If you are looking for some festive fun or a trip out in York with your friends or partner then we’ve got lots of ideas!
Christmas can be a very busy time as a parent, but ignore your huge to-do list and gift yourself a child-free festive treat! Make the most of your precious free time, enjoy yourself and get into the festive spirit!
From crafting activities like making your own Christmas wreath or creating your own tree ornaments, to festive bottomless brunches and afternoon teas, or perhaps even a chocolate experience – there are loads of brilliant things to do in York this year. So arrange a babysitter or call a friend and start the celebrations now!
🍗 Organise a lunch or dinner date
With so many festive menus on offer it would be rude not to give one or two a try! Why not round up your friends or have a romantic dinner for two and sample some of the festive menus on offer, feeling extra festive? Chuck in some cocktails! Why not try:
- York Minster Refectory – 15 days of Christmas, festive menu
- Forest, at Galtres Lodge – Star Grazing in the secret garden!
- Festive Bottomless Brunch at Manahatta, Impossible York or Las Iguanas
- Middletons tapas with a twist. Small plates with Yorkshire charm, celebrating the flavours of the region. Including mini Yorkshire puddings, pork and Yorkshire nduja scotch egg and York Gin cured salmon!
- The Whippet Inn – Steak Specialists! For larger groups of 8 or more, check out their festive menus!
- Sojo Bistro supper club nights!
- Pearly Cow at No.1 by Guesthouse’s festive menu
🎨 Enjoy some Christmas Crafts
Make a Christmas Wreath or festive floral arrangement, try your hand at needle felting or pottery painting! There are lots of local workshops inviting you to make your own festive creation to adorn your front door, or a table centrepiece so why not make something you can enjoy year after year. Why not try:
- Wreath making at SPARK* , Yolk Farm, or York Castle Museum
- Over 18s Christmas Life drawing session CHRISTMAS SPECIAL. Come and create your own personalised 2025 calendar. You will be drawing 12 nude male models, one for each month of the year, in different styles and mediums. More info HERE
- Lino-printing Christmas cards workshop or Christmas Wrapping Paper Workshop at York Castle Museum
- Enjoy all things William Morris from 6pm to 9pm on Thursday 21 November for a special evening gallery preview and screen printing work shop at York Art Gallery. Accompanied by a live DJ set!
- Christmas Candle making workshop at Fabrication
- Needle Felting at TeaHee in Easingwold
🍷 Food or drink tasting experiences…or both!
Why not make an experience of dining out? Try a gin or cheese tasting, get dressed up to enjoy cocktails somewhere glamourous or cosy up next to a warm fire with a glass of something festive! Why not try:
- Pairings Wine Bar – enjoy wine flights, gin and whiskey tasting and small plates and grazing platters! The best of both worlds in a beautiful, relaxed setting.
- Love Cheese – book onto a festive cheese tasing event or take a trip to the Speakcheesey to check out their festive menu!
- York Gin festive tasting experience – As well as a festive welcome cocktail, you’ll taste the whole York Gin range. You’ll learn lots, laugh lots, and enjoy a G&T at the end with your favourite flavour of York Gin.
- Take a trip to Cooper King Distillery for a guided distillery tour and tasting session, where you’ll try at least 6 different spirits!
- Hooting Owl distillery – The Full Hoot Distillery Tour & Gin Tasting Evening. This is Gintertainment at its very best!
- Cocktails at Sora Sky bar or The Grand!
- Enjoy a mulled wine sat around the cosy fire in Thors Tipi!
🎄Go on a festive trail in a York historic house
Enjoy a quiet wander around one of York’s historic houses and take in the surroundings, learn about the history of the buildings all decked out with a festive twist! Why not try:
- Fairfax House – Catch the Fairfax Townmice (over 400 of them!) causing havoc amongst the festive Georgian décor in this family-friendly caper. Visitors will need to play detective to discover who stole the Fairfax Ruby.
- Bar Convent – Gather your loved ones for a visit to the Bar Convent this festive season as our historic house becomes aglow with a twinkling tree, dazzling decorations, and an exciting new exhibition and trail as part of this year’s Christmas experience ‘Gifts of Christmas’!
