City Sightseeing York Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
Recommended by 90% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
York, England
- 1 hour (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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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.
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.
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 During the winter months, the tour runs every 30 minutes on weekdays and every 20 minutes on weekends. Winter Schedule (2nd January - 27th March and then 3rd November - 31st December): First departure from Stop 1 at 9:45am. Last departure from Stop 1 at 4:15pm. Frequency: every 30 minutes. Summer Schedule (28th March - 12th April and then 18th July - 5th September): First departure from Stop 1 at 9:23am. Last departure from Stop 1 at 5:08pm. Frequency: every 15 minutes. Spring and Autumn Schedule (13th April - 17th July and then 6th September - 1st November): First departure from Stop 1 at 9:28am. Last departure from Stop 1 at 4:28pm. Frequency: every 20 minutes
1
Exhibition Square (Stop EC)
2
Gillygate
3
Monk Bar
4
Foss Bank
5
Peasholme Green
6
The Stonebow
7
Clifford's Tower
8
Margaret Street
9
Walmgate Bar Post Office
10
Barbican Road
11
Fishergate
12
8 Bishopthorpe Rd
13
Southlands Methodist Church
14
The Winning Post
15
York Racecourse
16
Blossom Street (Stop BA)
17
The Mount
18
Mount Vale
19
The Ghost Bus Tours York
20
Leeman Road Coach Stops (Stop A)
21
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
- Tour duration: 60 Minutes
- Vouchers are valid for 12 months from travel date selected at check-out
- Winter Schedule (2nd January - 27th March and then 3rd November - 31st December): First departure from Stop 1 at 9:45am. Last departure from Stop 1 at 4:15pm. Frequency: every 30 minutes
- Summer Schedule (28th March - 12th April and then 18th July - 5th September): First departure from Stop 1 at 9:23am. Last departure from Stop 1 at 5:08pm. Frequency: every 15 minutes
- Spring and Autumn Schedule (13th April - 17th July and then 6th September - 1st November): First departure from Stop 1 at 9:28am. Last departure from Stop 1 at 4:28pm. Frequency: every 20 minutes
- 2026 Timetable:
- The tour will not operate on the following dates:
- 2nd, 6th, 9th, 13th, 16th, 20th, 23rd, 27th and 30th November
- 4th, 7th, 11th, 14th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 25th and 26th December
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 572 reviews
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Amanda_H, May 2025
Great way to get around. Stops at all the sights that you need to see. Easy to understand maps. Staff are very helpful.
Mildred_B, May 2025
Excellent way to see the city, can pick the bus up from the train station which is very handy. Highly recommend as a great way to get around.
Paul_L, Feb 2025
Great way to orientate to the main city attractions. The guide was just a bit too "full on" - threw in lots of useless anecdotes (some of which were just downright daft !) which meant that the useuful "tourist info" got lost
Harini_N, Jan 2025
The bus broke down. It was not one but 2 buses. I had to walk back because I had other plans clashing, and could not finish the tour.
Katherine_R, Dec 2024
Brilliant overview and context for exploring York. The bus was on time and very clean, staff were professional and welcoming, and there is a new story around every corner.
Diane_A, Oct 2024
Very knowledgeable guide.
Good value if you take advantage of the 24 hour use of ticket.
Lots of stops / places to visit.
Darren_N, Oct 2024
The hop on and off bus is a great way to orientate you with the city and the main must sees. We had live commentary who would take questions.
Alan_S, Oct 2024
The nice preciseness of the ride matching up with all the history as we made our rounds about the city.
Mark_D, Sep 2024
We really enjoyed the tour. York is such a beautiful, historic city! The tour bus helped us see a broad range of sights in one afternoon. Our live tour guide on our first circuit was outstanding - much better than the recorded “guide” we had on a second partial circuit.
Debbie_P, Sep 2024
Was good journey overall..... Nothing more to say really about the trip
Can't add full details as not all options available... Was with family (elderly) but not an option so had to select SOLO traveller
Cindy_P, Sep 2024
I enjoyed it more when there was a live person narrating the history and I could ask questions. He was easier to understand as well. Otherwise, it was a great way to get an overview.
ann_j, Sep 2024
Very good guide informative and amusing. Great value for money. Would highly recommend this to anyone travelling to York. Bus stops at all major tourist attractions.
Martha_B, Aug 2024
The Minster was the best part of York! We could have spent several hours there. Just stunning! The hop-on-hop-off tour was ok. Sometimes you couldn't understand what the guide was saying.
Vincent_F, Aug 2024
Average experience. The drivers had no way of scanning the app to show that I paid.They wanted a paper receipt which I could not get since I booked it on the viator app. One driver would not let us get on since he could not scan the QR code so we had to wait for the next bus. It was also difficult to hear the recorded history.
paul_O, Jul 2024
So easy to use once you find the park and ride points in York. Really good narration throughout the tour. Bus very clean and drivers were very professional. York is well worth a minimum 4 hour visit.
Michael_W, Jul 2024
Excellent way to tour York and audio commentary is brilliant.Driver very welcoming.If didn't do this we would have no idea on some of the historical events.
From $23.37
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