each site, but you control the pace: linger longer at places that interest you or move faster through others.

What's included in the 19 stops along the route?

The stops cover Clifford's Tower, York Castle Museum, York Minster, Treasurer's House, the Shambles, the Golden Fleece pub, Roman ruins, medieval gates, Viking archaeology sites, and several other historic streets and buildings. Each stop has audio and written descriptions plus images to help you identify it.

Is this tour suitable if I'm visiting York for just one day?

Yes, it's designed for visitors with limited time who want a taste of everything York offers. The 1.5 to 2.5 hour route covers the main highlights across Roman, Viking, medieval and Georgian periods, and you can fit it into a day itinerary around other plans.