Things to do & places to visit in Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Yorkshire #3 destination in United Kingdom 2023. The average rating score is 4.49 based on 152.1k traveler reviews, of 30 attractions. Timezone: Europe/London, current date and time: Monday, May 06, 2024, 0:39.

Yorkshire Weather Statistics view more »

General weather summary in May

60°F - 43°F

Temperature Highs - Lows

Moderately chilly and breezy

Feels like

23%

Chance of rain

75.0 millimeters

Amount

15.4 mph

Wind speed

77%

Humidity

15.9

Daylight length

5:03 AM

Sunrise

8:58 PM

Sunset

45%

Cloud cover

Jacket

What to wear

Top things to do (23)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 RSPB Bempton Cliffs (2.114 reviews)
- Absolutely fabulous
Monday: 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas

Mesmerising, breathtaking, amazing, awesome - just some of the words our visitors use when they talk about RSPB Bempton Cliffs on the Yorkshire coast. Around a half-a-million seabirds; gannets, puffins, guillemots and razorbills - flock here in spring and summer. Six, safe, cliff top viewpoints give spectacular views of the nesting birds and the dramatic coastline. Three of the viewpoints are fully accessible with a hard surfaced path linking them in a circular route. RSPB Seabird Cruises sail from Bridlington Harbour throughout the season giving visitors an incredible opportunity to see the colony as seabirds swoop and soar all around. Our cruises have bird guides and fewer people than a regular one. In autumn and winter, a cliff top walk is a great way to get away from it all with migrant birds and winter owls RSPB Bempton Cliffs is one of the truly unmissable British wildlife wonderlands. Events and activities throughout the year. See website for seasonal entrance pricing. See more..
5.0 York Bird of Prey Centre (2.074 reviews)
- Great Day Out
Monday: 10:30 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Nature & Wildlife Areas

York Bird Of Prey Centre is home to over 80 Stunning Birds Of Prey. Including owls, vultures, hawks, falcons and even eagles! We pride ourselves on giving a HANDS ON EXPERIENCE here so we have an exciting daily program which includes flying demonstrations, regular educational talks, and the opportunity to handle our birds throughout the day. We offer one to one experience packages which gives customers an experience they will never forget, we are also available for outside events such as school visits, weddings and other functions. Sponsorship packages are also available for all of our birds, and we do run several special events throughout the season such as car shows, and photography days! Check out our website for further details! Please note we are disabled accessible, we have an onsite cafe serving cold food and hot drinks, unfortunately dogs are not allowed on site. We are also closed on Tuesdays and would also close in severe rain and wind. Please contact us for any further information! See more..
5.0 Malham Cove (1.587 reviews)
- Malham Cove - in late September weather!
Scenic Walking Areas

We walked up Malham cove on path which was comfortable but at times a ‘heart racer’ but the view on top was fantastic. We ‘skipped’ over the boulders and did the ‘round trip’ back to Malham via Janet’s Foss waterfall. This was a little Harry Potter ‘re-live’ but also a stroll on memory lane rock-climbing the cove in younger days. See more..
4.5 National Railway Museum (18.9k reviews)
- Excellent museum, a must visit.
Monday: Spent 2-3 hours Speciality Museums • History Museums

FREE ENTRY Home to iconic locomotives and an unrivalled collection of engineering brilliance, we celebrate the past, present and future of innovation on the railways. Dedicated to igniting our visitors’ curiosity about the people, places and engineering marvels behind the railways, we put our passion for amazing stories into everything we do. See more..
4.5 York Minster (16.6k reviews)
- Gorgeous building but very long tour
Monday: 11:30 AM - 4:30 PM Architectural Buildings • Churches & Cathedrals

Dating back to medieval times, this splendid Church of England cathedral features magnificent 14th- and 15th-century stained glass, stonework and elaborate tombs. See more..
4.5 Shambles (16.0k reviews)
- Like a Harry Potter Film set
Spent < 1 hour Neighborhoods • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Architectural Buildings

Shambles (or The Shambles as it is often referred to) is a street in the city centre of York with a long and interesting past. Dating back to Medieval times it was once the street of the butcher shops. Today the Shambles is Europe's most visited street, attracting tourists, shoppers and business clients. See more..
4.5 York City Walls (9.846 reviews)
- Good walk
Monday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Ancient Ruins • Scenic Walking Areas

No visit to York is complete without a stroll along part of the 2 miles of historic walls that have protected the city for nearly 2000 years. The walls are completely free to walk, however bespoke guided tours can be booked with your own personal tour guide, meeting you at a time and place to suit you, and showing you the extensive hidden history to be found along the walls. See more..
4.5 York Castle Museum (9.651 reviews)
- Never disappoints
Monday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Speciality Museums

