History school trips to York

Our history school trips to York offer a fantastic opportunity for groups to experience the history of England, tracing all the way back to the Roman, Saxon and Viking eras. Key Stage 2 topics are covered by YHA-led activities, which include building a Viking long boat, designing their own mini catapult, and decorating in the style of traditional stained glass windows. For an interactive history experience we know they’ll be talking about for months to come, look no further than a visit to York.

SUGGESTED ITINERARIES


Day 1
  • Depart school and travel to York
  • Viking Long Boats
  • Evening meal at accommodation
  • Bread making / Viking flapjacks

Day 2
  • Guided walk
  • Mini catapults
  • Evening meal at local restaurant
  • Design a shield

Day 3
  • Stained glass window workshop
  • Depart York
  • Return to school

Features

ACCOMMODATION

YHA York

The YHA York is a modern hostel that is a great option for groups looking to explore the history of the city. Located in the leafy suburb of Clifton, the hostel is just a 15-minute riverside walk from the city centre and train station.

  • All meals included
  • En suite rooms available
  • 24-hour cafe
  • Free Wi-Fi

Safestay

Located in the heart of York city centre, Safestay York ensures that your group will enjoy a comfortable stay while being close to all that York has to offer. Located within a beautiful British Georgian townhouse close to York railway station, Safestay offers a variety of room sizes and options.

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • En suite rooms
  • Terrace
  • TV area

YHA York

The YHA York is a modern hostel that is a great option for groups looking to explore the history of the city. Located in the leafy suburb of Clifton, the hostel is just a 15-minute riverside walk from the city centre and train station.

  • All meals included
  • En suite rooms available
  • 24-hour cafe
  • Free Wi-Fi

Safestay

Located in the heart of York city centre, Safestay York ensures that your group will enjoy a comfortable stay while being close to all that York has to offer. Located within a beautiful British Georgian townhouse close to York railway station, Safestay offers a variety of room sizes and options.

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • En suite rooms
  • Terrace
  • TV area

Excursions

Jorvik Viking Centre & DIG

Descend beneath the streets and embark on an archaeological adventure with this exciting excursion, where school groups will be able to explore a bustling Viking marketplace. Students can hear the sounds, experience the smells and feel the atmosphere of life in York 1,000 years ago, using historical evidence to compare how Viking people lived with our modern way of life.

Clifford's Tower - Self Guided Visit

Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views across Old York with this excursion, which makes for an idyllic starting point for any visit to the city. The tower is almost all that remains of the York Castle built by William the Conqueror, and is an excellent site to start student discussions around the city’s medieval history.

City Walls Walk - Self Guided

Encircling the Old Town of York, the city walls – also known as the Bar Walls or the Roman Walls – date back to Roman times, though much of what we see today can be traced to the 13th century. On this self-guided walk, students have the option of visiting any number of the walls’ individual landmarks, such as the Victoria Bar, Multangular Tower and the elaborate Monk Bar, all while enjoying the views across the city from the ancient elevated fortification.

The York Dungeon

A persistent favourite among students, York Dungeon brings together an incredible cast of actors, special effects and scenes to deliver more than 2,000 years of the city’s dark history. Here, groups can follow the stories of Vikings, Guy Fawkes, Dick Turpin, and more as they interact with the exhibits and uncover surprises in the darkest depths of the dungeon.

National Coal Mining Museum

Students will receive a hands-on experience and insight into the history of mining at the National Coal Mining Museum, where they can put on a miner's helmet, collect a battery lamp, then step into a cage and descend deep underground. Tours are led by ex-miners, who tell captivating tales of the men, women and children who worked here.

National Railway Museum

Explore rail travel through the ages courtesy of this fascinating museum, where school groups can peek into Queen Victoria’s carriage, watch engineering in action in the workshops, and climb aboard a futuristic Japanese bullet train. Students will rejoice at the hands-on experience they’ll receive while investigating how Newton’s Laws of Motion apply to trains; a learning experience they’re sure to treasure.

York Castle Museum

William the Conqueror’s castle may be long gone, but York’s Castle Museum – housed in an elegant mansion – is an ideal excursion for developing a chronological understanding of York’s storied past. During your visit, students can explore a 19th century street, handle artifacts in a Victorian classroom, and even experience life in the Swinging Sixties!

York's Chocolate Story

Unwrap the history of chocolate in York at this fantastic museum, which explores how three entrepreneurial families made the city the home of chocolate in the UK. Here, students will discover how cocoa is transformed from bean to bar, marvel at the skills of the museum’s chocolatiers, and discover the secrets of their favourite brands – with the opportunity to taste some chocolate afterwards. Yum!

