York Walking Festival

The York Walking Festival is taking place from 19 September to 4 October 2026.

Email itravel@york.gov.uk if you have questions about the group walks and other events. A leaflet listing the walks will be available in community hubs at the end of August. This webpage will include any last-minute changes or additions.

Why not join one of these group walks? A walk leader will guide you along the way and may provide interesting information. All walks are free to attend.

Check whether you need to book in advance.

Don't forget to think about how much water and food you might need, and what clothing and footwear to wear, especially for longer walks in the countryside.

Top of page

Saturday 19 September

River Foss Wildlife Wander

A scenic walk beside the River Foss from Haxby to York city centre, looking for wildlife along the way.

Meet: Landing Lane at junction with Towthorpe Road, Haxby (what3words: router.chilled.shadowing)

Finish: New Earswick

Time: 10:30 to 12:30; 5 miles

Booking: Not required

Not suitable for wheelchair users due to uneven surfaces and narrow paths.

Weedy Walk - Bishophill

A short, slow walk around Bishophill. Get to know some of the plants and enjoy their interesting common names. Fairy foxgloves, anyone? With two plant lovers, you'll discuss what weeds are, their value and how we should treat them.

Start and finish: Victoria Bar off Nunnery Lane

Time: 11:00 to 12:30; 1 mile

Booking: Required. Email laurapotts@phonecoop.coop. No children under the age of 11.

Most pavements have dropped kerbs. Back alleys may be slippery and quite narrow, but other route options may be possible if necessary.

Top of page

Monday 21 September

A Mindful Photography Walk

Join Rebecca from Mindful Photography UK to explore how photography can enhance wellbeing. Bring a camera or smartphone. This is a short walk around New Earswick Nature Reserve, where we will slow down and notice our surroundings. On our return, you can buy a drink and chat.

Start and finish: New Earswick Folk Hall Car Park entrance

Time: 10:00 to 11:30; under 1 mile

Booking: Not required

There is a slight slope from Alder Way to the reserve, and there are designated paths. A wheelchair user may find the route challenging.

Health Walks - Rawcliffe Bar

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: The Country Park Office, Rawcliffe Bar Park and Ride

Time: 10:30 for a moderate-paced walk or 11:00 for a fast-paced walk; 75 to 90 minutes

Health Walks - York City Walk

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: Hungate Reading Café

Time: 11:00; 45 to 60 minutes

Bat Walk

See and hear our most common bat species living and feeding on the University of York campus. Led by the East Yorkshire Bat Group.

Meet: Wentworth Way (what3words: yoga.busy.entry) behind the Natural Sciences Biology R block.

Time: 19:30 to 21:00; under 1 mile

Booking: Not required

The U1 and U2 buses stop near the starting point. Parking is available.

The walk can be adapted for wheelchair users. The grass may be rough and muddy at the start of the walk. There are steps, but alternative ramps are available. Some short sections are slightly uphill.

Top of page

Tuesday 22 September

Bachelor Hill (south-east face)

An assault on one of York's highest summits, at 30 metres. The route includes Micklegate Stray, Hob Moor, hidden green spaces in Acomb, West Bank Park and the soon-to-be-replaced Wilton Rise footbridge. Climbing rope not essential.

Meet: All Saints Church, North Street

Finish: York Station

Time: 10:30; 3 to 4 hours; 6 miles

Booking: Not required

The route is 70% footpaths and 30% pavements. It is not wheelchair accessible. Public toilets are available at each end. No children or dogs.

Health Walks - Dunnington

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: Cross Keys Pub, Common Road, Dunnington

Time: 10:30; 75 to 90 minutes

Top of page

Wednesday 23 September

Wrong Uns

Discover how York's authorities attempted to keep law and order in a city beset by temptation. Walk and guide by The History Man, Richard Taylor.

Meet: In front of the Guildhall

Time: 13:30 to 15:00

Booking: Not required

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: York Art Gallery

Time: 14:00 to 14:30

Ready, Steady Mums walk

A walking group for parents and their babies. Find out more about Ready, Steady Mums.

Meet: Acomb Front Street Mural

Time: 14:00

Top of page

Thursday 24 September

Hob Moor and Tadcaster Road - A Walk Through Time

Find out what connects the Romans, bricks, railways, plagues and capital punishment in the western suburbs of York. The walking pace will be relaxed, and there will be plenty of time for discussion along the way.