Famous for its collections of costume, textiles, military and social history, York Castle Museum brings history back to life. Wander through the Victorian streets, venture into the prison cell of notorious highwayman Dick Turpin and discover what life was like on the front line in the First World War. There's something for everyone at York Castle Museum. See more..
4.5 York's Chocolate Story (6.528 reviews)
- Fab way to spend an afternoon!
Monday: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums

York's Chocolate Story is an entertaining and informative guided tour through the history of York's most famous chocolate-making families and their finest creations. You'll discover chocolate's origins, how to make it, how to taste it like an expert and even the sustainable future of chocolate. You'll also uncover a host of surprising secrets and fascinating facts behind York's greatest chocolate products, from the Chocolate Orange to the globally famous KitKat. Once you've explored chocolate making and its history, you can even shop for and indulge in chocolate to your heart's content. There's so much for you to enjoy and discover! See more..
4.5 Stockeld Park (5.828 reviews)
- Great Christmas illuminations
Monday: Spent More than 3 hours Amusement & Theme Parks • Playgrounds

Stockeld Park is a unique all weather family attraction located near Wetherby in Yorkshire. The renowned Enchanted Forest is filled with magical interactive fun and is home to five fantastically themed adventure playgrounds! Zip down the zip wire in Spider’s Lair, take a Teapot Slide or man the pirate ship at Woodsands Cove. Beyond the Enchanted Forest, we offer our giant yew tree maze with over a mile of paths. Wow! When it's raining you can enjoy live theatre productions and themed events. The Playhive, our unique, fabulous indoor play centre is now open! It’s one of Europe’s largest and most original indoor play centres! Step into a brand-new world of indoor adventure for the whole family. Let your imagination lead the way as you journey through four interconnected worlds of space, air, the jungle, and sea! Adventure across high-level walkways and down spiralling tunnel slides! There’s no place like it! See more..
4.5 Peasholm Park (5.199 reviews)
- Beautiful walk
Bodies of Water • Parks

Myself and husband took our dog to the park. It is free to get in. The park is divine. It has a huge lake with dragon boats. Waterfalls and Japanese gardens. The cafe is reasonably priced but if you were a family on a budget you could pack a picnic and it would cost noting. This is a beautiful park. The fact you don’t have to pay to get in was amazing. See more..
4.5 Royal Armouries Museum (4.665 reviews)
- Absolutely amazing
Monday: Spent 2-3 hours Military Museums • Speciality Museums • History Museums

The Royal Armouries is home to the UK’s national collection of arms and armour as well as our annual International Jousting Tournament. We are a free museum based in Leeds with a daily events programme which includes armoured combat demonstrations and gallery talks. We also have an exciting special events programme during school holidays. See our website for more information - we hope to welcome you to the Royal Armouries soon. See more..
4.5 Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden (4.120 reviews)
- A “must visit”
Monday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins

Explore a great abbey and elegant water garden at this World Heritage Site near Harrogate. Cistercian monks chose this place to establish Fountains Abbey in 1132, and the walls echo with centuries-old stories. Follow the riverside path to Studley Royal, a playful water garden designed by visionaries John and William Aislabie in the 18th century. You can spend a day amongst statues, follies and cascades before venturing beyond the lake to Studley Royal deer park, with ancient lime tree avenues and red, fallow and sika deer. Eat, shop, stay Restaurant serving select range of hot food. Picnics welcome but please leave BBQs at home. Large shop with gardening section. Stay at one of 14 holiday cottages, including a cosy waterside lodge and elegant apartment inside Jacobean Fountains Hall. No drones please. Bikes and scooters welcome for children under 5. See more..
4.5 Scarborough Beach (3.539 reviews)
- Beautiful place as always
Beaches

I am writing this as I went to see JAMES in concert and I was upset at the price rise in the hotels and BNB’s around the area … I can’t work it out why they do this? We’re coming to see a band so we would pay but please double and triple priced…. Anyway we decided to book a campsite and take our tourer caravan instead… found an amazing site on Irtons mount… no toilet or shower blocks as it was a caravan club or rally field … but it was set in such a picturesque place… we didn’t care…. Very very friendly staff , very accommodating and very clean place …. Will definitely book again with my family next time as we like adventurous places and this ticked all our boxes …. See more..
4.5 The Forbidden Corner (3.384 reviews)
- A grand day out!
Monday: 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Amusement & Theme Parks

My 12 year old and I had a brilliant time at this hidden gem. Would recommend booking tickets as early as possible though as we could only get a mid-afternoon slot and we had a 2 week window. Beautiful grounds and loved coming across quirky statues in hidden nooks. Best to wear non-slip footwear and a waterproof! See more..
4.5 Eden Camp Modern History Museum (3.013 reviews)
- An enjoyable day
Temporarily closed - Closed until Apr 3, 2023 Spent More than 3 hours Military Museums • History Museums

