Once named the most haunted city in Europe, York is a must-visit city for fans of ghost tours. Whether it’s a ghost walk or a ghost bus tour you’re after, the RadioTimes.com team have you covered with our hand-picked recommendations.
Summer is one of the best times to embark on a ghost tour: you’ll be warm enough to walk through the city of an evening, it’s the perfect month to head on holiday so you can enjoy a ghost tour in a city you’ve not travelled to before, and just because the sun is shining doesn’t mean the ghouls aren’t still lurking!
York is one of the most haunted cities in the UK, with The International Ghost Research Foundation even declaring York the most haunted city in Europe at one time. Founded in 71AD by the Romans, York has a 2,000 history stained with murder and torture, not to mention witches and highwaymen. It’s said that York has over 500 hauntings within the city walls, mostly due to Viking invasions, the Norman Conquest, and the civil war.
So if you like to walk on the spooky side of life, why not book yourself a ghost tour around York? We’ve selected some of the best the city has to offer, including walking tours and bus tours.
For more spooky experiences, take a look at the best Edinburgh ghost tours and the best UK zombie experiences.
What is a ghost walk?
A ghost walk is a great way to see the sites of a city, while learning about its dark past. The structure of a ghost walk is typically as follows: yourself and fellow ghost-fanatics will meet at a specific start point, and the group will be guided around some of a city’s most haunted and infamous locations by an expert tour guide. As you move along the ghost walk, the guide will tell you plenty of anecdotes and secrets about the city’s history, and there will be opportunities to ask questions, too.
How long is a ghost tour in York?
The ghost walking tours and bus tours the RadioTimes.com team have selected typically run from 60-minutes to 75-minutes, with the longest one being two hours.
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Best ghost tours in York at a glance:
- The Deathly Dark Ghost Tour of York, from £10
- Dark Chronicles Horror Walk of York, from £10
- Shadows of York, from £12
- The Bloody Tour of York, from £13.50
- The Ghost Bus Tours, from £14
- The York Dungeon, from
£23£19 - Ghost Bus Tour of York, from £20
- York Witches & History Walking Tour for Two, £24
- York Witches Tour & Cauldron Experience for Two Adults and Two Children, £52
- Private Ghost Tour of York, from £60
Best York ghost walking tours to try in 2023
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The Deathly Dark Ghost Tour of York
The English city of York has a rich history, from the plague to Vikings, and it has plenty of dark happenings, too, like murder and butchery. Despite its brutal past, this specific ghost tour is a funny one — it’s led by a guide who is known for his dark sense of humour, and it’s a family-friendly experience. In The Deathly Dark Ghost Tour of York, you’ll visit locations like York Minster, the Shambles, and Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma Gate (yes, that’s its real name).
It’s worth mentioning, too, that this walking tour is the 2023 winner of a YorkMix Award.
Buy The Deathly Dark Ghost Tour of York tickets from £10 at Viator
Take a look at the best London walking tours for more sight-seeing inspiration.
Shadows of York
What do you call an alleyway? In Nottingham, we alternate between using the word ‘jitty’ or ‘twitchel’, and in York, they’re called snickelways. In the Shadows of York ghost tour, you’ll visit these snickelways and head down lesser-known streets to hear all about York’s dark past, but with the guided tour, you’ll be sure you won’t get lost! There’s the chance to ask questions throughout this ghost walk, and you’ll learn things you wouldn’t usually on an ordinary trip to the north-eastern city.
Buy Shadows of York tickets from £12 at Viator
The Bloody Tour of York
Like all medieval cities, York has a bloody past, and you can learn all about it in The Bloody Tour of York ghost walk. In this immersive guided tour of York, you’ll hear alternative stories of witches, murderers and queens, centred around top tourist attractions such as the Shambles, York Minster, the Jorvik Viking Centre, and more.
Buy The Bloody Tour of York tickets from £13.50 at Viator
The RadioTimes.com team like to try out the things we recommend, just take a look at our BBC Earth Experience review and candlelight concert review.
York Witches & History Walking Tour for Two
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Are you a fan of things that go bump in the night? Then look no further than this witchcraft tour around York, one of the most haunted cities in the UK. This 60-minute walking tour has a special focus on witchcraft, telling you stories about the spooky Witches of Yorkshire as you wander along the streets of York’s Medieval Old Town.
Buy York Witches & History Walking Tour for Two for £24 at Virgin Experience Days
For monthly Virgin Experience Days deals, stay up to date with our guide.
York Witches Tour & Cauldron Experience for Two Adults and Two Children
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Did you know there’s also a cauldron experience in addition to the York Witches walking tour? As well as the ghost walk, you’ll enter The Potions Cauldron in York’s city centre for a drinks making experience; the immersive event challenges you to create the perfect potion.
Take a look at our The Cauldron review and 2:22 A Ghost Story review for more supernatural experiences.
The York Dungeon
We couldn’t create a guide to the spookiest things to do in York without including The York Dungeon, now, could we? At The York Dungeon, you’ll walk through 10 terrifying live actor shows from Isabella Billington, York’s most infamous witch, and Guy Fawkes, just to name a few, who will all tell stories of the city’s dark 2,000 history.
Buy The York Dungeon tickets from £23 £19 (save £4 or 17%) at daysout.com
Dark Chronicles Horror Walk of York
Ghost walks are brilliant ways to cover ground of a city you might not have visited before, and a great chance to learn stories which won’t be frequent in many walking tours or history books. Dark Chronicles Horror Walk of York takes you on a trip of York’s famous sites, as well as lesser known ones, to find out secrets of the city by an experienced tour guide.
Buy Dark Chronicles Horror Walk of York tickets from £10 at Viator
Private Ghost Tour of York
If you’re visiting York for a short time only, we’d recommend trying this Private Ghost Tour of York experience to make the trip that little bit more special. Plus, if you’re short on time, this tour is perfect as you can choose your own start point and start time.
With the Private Ghost Tour of York, you can customise your experience, and learn about things that are of special interest to you. You can choose to visit locations of haunted spots with a notorious reputation, such as the Castle and Battlements.
Buy Private Ghost Tour of York tickets from £60 at Viator
Best York ghost bus tours to try in 2023
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Ghost Bus Tour of York
Want to experience the ghoulish sites of York and hear the terrifying tales but walking isn’t really your bag? Then why not try a ghost bus tour instead? Choose from either an afternoon or evening departure on this vintage bus, and drive by eerie sites such as York Minster, Clifford’s Tower, and the grave of Dick Turpin (the infamous highwayman and murderer), all while listening to fascinating stories from an entertaining tour guide.
Buy Ghost Bus Tour of York tickets from £20 at Viator
To transport yourself to another world, take a look at the best immersive experiences and best VR experiences. Plus, check out our what is Frameless? explainer.
The Ghost Bus Tours
All aboard, ghost fans, this spine-tingling tour is sure to have you shivering in the seats of the 1960s Routemaster bus. The 75-minute bus tour is hosted by a creepy conductor as well as on-board actors, and they will share with you some of York’s darkest secrets.
- Buy The Ghost Bus Tours tickets from £14 at Golden Tours
- You can also buy the Ghost Bus Tour tickets from £14 at Booking.com
If your preferred way of seeing a new city is by bus, take a look at the best London bus tours.