York Boat Tours

York Boat
Boat Tour in York

A great way to see the city of York, England is to take a boat tour along the River Ouse.

York boat tours are operated by YorkBoat. Their river cruises run daily from early February through late November. Visitors can board one of their boats at either King’s Staith landing or Lendal Bridge landing.

Each boat tour lasts for 45 minutes, and the captain gives a running commentary throughout the cruise. During the tour, passengers will see some of the top sights in York, including York Minster, the city walls, Cliffords Tower, the Guildhall, and the famous bridges of the city.

There is comfortable seating and a bar on board for passengers that want to enjoy a drink while they cruise down the river.

Four daily cruises are offered in the winter and late autumn, and departures take place every 30 to 45 minutes in the spring, summer, and early autumn. You can check departure times at the landings.

There are also special seasonal tours throughout the year, including Christmas tours and summer night cruises. Private hire is available as well.

Tickets for York boat tours cost £7.50 for adults and £3.50 for children ages 5 to 15 if you buy them quayside. Discounts are available for seniors (£6.50) and families (£20.00). Children under 5 ride free. Special online discounts are available for all passengers if you purchase your tickets online in advance.

Top 10 Things to Do in York, England

York Clock
York

If you’re visiting York, England, there are plenty of things to keep you entertained for a day trip or a weekend. To help you narrow down the choices, here is my list of the top 10 things to do in York:

1. Go on a bus tour of York to see the highlights and get your bearings. Bus tours take visitors all over the city, offering a great overview.

2. Take a walk through the Snickelways, tiny alleys and small streets that have survived through the centuries and offer some of the best shopping in York.

3. Have lunch at J Baker’s Bistro Moderne, which is one of the best restaurants in York.

4. Take a miniature train from York Mister to the National Railway Museum to learn about the history of rail transport in the UK.

5. Have tea at Betty’s Cafe and Tea Rooms, a famous tea room in the heart of the York city centre.

6. Take a river boat cruise along the River Ouse to see sights like York Minster the famous historic bridges of York.

7. Visit the Jorvik Viking Centre to see what York was like in its earliest days.

8. Visit York Castle and Cliffords Tower for a taste of York city history.

9. Walk along the medieval city walls of York for a top-down look at the city.

10. Visit York Minster, the one of the best Gothic cathedrals in all of northern Europe.

York Train Station Left Luggage

An easy day trip from London, York is only a 2.5 hour train ride away. Storing your bags at the York train station left luggage office is a great way to lighten your load while you explore the best attractions and shopping York has to offer.

York train station left luggage facilities are run by a company called Autohorn. The company offer everything from car and cycle hire to baggage storage.

Autohorn operate out of the Europcar car hire office in the station. The office is located on the platform-facing side of the main building by platform 1.

The York train station left luggage office is open:
Monday through Saturday from 8:00 to 20:30, and Sundays from 9:00 to 20:30.

In addition to bags, York train station’s left luggage office also accepts bicycles. Alternatively, there are cycle racks next to the office that can be used. They consist of over 50 stands accommodating around 450 cycles.