Housed within the buildings and grounds of a former Prisoner of War camp, a visit to this unique museum will take you back to wartime Britain. Experience the sights, sounds and even smells of life on both the Home Front and the Front Line. See more..
4.5 RHS Garden Harlow Carr (2.927 reviews)
- Light Trail
Gardens

We visited on the 24th November, It was great to see it all lit up at night and most of the area's were lit up really well. Took some great photos, It's a little expensive but it is what it is, The staff that was out and about were polite and helpful if you needed to know anything. It was a really cold night so we called in at one of the little Hot drinks bars for a Rum and Coffee. friendly service and tasted great. See more..
4.5 Ingleton Waterfalls Trail (2.888 reviews)
- Beautiful
Monday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Hiking Trails

A 4½ mile trail, via a series of spectacular waterfalls, through ancient woodland and beautiful Yorkshire Dales scenery. See more..
4.5 York Maze (2.863 reviews)
- Amazing Halloween night - 5 fabulous houses
Monday: 10:00 AM - 6:30 PM Spent More than 3 hours Amusement & Theme Parks

York Maze offers an amazing day out with over 20 rides, shows and attractions, many under cover. The giant Maize Maze is the largest in Europe with a new design to solve each year. Come face to face with the giant dinosaurs in the Jurassic Maize, watch the fun and games on stage in the Crazy Maze show, zoom down the Corn Snake slides and puzzle over the mind-bending rooms and illusions in the House of Cornfusion! Take your seat on the NEW Crowmania tractor & trailer ride to encounter amazing animatronic animals and theatrical surprises. Be warned you will get wet on this ride! Also open at Halloween for terrifyingly entertaining nights of fear and fun at Hallowscream, five haunted house attractions, live stage acts roving characters and more! During the day the slightly less intense Hallowtween is aimed at 10-15 years olds and the brave parents! Tickets for York Maze and Halloween events must be booked online. Tickets are not available on the gate. See more..
4.5 Filey Beach (2.588 reviews)
- Lovely wide beach and places to walk in the cliff top
Beaches

Stayed in an air bnb and had lovely walk round Filey beach and up to the chits hotel and land beyond. Great views of the beach from up there . The weather was Glorious that week. Parking is first come first served on the streets but there are a couple of pay and display car parks by the beach front. Great for dog walking. See more..
4.5 Valley Gardens (2.587 reviews)
- Beautiful and well kept
Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Gardens

Valley Gardens is a beautiful Park in Low Harrogate, perfect for a relaxed stroll or for a family day out. It is an English Heritage Grade II Listed Garden covering 17 acres of formal gardens, leisure activities and woodland. Historical buildings and the semi-covered Colonades sit nestled amongst a wide variety of shrub, flower and herbaceous beds. The adventure play area is immensely popular especially during the summer season when the paddling pool is a refreshing way to cool down. There are a wide range of sporting activities to try during your visit including; tennis, crazy golf, table tennis, disc golf, pitch and putt as well as a skatepark. For music lovers, band concerts take place on Sunday afternoons throughout the summer. See more..
4.5 Brimham Rocks (2.547 reviews)
- A great family day out :-)
Monday: 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM Geologic Formations

An amazing collection of weird and wonderful rock formations: a great day out for families, climbers and those who love the outdoors. See more..
4.5 Streetlife Museum of Transport (2.467 reviews)
- Well worth a visit.
Monday: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM Spent 2-3 hours Speciality Museums

Climb aboard at the Streetlife Museum of Transport and enjoy all the sights, sounds and smells of the past. Admission to the Streetlife Museum is free. Experience 200 years of transport history as you walk down a 1940's high street, board a tram or enjoy the pleasures of our carriage ride. See more..
4.5 Tropical Butterfly House, Wildlife & Falconry Centre (2.429 reviews)
- Small but incredible
Monday: 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM Zoos

