School Trips & Tours to York

A charming, fascinating city, York is a popular tourist attraction in England, steeped in history. Its mesmerising architecture, beautiful cobbled lanes and street performers have created a dynamic school trip destination that students can enjoy. With 2,000 years of history, and built by the Romans in 71 AD, there is plenty of things to do in this exciting city – encompassed by the famous Roman walls and dominated by the beautiful York Minster -  of which visits to can be made part of your group’s itinerary. York has a unique character that will fascinate school groups; ideal for history classes, York, with extensive activities available, can bring home the life of the Romans, Vikings and Victorians, while sites like the Minster are great for Religious Studies.

At WST, we arrange York school trips for:

• Primary school students
• Secondary school students 

Top Attractions

York Minster

The largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, York Minster is an enthralling attraction that will amaze students. On visits to the religious site, school groups can walk the steps of soldiers, Romans and locals while experiencing this breath-taking church. Although a historic site, the underground chambers of York Minster have been transformed to provide modern interactive workshops, alongside tours into the history of this beautiful building. A treasure hunt for students highlights the cathedral’s past in a fun, stimulating way.

York Castle Museum

Located in a former prison, York Castle Museum is a must-visit attraction for history students, housing several fascinating permanent and temporary exhibitions. At WST, we would highly recommend Kirkgate: The Victorian Street, for school groups to visit. This recreated street, and permanent feature at the museum, showcases what life was like during the Victorian era in York. Students can stroll past authentic Victorian businesses, look into a Victorian classroom, police cell, shops, and browse historic paraphernalia on display. The street also highlights the poverty experienced during this period, and students can learn about individuals’ lives, offering an entertaining and interesting way to delve into this period.

Brigantium Roman Fort

A truly unique learning experience, Brigantium, set in a Roman Auxiliary fort from 1^st Century AD, allows school groups to experience the life of Roman army soldiers. Acting as new recruits, each student will be equipped with uniform, a helmet, spear and shield, where they’ll learn about the many duties of the soldiers, from guard duty to craft work. Each group will receive interesting weapons training (with dummy props), learn how forts are built and partake in drill training. This hands-on approach makes learning of the Roman period memorable, and brings the topic to life.

Accommodation

At WST, we carefully select all of our accommodation to ensure it meets our stringent guidelines. We take great pride in this, and only offer accommodation we think is the most suitable. Understanding the area is also key, and members of our travel team will regularly visit trip destinations, providing unparalleled knowledge of the attractions, local culture and area. In York, we have selected The Blossoms Hotel, a comfortable 3-star guesthouse, set in a beautiful Georgian house, for educational tours. It’s located just 10 minutes away from key sites, such as York Minster, and can house one large party, making it ideal for school trips.

Local Cuisine

Famous for its ‘café culture’, York has plenty of places to eat, where school groups can stop off in-between sightseeing. Along its beautiful cobbled streets, York has a variety of independent stores selling classic English confectionery, from home-made fudge to takeaway pies and pastries. Quintessentially English foods are favourites in York, including freshly made sandwiches and afternoon tea. The Blossoms Hotel offers flexible meal times to fit in with your schedule, and we can arrange packed lunches for busy days out.

Hidden Gems

DIG

While in York, why not give your pupils a taste of archaeology? Amongst the historic sites, York has four man-made excavation pits where students can dig for replica artefacts from Roman, Viking, medieval and Victorian times. Experiencing what life is like for an archaeologist or ‘digger’, pupils are thrown into this fascinating subject with a short introduction, before they begin to unearth the treasures hidden beneath. Each artefact offers more information about York’s history, while curriculum-led workshops build on your pupils’ learning in an enjoyable and highly exciting way.

Eden Camp

Eden Camp offers a captivating insight into modern history. Covering both World War I and World War II, Eden Camp has over 30 outer-buildings, each focusing on a social issue or important part of wartime history, from the rise of the Nazi party to highlighting women’s role in war. Extending to British military, including vehicles and hardware, Eden Camp is a great way to bring home the topic of war to young pupils, in a stimulating environment.

York Dungeon

An immersive experience, the York Dungeon takes school groups on an exhilarating journey into the history of this mysterious city – just taking out the boring bits! With live actors and innovative special effects, this thrilling walk-through experience will showcase York’s horrible history, where groups will come face to face with characters from York’s past, from Guy Fawkes to Dick Turpin. Unique storytelling that will stir emotions, the York Dungeon gives pupils the chance to see, hear, touch and smell the city’s history wrapped up in an immersive, slightly scary and utterly unique attraction. 

WST Support

The beauty of York is its size, which means that students can visit several attractions all in one day. At WST, we can arrange school trips to York with a jam-packed itinerary, which means that students can experience what this exciting city offers without a large journey travelling. Arranging each part of your trip is simple; we’ll go the extra mile to ensure your trip runs smoothly and assist with any queries you may have.

If you would like to find out more about our educational trips to York, why not contact a member of our travel team today? We’ll be happy to help.

Request a quote today