Wow! Mad Alice is a fantastic performer, amazingly knowledgeable about the city and surrounding…read morearea lore and history. Our group of 7 from the States was so impressed. She also guided everyone safely across multiple busy streets on a Saturday night and managed loud drunk nearby teenagers with ease.

If you're looking for a master class in theater, local history and comedic brilliance, then Mad…read moreAlice's Bloody Tour of York is a one stop shop. The fact that she knew all 3 dozen people that signed up by their first name was quite a first impression. On top of making it a point to personally connect with everyone in between stops, her ability to involve the group in her stories had everyone leaning in for more. We have been on many tours such as this in the US and UK and this was by far the best we have ever encountered. AND she was nursing a cold! Thank you Mad Alice!!!

This area is beautiful. We walked around the area and there's just so much to see. Even the free…read morearea is iconic. The little river that runs behind the temple is so pretty. It's worth going in the actual grounds- such an experience me and my family will never forget. I got postcards and read about each room on the grounds. Very nice staff work there in the gift shop a well.

Had a nice family day out and we decided we would go here…read more We went up to Leeds and then had to catch the Bus 19 which took us up between Temple Newsam house and the golf grounds, we then had to walk about 10 minutes to get to the actual place. Walking up to it you're surrounded by green and then there are a load of tree's that seperate so you can walk through them towards the house and grounds, it was like something out of a postcard. When we actually got to the grounds we were stumped on where to go first! Do we go into Temple Newsam House OR do we head towards their little farm OR do we wonder around their 1500 acres of woodlands, fields etc!? Spoilt for choice We started off with the house itself. Prices for a family tickets (2 adults & up to 3 children) are: Temple Newsam House: £9.50 Home Farm: £8.70 Joint Ticket: £15.50 The house is magnificent! You are asked not to take photo's. This is because of the flash as the light and heat can damage pictures etc, it can cause a chemical reaction. I did take a few pictures, but made sure my flash was OFF as not to damage anything. You have a choice of walking around the house reading bits and bobs, or you can use these handheld blocks where you punch in the number per room and a recording will guide you through the room and explain. There are also children's versions of this. We all got confused by it so we opted out lol. Had a little laugh as there is a picture of a man near the picture gallery and he was a spitting image of my father - didn't take a photo of this. Despite it being so big and perhaps a bit dull for children, our children loved it and were full of questions that we tried to answer. They were excited about going into different rooms and their favourite room was the 'nannys room' where they had modern toys for children to play with. We then headed towards the farm. I will be honest with you, I didn't like the farm as much as I would have normally - perhaps it was because of the weather? I would have liked it to have been a farm where we could feed the animals too because places such as the barns with cows, they only had 1 large bucket of this protien stuff which meant that only the biggest cows had managed to get to it (would YOU try and squeeze inbetween 2 fully grown cows!?) and so the younger smaller ones had no chance - perhaps later in the day they would?? :( . One was even eating the straw on the ground which was covered in 'you know what', so I didn't like that bit. The highlight of the farm was that we saw piglets being born! That was amazing! The grounds are huge! As I've already said, all of this is within 1500 acres of land and they have woodlands you can explore which we didn't have time to get to, so it's deffinately an all day trip or perhaps even 2 days. I would go again, although I wouldn't pay for the farm again.

York is a beautiful town with lots to see, do and shop. Read good things about York's Chocolate…read moreStory. We we travelling with our Bulldog, so we took turns visiting the shop. Got a bunch of chocolate bars (milk, dark and raspberry) and a selection of their pralines. Even though very busy, the staff was very friendly and helpful. Prices are very fair. The chocolate bars were quite good. But maybe not exactly our style. Or maybe I'm biased because I'm Swiss :D But the pralines were divine! Pieces of art. Tasted as amazing as they looked. Really up there with the very best ones we've had yet. All kinds of ingredients and fillings. Just amazingly tasty. Surely we'll be back for more whenever we're back in York.

We attended the guided tour as 2 adults and both really enjoyed the entire experience. There were 2…read moreother families in our group for a total of 8 people. One family had a little girl who was probably 4 years old and she thoroughly enjoyed the entire tour. Our guide was fantastic from the beginning to the end. She was engaging, funny, and knowledgeable. The tour is interesting while giving you historical information about chocolate coming to England, the first chocolate families, as well as giving you a few tastes along the way. At the end you get to make your own white chocolate lollipop to take home. You also get to watch the chocolate kitchen make some chocolates and tested those as well. We thought it was worth the money and glad we did it!

We did the afternoon AVG tour on 9/9 and really enjoyed the 2 hour walk. Mike led our group. He was…read moreknowledgeable and comfortable in his role. He had a passion for the rich history of York and explained the complexities well. The tour was worth our time investment and we appreciated the volunteers who dedicate themselves to this effort!

A walking tour of York is a must and based on our experienced there is no reason at all not to…read moreselected the AVG tour since it is free. We came to understand the volunteer guides are almost entirely retirees who are very proud of their hometown and want to make sure visitors have a great tour. Although our tour occurred on a very rainy day, we still had a great time and it was very interesting at every turn. This tour covers all the high points in York and is highly recommended. Our guide was Judy. She was extremely personable and knowledgeable. She even offered to extend the tour as she was headed to the guildhall.

