City Sightseeing York Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Recommended by 90% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

York, England

High interest

Booked 5+ times today.

1 hour (approx.)
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.6

· Stu_E ·

Jun 2026

V clean buses and friendly drivers. Never waited more that 10 mins for a bus. Apx 1hr to do whole route and passes all major points

· Tracey_H ·

Aug 2026

The booking and finding where the activity started was a breeze. The whole journey was informative and funny. The tour guide was very funny and knowledgeable.

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Overview

Journey back in time on a hop-on hop-off bus tour of York, England’s quintessential medieval town. Your flexible 24-hour ticket enables you build a custom itinerary of York’s main attractions such as The Stonebow, Clifford’s Tower, Museum Gardens and more. With unobstructed views from the open-top viewing deck and 20 possible stops around town, you have the best of the city at your fingertips.

City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off tour of York with audio commentary
Create a personalized sightseeing itinerary and explore York at leisure
See top York attractions such as Clifford's Tower and Monk Bar
Hop on and off as many times as you wish at any of the 20 stops around the city
Make use of a ticket that’s valid for 24 hours from the time of first use

What's Included

Unlimited hop-on hop-off for 24 or 48-hours
On-board audio commentary available in several languages and kids commentary + free headphones
Discount booklet including offers on local eateries, attractions and shops
Vouchers valid for 12 months from travel date selected at check-out

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop off
Food and drinks, unless specified

Meeting and Pickup

Operating hours

Select your preferred tour option to see hours.

View tour option

Departure Point

You may start this tour at any of the stops listed.

Ticket Redemption Point

Exhibition Square (Stop EC), York YO1 7EP, UK

Itinerary

With the untarnished essence of a true medieval village, York boasts a mix of lasting heritage and modernity, offering fascinating museums, stunning Gothic architecture and traditional drinking and eating culture. With your 24-hour pass (valid from first use), see York’s top sights with audio commentary, available in 10 languages, offering an intriguing window into the past—laced with Roman and Viking conquest. Hop on the open-top, double-decker bus at any of the 20 stops along the route, and enjoy the flexibility of choosing your own sightseeing itinerary and tour duration.

Grab a comfortable seat in either the indoor or open-air seating section and take in the views along the route. Relax as the bus makes the entire loop or hop off at any stop. Discover Exhibition Square and Clifford’s Tower—the lasting remains of William the Conquerer’s York Castle. Finish there, or continue to the Monk Bar Fortress or any other stop on the route that catches your fancy (full itinerary listed below).

Ending your tour is easy - just hop off!

Note: Entrance fees are not included in your hop-on, hop-off pass.

Red Route

21 Stops

21 Points of Interest

Duration: 1 hour

Operating Schedule: First Tour from stop 1: 9:08am. Last full loop tour from stop 1: 4:38pm. Frequency: every 15 minutes. Winter service: First departure from Stop 1 at 10:45am. Last departure from Stop 1 at 2:15pm. Frequency: every 30 minutes. Shoulders and Summer service: First departure from Stop 1 at 9:30am. Last departure from Stop 1 at 5pm approx. Frequency: every 15 - 20 minutes

Exhibition Square (Stop EC)

Gillygate

Monk Bar

Foss Bank

Peasholme Green

The Stonebow

Clifford's Tower

Margaret Street

Walmgate Bar Post Office

Barbican Road

Fishergate

8 Bishopthorpe Rd

Southlands Methodist Church

The Winning Post

York Racecourse

Blossom Street (Stop BA)

The Mount

Mount Vale

The Ghost Bus Tours York

Leeman Road Coach Stops (Stop A)

Museum Street (Stop EA)

