Is York Minster Worth Visiting? An English Cathedral in the Centre of York

Are you visiting York and wondering if the York Minster is a good addition to your already packed itinerary? 

If the answers yes then this post is for you as we provide a comprehensive answer the question – is York Minster worth visiting?

There’s so much to do in York and you’ll often have just one or two days to see all the city has to offer. This is why it’s important that you see all the best highlights. 

What’s in this post?

In this post we cover the essential information you need to know before you go. Including the practicalities like how much you can expect to pay, where the York Minster is located and the opening times to visit. 

We’ll take you through the different sections of the Minster that you can explore, not forgetting how you can climb that tower to get unrivalled views across all of York. 

Additionally, we provide a detailed guide to everything else there is to do in York to help you plan your trip. 

If there’s something on this list you’re particularly interested in you can skip straight there by clicking on that section in the contents below. If not, then scroll down as we answer the question “is York Minster worth visiting?”

Is it worth going in the York Minster? 

Yes, it is absolutely worth visiting the York Minster. It’s a key part of the history of York, and it’s this history weaved throughout the Minster that makes it such an awe inspiring cathedral. This is absolutely a worthwhile stop on your visit to York. 

From the stained glass windows with incredible detail to the 12th century doomstone that depicts hell, there’s plenty to experience across the Minsters many floors. 

It’s just an unbelievable structure with the huge stone arches, innate wooden carvings that give it a real sense of something bigger. 

Where is the York Minster?

The York Minster is located right in the centre of York making it easily walkable from the rest of the many attractions and things to do in York. 

York is a city in England, located in the north east of England. It’s around 200 miles north of London and south of Edinburgh. York is easy to get to by car or train but parking your car can be costly so it’s easier to get the train where possible. If you have to drive try and find accommodation with parking or use the Park and Ride service. 

York Minster Opening times

The York minster is open 7 days a week from 9.30am to 4pm from Monday to Saturday. This is just a guide as there are different opening hours for Sundays and Worship times so I’d recommend checking the York minster site for current opening times.

How much does it cost to visit York Minster?

You can expect to pay around £20 for entry into the York minster or £24 to climb the tower during your visit. This doesn’t include children under 17 as up to four children can enter for free with each paying adult. 

This is just a guide and prices change all of the time so I’d recommend checking the York minster site for current entry costs.

Things to know before your visit to York Minster

Get a map: York minster is a pretty big place with plenty to see so make sure you grab a map on your way in.

Before you climb the tower: There are 275 stairs in the tower with no lift and a spiral staircase. It’s a lot so make sure you’re up to the challenge before you pay the extra for the tower.

Research the York Pass: depending on what else you have planned while you’re in York you may be able to save on the cost of entry to the York Minster with the York Pass. This is a tourist pass where you pay one fee for a pass that can be used across a set number of days and gives you free access to a huge range of attractions in and around York. 

Is York Minster worth visiting with kids? 

Yes! There’s so much for kids to do at York Minster and kids under 17 get in for free with a paying adult. 

Wondering if your kids will be too loud or energetic to visit the Minster? You don’t need to worry, while you don’t see many kids running around screaming there’s a general buzz from all of the visitors so they can get away with talking normally. This worked great for us as we were a bit nervous knowing there’s no such thing as a whisper when it comes to kids! 

The York Minster have loads of stuff going on to encourage families to visit including family specific events throughout the year and the displays in the undercroft museum. 

You can also borrow an explorers backpack from the welcome desk FOR FREE! They come packed with all of this fun stuff for the kids to enjoy their visit, 

• I-Spy challenge
• Binoculars
• Compass
• Map
• Torch
• Mirror
• Magnifying glass
• Pencils, coloured pencils and paper

All you have to do is return the bag when you leave so that other families can enjoy them too. 

How much time is needed in the York Minster?

Plan to spend at least 2 hours in the Minster, 3 if you also want to climb to the top of the tower. 

We visited York for 2 days so spent around 2.5 hours in the York Minster and took our time exploring all of the different areas (and the gift shop!) but we didn’t climb the tower. 

If you’re limited to only having one day to spend in York then you could get round the Minster in 1 hour but you’d either need to move through the different areas quite quickly or do some research ahead of time and choose a few key areas to spend time in.

What is there to do inside York Minster? 

The Minster has a really useful interactive map to help you navigate around the Minster. There’s so much to do here that it can be hard to know where to start. To help you focus on your planning we’ve listed the best things to do in the York Minster.

Free guided tour

If you’re visiting the Minster on Monday to Saturday between 10am and 3pm then you can join one of the free tours led by expert tour guides.

This is a great way to see the Minster, especially if you’re short on time and want to make the most of your visit with some interesting facts along the way. 

Treasury & Undercroft Museum

The Treasury and Undercroft Museum lie beneath the York Minster and can be accessed by stairs or a lift. This includes a series of very cool exhibits that you can walk through to bring the history of the Minster to life 

There’s a lot to see so if you’re short on time these are the top three things to seek out in the Treasury and Undercroft Museum, 

1. The section of glass floor where you can see the footprint of part of the Roman ruins that were unearthed between 1967 and 1972 when emergency works were carried out as the cathedral’s central tower was in danger of collapse. While carrying out the work to underpin the tower the excavations uncovered many hidden secrets of the site, including the remains of a Roman barracks, an Anglo-Saxon cemetery and the foundations of the Norman Minster.

2. The Doomstone which has survived from the first Norman Minster around 1000 years ago. This was really interesting as it depicts lost souls slowly pushed into a boiling cauldron by devils and demons into the “mouth of hell”. 

3. Fragments of painted plaster that were discovered when they unearthed the ruins. The fragments of mural have been carefully re-assembled in its original position over 1600 years ago. 

Main Floor

Several sections make up the vast main floor is where the architecture, carving and stone work will truly take your breath away. 

At one end you’ll find Nave with the stunning stone work and towering columns, or at the other end there’s the huge windows in the East End that house the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in England.

In between the Nave and East End is the Chapter House with amazing carvings and a historic connection as the site of King Edward I’s Parliament in 1297

Climb the Tower

The central tower is the highest point in York and is tall enough to fit the Leaning Tower of Pisa inside. You can climb the tower for panoramic views of York and, on a clear day, far beyond. 

This part of the Minster isn’t accessible or really suited to young children though as you’ll have to climb a spiral staircase of 275 steps to get to the top. 

FAQs for visiting York Minster

Summary

So, is York Minster worth visiting? The short answer is yes and to help you with including the York Minster in your trip to York we’ve laid out the top 3 things to focus on that we would never miss during a trip to the York Minster,

1. Explore the arches and stained glass of the Nave
2. Spend some time examining the artistry of the Doomstone
3. Walk through the exhibits in the Undercroft Museum to be taken on a journey through the history of the Minster.

In summary, York Minster is a stunning cathedral that stands as a testament to centuries of history and architectural brilliance – truly a must-see destination for anyone planning a visit to York. 

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