How to visit York on a budget

If you’re wondering is it possible to visit York on a budget, the answer is yes. 

The City of York is a budget-friendly destination at any time of the year and my local-knowledge tips in this article will help you save money on York accommodation and eating out. I’ll also share the best cheap and free things to do in York for all ages and interests.  

My money saving tips for visiting York will help you keep your trip costs within your budget without compromising on having fun in York.

 

York on a budget – accommodation tips 

 

 

Stay near York city centre

 

There are some excellent cheap York hotels to choose from. You won’t have to sacrifice comfort, style or location and can find historic, character packed cheap hotels plus hotels which welcome families or dogs. 

If possible, stay within walking distance of the city walls. You’ll be able to walk to all York attractions and you won’t need to spend money on buses or taxis. 

To help you find the perfect hotel for your trip, nearly all the York hotels I feature on my website are within a 20 minute walk of the city centre. 

For example, the low budget Ibis is a hotel close to York rail station and is only 10 minutes walk from the city centre.

Accommodation outside of York (especially outside the A1237 outer ring road) won’t necessarily be cheaper once you factor in the lack of neighbouring competition and travelling costs. 

 

Look for York accommodation with free or cheap rate parking

 

Space in a historic city such as York is at a premium, so the luxury of a hotel or apartment car park usually has a hefty price tag attached.

Overnight parking at some hotels in York costs up to £25 / $32 per car per night!

There are only a few hotels that offer cheap rate parking such as The Minster Hotel on Bootham which charges just £7 / $9 per night.

Better still, book one of the rare hotels in York with free parking.

Alternatively, leave the car at home and visit York by train.

York rail station is directly opposite the city walls and is only a 10 minute walk from the city centre.

Choose budget accommodation in York

 

You’ll find a good selection of independently owned budget-friendly hotels in York such as the highly rated Wheatlands Lodge Hotel (which has free parking) or the fabulous Clementine’s Town House Hotel which is a 10 minute walk from York Minster.

The Premier Inn and Travelodge chains have several hotels in York plus you’ll find a Novotel, Marriott and Holiday Inn, all of which are within walking distance of the city centre. The Novotel and York Marriott are rare York hotels with a pool.

There is also an excellent range of hostels in York most of which offer private ensuite rooms. 

 

Look for accommodation deals for families

 

Several family-friendly York hotels offer excellent accommodation deals for families.

For example, the Holiday Inn York allows children under 17 to stay for free when sharing their parents room. Plus, up to four children under 12 can stay and eat for free with a paying adult; these savings can really add up over a few days. 

 

 

Check discount voucher sites before your visit

 

York hotels (and restaurants) often feature on discount sites such as Groupon, Wowcher and LivingSocial.

Check the latest deals before you visit to pick up bargain hotel and dining offers. I regularly use dining deals on these sites to eat out in York.  

 

Consider self-catering in York 

 

Self-catering is an affordable method of travel, particularly for families or groups of friends. You’ll find lots of self-catering houses, hostels, flats and holiday apartments in York city centre. 

There are several supermarkets in York plus The Shambles Market has a great selection of fresh fruit and vegetables. 

 

 

Getting around York on a budget

 

Get walking!

 

Unlike other U.K cities, the City of York is so small it can easily be covered on foot. Getting around York is quick and easy. 

For example, York Minster to Jorvik Viking Centre are on opposite sides of the city centre but it’s only a 10 minute walk between the two attractions.

You don’t need to use public transport or taxis during your visit unless you are visiting attractions outside York or are staying outside York.  

 

Avoid city centre parking fees 

 

Don’t drive into York city centre unless you have to or you have a car full of people to split the cost with.

Car parks in York city centre are expensive. For example, Castle car park adjacent to Clifford’s Tower costs £17 / $22 for 5 hours.

Privately owned (non-council car parks) can cost even more.

If you can’t walk into or around York, local buses are cheap and reliable although not all bus lines have frequent services.

Journeys prices are currently capped at £2 / $2.50  per single journey for adults and £1 / $1.25 for children.

You can find York bus route and timetables here.