- Castle Howard – Built over 300 years ago by Sir John Vanbrugh, today it remains home to the Howard family. The entire Estate will be transformed into Alice’s Winter wonderland. Curiouser and curiouser! Tumble down the rabbit hole into a Christmassy wonderland like no other, with beautiful decorations, installations, and projections.
🍰 Enjoy a Festive Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea is always such a treat, so could there be a more perfect delight than a Festive Afternoon Tea? We’ve rounded up lots of gorgeous places in York where you can enjoy a Festive Afternoon Tea on our blog here. Here are a couple to get you started:
- The Grand – Enjoy festive twists on the classics!
- No.1 by Guesthouse – The perfect afternoon tea combines savoury and sweet treats.
- Malmaison – Japanese inspired afternoon tea!
🍫 Take part in a Christmas chocolate masterclass!
Get ready to indulge in the ultimate Christmas activity for adults! Christmas Chocolate Masterclasses combines hands-on fun with delicious chocolate creations and a touch of indulgence. Choose from:
- Christmas Truffle Rolling
- Christmas Masterclass 18+
- Chocolate & Gin Tour
ℹ️ More information: find out more and book here.
❄️ Have an outdoor experience
If you are looking to get out and enjoy a bit of fresh air over the festive period there is plenty to do out and about, from outdoor swimming to archery, ice skating to Christmas walking tours! Why not try:
- Night time Ice skating at Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland, enjoy an evening skate and take in the Christmas lights at York Designer Outlet.
- Winter Swimming at Pool Bridge Farm – take a bracing dip in the lake followed by a wood-fired sauna to warm up again! This is an adults only experience in the Winter months.
- The Yorkshire Activity Centre offer a wide range of exciting outdoor activities, including air rifle shooting, archery, axe throwing, crossbow shooting, clay pigeon shooting, and quad biking experiences. Winter offer: £10 off per person on all single activities using code: winter10 at checkout, valid till the end of 2024!
- York Christmas Walking Tours – Join your Blue Badge Tourist Guide for a festive walking tour through the twinkling streets of York, the original Christmas City. ℹ️ More information here.
🎭 Festive shows for the grown-ups…
Fancy a night out to enjoy a show without the inevitable ‘I need to go to the toilet’ at the crucial part of the show! There are plenty of grown-up friendly shows this Christmas, so why not try:
- Velma’s Xmas Roast! – Join international multi-award winning Drag Cabaret STAR Velma Celli for a FABULOUS evening Music, Comedy and FESTIVE FROLICS! Hosted at Impossible York, More information here.
- Christmas Carol Concerts at York Minster – The Choir of York Minster, one of the UK’s leading cathedral choirs, will perform traditional and much-loved Christmas music, with seasonal readings from special guest Sue Devaney and the chance for the audience to join in with carols.
- The Poppleton Centre Crazy Christmas Concert – With music from The Supermodels and Homemade Monsters.
🛁 Treat yourself to some pre-Christmas pampering!
If you’d prefer a bit of ‘me time’ in the run up to Christmas why not book yourself a pre-Christmas pamper! Prep your skin for the festive season with a rejuvenating pre-Christmas self-care treat or enjoy a relaxing massage. Why not try:
- Enjoy a specialist pregnancy and postnatal massage, head, neck and shoulder massage with York Mother Nurture.
- Treat yourself to some herbal medicine to help your body come back to balance from Bespoke Botanicals.
- Take time out to enjoy a reflexology session with Renni Prelle – with traditional Reflexology, Maternity Reflexology, Hot Stone Reflexology, Menopause Reflexology, Mindful Reflexology, Holistic Facial Massage and Neck and Shoulder Massage – she offers something for everyone!
- At Natural Therapies By Evita, choose from Holistic massage, Indian head massage, Basalt Hot stone massage, Hopi Ear candles and Neal’s Yards Facials. All treatments are carried out using Neal’s Yard products.
We hope you enjoy some festive fun in York this Christmas with or without the kids!
