With centuries of smells amid its historic streets, York makes quite the “sniffari” for adventuring dogs.
The city has a tangle of twisting lanes and some lovely riverside walks, with a handful of fine green spaces for letting the dog run free – the racecourse is a local favourite for the morning ramble.
For humans travelling with their canine companions, the city is surprisingly welcoming: while you can’t visit the main attraction, York Minster, with your dog, you can still immerse yourself in its history in other ways, be it on tour buses, boats or guided walks.
Here’s everything you need to know about planning a dog-friendly holiday to York.
In this guide:
Things to do
White Rose Tours
This tour is led by former comedian (and author of a handful of history books) Alan Sharp, a dab hand at bringing York’s varied history to life. On his two-hour walk you’ll cover all the essentials about York, from the Romans to the Vikings and William the Conqueror’s brutal demolition of the city. Expect plenty of education and a fair few laughs, and pay what you like at the end of the tour – Sharp’s ethos is if you think it’s worth something, chuck some money his way, if not, chuck other things if you wish, just not the dog’s mess.
Website: whiteroseyork.com
Price: Pay what you want
York City Cruises
Combine sightseeing with a calm river cruise, giving you and your dog a relaxed way to enjoy the city – Lottie Gross
One of the most sedate ways to see York is from the water – the River Ouse splits the city in half and these 45-minute sightseeing cruises offer an alternate perspective on the skyline (and an opportunity to see some of York’s industrial heritage that has since been turned into million-pound apartments).You’ll also pass the school attended by Guy Fawkes and the UK’s most wanted woman, fraudster Sarah Panitzke.
Website: cityexperiences.com
Price: ££
City Sightseeing hop-on, hop-off bus
A dog-friendly bus tour lets you take in York Minster, Micklegate Bar and Clifford’s Tower while learning the city’s story – Alamy
You and the dog can learn York’s history from the comfort of this double-decker bus tour. There are indoor seats as well as outside on the open-top deck, and a recorded commentary at each of the key stops to help you get to know the city. Tickets are valid for 24 or 48 hours, so you’re welcome to get on and off as and when you like, using the buses as a way to explore the city’s key sites.
Website: yorkcitysightseeing.com
Price: £
Museum Gardens
The Yorkshire Museum, set within York Museum Gardens, is an idyllic haven in the heart of the city – Alamy
York’s many museums are sadly not dog-friendly, but these gardens set beside the river and the Yorkshire Museum are a lovely spot for a wander with your dog (on a lead). Explore the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey, an 11th-century former Benedictine monastery, and third-century Roman Multangular Tower in the northern part of the gardens.
Website: yorkmuseumgardens.org.uk
Price: Free
Yorkshire Air Museum
A Blackburn Buccaneer carrier-borne attack aircraft on display at the Yorkshire Air Museum in Elvington near York – Alamy
A 20-minute drive out of the city centre lies this highly underrated museum. Set on the site of a former WWII RAF bomber base, its hangars and warehouses are now home to an exciting collection of military aircraft (like the only Halifax Mk III bomber in the UK). There’s a memorial garden dedicated to the Allied Force, and a play area for kids. Dogs are welcome throughout.
Website: yorkshireairmuseum.org
Price: ££
Dining out
The Whippet Inn
Dogs are well loved by the team at the Whippet Inn. Set in a quiet backstreet on the west side of the river, there’s a beer garden out the back and a dog-friendly dining area in the bar. Order one of the melt-in-the-mouth steaks, cooked to perfection with a very unusual selection of sauces and butters to go alongside – the Yorkshire blue cheese and red wine butter is a winner.
Website: thewhippetinn.co.uk
The Star Inn The City
The Star Inn The City is a contemporary restaurant on the banks of the River Ouse – Bailey Cooper Photography
Come early on a sunny day to bag yourself a table on the terrace overlooking the Ouse at this excellent city-centre restaurant. Wine pairings are listed alongside each dish on the menu so you needn’t think too hard about what to drink, and if the weather’s not good enough for al fresco eating, the indoor dog-friendly dining area is cosy for a break from soggy weather.
Website: starinnthecity.co.uk
Pairings Wine Bar
This wine bar and restaurant is run by a sister duo, Kate and Kelly, whose talent for pairing wine and food is a real triumph. There’s a vast menu of wines by the glass, including some more off-piste options like pét nat, and plenty of English wines. The food menu is small plates-focused, with sharing boards with ingredients from Yorkshire only. Dogs are welcome until 6pm.