 

Use the Park and Ride

 

If you do need to drive into York, the most affordable option is to use a Park and Ride bus.

There are 6 Park and Ride car parks dotted around the outer ring road on the major routes into York. The 6 bus lines run regularly throughout the day and travel all over York city centre. 

Return bus fares into York currently costs £3.60 / $4.50 and up to three children under 16 can travel for free with a paying adult. 

Up to five adults travelling together after 9 am on weekdays (or any time at weekends) can buy a First Group Day ticket for £10/ $12.50.

Plus, from 23rd March until 1st September 2024, up to 2 adults and 3 children can travel for just £5.50 / $7 return with an All York Family Day ticket.

These are huge savings compared to city centre parking.

Check out my comprehensive guide to using York Park and Ride. 

 

 

Where to eat in York on a budget 

 

 

Get breakfast in your accommodation package

 

Many York hotels offer a cooked breakfast as part of their accommodation package which will set you up for a long day of sightseeing.

However, it is not cost effective to add breakfast to your stay. It will always be cheaper to pick up light breakfast from a local supermarket or bakery. 

One exception to this is the Premier Inn which offers a free cooked breakfast for kids with each paying adult (£9.95 / $12.50).  

 

Pick up a continental breakfast in York

 

If your accommodation doesn’t include breakfast, pick up a hot breakfast bap (sausage or bacon roll) from city centre bakeries. It will cost around £3 / $3.70 per person whereas a sit down breakfast in York will cost at least £12 / $15 per person. 

Alternatively, pop into Tesco on Skeldergate Bridge, Sainsbury’s on Piccadilly or Marks and Spencer on Parliament Street. You can buy a piece of fruit and a freshly baked croissant for around £2 / $2.50 per person. 

 

Visit York’s fabulous bakeries for a light lunch

 

York has A LOT of cheap bakeries. In addition to the usual sandwiches and sausage rolls, most York bakeries sell traditional foods from Yorkshire including parkin and Yorkshire curd tarts. 

York bakeries sell hot sausage rolls, Cornish pasties, filled sandwiches, cakes and hot and cold drinks. A lunchtime bakery meal deal (which usually consists of a sandwich, crisps and a drink) will cost around £3.50 / $4.30 per person. I think they’re better quality than meal deals from supermarkets.

Look out for include Greggs, Cooplands and my personal favourite, Thomas The Bakers.

Enjoy your picnic in Dean’s Park or Museum Gardens.

 

Pick up a takeaway hot lunch

 

An alternative to a sit down lunch in a cafe or restaurant is a hot takeaway lunch.

Visit The Shambles food market for an excellent range of affordable street food options including pancakes, Thai and Indian. The market has picnic benches under cover so you can sit and eat your lunch on a rainy day.

Another option is the York Hog Roast Co on the corner of Goodramgate and Low Petergate.

It serves hot takeaway food including their unmissable Yorkie Pud Wrap which is a full roast dinner wrapped in a giant Yorkshire Pudding and eaten like a fajita. Delicious!

 

Look out for ‘Kids eat free’, early bird menus or lunchtime deals

 

Look out for special offer early bird menus (usually before 7 pm) or ‘kids eat free’ deals. 

Eating a big meal at lunchtime is usually cheaper than in the evening.

There’s usually good lunchtime deals at Wine Stories on Parliament Street, Bryon Burgers on High Ousegate, and Lucia’s on Swinegate Court East.

 

Drinking in York

 

If you want a enjoy a pub crawl or a few drinks in York, there are a few things you can do to save money.

Look out for cheaper pub chains such as Sam Smith’s or Greene King. Both own and run several pubs in York such as The Kings Arms by the river and Harker’s on St. Helen’s Square.

Many pubs and bars offer 2 for 1 cocktails in the early evening and several pubs around York offer cheaper deals on Prosecco on a Friday night.

 

 

York Attractions

 

 

Visit free attractions in York

 

There are lots of fantastic free things to do in York. In fact, you could easily fill your trip to York just visiting free attractions.

Take a scenic walk around York city walls which are the longest city walls in England. A full circuit of the walls takes around two hours to walk but you can exit the walls anytime you like at one of the four medieval gateways (called ‘bars’). 

