York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour
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Quick answer
Is York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour worth booking?
York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour is a 1.5-hour experience in York, United Kingdom, from $9 per person. It scores 58 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look”. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 58 / 100
- Rating
- Not yet rated
- Duration
- 1.5 hours
- From
- $9 per person
York calls itself the most haunted city in Europe, though nobody has ever produced the survey that says so. This self-guided ghost walk takes the claim seriously enough to test it. With the Questo app you work a case file on the walled city that has been open since 1953. In February of that year, an apprentice fitting a boiler in a cellar behind the Minster saw Roman soldiers come through the wall, visible only from the knees up. Some stories hold up better than you'd expect. Others, like Mad Alice of Mad Alice Lane, fall apart the moment someone checks the gaol records. Thirteen stops lead from the old castle prisons and Clifford's Tower over Ouse Bridge to the Minster, then along the Shambles to the Merchant Adventurers' Hall. Each has a puzzle you solve on the spot, from a scrambled message to a doctored photo of a carved doorway. The walk covers about 2.6 km and takes most groups two hours. Hints and 24/7 support are built in. There are no jump scares, by design.
What you get
About this experience
York calls itself the most haunted city in Europe, though nobody has ever produced the survey that says so. This self-guided ghost walk takes the claim seriously enough to test it. With the Questo app you work a case file on the walled city that has been open since 1953. In February of that year, an apprentice fitting a boiler in a cellar behind the Minster saw Roman soldiers come through the wall, visible only from the knees up. Some stories hold up better than you'd expect. Others, like Mad Alice of Mad Alice Lane, fall apart the moment someone checks the gaol records. Thirteen stops lead from the old castle prisons and Clifford's Tower over Ouse Bridge to the Minster, then along the Shambles to the Merchant Adventurers' Hall. Each has a puzzle you solve on the spot, from a scrambled message to a doctored photo of a carved doorway. The walk covers about 2.6 km and takes most groups two hours. Hints and 24/7 support are built in. There are no jump scares, by design.
What's included
Included
- Full availability: Every day of the year.
- Flexibility: start, take a break and continue at your own pace.
- Access to the self-guided city exploration game in the Questo app
Not included
- Live game master or physical guide
- Private transportation
- Meals
What you'll see and do
York Castle Museum
The case opens on the green between the old castle prisons, now the York Castle Museum. Part of the lettering on the building is cut out of your photo, and a number code turns the real thing into a password. In 1801 a cattle thief named Samuel Lundy was the first man hanged on York's new gallows here.
6 minutes here
Clifford's Tower
On the mound above sits Clifford's Tower, shaped like a four-leaf clover. You'll pick the right version of the English Heritage sign out of four. In March 1190, about 150 people, York's entire Jewish community, died in the wooden tower that stood here before it, and the only plaque went up in 1978.
6 minutes here
Fairfax House
Along Castlegate, Fairfax House was bought to marry off a daughter, and you'll track down the name of the man who built it. Her father opened it in 1763 with a ball of sixty-three courses and 6,700 bottles of beer. Anne Fairfax never married.
6 minutes here
Ouse Bridge
At Ouse Bridge, you'll unscramble a message and answer its question on the spot. A toll booth on the old bridge is where Margaret Clitherow, a butcher's wife who hid priests, was put to death in 1586 after refusing to plead so her children wouldn't have to testify.
6 minutes here
All Saints Church
All Saints on North Street has some of the finest medieval glass in England and a small cell stuck to its side. You'll fill in a word missing from a handwritten list. Dame Emma Raughton had herself walled in there in 1425, dead in law, and the Earl of Warwick still came to ask her advice.
6 minutes here
Yorkshire Museum
Across the river, Museum Gardens has abbey ruins, peacocks and a carved stone drinking fountain whose date is hidden in your photo. In 1953 the museum's caretaker found an old man reading in the library after closing and put a hand on his shoulder. There was no shoulder.
6 minutes here
York Minster
At York Minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, a riddle leads you to a bronze model of the area and the number of a red house. Across from the south door stands a Roman column, found under the cathedral only because its central tower started to sink.