Points of interest passed by on this route

Museum Gardens

Clifford's Tower

Monk Bar

York Railway Station

Exhibition Square

York Barbican

Fishergate Postern Tower

National Railway Museum

York Minster

Jorvik Viking Centre

York Mansion House

York Castle Museum

York Theatre Royal

Barley Hall

Fairfax House

York Observatory

Millennium Bridge

York's Chocolate Story

York City Walls

The York Dungeon

GR8escape York

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Tour operates all year round
Mobile and printed paper vouchers are both accepted on this tour and can be redeemed at any of the stops along the route
Vouchers are valid for 12 months from travel date selected at check-out
Tour duration: 60 minutes

First departure from Stop 1 at 9:08am. Last departure from Stop 1 at 4:38pm. Frequency: every 15 minutes
Winter service: First departure from Stop 1 at 10:45am. Last departure from Stop 1 at 2:15pm. Frequency: every 30 minutes
Shoulders and Summer service: First departure from Stop 1 at 9:30am. Last departure from Stop 1 at 5pm approx. Frequency: every 15 - 20 minutes
November 2026: Shoulders service: 1st November. No service: Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Winter service: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays
December 2026: Winter service: 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 19th and 20th. No service: 3rd, 4th, 7th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 17th, 18th, 21st - 31st
January 2027: Winter service: Every Saturday. The service will not operate for the rest of the month
February 2027: Winter service: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. No service: Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays
March 2027: Winter service: Every day until 19th (inclusive). Summer service: 20th, 21st, 23rd, 24th, 27th, 28th, 30th and 31st. Shoulder service: 22nd, 25th, 26th and 29th

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.6

based on 635 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Sort by: Most insightful

Wrong City!

Rashida_P, Sep 2026

I looked up tours in New York and this tour comes up. I went to look up the meeting location the day of and relized it was York, England. Why would a tour in the U.K. come up when I searched NYC tours???

Bad deal

ORISCHRIS_N, Sep 2026

Waited way too long at stop and couldn’t easily distinguish which bus was right so had 4 drivers (all red hop on hop off) tell us we didn’t have the right bus. My husband gave up and called Ubers. Also the stops are not convenient to all sights.

Response from Host, Sep 2026

Dear Customer, We are sorry to hear about your experience with the City Sightseeing York Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, particularly the long wait and the difficulty identifying the correct bus. We understand how frustrating it must have been to be redirected several times and ultimately have to use alternative transport. We will share your comments regarding bus identification and stop locations with our York team for review. We would also like the opportunity to look into what happened during your visit. Please contact us through our official form at https://city-sightseeing.com/es/contacto, including the date, approximate time and stop where you were waiting. Kind regards, City Sightseeing York Team

Worth doing !

shane_G, Sep 2026

Interesting ! Helps you get to places worth seeing ! Friendly & helpful ! Not to expensive ! Nothing more to say ……

Response from Host, Sep 2026

Dear Shane, thank you for your great review on Viator for City Sightseeing York Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour! We are so pleased to hear you found our Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour in York interesting, friendly and helpful, and worth doing to get to the places worth seeing! Thanks for choosing City Sightseeing York Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour! Team City Sightseeing York

Not a happy camper.

Jon_W, Sep 2026

I booked for New York and this is no good. Don't find out until I check in. Now I am out of this money. Not happy

Response from Host, Sep 2026

Dear Jon, thank you for sharing your feedback on Viator for City Sightseeing York Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour. We are very sorry to hear about the confusion with your booking. We understand how disappointing it must be to realize you booked York, UK instead of New York after checking in. Thank you and we hope we can welcome you on board in the future. Team City Sightseeing York

Hop on bus tour

Irenee_L, Aug 2026

Lovely tour informative easy to use takes u all round york to the races if anyone is attending that day easier than a taxi if u leave early

Response from Host, Aug 2026

Thank you so much Irene for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear that you found the City Sightseeing York tour informative and easy to use, and that our sightseeing bus was a convenient way to get around York. We’re especially pleased that you found the service useful for getting to the races, offering a practical alternative to a taxi when planned in advance. We hope you enjoyed discovering York along the way! Thank you for choosing City Sightseeing York, and we look forward to welcoming you again on your next visit.