Encounter the exotic and discover a wild family day out in South Yorkshire! Meet lemurs, meerkats, owls, otters, snakes, lizards, a tarantula and other amazing animals during unforgettable Animal Encounters throughout the day. Take your seat for spectacular shows, featuring free-flying birds of prey, parrots and charismatic mammals! Explore the indoor rainforest; home to butterflies, birds, bats, crocodiles and creepy-crawlies from around the world and meet and feed the friendly residents of the Farm Barn. Discover the charismatic primates of Lemur Heights and meet the inquisitive residents of Otter Springs. Take a selfie with our new dinosaurs and get closer than ever before to some of the most popular animals in the brand new walk-through mammal enclosure. Pre-booked group and School visits are welcome and VIP Experience Days and Animal Adoptions are available to purchase, as well as popular Birthday Party Room Hire. The Realm of Camelot adventure playground, outdoor Wet Play Area and indoor Activity and Craft Centre will entertain children in all weathers, and popular themed events take place at the centre during School Holidays. Facilities include a Picnic Room, Jungle Gift Shop and a modern Butterfly Cafe, serving freshly prepared hot and cold food and homemade cakes and deluxe Afternoon Tea. The Tropical Butterfly House is open daily and is located just 5 minutes from M1, junction 31. See more..
4.5 Snozone (2.272 reviews)
- Best Ski Instructor I’ve Ever Had!
Monday: 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Ski & Snowboard Areas

Snozone Yorkshire is an outstanding venue for skiing, snowboarding and sledging indoors on real snow, all year round! We’ve taught more than three million people to ski and snowboard and we offer a wide range of activities for all ages and abilities, from beginner ski lessons to freestyle snowboarding sessions and family sledging fun in the snow! We are also the only indoor operator in Europe to operate our own Disability Snow school which means we can truly deliver ‘Sport for All’. We also operate our own fully licenced restaurants ‘The Alpine Kitchen’ serving up deliciously fresh home made food seven days a week. See more..
4.5 Skipton Castle (2.194 reviews)
- A gem of a place i had previously not heard of
Monday: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Castles

Where better to experience almost a thousand years of British history than by visiting Skipton Castle. Open all year round, tours are popular with visitors who come from far and wide to explore what some consider to be, a castle jewel of the North. Overlooking an intriguing market town, this remarkable 900 year old fortress is one of the best preserved and most complete medieval castles in England. The history is inseparable from the Clifford family. During the Civil War, Skipton Castle was the last Royalist bastion in the North, yielding only after a three-year siege in 1645. ‘Slighted’ under the orders of Cromwell, the Castle was skilfully restored years later by the indubitable matriarch and egalitarian, Lady Anne Clifford (1589-1676) who was born here. Today the dedicated team at Skipton Castle follow in her footsteps in its preservation. It is the focal point at the top of the High Street, so after a visit, it is fun and easy to take a stroll around the lovely shops, old mark See more..
4.5 Aysgarth Falls (2.008 reviews)
- A Grand Day Out
Monday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Waterfalls

A lovely place to visit but the car park was extremely busy the day we went. Having said that the warden was very accommodating and squeezed us into a space. The car park costs between £3 and £6 so it is worth considering a weekly ticket (£15) if you are going to be in the Dales area for a while. There is definately a case for extending the Wensleydale Railway to this site. The falls had plenty of water going over them and were a great site. There is plenty of room for socially distanced picnics at the top falls, though an additional donation is requested to enter the area. The middle and lower falls are free save for the car park charge. There is a small cafe and gift shop, though at the time of our visit the National Park Centre was closed See more..
4.5 Yorkshire Air Museum (1.878 reviews)
- A Great Day Ouy
Monday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Speciality Museums

The Yorkshire Air Museum and Allied Air Forces Memorial is located on the outskirts of the City of York within easy reach of the City centre. The Museum welcomes family visitors, with lots of things to keep everyone in the family entertained. We are also pet friendly, so you won't need to leave your four legged part of the family home alone. Authentically based on an original World War II Bomber Command Station, this unique history museum is filled with a great combination of original buildings to explore, including the restored Control Tower and more than forty aircraft exhibits, from early aviation biplanes to our unique Halifax Bomber "Friday The 13th" all the way to modern Cold War military jets such as the Victor, Nimrod and Tornado jet fighters. Our regular Thunder Days are always popular as a great family day out and our NAAFI cafe has a range of snacks, drinks and meals for everyone. Our guides are on hand to help you explore the museum. They are all volunteers and love to read your reviews! See more..
4.5 Wentworth Woodhouse (1.386 reviews)
- Amazing location - Great afternoon tea
Monday: Spent 2-3 hours Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • History Museums

Europe's largest privately owned house, combining baroque and Palladian architecture, with extensive gardens. Enjoy a self-led experience, a guided tour, or family activities in the house and gardens. A café and gift shop are both available and feature local produce. See more..
4.5 York City Walls (9.846 reviews)
- Good walk
Monday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Ancient Ruins • Scenic Walking Areas

No visit to York is complete without a stroll along part of the 2 miles of historic walls that have protected the city for nearly 2000 years. The walls are completely free to walk, however bespoke guided tours can be booked with your own personal tour guide, meeting you at a time and place to suit you, and showing you the extensive hidden history to be found along the walls. See more..