Christmas Guided Walking Tour in York: Explore History and Traditions of Christmases Past
5.0
71 Ratings
York
Join a 90-minute festive walking tour in York to explore the history, tales, and traditions of Christmases past. Discover the secrets of England's most Christmassy city and uncover the origins of Rudolph's red nose and Boxing Day. Get into the spirit of Christmas in Britain's original Christmas city!
Duration:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- York Minster - Did the first Christmas Festival take place here in 521AD? What is on the Altar at York Minster? Shelter in the shadow of this magnificent Gothic Minster and marvel at the Christmas Festivals this part of York has seen over the last 1500 Years.
- York Theatre Royal - We pass by the Theatre Royal as we venture to another historical cultural venue and find out the significance of a Victorian Author who created Christmas as we know it.
- York Mansion House - York - The Chocolate City. Christmas wouldn’t be complete without this festive York-born treat!
- Stonegate - Enjoy the wonderful lights and hear stories of medieval Christmas and the shopping of Christmas past.
- The Roman Bath - What happened at Saturnalia, the Roman December festival? What did we take from it for our celebrations today.
- Shambles Market - Should we really kiss under the mistletoe? and why would you eat fruitcake with cheese?
- Parish of All Saints’ Pavement - The Viking Mid-Winter Solstice is explored - what did we take from it for our traditional Christmas.
What's Included
- Professional Blue Badge Guided Walking Tour
Additional Information
Embark on our daily 90-minute Festive Themed Walking Tours, delving into the History, Stories, and Customs of Yuletide periods of yore. The streets of York have been home to joyful celebrations for nearly two millennia. Underneath the twinkling lights, roam through the medieval streets and immerse yourself in the traditions and historic tales of this Magnificent Wintry City.
Don your favorite Christmas Sweater and participate in a socially distanced journey led by Blue Badge Tourist Guide, Sarah Cowling, capturing the Essence of Yuletide. Ponder whether York is truly England’s premier Christmassy City. Learn the origins of Rudolph’s Red Nose, identify the Grinch who attempted to abolish Christmas, and discover which renowned author shared his tales in York, bequeathing us with the tradition of Boxing Day.
We will narrate tales of Christmases Past, from the lavish festivities of Roman Britain to the winter feasts of the Vikings, all contributing to our current-day Christmas celebration. Join us in Britain’s first-ever Christmas City - we may even stumble upon some takeaway mulled wine!
Location
Constantine the Great
Minster Yard
Outside the South doors of York Minster
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(71 Ratings)
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Teresa999
Jan 8, 2024
5 ⭐️ tour of Christmas in Your - Brilliant, funny, informational walking tour.
Sarah’s stories seamlessly wove Christmas into the history of York, from the Romans through to Terry’s Chocolate Oranges (my husband’s favourite part) via Rudolph, monks and and mince pies we thoroughly enjoyed our sparkling introduction to this beautiful city. We are thoroughly convinced that York really is the ‘most Christmassy city’! and we will be back 🌟🌟🌟
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Derek1946
Dec 31, 2023
Just Excellent! - The tour was extremely windy by the Minster! But we had an excellent guide, Michele, who kept the group of just under 20 entertained and informed. She was excellent. I have lived in York most of my life and learnt a great deal. And I think our American friends were very engaged in the tour and the variety of places visited, as well as the references to Vikings and Romans and the medieval era. I liked the piece about Charles Dickens too. Very good, highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gulsunkoyas
Dec 24, 2023
Worth it! - Charles Dickens impacting Xmas celebrations. Lots of interesting facts nicely told. Enjoyed it a lot.
Review provided by Viator
Kristoffert162
Dec 23, 2023
Sarah was a great guide. - Sarah was fantastic tour guide, She explained everything that we need to know about York. She's very jolly and gladly to answer all question that was asked. Definitely, Sarah is one of a kind. 🤗
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrewwl4242od
Dec 21, 2023
Flexible walking exploration of the old city of York - Sarah provided a wonderful Christmas themed tour of her city. Her historical references were spot on and helped us understand the city and how it grew from Romans to Vikings to Georgian and modern times.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Charlotteau4383dg
Dec 20, 2023
Fantastic Festive Tour - The walking tour was really great and Sarah was so lovely and is a wealth of knowledge. We had quite a wet day for our tour so Sarah made sure we were under cover as much as we realistically could be for the tour while also seeing the main sights.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E2597examyh
Dec 19, 2023
Sarah was exceptional! - Myself and my partner were lucky enough to have won a free walking tour. Sarah was super friendly, vastly knowledgeable about York and thoroughly engaging. I would definately recommend to a friend. Thank you for the chocolate orange - it was a good touch! It left us feeling very festive and straight home to watch the muppets Christmas movie. The history shared regarding Charles Dickens, the Romans and the Vikings was very interesting. Thank you again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ann_k
Dec 18, 2023
A magical, fun, and heartwarming tour - not to be missed at the holidays! - Don't miss this heart-warming and fascinating Christmas tour. Sarah was fantastic with her mix of history, Christmas tales, and stories behinds the holiday traditions that brought the season to life. It made me see York in a wonderful way and better understand and appreciate the Christmas traditions I hold dear in my family. We took the tour our first night in York and it set the stage for our next three days of an unforgettable vacation.
Review provided by Viator
Sylvie_c
Dec 11, 2023
Amazing - What an amazing tour! We learnt so much about the Romans, the Vikings and now wonder whether Santa comes from York.
Sarah has such a lovely, bubbly personality, she makes the tour really interesting.
Review provided by Viator
Lucy_p
Dec 10, 2023
Great Christmas walk - Michelle ( I think that was her name) was our tour guide and she was great, she made the tour so much fun. We learnt lots of Christmas things we never knew and would definitely recommend it for anyone.
Review provided by Viator