Start and finish: The Pinfold opposite the Fox & Roman pub, Tadcaster Road

Time: 10:00 to 12:00; 3 miles

Booking: Not required

The route includes a mixture of tarmac and field paths. Parts of the walk on Hob Moor and the Knavesmire are not suitable for wheelchair users. There are no toilets.

Health Walks - New Earswick

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: New Earswick Folk Hall

Time: 10:30; 75 to 90 minutes

Health Walks - Tang Hall

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: The Centre @ Burnholme

Time: 14:00; 45 to 60 minutes

Ready, Steady Mums walk

A walking group for parents and their babies. Find out more about Ready, Steady Mums.

Meet: Fulford side of Millennium Bridge

Time: 14:00

Top of page

Friday 25 September

Health Walks - Foxwood

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: Foxwood Community Centre

Time: 10:45; 45 to 60 minutes

Bird Walk

A walk through the University of York Campus West, the old campus, spotting birds, autumn flowers and insects. The route includes a lakeshore, the boundary of the playing fields, a strip of woodland and snickets.

Start and finish: Field Lane, footpath to Heslington Church, close to bus-stop

Time: 12:00 to 13:30; 3 miles

Booking: Not required

Not wheelchair accessible. Weekend university parking is free. Wear waterproof shoes suitable for unsurfaced tracks. Bring binoculars if you have them. Children are welcome.

The Archaeology of Hungate and Walmgate

The walk will explore the archaeology of a less well-known part of York that is full of surprises from the Roman period to the modern day. Join the City Archaeologist, Ian Milsted, for stories from the Vikings, the Civil War, and from forgotten industries and the people who worked in them.

Start and finish: Hungate Reading Café

Time: 14:00; 1.5 hours

Booking: Not required

Top of page

Saturday 26 September

The History and Botany of Heslington Open Fields in the 19th Century

Farming here used thousand-year-old methods and was unusual because the land had not been enclosed and improved for agriculture. It contained a rich variety of wildflowers and became one of the notable botanical sites of its time in the north of England.

Start and finish: Outside Heslington Hall (what3words: trying.remark.sofa)

Time: 10:00; 2.5 miles

Booking: Not required

Weekend university parking is free. Most of the walk is on roadside pavements, cycle paths and footpaths. There will be some walking through grassy areas and along lakeshores on Campus East. There are some gentle gradients on Heslington Hill.

Top of page

Sunday 27 September

Copmanthorpe History Ramble

A walk around Copmanthorpe to learn about the history of the village and its ancient buildings. Travel down some of the ancient lanes and hear how the village is changing for the future.

Start and finish: Opposite Royal Oak Pub, Copmanthorpe

Time: 14:00 to 16:00; 1.5 miles

Booking: Not required

Top of page

Monday 28 September

Health Walks - Rawcliffe Bar

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: The Country Park Office, Rawcliffe Bar Park & Ride

Time: 10:30 for a moderate-paced walk or 11:00 for a fast-paced walk

Health Walks - York City Walk

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: Hungate Meeting Room Café

Time: 11:00; 45 to 60 minutes

Top of page

Tuesday 29 September

Health Walks - Dunnington

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: Outside the Cross Keys Pub

Time: 10:30; 75 to 90 minutes

The Great York Obstacle Walk

A short loop walk through the city centre in Guildhall and Micklegate wards, for teams of 2 to 3 people to spot obstacles and safety risks for walkers and wheelers. Points for the best spotters - and points mean prizes!

Meet: York Station main entrance

Time: 10:30; 1 to 2 hours

Booking: Not required

The walk is on pavements. Afterwards, you can join Walk York, a Living Streets local group, for a workshop on barriers to walking and wheeling and strategies to remove them.

No children or dogs.

Top of page

Wednesday 30 September

Fungus Foray

A popular walk in Hagg Wood led by fungus expert Mal Greaves.

Meet: End of Intake Lake, Dunnington, near to the public footpath signs

Time: 10:00 to 12:00

Booking: Not required

Ready, Steady Mums walk

A walking group for parents and their babies. Find out more about Ready, Steady Mums.

