Discover York's Stained Glass

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

York, England

1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

See a side of York’s history and art that lots of tourists miss out on on this small-group walking tour through the Shambles and Shards that focuses on the stained glass found in local churches. But don’t worry—you needn’t be a major art history buff to enjoy this experience. The tour is relaxed and accessible to all knowledge levels.

Get a guide’s unique perspective on York’s cultural heritage
A small group ensures personalized attention from your guide
See essential landmarks like the York Minster and Museum Gardens
Learn things about stained glass most locals don’t even know about

What's Included

Tour and Building Access

Snacks

We can and will take a comfort break within the tour to get a drink to walk with or use the bathroom.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

North Street Gardens
North St, York YO1 6JD, UK
We’ll meet near the John Snow Memorial (the water pump sticking out of the ground) in the park, but if it’s closed due to river flooding, we’ll meet at the front of All Saint’s North Street.

End point

Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate
Goodramgate, York YO1 7LF, UK
We will end the tour at the church, putting people in the center of york at Goodramgate to explore as they’d like.

Itinerary

All Saints Church

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

St. Olave's Church

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Museum Gardens

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

St. Helen's Church

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

York Minster

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Holy Trinity Church

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Parish of All Saints' Pavement

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Most travelers can participate
There will be uneven, slippery, and uncertain surfaces in some of the churches.
We will be walking over a mile throughout the tour.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

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

4.9

based on 16 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

We feel the tour has...

Margaret_W, Jul 2026

We feel the tour has enhanced our appreciation and enjoyment of stained glass as our guide Madeleine was so knowledgeable and delivered information in such an understandable and enjoyable way. It was a wonderful experience.

An eye-opening tour linking history and art. 10/10, would recommend to everyone!

Julian_S, Jan 2026

Madeline is a wonderful tour guide with nearly two decades of experience in tour guiding and over half a decade of existence in stained glass conservation. This new insight into York's past enhanced my understanding and appreciation of York's past in ways I could barely imagine. The tour (and its wonderful guide) were engaging, funny, and incredibly insightful and knowledgeable. She delivered the tour and answered all of the group's questions in an understandable manner, which was very helpful for someone whose knowledge of stained glass is as limited as mine. The delivery of the information was not the only level at which Madeline ensured accessibility - all of the sites were very close to each other, and there were few to no steps involved at any point of the tour, which helped a lot seeing as I had a bad knee on the day. The pacing, both physical and verbal, was amazing - it enabled us as an audience to properly engage with the stained glass and history at our own pace and level. Overall, a wonderful experience and a very memorable lesson in history and art. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in history, art, and stained glass for sure, but also to anyone visiting York for the first time.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

What an incredible review- thank you so much for your time and being such a lovely supporter as one of my first ever guests at Shambles & Shards. I had so much fun exploring York with you and showing a new side to the art and history of the city.