6 minutes here
Treasurer's House
Behind the Minster, the Treasurer's House holds the best-attested ghost in the whole file. You'll uncover what a sticker hides on a stone pillar outside. The 1953 apprentice saw the soldiers only from the knees up, and a Roman road was later found fifteen inches below the cellar floor.
6 minutes here
St William's College
Timber-framed with a red door, St William's College housed the Minster's chantry priests from the 1460s. You'll spot what's missing from a photo of its carved doorway. People paid those priests to pray for their souls forever, until Parliament cancelled the deal in 1547.
6 minutes here
Holy Trinity Church
Through an archway off Goodramgate, Holy Trinity is the one church in York nobody got round to modernising. You'll pick the right version of a nearby shop sign out of four. Inside, the floor still rises and falls over the graves beneath it.
6 minutes here
Low Petergate
Mad Alice Lane is one of York's snickelways, lanes too narrow to be streets, and a rhyming riddle leads you to its sign. Then you'll see the gaol records: there was never an Alice hanged in 1825, and the lane's real name is Lund's Court.
6 minutes here
Shambles
The Shambles still has the meat shelves and hooks of its butchers' days. At Margaret Clitherow's shrine you'll find the day of the month that her death and her canonisation share. The shrine is very probably in the wrong house.
6 minutes here
Merchant Adventurers' Hall
The file closes at the Merchant Adventurers' Hall on Fossgate, a timber hall that has served the same trade for over six hundred years. At the main gate you'll solve one last logic puzzle by ruling out half of what you see. The merchants met upstairs, directly above the almshouse they paid for.
18 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
York
The game starts at York Castle Museum. After booking, we'll message you a code and activation link. Activate with your own email, then log in to the Questo app with that email. No message? Open the Questo app, tap "Bought a quest somewhere else?" and enter your booking reference number.
Hotel pickup
No pickup: everyone meets at the start point.
Ends at
The game ends at the main gate of the Merchant Adventurers' Hall on Fossgate.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 30 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Questo
Know before you go
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A charged smartphone with internet is required to play the game in the Questo app
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
Photos
Good to know
- Duration
- 1.5 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $9 to $10
- Hotel pickup
- No pickup, meet at start point
- Booked in 30 days
- 0
- Verdict
- Worth a Look
Who runs this experience
Operated by Questo, who run 335 experiences we rank across 154 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 57.8.
See everything Questo runsWhy this scores 58
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for York.
How much does York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour cost?
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Prices start at $9 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in York usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour take?
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Plan for about 1.5 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in York is not rushed.
Is York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 58 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (0/5 across 0 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in York, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 1.5-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour?
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Around 0 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in York can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in York and add a light layer if any part of the 1.5-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central York within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in York?
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On Outty we rank every York experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Mad Alice’s The Bloody Tour of York -Best Tour Award Europe, The Deathly Dark Tour of York, Shadows of York: Ghost Walk and Horrible History.. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit York?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in York?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
What is included in York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour?
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Included: Full availability: Every day of the year; Flexibility: start, take a break and continue at your own pace; and Access to the self-guided city exploration game in the Questo app. Not included: Live game master or physical guide; Private transportation; and Meals. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Where is the meeting point for York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour?
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The game starts at York Castle Museum. After booking, we'll message you a code and activation link. Activate with your own email, then log in to the Questo app with that email. No message? Open the Questo app. Hotel pickup is not included, so plan your own transport and arrive 15 minutes early.
What languages is York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour offered in?
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It runs in English. Pick your language when choosing a date and time, as not every departure runs in every language.
Will I get instant confirmation and a mobile ticket for York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour?
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Confirmation is sent by the operator after booking, usually within 48 hours; if it is not confirmed you are not charged. Mobile tickets are accepted, so you can show the voucher on your phone.
Is York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour wheelchair or stroller accessible?
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The operator notes: Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller. If accessibility is critical, contact the operator after booking to confirm arrangements for your date.
What happens to York Haunted Walled City Self Guided Ghost Tour if the weather is bad?
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It generally runs rain or shine, so dress for the forecast in York. Standard cancellation terms apply: free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
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