The York City Cruise is both an entertaining and informative tour of the River Ouse. Escape the city rush and enjoy York from a different perspective whilst our friendly and knowledgeable team guide you leisurely up and downstream. These cruises depart from both of our landing stages; the King’s Staith Landing and the Lendal Bridge Landing.
A York City Cruise enables you to admire the scenery from the comfort of the enclosed saloon or the upper deck. Take home fascinating facts about the incredible history of York and its river from the live commentary delivered by our local skippers. You are more than welcome to treat yourself to a refreshing drink from the bar whilst resting your feet. The cruises sail for either 45 minutes or 1 hour. The duration of the cruise is determined by the weather and demand. When booking your ticket on Viator it will be valid for whatever duration cruise is operated on the day of your visit.
The 1-hour cruise will usually operate a route heading upstream to Clifton Bridge on the northern outskirts of the City and then downstream as far as the Millennium Bridge on the southern outskirts of the City, before returning upstream to the landing stage that you departed from. The 45-minute cruise will operate in the same area as the 1-hour cruise without going quite as far in either direction, passing right through the centre of the walled city of York.
During your cruise, your Captain will keep you entertained with a live, sightseeing commentary. Learn about York’s famous history of flooding and its previous prosperity as an inland port, all while sailing along the very river that brought the Romans and the Vikings to this beautiful city.
York City Cruises can sail on all five vessels in their fleet, each of which has an enclosed heated saloon, at least two toilets and a fully stocked bar serving beers, wines, spirits, soft drinks, hot drinks and snacks.

Additional Information

• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Wheelchair accessible
• Minimum drinking age is 18 years
• Please note, due to periods of heavy rainfalls in the catchment area upstream, the River Ouse in York can occasionally rise to levels which can have an impact on daily operations. Sailing will only be attempted as long as it’s safe. If indeed the water is too high for the boat to sail underneath the bridges, even for our smallest boat, sailing will be unattainable. In the event of such described occurrences, you will receive a full refund or you can use your ticket(s) on another date during your stay

• Live commentary on board
• Local guide

• Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
• Food and drinks, unless specified