Absolutely brilliant. A wonderful romp through Christmas past and present with a distinct focus on York. Sarah brings immense energy to these walks and it was a joy to take part in. A must attend!





90 minute Daily Festive Walking Tours, exploring the History, Tales and Traditions of Christmases Past. The streets of York have been witness to celebrations for nearly 2000 years. Explore the medieval streets beneath the twinkling lights and discover the traditions and history of this Wonderful Winter City. Put your Christmas Jumper on and join Blue Badge Tourist Guide, Sarah Cowling, for a socially distanced experience to capture the Spirit of Christmas. Discover if York really England's most Christmassy City? Where did Rudolph get his Red Nose from? Which Grinch tried to cancel Christmas? and Which famous author read his stories in York and made us a present of Boxing Day? We will hear tales of Christmas Past, from the bacchanalian celebrations of Roman Britain to the Midwinter Feasts of the Vikings. They have all left their mark on our festivities today Come and get into the spirit of things in Britain's original Christmas City - we might even find some takeaway mulled wine!
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.
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 - The Chocolate City. Christmas wouldn't be complete without this festive York-born treat!
Enjoy the wonderful lights and hear stories of medieval Christmas and the shopping of Christmas past.
What happened at Saturnalia, the Roman December festival? What did we take from it for our celebrations today.
Should we really kiss under the mistletoe? and why would you eat fruitcake with cheese?
The Viking Mid-Winter Solstice is explored - what did we take from it for our traditional Christmas.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Christmas Guided Walking Tour in York lasts about 1h 30min. The itinerary has 7 stops.
Prices start at $20 per person for this York experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Outside the South doors of York Minster. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 25 participants.
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Wheelchair accessible Transportation options are wheelchair accessible All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Absolutely brilliant. A wonderful romp through Christmas past and present with a distinct focus on York. Sarah brings immense energy to these walks and it was a joy to take part in. A must attend!
We had a wonderful tour with Sarah! She knows so much about the city and its history, but it was never ever dull. Despite the cold, we found ways to move and keep warm and she kept us completely engaged. While Christmas was definitely the theme, there was so much more. One of the best things about the tour was that we took part in it at the very beginning of our stay in the city, and afterward we're able to follow up on things she talked about. I don't think a day went by when we weren't reminded of something she had said. I wish our photos did it justice. A fantastic tour - thank you, Sarah.
Excellent way to see York and hear of many of the stories of Christmas that we had never heard before. The guide was very knowledgeable and overall, very enjoyable.
A great,friendly and knowledgeble tour guide. Sarah made the walk an interesting 90 minutes and was inclusive of everyone.
Sarah was great! Incredibly knowledgeable and yet she made everything fun and intriguing. It was very exciting to visit some of these sites on our very first day in York. It made it that much more interesting on successive days as we walked around the city, recognizing landmarks that she pointed out during our tour. And having such an experience at Christmas was a special treat!
Lovely experience with a truly dedicated guide who embodies the spirit of this lovely town. I enjoyed every moment of the tour.
Interesting and informative guided tour with a fun, friendly and knowledgeable guide. Covered a great deal of history. Definitely worth the price
Just the right length (time and distance). We learnt some surprising things about the history of Christmas and York, in a fun and engaging walkabout.
very informative tour, sarah provided many interesting historical facts regarding many different eras including the vikings and romans! she also mentioned different countries such as scotland and the netherlands which was a nice touch. took us to some lovely locations around the city centre of york to go with the stories and info she was telling us. sarah was a lovely tour guide and very interactive and welcoming, would reccomend the tour to anyone looking for something to do to get in the christmas spirit!
Sarah was great. Well prepared. Interesting stories in all sorts of Christmas anecdotes. Everything from Romans to Terry’s Chocolate orange. Well done. Awful constant rain but that wasn’t her fault!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Christmas Guided Walking Tour in York | 1h 30min | 5.0 (108) | $20 | |
Private Historical Walking Tour of York | 2–3 hours | 4.9 (1,340) | $190 | View |
Shared York Walking Tour – Hidden Gems & History | 1–3 hours | 4.9 (607) | $24 | View |
J & M York City Walking Tours | 2 hours | 4.7 (531) | $16 | View |
York Witches and History Walking Tour | 1h 10min–1h 15min | 4.8 (472) | $23 | View |
York Walls Private Walking Tour | 1h 30min–3h | 4.8 (153) | $77 | View |
History and Hauntings Self Guided Walking Tour in York with App | 1h 30min–2h 30min | 4.4 (30) | $9 | View |