Meet: Acomb Front Street Mural

Time: 14:00

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: York Art Gallery

Time: 14:00 to 14:30

Walking in York: a call for action

Time: 14:00 to 16:30

Location: Penn Room, Friargate Meeting House, Friargate, YO1 9RL

Join us and Catherine Woodhead, chief executive of Living Streets, Councillor Kate Ravilious, City of York Council Executive Member for Transport, and Alice Thatcher of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to help launch Walk York as a Living Streets local group. The event will include presentations and a discussion about options to improve walking in the city. These could include safer, wider paths and crossings, and ways for walking to fit with cycling, buses and cars. Together, we can make walking a healthier, safer and more enjoyable experience.

Space is limited. Email walkyorkgroup@livingstreets.org.uk for more information and to book your place.

Top of page

Thursday 1 October

A peaceful walk from park to park

A guided walk in three parts with gardeners from Homestead Park and Museum Gardens. Explore autumn plants at both sites and enjoy the River Ouse riverbank. Listen to the sounds of different trees and the calls of migrating birds.

Meet: The Pavilion, Homestead Park

Finish: Museum Gardens

Time: 10:00 to 12:00; 2 miles

Booking: Not required

The walk can be entirely on hard ground, although there are uneven sections such as cobbles and a gravel path.

Health Walks - Tang Hall

Find out more about York Health Walks.

Meet: The Centre @ Burnholme

Time: 14:00; 45 to 60 minutes

Ready, Steady Mums walk

A walking group for parents and their babies. Find out more about Ready, Steady Mums.

Meet: Fulford side of Millennium Bridge

Time: 14:00

Dark Skies Walk

Starbathing and nature walk in Rawcliffe Meadows with Dr Jen Hall and colleagues, exploring the night sky and nocturnal wildlife.

Meet: Outside Rawcliffe Bar Park & Ride building (what3words: relate.burns.will)

Time: 18:30 to 19:30; 2 miles

Booking: Not required

An easy-paced walk on footpaths. Wear walking shoes or boots, dress warmly and bring waterproofs if you have them. A head torch or hand torch is required.

Top of page

Friday 2 October

Siege 1644

Walk in the footsteps of those who endured 3 months of fear, starvation and bombardment. Discover how the citizens of fortress York braved the English Civil War. Walk and guide by The History Man, Richard Taylor.

Meet: In front of Kings Manor entrance, Exhibition Square

Time: 13:30 to 15:00

Booking: Not required

Top of page

Saturday 3 October

York rivers trail: Stories, nature and resilience along the river

Join us for a guided exploration of the newly launched York rivers trail, a place-based route that brings together stories of York's rivers, communities, nature and flood resilience. Find out more about the York rivers trail.

Meet: North Street Gardens

Finish: Leeman Park

Time: 10:00 and 12:00

Booking: Required. Book the York rivers trail.

The 1.2km route is flat and step-free and is suitable for wheelchair users and pushchairs. Accessible toilets are available nearby.

Nicks, Becks and a Stray

This walk highlights green spaces within the city. The route passes through St Nicks Nature Reserve, along Tang Hall Beck and Osbaldwick Beck, skirts the University of York and crosses Walmgate Stray and Millennium Bridge.

Meet: Foss Islands Chimney (Morrisons car park)

Finish: Rowntree Park

Time: 11:30 to 14:30

Booking: Not required

The route is 90% footpaths and 10% pavements. It is wheelchair accessible. Toilets are available at the start and finish, and potentially at Hull Road Park.

Top of page

Sunday 4 October

Menfulness Walk and Talk

Walk and Talk is just that. Join them for a mooch and a chat at whatever pace works for you. Find out more about Menfulness.

Meet: outside Museum Gardens main entrance

Time: 13:00 to 14:00

York Cemetery 19th-century Military Heroes

Visit the graves and hear their stories with Dennis Shaw.

Meet: York Cemetery, YO10 5AJ

Time: 14:00 to 15:30

Booking: Not required

Blossom Street: The Royal entrance to York

How much do you know about Blossom Street, the Royal entrance to York? Join Susan Major from Clements Hall Local History Group for a leisurely walk and hear fascinating stories about this historic street, the subject of the group's forthcoming book.

Meet: Confirmed when booking.

Time: 10:00

Booking: Email clemhallhistory@gmail.com to find out more and book a place.

This is a free walk lasting around an hour on flat surfaces.

Top of page

Walking resources

There are lots of great resources available for you in York:

York Environment Festival

The York Environment Festival is taking place from Saturday 3 October to Sunday 1 November 2026.

Take part in York's citywide festival, which showcases and celebrates the work of environmental groups active in York.

Find out more about York Environment Festival.