The 9 Best Ghost Tours in York, England
If you love ghosts and dark history, York is one of the best cities to visit. This medieval city has over 2000 years of history, and one of the best ghost tours in York will add the perfect amount of spookiness to your trip.
When you plan your trip to York and want to spend an evening with ghosts, ghouls, and dark history, I can help you find the perfect tour. So, let’s spend an evening with ghosts, ghouls, and dark history by going on one (or all) of the best ghost tours in York, England.
Whether you prefer interactive and theatrical or off-the-beaten-track, there is a ghost tour for you. See below for my list of the best ghost tours in York, England, to find your perfect tour.
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The 9 Best Ghost Tours in York, England
1. The Deathly Dark Tour of York
Are you looking for a tour full of ghostly tales, grim history and humour while exploring York?
I highly recommend this tour if you love theatrics, drama, and dark humour. The Deathly Dark Tour of York brings the city to life, and tour guide Dorian blends history and ghost stories with a fun theatrical performance.
This is a family-friendly ghost tour, but it certainly isn’t tame. Follow tour guide Dorian as he regales you with tales of York’s dark history, including stories about gruesome crime and the paranormal entities still lingering around York’s cobbled roads.
Wander past some of York’s most haunted sites, including York Minster, the historic Shambles, and Bedern Hall (known as the silliest street in England) as your guide spins tales of macabre crimes and restless spirits.
Dorian not only projects his voice so everyone can hear every gruesome detail, but he is also hilarious and an incredible storyteller.
Book here: The Deathly Dark Ghost Tour of York
2. Mad Alice’s The Bloody Tour of York
Are you craving a more alternative ghost tour in York? The Bloody Tour of York tells tales of witches, murderers and queens! Fill your evening with unique ghost stories and historical tales you won’t hear on other ghost tours.
You will be captivated by tour guide Mad Alice as she entertains you with the history of York’s dark past, its famous inhabitants, and how those souls met their grizzly ends.
The Bloody Tour of York provides you with both dark humour and historical facts. It is educational and entertaining! Mad Alice knows how to tell a story.
I think Alice has superpowers (or she is a witch!) because she remembers every guest’s name… it feels really personal and is super impressive.
The tour moves at the perfect pace. As you walk around, it gets darker as streetlights and old-fashioned shop windows transport you back to the 17th century.
The Bloody Tour of York is one of York’s best ghost tours. It is an excellent way to explore the city and learn some history, skipping past “spooky” and embracing the deliciously macabre.
Book here: The Bloody Tour of York
3. Ghost Bus Tour of York
Want to explore the haunted places in York in the comfort of a spooky bus? Check out the Ghost Bus Tour of York. This tour takes you through York’s gruesome history as you hear the tales of the spirits at Clifford’s Tower, York Minster, and the history of Highwayman Dick Turpin.
Grab a seat upstairs or downstairs on the spooky double-decker bus and enjoy hearing about the tales of restless spirits from a creepy conductor. The bus makes occasional stops so you get an up-close look at some of the city’s most haunted buildings and dark narrow streets.
The Ghost Bus Tour offers a theatrical tour for those who prefer more fun than terrifying stories. This tour is one of York’s best family-friendly ghost tours. You will love the tour guides, Jackie T. Ripper and Bob, and the frightful driver! They really get you excited and make you part of the tour.
This tour is immersive. Just be aware that a demon may accidentally possess you or one of your friends! Not to worry, though – you will be saved just in time!
Book here: Ghost Bus Tour of York
4. Shadows of York
Get lost in York’s medieval snickelways while listening to some seriously spooky ghost stories complete with excellent storytelling that dives deep into York’s terrifying history. Take a tour with the Shadows of York.
Follow ghost tour guide Mackenzie as the walk winds through York’s shadowy alleys and back streets, and her stories hold your attention as she retells York’s macabre past. She knows her history well and delivers it with humour.