Nice Introduction

Cindy_V, Aug 2026

I enjoyed this introductory tour of York. It was very informative, and the staff was kind and helpful.

Response from Host, Aug 2026

Thank you Cindy for sharing your experience with us! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your City Sightseeing York tour and found it both informative and a great introduction to the city. It’s wonderful to know that our team was kind and helpful throughout your journey. We aim to make discovering York’s fascinating history and iconic landmarks an enjoyable experience for every visitor. Thank you for choosing City Sightseeing York, and we hope to welcome you back for another sightseeing adventure soon!

Great

Tracey_H, Aug 2026

The booking and finding where the activity started was a breeze. The whole journey was informative and funny. The tour guide was very funny and knowledgeable.

Response from Host, Aug 2026

Thank you so much Tracey for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that booking was easy and that you had no trouble finding the starting point of the activity. It’s fantastic to know that you enjoyed the journey and found it both informative and entertaining. We’ll be sure to share your lovely comments with the tour guide, who will be thrilled to hear that their knowledge and sense of humour made your experience in York so enjoyable. We hope to welcome you back to York for another memorable experience soon!

It’s a handy way to see York

karen_m, Jul 2026

It’s a great way to see York. Easy to use. We used it for a full day. Saved a lot of walking. The commentary was informative

Response from Host, Jul 2026

Dear Karen, Thank you very much for your wonderful review! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed exploring the historic city of York with City Sightseeing York and that our Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing bus made your visit both convenient and enjoyable. It's great to know that you made the most of your ticket throughout the day, giving you the opportunity to discover York while saving plenty of walking. We're also pleased that you found the onboard commentary informative, helping you learn more about the city's fascinating history and iconic landmarks. Thank you for choosing City Sightseeing York. We hope to welcome you back on board again soon, whether in York or at another City Sightseeing destination around the world. Safe travels!

Great to get your bearings

Stu_E, Jun 2026

V clean buses and friendly drivers. Never waited more that 10 mins for a bus. Apx 1hr to do whole route and passes all major points

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Thank you very much for your kind feedback. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your City Sightseeing York hop-on hop-off bus tour and that you found the buses very clean and our drivers friendly. It’s great to know that the frequent service helped you make the most of your visit, with short waiting times of around 10 minutes and a full route covering all the main landmarks in about an hour. Our York sightseeing tour is designed to offer a convenient and efficient way to explore the city’s major points of interest, and we are very pleased it worked so well for your experience. Next time visiting York, we recommend our cruise on the River Ouse with a live guide on board. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again soon on board City Sightseeing.

Great way to see the city.

David_D, Jun 2026

The route included plenty of worthwhile hop on / hop off stops. The drivers and other employees were very friendly and patient with all our questions.

Fab Tour with live, entertaining & informative Guides

Julie_B, Jun 2026

I repeated the tour with 3 different guides! Having a live audio tour is so interesting and each one had different information 😀

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Dear Julie, Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your City Sightseeing York experience and that taking the tour with different live guides made your hop-on hop-off bus journey even more interesting. Our live commentary is designed to bring the city’s history and main attractions to life, and it’s great to know you appreciated the different insights each guide shared. York is a truly special city to explore, and we’re very happy that our sightseeing tour helped you discover it in such an engaging way. Next time visiting York, we recommend our cruise on the River Ouse with a live guide on board. We hope to welcome you back on board again soon for another great experience with City Sightseeing York! Kind regards, City Sightseeing York Team

Good bus tour of York

Carla_a, May 2026

We had an audio guide over the bus speakers. It was very informative. A lot of the interesting history of York isn’t accessible by bus eg The Shambles, and York Minster etc. but the buildings and history mentioned were good. It was a lovely day so we sat on the open top section of the bus. The driver was good too. I recommend the City Sightseeing bus tour York and Viator who were excellent as always.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you very much for your detailed review! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your experience in York and that you found the audio guide informative and the commentary interesting. It’s great to know you were able to enjoy the open-top seating on a lovely day and that the driver contributed positively to your experience. We also appreciate your feedback regarding the limitations of accessing certain historic areas such as The Shambles and York Minster by bus, while still valuing the information provided along the route. Your comments are very helpful and will be taken into account. Finally, thank you for your kind recommendation of CitySightseeing York and Viator. We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you again soon for another great tour!

