PreviousNext

York’s Original & Most Popular

Free Walking Tour

Join a TourGuided Tour Route
PreviousNext

York’s Original & Most Popular

Free Walking Tour

Join a TourGuided Tour Route

Please note that the tour is delivered in the English language only.

Welcome

The Association of Voluntary Guides to the City of York (AVG) offer daily free 2-hour walking tours to visitors from all over the world.

We have been offering complimentary guided tours around York since 1951.

Our team of 80+ local expert guides take great pleasure in showcasing our beautiful city, and we look forward to welcoming you on one of our regular twice-daily tours.

Tours begin at 10.30am & 1.15pm and run every day except Christmas Day.

Our tours are free; there is no need to offer a tip.

PRE-BOOKING IS RECOMMENDED

Book Here

Joining Our Tours

Our daily tours begin at 10.30am & 1.15pm

For the enjoyment and safety of our visitors, tour numbers are limited to 25 visitors per tour and so pre-booking is recommended.

BOOK YOUR TOUR HERE

Our complimentary tours are intended for individuals, couples and small groups of family/friends, and tickets are limited to a maximum of 6 people per booking. Our tours are NOT available for commercial tour groups – other commercial tour guide services can be found via the VisitYork website.

Organised bonafide educational tour groups can book in advance using the Group Booking Form.

Wheelchair users are very welcome on our main tour but please check with your guide on duty about the route as there are some areas especially on the City Walls where access may be difficult or impossible. Guides will be as flexible as possible about accommodating you. Please also note, dogs are not allowed on the City Walls.

New: Accessible Tour Route 

A new version of our tour for guests with mobility challenges has been developed by one of our guides, Mel who himself has experienced the need for a wheelchair. The new version of the tour is designed to show the key sites where wheelchair access is possible and widen the tour’s appeal to guests with this need.

If you would like to attend the accessible tour please email avg1951@hotmail.com  to request the tour stating the date and time that you would like to take the tour. Our tour times for this remain the same as the original tour at 10:30am and 1:15pm but by booking ahead, we can advise the duty guides that you are coming and deliver the tour accordingly.

Guest Numbers

On some days there is just one guide who can take up to a maximum of 25 people. On busier days there are two guides on duty for each of our twice-daily tours, and we typically split the full group into two smaller tours. Please try to arrive 5 minutes before the start of your tour, so our guides have time to greet you and arrange the tour groups.

Please note: We reserve the right to cancel the tour should circumstances, in the judgement of the guides on duty, be such that it is not safe to undertake it, for example in severe weather conditions. We also reserve the right to refuse any individual who cannot or will not observe the safety precautions.

Tour Start Point

All our tours depart from outside York City Art Gallery in Exhibition Square and last approximately 2 hours.

PRE-BOOKING IS RECOMMENDED

Meet your guide between the William Etty statue, and Kings Manor Entrance Gates in front of the Art Gallery, look out for our Tour Times ‘A’ Board which is the starting point and located near the entrance to Kings Manor.

View Map

Tour End Point
The final part of the tour takes us to York’s oldest street, the Shambles.

Please note that the tour is delivered in the English language.

Our daily tours are absolutely FREE and, unlike some other advertised tours, there’s really no need for a tip at the end!

Our daily tours are intended for individuals, couples and small groups of family/friends only.

Organised tour groups should not just turn up to our daily tours. We offer tours for larger educational groups (not commercial operators).
Please book ahead using our Group Booking Form (link below).

Group Bookings

A few of our Tour Highlights

Multangular Tower

Museum Gardens

St. Mary’s Abbey

The Kings Manor

Bootham Bar

The Bar Walls

Monk Bar

Treasurer’s House

York Minster

St. William’s College

Holy Trinity Goodramgate

The Shambles

600,000+ Visitors

have experienced our tours

70 Years

of touring the City of York

100+ Nationalities

have participated in our tours

80+ Trained Guides

leading our tours 364 days a year

Some of our most Frequently Asked Questions

Tour numbers are limited per guide, so we recommend that tours be booked in advance at this link Book Online.  Once you have your ticket (there’s no need to print it out, a mobile version is fine), please arrive at the meeting point at Exhibition Square at least 5 minutes before the designated start time.

If you were not able to pre-book, you may turn at the meeting point up at the start of a tour and, subject to availability, we will try to accommodate you on a tour.

Book Here

All tours depart from outside York City Art Gallery in Exhibition Square.

Simply meet your guide by our ‘tour times’ board next to the William Etty statue and the fountains outside the Art Gallery.

The final part of the tour takes us to York’s oldest street, the Shambles.

All tours last around 2 hours, though if the questions and stories are flowing, don’t be surprised if it runs a little longer — our guides follow the group’s pace, and there’s never any rush to finish.

If you need to leave the tour early, that’s not a problem; all we ask is that you let the guide know, so they don’t think they’ve lost you.

The tours are FREE and entirely without charge, the volunteer’s reward is showing the beauty of the City to as many people as possible.

Part of the tour includes a section of the Bar Walls; dogs are not allowed on the walls. There is an alternative route where those unable to enjoy the walls can rejoin the tour at a pre-arranged point.

Read more FAQs

Some of our most recent feedback

Fraser was a brilliant guide. We thought we knew York but there were lots of interesting new facts that he mentioned. It was a lovely thing to do on our final day and we cannot recommend it enough.

Susan Bailey

18/10/2026

We loved our tour of York with Fraser today. He has an enormous amount of knowledge about York’s history and culture and is very excited about his city. We heartily recommend any visitor to York to take advantage of these tours.

Greg

18/10/2026

Really impressed by our guide Richard’s knowledge and the delivery of facts which kept us interested yet informed. He was inclusive of all visitors and had a lovely manner. Thoroughly enjoyed it and felt it was a really great tour of York

Raymond Trainer

16-10-2026

Mike was an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable. His delivery was clear and engaging. We would highly recommend these tours. They are a great way to learn about a city.

Mary, Eamon and Eda

10/10/26

We were a group of 9 ladies. Mel was brilliant. We learnt so much. He was very knowledgeable with a fabulous delivery and fantastic sense of humour. A good group leader who kept everyone involved.

Elaine Palframan

10.10.2026

Richard was great. Very friendly and very knowledgeable on the history of York. Lots of architectural nuggets of history told. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and even found a fellow Harry Potter fan!

Min

06-10-2026

Read more reviews

The TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence designation recognizes attractions that consistently earn great TripAdvisor reviews from travellers. The Certificate of Excellence accounts for the quality, quantity and recency of reviews submitted by travellers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period.

Our Tours Start Here

Maps were disabled by the visitor on this site. Click to open the map in a new window.

Tour start address

York City Art Gallery
Exhibition Square
York  YO1 7EW

Where to meet

Meet your tour guide outside City Art Gallery next to the William Etty statue.

Are you interested in becoming a Guide with the AVG?

The Association of Voluntary Guides (AVG) has been offering free tours of the City of York for over 75 years and to ensure we can continue to offer this service well into the future, we are always interested in welcoming new members to join our team of Guides. Please apply, but note that our next training course will be in early 2028 which takes place over six days of classroom study, includes a tour training session with existing guides and a practical test. Dates to be advised.

Find out more...

or use the QR code with your mobile device