Took a tour of Newby Hall and gardens, which was outstanding. The interior is magnificent - so…read morecool to see the period pieces and super old furniture and sculptures. Two tour guides took us on a 1-hour walk-through of the hall and they were amazing at sharing all the history about the place. I felt like it was money well spent and I got a true feel for the history of Newby. The gardens and expansive grounds also are beautiful to stroll around in. I wish I could live here! Staying in Skelton-on-Ure, we also happened upon the Church of Christ the Consoler, which is amazing as it appears like an ancient Gothic cathedral in the middle of a sheep farm but is actually around 150 years old built in Gothic revival style. Love this whole place.

Great job, extremely knowledgeable. Good story teller. 4 of us enjoyed it immensely! Alan (sp?) was…read more part pirate, part viking but fabulous historian.

Excellent, well researched walking tours of historical York, UK. Humor and knowledge enable…read moretourists to learn about the numerous aspects of the city's history and architecture. You are asked to make a donation, if you want, at the end of the tour, and it is worth it.

Set aside a whole day for this visit. It's location is stunning & spectacular scenes. It's a huge…read morepark with ample good foot paths, well manicured lawns & abundant wild life. If you are a member of NT or EH it's free entry. Free guided tours of the abbey & water gardens included for all visitors. This saves you walking about with your head in a book. 2 cafes are located at either end of the park with toilets available. I have walked 6 miles today & barely seen the whole park so look forward to another visit. Exhibitions and follies doted around the Estate.

Whenever we travel to Europe we like to do a bike tour and are so happy to have found York Cycling…read moreTours. My sister and I totally enjoyed our ride with Andy. Even though it was March and the weather was a bit cool we couldn't have spent a better couple of hours! Andy is friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. He is considerate and does not push you beyond your riding abilities. We were able to see things we didn't know were there and the ride enabled us in finding our way about the city even more. Thank you Andy!

It was a great day for a ride and everyone cancelled but me. Andy and I pedaled around York, inside…read moreand outside the walls, out to the racecourse, on streets, bike paths and snickelways. It was a lovely way to see the city. If you aren't a regular rider be prepared for about three little hills but it was an easy ride otherwise. Andy was an interesting guide and a thoughtful leader on the streets. This is s great way to see York.

Last night in York for a Ghost Walk. Saw the sign that said "Nightly" and "No reservations…read morerequired". Several folks showed up at the allotted time. Guide/Tour Operator never showed up. Not enough time to get to another tour. I would try one of the other several ghost tours that are available in York, before I try this one again. Disappointing.

I enjoyed this Ghost Hunt. The actor stayed in character all the time and took us for a nice hunt…read morearound York. It was a combination of comedy, historical facts and pranks. We met at 730PM in the Shambles. It was $6/adult for the tour and we simply paid the man in the coat. Bring cash, cos there is no ticketing process. We followed him and made stops at various haunted sites and he basically explained the history and wove in some comedy. He held the stage well and had all of us participate in fun activities. For $6, this was well worth the cost and time. I definitely enjoyed this experience, it was fun, and very entertaining.

You may've seen the really annoying adverts for this one. I've never reached for my remote control…read moreso quickly in my life. Having said that, Lightwater Valley is a grand day out. Wow I sounded very Yorkshire even by my standards there. This is one of the more known amusement parks in the North and it will soon be open for the upcoming season. That means rides galore and silly funfair related fun. For the bigger kids (and we're included in that) there are ten adrenaline rides. We're not talking quite in the same realms as Alton Towers but they really aren't bad. The Ultimate used to be their crown in the jewel but you'll find other newer attractions to add to this now. It is still the longest rollercoaster in Europe though. For smaller people there are even more rides and I love the skate and go-karts. Ace fun regardless of your age. Everything is included in a one off admission as well so once you've shelled out to get in it's play time unlimited. The eateries are basic at best and very expensive so smuggle some pack lunch in. I also recommend trying to plan your visit around the school holidays as it does get very busy. That can't be helped and they will try getting you on the rides as quick as possible. An adult ticket costs £20 which for a day isn't too bad really. Family tickets are cheaper and they also have some special offers. Praiseworthy value for money. Bring on some oooohhhh and arghhhhs.

I want to step out of another closet here. I am a fun junkie. Ok I've said it!…read more In a previous life I was a regular visitor to theme parks as, sadly, it was part of my job. Because of this I gained a little experience of rides and theme park structure and i wish to bring all my awesome skills to bear in the case of Lightwater Valley. Discounting the great weather (which was a plus but for which I am giving LWV no credit) I am still enamoured of this wonderful place. We went for a family day out and being a family of 6 (now comprising 4 adults and 2 children) these trips are never as cheap as a miserly Yorkshireman would like but we had come by a discount voucher so admission for the whole family was £89.70. The pricing structure seems fairer than some other parks as it is based on height and therefore on how many rides a person can use (this is good as my son is quite petite for his age) A great selection of rides meant that every member of the family left happy (and in some cases quite shaken) and it's always a plus that the whole thing is set in nice countryside. I dropped a star because the catering (in common with most theme parks) lets them down portions being small and prices high. I couldn't finish without a word concerning the staff. I imagine that operating these rides over and over again can become quite disheartening and perhaps downright boring and indeed this is often clear by the facial expressions and demeanour of the staff but I am pleased to say that all the staff here seemed happy and even at the end of the day they allowed 'just one more ride' rather than sullenly chasing everyone away.