Tours
Bespoke Tours
If you are interested in booking bespoke walks or talks on York’s historic defensive walls, or want help in organising your own tour, then please contact us. Our advice is free or we can usually provide you with a guide, our guides are volunteers who don’t invite tips but we usually ask for a donation to FoYW in exchange for their services. We guide individuals or groups, trying to provide what you want -except that we accept the CYC rule that wheelchairs, pushchairs and dogs cannot be taken along the battlements and that this raised wall-walk is closed from dusk to about 8.00.
For more information go to our on-line enquiry form HERE [you can also apply for a tour this way -there is no commitment] or, if you prefer, contact us at friendsofyorkwalls@gmail.com
It helps us to provide the guide[s] you want if, as part of your enquiry email, you can answer the first question below and as many of the others as matter to you.
- how many in your group?
- how long [time] do you wish the guide[s] to be with you?
- where would you like to meet the guide?
- what places would you like the tour to include [you can get ideas from our on line leaflet, map and/or the list at the end of these questions] ?
- what proportion of your time would you like to be moving [rather than listening to or questioning the guide] ?
- how are you for walking and climbing steps [eg. fast / average / slow / no steps/ wheelchair] ?
- Is there anything else it would help us to know [eg. special interests and needs] ?
Ideas for question 4 : Multangular Tower, excavated Roman walls, views of Minster from Walls, barbican at Walmgate Bar, views of Clifford’s Tower and Castle from City Walls Trail, inside Fishergate Postern Tower. You can ask to see things that are not linked to the walls but our guides mostly like guiding linked to the walls.
The Friends of York Walls also recommend :-
Association of Voluntary Guides to the City of York
Friends of York Walls can recommend the FREE daily tours of York run by the Association of Voluntary Guides to the City of York. Tours are run at least twice daily and take about two hours. Full details of the tour times etc. can be found on their website but routes can vary according to the judgement of individual guides.
Jorvik/YAT
In 2022 York Archaeological Trust’s attractions arm started to offer short tours of the walls between Micklegate Bar and Baile Hill. These are led twice daily April to October, for details go to https://yat.digitickets.co.uk/category/39205 but booking is only essential for a version of the tour designed for those who can’t climb steps.
Clifford’s Tower
Clifford’s Tower is owned and managed by English Heritage.
For details of opening times and facilities please refer to the English Heritage website.
Updated 29/06/2022 AF
