The York Tab’s ultimate guide to keeping your family entertained in York

As lovely as it is to have your parents or loved ones visit your uni city for the weekend, the thought of actually keeping them entertained can be rather daunting. So, here’s the rundown on how to have a good time with your family in York, without them questioning if all you know about is student bars. 

History tour

If you really want to embrace your role as a tour guide, giving your loved ones a rundown on the history of York is an easy route to take. Clifford’s Tower, the Minster, Museum Gardens and the City Walls are all easy places to make it look like you know the city.

However, if you are really going to embrace being a tour guide, we recommend reading up on some key dates and fun facts first. Or just sign up for a walking tour! 

Summer pub trips

History isn’t for everyone, but taking your family to one of the old pubs is a perfect way to make your drinking style appear more civilised. If it hasn’t been raining, the Kings Arms along the river is an amazing location, or the Habit provides stunning views on its terrace of the minister in warmer months. The perfect way to keep loved ones entertained when the Christmas Markets aren’t on.

Coffee shop catch ups

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If a beer garden isn’t quite your style, the array of independent coffee shops is easily the way to go. Coffee shops are the perfect place to take loved ones if they’re just here for the day, while making it seem like you know the city past the bars and pubs.

Brew and Brownie and Rise are easy but trendy locations to take your loved ones. While locations like Coffee Culture, Coco Joes and Kiosk offer less crowded options, perfect for a catch up.

Quirky shops

One of the main tourist attractions of York isn’t just its history, whether you’re looking for a shopping trip or just a snoop around York’s array of quirky and unique shops, it’s an easy way to fill an afternoon. The York Soup Company, Imaginarium, The Ghost Merchants and Criminally Good Books are just a few examples of what York has to offer. 

The Shambles

If your family hasn’t been before or you’re just struggling at what to do to keep them entertained, the Shambles is an easy way to fill some time and tick off some must-sees in York.

The Shambles itself is widely known to both tourists and locals alike, the Shambles Market, however, though still busy, is a slightly more unique area of the city to take your loved ones. 

Events in York

One of the keys to success of keeping your loved ones entertained while in York is the timing of their visit. December is the obvious option as the Christmas markets are in town, however, York continues to offer exciting events for the year.

The Viking festival in February and events like the light show at the Minister occur throughout the year. So let these events do all the hard work for you by timing their visit around what’s going on in the city. 

We hope this guide helps you keep your loved ones entertained when they next visit York!