Need some first-date ideas for York? I’m here for you – dating is can be fun, scary, exciting and sometimes even a bit cringy! I should know, I went on plenty of dates before I met my current partner. We met on Tinder and we now have a house together, a baby and are planning our wedding.
I am living proof that online dating does work!
Online dating gets a terrible reputation as being somewhere that people go just to have sex. If you are honest about your intentions in your profile and are able to read the red flags of guess that just want to hook up (usually a topless photo and start with something like ‘I’m just here on a business trip’) then you can find plenty of guys or ladies that do want something more.
Also when people ask ‘what are you looking for?’ don’t be afraid to say ‘I want to meet someone with who I can have a long-term relationship with’.
My partner and I had our first date in Leeds, as I was living there at the time. But as we live in York, we’ve been on many dates in this beautiful city over our almost 5 years together! The photo above is of the two of us outside of York Minster after a day spent in the romantic city of York, walking the York City Walls and visiting the York Castle Museum.
We actually had our second date in York.
If you want to find the love of your life, why not search for dating sites UK and see what fish are about near you!
I know what it’s like when you start chatting to a guy and then he pops the question (I was never confident to suggest it first!). Then you’re wracking your brain for ideas for a first date. Do you go for a standard drink? Dare you commit to a full meal of sitting opposite a stranger? Or do you want to do an activity?
I wanted to share some first date ideas for York.
5 first date ideas for York
York Minster and Gardens.
York minster is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe and one of the most beautiful in the world. You can’t miss the enormous building, it towers over York’s skyline and you can see it from multiple places.
There are always crowds of people outside taking photos and it is the perfect place to have your first photo together! You can spend hours inside the Minster viewing the beautiful architecture. Learn about its role in Roman and Viking York in the Undercroft museum which gives you the 2000 year history of York. If you’re willing to spend a bit extra, then you can go on one of the root top tours and see York from high in the sky.
Deans park is a green oasis right next to the Minster, a lovely place to stroll after your visit. If it’s a warm day you can pack a picnic and chow down. One of the cutest date ideas in York!
Yorkshire Museum and Gardens.
The Yorkshire Museum is another must-see. Visit the life-size plesiosaur in Jurassic World, explore medieval York as well as York back in Roman times and experience York before the Roman invasion.
The Museum sits in the middle of botanic gardens, a beautiful place that contains the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey (1088AD). It covers 10 acres and has a collection of 4500 plants and trees. It’s beautiful all season, especially in spring and in the snow. You’ll often see people on the grass enjoying the sunshine on the warmer days.
Even better, it sits right next to the River Ouse, where you can extend your walk in either direction. The Star Inn the City is on the edge of the gardens. If you’re lucky enough to get a seat on the outdoor terrace, you can enjoy a glass of wine or two.
Visit York Dungeons.
If museums aren’t for you and you want something a bit more lively, then book tickets at the York Dungeons It’s a great way to break the ice if you are worried you’ll have nothing to talk about.
You can walk through 9 live actor shows which shows the dark history of York’s 2000 years. It’s a bit scary, there’s lots of darkness but it is a fantastic way to start a date – giving you plenty to talk about afterwards!
If you’re feeling a bit nervous, then have a drink in Plonkers bar just down the road before!
Bonus: If you love scary stuff, you can check out one of the many York Ghost or Vampire tours that happen a bit later at night! This really is a fun date idea for York!
Explore Yorks unique pubs & bars.
There are so many places to drink for a date in York. But listen to me, DO NOT get stuck in the main area where there’s there typical bars you see in every town and city. You want to go to the pubs that are unique to York and have that Viking vibe/old fashioned.
There are lots of pubs that still have their historic features, little hidden away nooks and make you feel like you’ve gone back in time. Make your date in York feel magical by going to one of these!
Here are some of my favourites – you can click the links to see more about them.
Have a bite to eat at one of York’s restaurants.
There are so many places to eat in York. Over the past 4 years, we’ve been to many places on dates in York. There’s a selection of places that we’ve been back to a few times.
There are lot more things you can do for date ideas in York, but there’s are just 5 ideas for a date. There are lots of hotels and Bed & Breakfasts in York if you do want to stay longer than just a day so you can do more romantic things in the stunning city of York. Book a hotel, order champagne, and arrange flower delivery in a room with MyGlobalFlowers. Btw, such a service will help you organise flower delivery to France, York or anywhere you’re planning to go. If you’re a fan of animals then be sure to check out the Askham Bryan Wildlife Park! It’s not in the centre of York which is why it didn’t make it in this post, but it’s close to the motorway!
If you’re not from York and looking for somewhere more local, like Isle of man Dating, then don’t be afraid to have a Google for ideas beforehand! There are lots of lists of date ideas for other areas in the United Kingdom. Hopefully, this post has given you a good idea for finding hidden gems in your own home town!
You can also check out my 5 date ideas for Leeds and date ideas for North Yorkshire!
Hope you enjoy dating in York! What are your first date ideas?
Absolutely love York! It’s great for exploring, pub crawls and shopping. I haven’t been for ages due to lockdown so I can’t wait to visit at some point this year. Great post lovely! X
I really am lucky to live here!
I love this post! I went to Uni in York and there are so many cute places that I visited for dates! I like Turtle Bay and Dusk for drinks, and the museum gardens is fantastic for a walk or a cute picnic. Thank you for sharing your recommendations x
I’ve not actually been to Turtle Bay or Dusk! I’ve been to Turtle Bay in Leeds and Manchester though.
Ah I love this post ❤️ York is such a beautiful city and there is always something to do, even if you are just walking along the canal xo
It is! It’s magical!
Cool post! These places are good to visit. Especially the garden museum. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed!
I can’t wait to explore more of the UK later in the year, and York is totally on the list!
Katie | katieemmabeauty.com
You have to visit, its lovely.
I’ve never been to York but these all sound like gorgeous ideas, especially the gardens xx
There’s lots of lovely places to walk around!
We have been married for 7 years so probably not first date but these are so lovely! I have been wanting to go for a lovely weekend to York for so long and its never worked out. Really hoping we can make it for a long weekend this summer once everything opens up. It looks like an absolutely beautiful city.
Oh it totally works for any date, not just a first one!
York looks like an absolutely stunning city, I have never visited but it is on my list of places to go, hopefully this year.
You should go this year for sure before the international tourists come back!
Never been to York before, but it looks so beautiful x
I would love to go to York. It has so much to offer and since we’ve been locked down, I’ve wanted to explore more of the UK. I even have a York pinterest board!
Rosie
I love York, I have yet to visit it, but just looking at pictures made me fall hard for it. I guess you can have some very romantic dates in York, I wouldn’t mind one myself! Thank you for sharing x
You should visit for sure!
Jake and I had our first date walking round York and the Minster and walls, it was lovely! Can’t wait to do it again when it’s warmer x
It’s so lovely!
These look like really great date night ideas. Hopefully one day when I visit I can check out these places.
I’ve been married for 6 years so sadly no first dates on the cards for me, but I love York and haven’t been in forever so this post has given me loads of ideas for when we can next visit! I love the idea of going to the cute old-fashioned pubs, somewhere where you know there’s a ton of history and people have enjoyed a drink for centuries! I also love the Dungeons, we have one up here in Edinburgh but the York one was actually the first one I went to so I’d love to go back and refresh my memory!
Yeah the pubs are lovely! There’s loads hidden away if you stay away from the main areas!