Learn the history of the plagues that hit York and the dark history of the Shambles as you are guided through the winding streets, stopping at the most haunted places in York. This is the perfect ghost tour for newcomers who want to explore the city and have their bones chilled in one go. This is hands down one of the best ghost tours in York for history lovers and scaredy-cats!
Book here: Shadows of York
5. Witches & History Tours
Forget ghosts! This tour focuses on York’s witch history. If you want to hear more about the history of the Witches of Yorkshire, the York Witches and History Walking Tour is for you.
Follow a costumed guide, a witch complete with a broomstick, through the dark streets of York, where you will learn about the horrible things witches in England had to endure.
The tour takes you around some of York’s most historic locations, including the Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate, St. Crux Parish Hall, York Minster, and the magical tree at King’s Square. You will hear real tales of York’s witch history while enjoying a fun evening with a witch.
The York Witches and History Walking tour isn’t all doom and gloom! The witch guides are hilarious, making the experience fun and memorable. Plus, this is the perfect tour for adults and children – it’s not entirely gruesome but still provides you with real history about witches and everything spooky throughout York’s history.
Book here: York Witches and History Walking Tour
6. Private Ghost Tour of York
If you would like to indulge and have a tour all to yourself, book a Private Ghost Tour of York. It is just you and your guide, and it is customizable to your interests.
This tour skips the theatrics for real tales of murder, treason and ghosts. You will spend two hours learning about York’s supernatural history. Then, listen to the tales behind York’s 2000 years of history, from treason to torture to treachery and murder!
If you love history, you will love this tour. The tour guide, John, is knowledgeable and entertaining! This tour is not over the top, full of drama or theatrics like many tours in York.
One of the coolest things about the Private Ghost Tour of York? John has over 200 ghost stories, so if you don’t get around to all of them on your first tour, you can go back and have a completely different tour with different stories. You’ll never get bored with this ghost tour!
This tour takes you to places that most tours miss out on and will even take you to a haunted pub or restaurant for some spooky treats and stories along the way! Just be sure to mention you want to stop when you book.
Book here: Private Ghost Tour of York
7. York’s Forbidden Chronicles- Terrors From the Dark Side
York’s Forbidden Chronicles Tour offers up tales of witchcraft, the plague and medieval torture instead of the usual ghostly tales that most of the other tours provide. This tour serves up real history, and it’s genuinely unsettling. From persecution to dark legends, the York Forbidden Chronicles tour takes you from Clifford’s Tower to a cozy pub where you can soothe your nerves after a night full of dark historic tales.
Book here: York’s Forbidden Chronicles- Terrors From the Dark Side
8. York’s Haunted Heart: Ghosts, Ghouls and Gallows
Take a stroll through York’s spookiest side streets on York’s Haunted Heart: Ghost, Ghouls and Gallows ghost tour. The spooky tour takes you past the haunted Golden Fleece Pub, Mad Alice Lane, and The Shambles, while a guide serves up tragic and mysterious stories dating back centuries.
The stories balance real history with eerie storytelling, with hilarious tales in between. This is one of the best ghost tours in York for die-hard ghost hunters or history buffs (or a bit of both!). The tour offers a small group setting and ends outside of York’s most haunted pub, where you can get a spirit with the spirits.
Book here: York’s Haunted Heart: Ghost, Ghouls and Gallows
9. York’s Haunted Heart: Ghost, Ghouls and Gallows
One of the best ghost tours in York is hands-down the York’s Haunted Heart: Ghost, Ghouls and Gallows tour. Follow a guide to some of the most haunted places in York, including The Golden Fleece Pub, where you will hear spooky stories about all the ghosts that haunt it.
Enjoy York’s cobbled lanes and creaky pubs as this tour takes you past The Shambles, Mad Alice Lane, and the city’s most haunted pub. It is spooky but still fun and mysterious, making it perfect for families who want to introduce their children to York’s haunted history.
What makes this tour stand out is its themed quiz, which makes the stories more interactive.
Book here: York’s Haunted Heart: Ghost, Ghouls and Gallows