If you’re planning a trip to York, you may be wondering if the York Pass is worth the investment. The York Pass is a card that gives you access to over 25 attractions in and around York, including museums, historic sites, and tours. But is it really worth the money?
If you plan on visiting multiple attractions during your trip, the York Pass can help you save a decent amount of money. Plus, the pass also offers discounts at restaurants and shops in and around York. Plus you also get skip-the-line access, to many of the attractions included with the pass so you can avoid waiting in queues.
Why Buy the York Pass
If you’re planning a trip to York, we recommend definitely considering the York Pass. Here are some reasons why we believe you might want to buy the pass:
Save Money
The York Pass can help save you money on entry fees to over 25 attractions in and around York. Instead of paying for each attraction separately, you can buy the pass to get access to all 25 attractions for one set price. Plus, you’ll get discounts on some other attractions, shops, and restaurants in York and North Yorkshire.
Here’s an itinerary we’ve put together as example of how you could save money if you were to purchase a 1 day pass. This itinerary persumes you’ll be awake early (by 9am) and spend about 1 hour to 2 hours at each of the attractions listed plus travel time between them using the hop-on hop-off bus.
- York Minster Cathedral – £16
- JORVIK Viking Centre – £15
- River Ouse Cruise – £12.50
- York Castle Museum – £16
- York City Sightseeing Hop on Hop off Bus – £16
Total admission costs: £75.50 for individual tickets, or £59 with the York Pass. Saving you £16.50.
Here’s an example of savings that can be had on a 2 day trip, this itinerary also presumes you’ll be awake early and spend 1 to 2 hours at each attraction plus the travel time using a hop on hop off bus:
Day 1:
- York Minster Cathedral – £16
- JORVIK Viking Centre – £15
- River Ouse Cruise – £12.50
- York Castle Museum – £16
- York City Sightseeing Hop on Hop off Bus – £16
Day 2:
Note: The hop on hop off bus is only available for 24 hours, so on day 2 you’ll be walking or using public transport.
- The York Dungeon – £21
- Yorkshire Museum – £9.50
- York Cocoa Works – £9.50
- The Hilt (Adult only) – £23
Total admission for both days: £138.50 for individual tickets to each attraction. A 2 Day York Pass costs £75, saving you £63.50 over 2 days.
Even if you were to skip one or two of the things off the suggested itinerary (you’ll have to skip The Hilt you’re traveling with kids), you’d still make a really good saving on a 2 day pass!
Fast Track Pass
The York Pass can also save you time, as it includes a Fast Track entry to some attractions. This means you can skip the queues and spend more time enjoying the attractions. This really helps with getting your money’s worth by decreasing how long you’re hanging around between each attraction.
Convenience
Another benefit of the York Pass is its convenience. You can buy it online before your trip or at various locations in York, and it comes in a digital format that you can store on your phone. So you don’t have to carry around a physical pass or worry about losing it. You’ll also get access to a 24 hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket, making it easier to travel around the city.
Which attractions does The YOrk Pass cover?
There’s over 25 attractions on the York Pass, so here’s the list of our faveorite things to do with the pass. Most of these are suitable for all ages, and all but the Clifford’s Tower are wheelchair accessible:
- York Minster: One of the most iconic landmarks in York, York Minster is a must-visit for anyone interested in history, architecture, or religion. With the York Pass, you can skip the line and save money on admission to this amazing cathedral.
- York Dungeon: If you’re looking for a unique and immersive experience, the York Dungeon is the place to be. With the York Pass, you can save money on admission to this spooky attraction, which takes you on a journey through York’s dark and gruesome history.
- Jorvik Viking Centre: Step back in time to the Viking era at the Jorvik Viking Centre. With the York Pass, you can save money on admission to this interactive museum, which brings to life the sights, sounds, and smells of Viking-era York.
- Clifford’s Tower: For a bird’s-eye view of York, head to Clifford’s Tower. With the York Pass, you can save money on admission to this historic castle, which offers stunning views of the city and its surroundings.
- National Railway Museum Road Train: Entry to the National Railway Museum is free but with the York Pass, you can save money on the road train, which takes you from the centre of York by the York Minster Cathedral to the museum entrance. You can also get to the museum by car or public transport, but the road train is more fun, and convenient.