Website and information...

Lynne_C, May 2026

Website and information supplied not very good. However the drivers were exceptionally friendly, knowledgable & helpful

Response from Host, May 2026

Thank you for sharing your feedback about your experience with City Sightseeing York. We’re sorry to hear that the website and pre-trip information did not fully meet your expectations. Clear and helpful communication before the tour is an important part of the City Sightseeing York hop-on hop-off bus experience, and your comments will be taken on board for review with our team to improve the information we provide to future visitors. On a much brighter note, we’re really pleased to hear your kind words about our drivers. It’s great to know they were exceptionally friendly, knowledgeable and helpful throughout your journey. We will make sure your compliments are passed on to the York team, as they work hard every day to offer a welcoming and informative sightseeing experience around this beautiful historic city. York is a fantastic destination to explore with City Sightseeing, with stops near iconic landmarks such as York Minster, Clifford’s Tower and the medieval city walls, allowing visitors to discover the city at their own pace. We hope to welcome you back on board City Sightseeing York again soon.

Lost no Longer

Alyx_M, Apr 2026

A great way to see the city of York. We were confused as to where to board the bus, but ran into several friendly people in a park who helped us. The bus was nearly empty up top. The driver was careful and very friendly. We stayed on the bus for the full round trip and enjoyed seeing other parts of the city in addition to the Shambles.

Response from Host, May 2026

Hi Alyx 👋 Thank you so much for your kind review 😊 We’re really pleased to hear you enjoyed discovering York with us and that the tour helped you get a great overview of the city. We’re also glad you were able to connect with friendly people along the way and find your way onto the tour. We truly appreciate you choosing City Sightseeing and hope to welcome you again soon 🚍✨

Good way to get your bearings

Ruth_B, Apr 2026

Lots of great info, for a while I had a live guide and for the other loops (I stayed on for a few) the speakers were used. The information was great and the driver was really friendly.

Response from Host, May 2026

Hi Ruth 👋 Thank you so much for your lovely review 😊 We’re really pleased to hear you enjoyed the York tour and that the mix of live guiding and audio commentary helped you learn more about the city. It’s also great to know the driver made a friendly impression during your journey. We truly appreciate you choosing City Sightseeing and hope to welcome you on board again soon 🚍✨

PersonalizEed tour by...

Larry_T, Apr 2026

PersonalizEed tour by tour guide. Saw everything several times over. Went by quickly so we repeated it.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you very much for your review Larry. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your City Sightseeing York hop-on hop-off tour and that you appreciated the personalized approach from our team. It’s great to know you were able to see all the main highlights of the city, and that the flexibility of the service allowed you to repeat sections of the route and enjoy York at your own pace. Our open-top bus tour is designed exactly for that, to give you the freedom to explore, re-visit your favourite spots, and make the most of your time in such a historic city. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you on board again soon for another great sightseeing experience in York.

Great bus tour

Khalida_H, Mar 2026

The communication and booking advance information was great. Found the meeting point comfortably and the the individual confirming my booking was helpful providing the leaflet and information on what to expect. I got from seat in the top deck so the view was great. Enjoyed the tour, thank you

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Dear Customer, Thank you very much for your kind feedback and for choosing City Sightseeing York. We are delighted to hear that you found the communication and advance booking information helpful, and that our team made it easy for you to locate the meeting point and provided useful information for your tour. It’s wonderful to know that you enjoyed your seat on the top deck and had great views of the city. We’re thrilled that you had an enjoyable tour and appreciated the overall experience. Thank you again for your review. We hope to welcome you back soon!

Very informative 1 hour history trip around York.