Website: pairings.co.uk
The Fat Badger
Deliciously dark, cosy interiors make this pub a fine choice for a rainy day or winter’s evening in York, and an ample beer garden offers sunny drinking opportunities with Minster views come summer. The menu here is upscale pub fare – think Yorkshire puddings with braised pork and apple sauce and fish and chips – and there are real ales behind the bar, including their own Badger Beer.
Website: thefatbadgeryork.com
Valhalla
This restaurant immerses diners in York’s Viking history, with chunky wooden furniture, clan shields, ale, mead and a menu which, fortunately, doesn’t feel very Viking at all. The ‘Yorkshire tapas’ is a hit – think meatballs in spicy sauce, local pork sausages with a honey mustard glaze, and baby-back ribs. There are platter boards, too, with foreboding names such as The Ragnarok (a meaty feast) and The Thor (essentially a Ploughman’s).
Website: valhallayork.com
Where to stay
Elmbank
Set in a residential neighbourhood west of the city centre, it’s just a 15-minute walk into town from this stylish Hilton hotel. There are a handful of small dog-friendly bedrooms in a courtyard with access to a small, gravel outdoor space, and the tiny art nouveau bar offers a pleasant place to have your breakfast in the morning, and you’re ideally located across the road from the vast green lawns of York Racecourse.
Website: hilton.com
Price: From £109, dogs £30 per stay
Naburn Lock Campsite
A 15-minute drive south of York city centre is this excellent campsite on the banks of the Ouse. There are pitches for tents and tourers, many tucked away in leafy corners offering the privacy of a hedging – ideal for reactive dogs. Instead of one large communal toilet/shower facility, there are around ten individual wash rooms, kitted out like your own en suite. There’s a large mostly-enclosed field to let the dogs run free for morning exercise, and you’re just a half-hour walk from York Marina.
Website: yorknaburnlock.com
Price: From £33 per night; dogs £2 per night
Stay at dog-friendly Naburn Lock campsite, just a short hop from York
Moxy York
You can’t really go wrong with a Moxy when you’re travelling with your dog – dogs will get a good fuss on arrival (and possibly a snack), they can have breakfast by your side in the bar area, and they’ll get a bowl and treats in the room. The York outpost is just a 10-minute amble to the Shambles and other attractions, so you’re never too far away from the action. Note that beds have a sensor-controlled strip light beneath them, so if you have a fidgeting dog you may want to bring a plaster to stick over the sensor.
Website: marriott.com
Price: From £89 per night; dogs £15 per stay
No 1 by Guesthouse
Just a ten-minute walk from York Minster, this hotel is set in a gorgeous town house on a busy, leafy street. Expect light, airy bedrooms with a few small eccentric touches – a child’s doll house or a vintage vinyl player – and the restaurant welcomes dogs in a specific area. Dogs get beds and treats in the room, and hotel staff can even recommend a local dog walker so you can have a lie in or spend some time in York’s non-dog-friendly attractions.
Website: guesthousehotels.co.uk
Price: From £204 per night; dogs £25 per night
Dean Court
You can’t really stay much closer to York Minster, as Dean Court overlooks Minster Yard right in the heart of the city. This hotel is exceptionally well priced for its location and has cosy bedrooms with William Morris-style wallpaper and modern bathrooms. Some of its suites have fantastic views of the Minster and offer extra space in a small lounge area, and downstairs you can dine with the dog in the bar on a seasonally-changing menu.
Website: inncollectiongroup.com
Price: From £115, dogs £15 per night
A dog-friendly hotel near York Minster makes an ideal base for exploring the city – Massimo Borchi/Atlantide Phototravel
Insider tips
With all its independent boutiques York is a shopper’s dream, and many of the shops throughout the city centre allow dogs inside, including ethical clothing boutique Humanity Centred Designs and The Vintage Works retro clothing shop. If there’s a shop you want to browse in, just stick your head inside and ask before you enter with the dog – most are happy to welcome you both.
The centre of York isn’t particularly green, aside from Museum Gardens, and the knotted streets around the Shambles are liable to get a bit smelly if your dog has a habit of scent marking. Carry a bottle of water to wash away any mess they might make as you wander.
Note that it can get incredibly busy in the small alleys around the Shambles, so small dogs might benefit from being carried so as not to be kicked by the crowds.
If you’re not bothered about shopping, come before 9am to soak up the old town atmosphere without the crush.
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