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When Chloe said she wanted to go away for a couple of days, she immediately knew where she wanted to take me. My requirements were a train ride out of London, old-fashioned cobbled streets, cute cafes, delicious food, and a few fun activities thrown in there too. The answer – York.
Well, after spending a couple of days there, I can say York really does tick all the boxes! There really are so many romantic things to do in York for couples, and this is the perfect place for a UK staycation.
Whether you’re a local looking for something different to do, or visiting the city for the weekend, I really hope this blog post helps when planning your trip to York.
How beautiful is York!?
No other city in northern England says ‘medieval’ quite like York. From Romans to the Vikings, this city is teeming with history wherever you look.
Surrounding the city are the old 13th century walls. Within these, York is a maze of narrow streets and wonky buildings. There’s hardly a straight line anywhere.
Right in the heart of the city you’ll find the majestic York Minster cathedral. This is one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in the world, and popping in is a must on any York itinerary.
I could walk around the streets all day long
Also, no trip to York would be complete without wandering along the Shambles. This has been voted as the prettiest street in Britain, so it’s perfect for a romantic weekend in York.
If you’re looking for other things to do in the city with your partner, then here are my top things to do in York for couples.
I really hope you love this city as much as we did!
Getting to York
I always love travelling by train!
From London, getting to York is super easy.
You might be tempted to drive; don’t! The National Rail train is so much quicker and easier.
Driving will take you around 4 hours, will cost £100 in petrol, and it’s bad for the environment too. In comparison, the train only takes 2 hours, the tickets work out cheaper, and it’s more environmentally friendly. It’s a no brainer, isn’t it!
York Station is very close to the city centre
We got a Two Together Railcard before our trip which is 100% worth buying if you travel often with the same person. It saves up to 1/3 on train travel when you’re travelling with that person, and only costs £30 for a year.
As an example, for this journey, our tickets were reduced from £118.80 to £78.30 using our Two Together Railcard. That’s a saving of £40 on this one trip alone. So, we’ve made the money back already just on this one trip!
Romantic things to do in York for couples
The Shambles
Take a look at the prettiest street in Britain
Ahhh the Shambles. This was the place I was most excited about seeing on our trip to York.
The Shambles is one of York’s most famous landmarks and one of the best-preserved medieval shopping streets in the world. Many of the buildings on the street today date back to the late fourteenth and fifteenth century (around 1350-1475).
The history of the Shambles is a bit gruesome. The street was once known as The Great Flesh Shambles (from the Anglo-Saxon Fleshammeles, or ‘flesh-shelves’). This nickname comes from the shelves that butchers used to display their meat for sale.
As recently as 1885, there were 31 butcher shops lined along this street. There aren’t any now which means things are a lot cleaner and tidier, but the history is fascinating.
The Shambles is one of the highlights on any trip to York
Today, the Shambles is lined with boutique shops, bakeries, jewellers and tea emporiums.
Being one of the top sites in York, this place can get very busy during the day, so if you want the street to yourself then come here very early in the morning. We got here at 7:30am and we were the only ones around which was nice.
Also, this street just screams Harry Potter, doesn’t it? Even though it wasn’t filmed here, apparently the street was the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the movies. How cool is that Harry Potter fact!?
If you love Harry Potter, then check out this Harry Potter tour of York!
Hole in the Wand
This is genuinely one of the best mini-golf courses I’ve ever played
Calling all witches & wizards! There’s a Harry Potter themed mini-golf adventure at the Hole in the Wand and it’s absolutely magical!
Chloe & I always love crazy golf courses when we’re exploring a new city, and this is one of the best we’ve ever played.
From the first hole to the last, everything is done so well. Even if you’re not a Harry Potter fan (like Chloe!), you’ll still love it.
Frothy Butterbeer anyone?
Split over two levels, there are nine enchanting holes to play. There are a fair few surprises thrown in there too.
When you’ve finished, you get a magical potion to take away, or you can pop to the café for a Butterbeer and chocolate frog.
I think kids would adore this activity. Though saying that, it was mainly full of adults on dates like us, so maybe I’m wrong!
York’s Chocolate Story
This tour is all about the history of chocolate in York
Did you know York is one of the most important cities in the world for chocolate? Nor did I till I went on York’s Chocolate Story!
York is home to the Aero, Terry’s Chocolate Orange, the Yorkie bar (which makes sense), and the infamous Kit-Kat. Apparently, the Kit-Kat has been officially recognised as the world’s best chocolate bar, and it all started in York.
How about these as some stunning stats. Over 6 million Kit-Kats are produced in York EVERY DAY! That means over a billion are produced every year!
You even get to make chocolate lollies
York’s Chocolate Story takes you on 3,000 years of chocolate history, including the birthplace of Rowntree’s and Terry’s.
This is a very interactive tour and the guides are absolutely brilliant at bringing everything to life. As well as sharing York’s story of chocolate, you also learn where chocolate comes from, how to taste it and how to make it.
Obviously no chocolate tour would be complete without eating lots of chocolate, so at the end of the tour you get to make your own chocolate lollies to take away. Oh, and there are a few other sample chocolates for you to take away too. You definitely won’t be short of chocolate!
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