York Christmas Market

Welcome to December! I’m already feeling in the Christmas spirit, and spent a wonderful day at the York Christmas Market. York is a beautiful historic city in the North of England, and was once the capital when it was a Roman province. York Christmas market has ranked 24th out of 500 European Christmas market cities so it certainly is a great option for a pre-Christmas getaway.

York is a very safe destination and so it’s popular with students and solo female travellers.

***York Christmas Market 2019 will be 14th Nov-22nd December***

Date: 14 Nov 2019 – 22 Dec 2019
Location: Parliament St
Time: 10am-6pm (Sun-Wed), 10am-8pm (Thu-Sat)
Official Website: https://www.visityork.org/whats-on/st-nicholas-christmas-fair-p873461

Where is York Christmas Market?

Every December, the York Christmas Market attracts worldwide visitors for Christmas shopping, festive snacks and Mulled Wine. The city of York is perfect for a long weekend break although you might want to wrap up warm as it can be cold in the winter months (around 7° – 1°!)

The Christmas market itself is free entrance and you can have a wonderful day walking around without spending anything if you wish. However, it’s a good idea to take at least £30-£50 if you would like to try some of the festive food and drinks and do some Christmas shopping.

You will find the stalls on and around Parliament Street in York. It’s walkable from York train station in around 20 minutes and trains connect to Liverpool, Manchester and London. The closest airport is Leeds-Bradford.

The York Christmas Market (St Nicholas Christmas Market) is a free Christmas event where wooden huts containing market stalls pop up on and around Parliament street, in York City Centre.

Stalls you can find on the York Christmas Market

In York City Centre, between mid Nov and late December, you can visit the beautiful wooden huts on the York Christmas Market. Many of the products are locally made or sourced. If you are looking for a truly unique gift, York St Nicholas’ market is the place for you. Here’s a collection of some of the stalls I’ve visited at York Christmas market over the last few years. Remember that the stalls are subject to change every year, but you will always be able to find winter clothing, wood crafts and jewellery as well as yummy things to taste!

These wonderful bags from bagalicious.co.uk are designed to look look shop fronts and houses – so cute!

I also found some gorgeous wooden boxes with carved animals can be used as pencil cases or trinket holders – made by tiswood.

Hand Made Christmas Decorations

Last year, I met Erica from Ericalili, who beads and crochets unique gifts. She decorates her own stunning Christmas Decorations by hand. Check out these lilac and red ranges…

Her crochet hats include Christmas Puddings and Strawberry’s! This year, she is also making them in baby size. 😉

My other favourite Christmas stall was Millies Designs – hand crafted.

I also found some beautiful stained glass window Christmas angels, hand made by Sonia Halejak.

Food and Drink – York Christmas Market

The great thing about the St Nicholas’ market is the fact that you can taste many yummy foods – The Cheese and Pork Pies were my favourite savoury products. There is also Gin to try if you fancy a little tipple 😉

Simon, the Chilli Jam Man was there too! He specialises in tomato based chilli jams that are perfect for sauces and curry.

If you have a sweet tooth, I really recommend Forever Fudge, particularly the Baileys one.

I finished off the afternoon with a warm mulled wine from the van…you can’t really say no!

Thor’s Tepee

Look out for the pop up ‘Thor’s Tepee’ at St Nicholas’ Market in York. It’s a food and drinks tent that makes it’s way around England visiting cities such as York, Leeds, Sheffield and London. Inside you can eat a Scandinavian style Barbeque and drink hot chocolate, mulled wine and Prosecco around a log fire!

Where to Stay in York

Remember to book in advance if you want to get a place to stay in York during the Christmas markets as it can get busy and booked up early. If you’re on a budget and looking for a clean and comfortable youth hostel style accommodation, stay at the Fort Boutique Hostel on Stonegate. It’s got lovely themed dorm rooms with painted walls and is in a very central locations with the markets walkable within 10 minutes. Dorms start from around £21.

If you are looking for a cheap hotel, there is the Premier Inn and the Ibis and you can walk into the centre down Micklegate. Looking to spend a bit more? The 4* Royal York hotel is right next to the station and offers excellent facilities including restaurant, bar and gym. Want something even closer to the centre? Judges Lodgings offers beautiful rooms in a Georgian style guest house on Lendal.

Looking to spend a bit more? The 4* Royal York hotel is right next to the station and offers excellent facilities including restaurant, bar and gym. Want something even closer to the centre? Judges Lodgings offers beautiful rooms in a Georgian style guest house on Lendal.

It you want a Boutique feel with an excellent restaurant stay at Hotel du Vin York which is located in the Mount area just outside Micklegate. They do excellent cooked breakfasts as a great way to start the day and lovely hearty traditional meals for after a long day of sightseeing.

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Have you visited the York Christmas market?

If you’ve visited the Christmas market in York, or have any questions about it, please leave a comment on my blog.

Further Reading and Places to Visit in York

There’s more information in this blog about York UK and here are Walking York City Walls While you are staying in York don’t miss the beautiful York Minster – one of the largest gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe. Make sure that you take a walk down the Shambles – one of Britains oldest streets. You can also go walking along the York city walls which will give you amazing views across the city and the Cathedral.

Don’t Forget your Travel Insurance!

Travel insurance is vital for any international trip. Make sure that you are covered for health issues or accidents while you are away. A good travel insurance company will also cover you for lost baggage and against theft. I use World Nomads and you can get a free quote here:

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like to read about the best Christmas Shopping UK Destinations including Manchester and Bath. You might also enjoy Manchester Christmas Market and Liverpool Christmas Market.