Citizen Science

In this workshop, students will learn about current citizen science projects in Yorkshire and how citizen science can have an impact on the wider scientific world. By highlighting these projects and the methods used, the workshop aims to inspire your students to make their own citizen science developments in the future – either as individuals, teams, or networks of volunteers from different disciplines.

Geocaching

Hunt out hidden caches with your students on this fun excursion, which will take you to the stunning Yorkshire countryside. Using nothing but maps and GPS receivers to navigate the land, school groups can work together – or separately! – to find these caches where they can log their visit and even receive surprise items.

Jorvik Viking Centre & DIG

Descend beneath the streets and embark on an archaeological adventure with this exciting excursion, where school groups will be able to explore a bustling Viking marketplace. Students can hear the sounds, experience the smells and feel the atmosphere of life in York 1,000 years ago, using historical evidence to compare how Viking people lived with our modern way of life.

Clifford's Tower - Self Guided Visit

Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views across Old York with this excursion, which makes for an idyllic starting point for any visit to the city. The tower is almost all that remains of the York Castle built by William the Conqueror, and is an excellent site to start student discussions around the city’s medieval history.

City Walls Walk - Self Guided

Encircling the Old Town of York, the city walls – also known as the Bar Walls or the Roman Walls – date back to Roman times, though much of what we see today can be traced to the 13th century. On this self-guided walk, students have the option of visiting any number of the walls’ individual landmarks, such as the Victoria Bar, Multangular Tower and the elaborate Monk Bar, all while enjoying the views across the city from the ancient elevated fortification.

The York Dungeon

A persistent favourite among students, York Dungeon brings together an incredible cast of actors, special effects and scenes to deliver more than 2,000 years of the city’s dark history. Here, groups can follow the stories of Vikings, Guy Fawkes, Dick Turpin, and more as they interact with the exhibits and uncover surprises in the darkest depths of the dungeon.

National Coal Mining Museum

Students will receive a hands-on experience and insight into the history of mining at the National Coal Mining Museum, where they can put on a miner's helmet, collect a battery lamp, then step into a cage and descend deep underground. Tours are led by ex-miners, who tell captivating tales of the men, women and children who worked here.

National Railway Museum

Explore rail travel through the ages courtesy of this fascinating museum, where school groups can peek into Queen Victoria’s carriage, watch engineering in action in the workshops, and climb aboard a futuristic Japanese bullet train. Students will rejoice at the hands-on experience they’ll receive while investigating how Newton’s Laws of Motion apply to trains; a learning experience they’re sure to treasure.

York Castle Museum

William the Conqueror’s castle may be long gone, but York’s Castle Museum – housed in an elegant mansion – is an ideal excursion for developing a chronological understanding of York’s storied past. During your visit, students can explore a 19th century street, handle artifacts in a Victorian classroom, and even experience life in the Swinging Sixties!

York's Chocolate Story

Unwrap the history of chocolate in York at this fantastic museum, which explores how three entrepreneurial families made the city the home of chocolate in the UK. Here, students will discover how cocoa is transformed from bean to bar, marvel at the skills of the museum’s chocolatiers, and discover the secrets of their favourite brands – with the opportunity to taste some chocolate afterwards. Yum!

Citizen Science

In this workshop, students will learn about current citizen science projects in Yorkshire and how citizen science can have an impact on the wider scientific world. By highlighting these projects and the methods used, the workshop aims to inspire your students to make their own citizen science developments in the future – either as individuals, teams, or networks of volunteers from different disciplines.

Geocaching

Hunt out hidden caches with your students on this fun excursion, which will take you to the stunning Yorkshire countryside. Using nothing but maps and GPS receivers to navigate the land, school groups can work together – or separately! – to find these caches where they can log their visit and even receive surprise items.

Trip details

All Equity packages are tailor-made to suit the needs of our groups. Here are our standard package inclusions:

  • Return travel by coach
  • 1 free staff place for every 8 full paying passengers by coach
  • Half-board accommodation
  • Excursions
  • 24-hour emergency service support
  • All travel documentation, luggage labels and resort information
  • Meals en-route. While travelling to and from your destination you need to consider meals. These are not included in the package prices

Prices are subject to change based on intended dates of travel and final numbers, the Equity team are here to offer you advice and guidance from start to finish, ensuring your school trip runs smoothly and is a great success.

Travel by: Coach

Best times to travel: All year round

Suggested tour length: 3 days, 2 nights