Explore Museum Gardens and see the 15th century Hospitium, the 12th century ruins of St Mary’s Abbey and the oldest working observatory in Yorkshire which dates back to the 19th century.

The gardens are also home to the 2,000 year old, Roman era Multiangular Tower and the newly planted Edible Wood.  

Download the free ‘Squirrel Trail’ in advance of your visit to discover the highlights of Museum Gardens. 

One of the best and most popular museums in York, the National Railway Museum (NRM), is also free.

It has two huge halls packed with trains, engines and carriages of all ages. There are fun daily science shows, a playground, miniature railway and a restorers workshop. The NRM is so big that you could easily spend a whole day in the museum and not see everything it has to offer.

York Minster charges an entry fee but services are free to attend. You can see the nave but won’t be able to explore the rest of the cathedral. 

Wander The Shambles (said to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter movies) and other historic York streets such as Fossgate, Goodramgate and Petergate.

Walk on the paved riverbanks alongside the River Ouse or have fun getting lost in York’s historic snickets (or alleyways). 

Even York at Christmas offers free activities such as the Christmas markets in York, the Christmas lights or a festive service at York Minster.

 

Take a free walking tour of York 

 

The Association of Voluntary Guides offer free, no tip walking tours all year round, starting from Exhibition Square in front of York Art Gallery.

The 2 hour tours run every day starting at 10.15 am and 1.15 pm. More frequent tours are offered during the summer months.

Alternatively, follow the family-friendly Cat Trail which winds all over the city searching for 20 cat sculptures ‘hidden’ on city centre buildings. Some of the sculptures date back 100 years!

It’s a fun, easy trail which takes around 1 hour to complete. You can download the trail online before your visit here or pick up a free copy from The Cat Gallery on Coney Street.

 

 

Budget-friendly things to do in York

 

Several York attractions offer significant discounts for families and groups.  

For example, York Minster allows free entry to up to four children under 16 with each paying adult.  

I also think an evening guided ghost tour is one of the best cheap things to do in York. The tours last around two hours and cost from £5 per person.

 

Consider buying a York Pass 

 

If you want to visit every attraction in York, consider purchasing a York Pass.

A York Pass gives you free entry to over 25 York attractions and the surrounding area. You can buy passes for 1, 2 or 3 days. 

It includes major attractions such as Jorvik and York Minster as well as evening options such as Hilt axe throwing or a City Cruise on the river. It also includes attractions outside York including Castle Howard and the North York Moors Railway.

Plus, you’ll also get discounts off ghost tours, cycle tours and at ASK Italian restaurant.

If you plan on visiting as many fee paying attractions as you can, the York Pass will save you a considerable amount of money – but always price compare before buying. If you only have two or interest for one or two attractions it isn’t worth it. 

In 2024, a 1 day pass costs £59 adults / £35 children ($74 / $44), a 2 day pass costs £75 / £45 ($94 / $56) and a 3 day pass costs £90 / £55 ($113 / $69).

You can buy your pass online and download it to your phone in advance of your visit.

 

Buy a Pastport Pass

 

If your visit will focus on historical attractions, you can buy a Pastport pass from the Jorvik Group.

It includes entry to the JORVIK Viking Centre, the mediaeval Barley Hall, DIG: An Archaeological Adventure (best suited for young children not adults) and the City Walls Experience at Micklegate Bar.

The combined ticket is good value for money if you plan to visit all four attractions. 

In 2024, the Pastport costs £21.75 ($27) adults / £16.50 ($21) children / £65 ($82) family of four.

 

York on a budget – final thoughts…

 

Is York expensive? It is if you stay in the top hotels, visit every attraction in the city and eat out three times a day at the most expensive restaurants!

I think a trip to York doesn’t have to blow the budget.

Whether you’re on a solo trip to York, visiting York with kids or are a couple looking for romantic things to do in York, there’s a free or low cost attraction for everyone.

If you choose carefully where you stay, which attractions you can visit and where you eat, I think you’ll be pleasantly be surprised how much you can see and do – and how much fun you can have – in York on a budget.