- York Castle Museum: Immerse yourself in the history of York at the York Castle Museum. With the York Pass, you can save money on admission to this museum, which features exhibits on everything from life in Victorian England to the history of chocolate.
Plus it also covers many other places to go such as: Treasurer’s House, Yorkshire Museum, York Army Museum, York Mansion House, The Hilt (adult only axe throwing plus a discount on food), York Cold War Bunker, Castle Howard, Yorkshire Arboretum and loads more.
If you choose to buy the 3 day pass, you’ll also get free access to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. This saves you £41 on their standard admission charge. You’ll get to explore 24 miles of the North Yorkshire countryside, between Pickering and Whitby. Pickering station is 35 minutes by car or 1 hour using the bus. If you want to take the bus, you’ll need to hop on the 840 coastliner.
How to Purchase and Use the York Pass
You can purchase the York Pass from the official website, the tourist information shops, or through booking websites. We recommend booking the pass through GetYourGuide, as this allows you to easily manage all your tour tickets and bookings in one place.
The cost of the pass varies depending on the number of days you want to use it. These are the prices as of 2024:
- 1 Day York Pass – £59 for Adults, £35 for children
- 2 Day York Pass – £75 for Adults, £45 for children
- 3 Day York Pass – £90 for Adults, £55 for children
Activating the York Pass
After purchasing the pass you’ll get an email containing the digital pass. If you purchase with GetYourGuide you’ll get a voucher in the app. You can activate the pass by showing it at the first attraction you choose to visit. The pass will then activate and will be valid for the number of days you purchased it for.
Important note: The 1 and 2 Day passes are only valid for consecutive calendar days. The 3 day pass can be used on any day within a 6 day period since it was validated. So If you activate it on the Monday you could use it on 2 more days up until the Saturday as well rather than having to use it Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
How to use the York Pass
Using the pass is really simple. Some attractions may require you to book in advance, make sure to check the official website on whether you need to pre-book. If you don’t need to prebook, just go along to whateve attraction you wish to see and show your pass at the entrance/ticket office. They’ll then allow you to enter.
Extra Benefits of the York Pass
In addition to free entry to over 25 attractions, the York Pass includes some extra benefits so you can save money throughout the city and Yorkshire.
Free City Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus and City Cruises
With the York Pass, you can enjoy a free 24 hour pass for the hop-on hop-off bus tour (saving you £16) which takes you to many of the city’s best things to see & do.
To get your bus pass, head to the Bootham Tower. Once here, show them your York Pass and they’ll give you a bus pass. You cannot order the bus pass online.
After you have activated the bus pass, we recommend taking a full city tour with the bus whilst listening to the commentary. After completing the full tour, we then recomend using it as the hop-on hop-off bus.
The York Pass also includes a free cruise along the River Ouse with City Cruises York (saves you £12, pre-booking is required). We really recommend doing this tour, as it gives you some stunning views of the city whilst being able to just chill and enjoy a relaxing boat ride. If you have limited mobility or are a wheelchair user, there are wheelchair accessible boats available. The boat company does ask that you phone them ahead of time to ensure you’ll be able to access the boat for your sailing. The phone number is listed on their website here.
Discounts at The Hilt Restaurant
The York Pass also includes a 10% discount on food at The Hilt’s viking themed street food restaurant. The offer is valid Tuesday to Sunday except Saturday’s. The Hilt’s axe throwing is also included on the pass (for age 16+ only). So you could combine axe throwing, with lunch.
HOw to get the most out of the York Pass:
If you do buy the York Pass you might still be wondering how to get the most out of the pass. So we’ve put together these tips to help you plan your trip around York and save as much money as you can.
1. Use the map to plan your route
The York Pass comes with a map of York city centre, which is super handy for planning your route and deciding on the order to visit each attraction. The map shows the location of all the attractions included in the pass plus some other useful information such as public toilets and car parking.
2. Pre-book your attractions
Some of the attractions included in the York Pass do require you to prebook them online. We really recommend checking out the York Pass website, to confirm which attractions you’ll need to prebook for. This can save you time and ensure you don’t miss out on any of the attractions you want to visit.
3. Take advantage of the discounts
In addition to free entry to over 25 attractions, the York Pass also offers discounts at selected restaurants and on various tours throughout the city. Be sure to check the York Pass website for details on these discounts and how to redeem them.