Gerard_P, Mar 2026

Very informative hour, learned a lot about the history of York. We stayed on from stop 1 back to stop 1.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Hi Gerard, thank you for your feedback! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the City Sightseeing York tour and learned so much about the history of this beautiful city. It’s great that you stayed on for the full loop and experienced everything from start to finish! We hope to welcome you back soon for another unforgettable experience!

The bus was clean and the...

SiongLye_L, Nov 2025

The bus was clean and the commentator was very friendly. The recorded commentory was very good as well

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thank you so much for your review! We’re delighted to hear that you found the bus clean and enjoyed the friendly commentary, as well as the recorded guide. Your feedback means a lot to our team. We hope to welcome you back soon for another great experience in York!

Disappointed

Sharon_H, Nov 2025

The narration was via a recording. The sound level was very poor. We tried moving seats several times but it made little difference

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Dear Guest, Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re very sorry to hear that the audio narration was difficult to hear and that moving seats did not improve your experience. Your comments have been shared with our local team to help improve the audio system and overall tour quality for future guests. We truly appreciate you taking the time to provide this feedback, as it helps us enhance the experience for everyone. Kind regards, City Sightseeing Team

Pass on This

Stacey_R, Oct 2025

Very boring route. Only use this is you want transportation around the walls of York as the city is very walkable. There is lots of construction about and they play the commentary over speakers no earphones and only on English. I would not purchase unless have bad walking ability cause you miss 85% of York

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Hi Stacey, thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that the route and commentary did not meet your expectations. We appreciate your observations regarding the construction, language limitations, and audio delivery, and we will share them with our team to see where improvements can be made.

Would have been better...

Tina_L, Oct 2025

Would have been better with the guide instead of the pre recorded cd. If you only need to see the centre it is all walkable distance but obviously does give you some history

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Dear tina, We sincerely appreciate you sharing your opinion with us. We are glad to hear that you were able to experience the fun of discovering a new city aboard our service. We are pleased to hear that you found our service excellent and that you enjoyed your visit to the city. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again very soon in one of our more than 100 destinations. Thank you for choosing City Sightseeing! Best regards, Quality Department

Sights of York

Donna_G, Sep 2025

Enjoyable tour of York. It was raining on our day but we were provided with plastic ponchos that helped. We didn't hope off on this tour. Just stayed on for the whole route but it was a good way of seeing the sights

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Dear Customer, We sincerely appreciate you sharing your opinion with us. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your tour of York and that the provided ponchos helped make your experience more comfortable despite the rain. It’s wonderful to know that staying on for the full route allowed you to see the sights and enjoy the city. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again very soon in one of our more than 100 destinations around the world. Thank you for choosing City Sightseeing! Best regards, Quality Department

Very enjoyable ride. I...

andrew_t, Aug 2025

Very enjoyable ride. I stayed on the bus for the whole route. The chap giving the commentary was exceptionally informative. Well revommended

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Dear Andrew, We sincerely appreciate you sharing your opinion and recommendation about our tour in the Tripadvisor community. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed both our bus tour and our walking routes, and that the audio guide explanations were to your liking. We sincerely hope to welcome you back to one of our more than 100 destinations. We are committed to always providing you with high-quality, memorable experiences in each of our cities. Thank you again for your support and choice of City Sightseeing. Best regards, Quality Department

York trip

greg_m, Jul 2025

Bus broken down after two stops once sorted good way to see sights. Using the ticket more than once is useful.

Other cities do it better

Rachel_B, Jun 2025

Good fount of knowledge but didn't really announce all the stops and what they can be used for. Still a good way to save your legs.

Lovely and relaxing

colinofhove, Jun 2025

Really nice to sit back and listen to the history which is done via a guide rather than the standard earplugs, so much better.

Would have loved it!

Monica_B, Jun 2025

I didn't manage to do the trip as I ran out of time, the York races had started on the day I was supposed to do this so I will have to come to York again a do the trip next time.