Hen Party Activities in York

Did you know?

• Medieval alleyway, The Shambles, is the oldest shopping street in Europe. It dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries and walking around it is like stepping into a scene from Harry Potter!
• York obviously has great taste; Rowntrees and Terry’s both originated here. Who’s now craving Fruit Pastels and a Chocolate Orange?
• Another sweet based fact; the first successful chocolate bar launched in York was the mighty Kit Kat in 1935. Apparently 47 Kit Kats are eaten somewhere in the world every second!
• The world’s smallest street with the longest name is in York. It’s called Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate. Yep, really. It’s meaning is debated. It could be ‘what a street’ or ‘neither one thing nor the other.’
• The National Railway Museum is the biggest train museum in the world and the only place outside of Asia to house a Japanese bullet train.
• York’s been named the most haunted city in the UK and is home to the UK’s most haunted pub, the Golden Fleece. Are you brave enough to visit?
• Guy Fawkes, who famously conspired to blow up the Houses of Parliament, was born here. He attended St Peter’s School. The school still refuses to burn an effigy of him on 5th November.
• York Minster’s central tower is so big that the Leaning Tower of Pisa could fit inside it!
• Who doesn’t love a roast dinner with all the trimmings? The awesome Yorkshire pudding is said to have originated in the city in the 1700s. There’s even a National Yorkshire Pudding Day in the UK on the 1st Sunday of February.
• It was once legal to shoot a Scottish person with a bow and arrow within the York city walls but not on a Sunday.
• The Bar Convent houses the oldest living nunnery Europe. It was established in 1686.
• York was founded by the Romans in 71 AD.
• Emperor Constantine was crowned in York in 306 AD, making him the only Roman emperor to be crowned outside of Rome ever.
• The city has more miles of intact city walls than anywhere else in England. Explore them during your hen do in York.
• Rumour has it that if you kiss your significant other below York Minster’s West Window, you’ll be together forever. Pucker up, ladies!

York in numbers

• The city’s home to more than 365 pubs. How many will you visit during your hen do in York?
• York has been voted one of the top 50 best places to get married in the world. Almost half of the weddings that take place in the city are for couples who don’t live here.
• York Minster is the biggest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe. It took 250 years to complete, starting in 1220.
• Clifford's Tower was constructed by William the Conqueror in 1068. It stands 50ft tall and 200ft wide.
• The Shinkansen Japanese bullet train in the National Railway Museum can reach speeds of up to 200mph.
• Take a trip up York Minster’s Central Tower, the highest point of the city, for breath-taking views from more than 230ft high.
• It’s estimated that there are at least 500 ghosts in York’s city centre. Nope, we haven’t counted them.
• The Castle Museum houses more than 1,000 Valentine’s Day cards, one of the biggest collections in the UK. The oldest printed Valentine’s card in the collection dates back to 1797.
• Around 200,000 people live in this historic city.
• York Minster’s Lantern Tower is 71m high and weighs the same as 40 jumbo jets (16,000 tons).

Sitting down to some delicious food is a great way to celebrate your York hen night. There’s more to this city’s culinary scene than chocolate and Yorkshire puds (though obviously, they’re both pretty great!). Choose from an enormous range of restaurants to really tantalise your taste buds and get your mouth drooling! York’s annual Festival of Food and Drink attracts more than 150,000 people who descend upon the city to taste local produce and take part in workshops.

From filling plates of pasta to a big American burger, there’s something for all tastes here whether you’re looking for super sophisticated fine dining or cheap and easy chain restaurant eats.

Activities for Foodie Hen Parties in York

Afternoon Tea - Who can resist the tempting combo of quality time with the girls and tasty food? An afternoon tea hen party in York pairs the two, giving you a delicious range of sweet and savoury treats from finger sandwiches to scones with jam and cream, washed down with tea or even a glass of prosecco to make things feel extra special.

Bottomless Brunch - Fancy a boozier treat? Bottomless brunch is one of the most popular activities of the moment and it’s easy to see why. You’ll treat your taste buds to a delicious brunch dish, from eggs benedict to a full English breakfast, burgers to steaks, and wash it all down with totally unlimited glasses of prosecco, cocktails and more. What’s not to love?

Las Iguanas - 21 Back Swinegate, York, YO1 8AD

Las Iguanas bar and restaurant injects a bit of Latin American spirit into your York hen party with sizzling dishes and award-winning drinks. Choose two-courses from their extensive set menu and toast your betrothed bestie with a complimentary drink each with a choice of wine, beer or a cocktail.

Guy Fawkes Inn - 25 High Petergate, York, YO1 7HP

History buffs will love a bite to eat in this medieval inn, the birthplace of Guido Fawkes, the notorious plotter. Their AA Rosette kitchen serves up a seasonal menu with fresh dishes using local ingredients from hand-battered haddock and chips to pies, sirloin steak to lamb chops. There are also veggie and gluten free options so now one’s left out.

Fancy Hank’s - 39 Goodramgate, York, YO1 7LS

Head over to the historic Minster Quarter and get transported to the deep south of the US for your hen do in York. Expect American goodies such as loaded pickles, buttermilk fried shrimp, mac and cheese, burgers, s’mores and more. You’ll chow down in a laid-back and friendly atmosphere and, what’s more, the prices won’t break the bank; great for bargain-loving hens!

If you thought York was too pretty to party, think again! Being an old city, you’ll find loads of traditional pubs here but that’s not all; there’s also a thriving live music scene, swanky cocktails and dance ‘til you drop nightclubs. There are two universities in the city and we all know that students love to party, meaning you can expect to experience some wild nightlife at affordable prices on your hen night in York. We all love that combo, don’t we?

Cocktail Making - There’s no better way to start your celebrations than with a spot of fun cocktail making for a hen do in York! Alcohol has a wonderful way of breaking the ice, bringing down barriers and getting everyone chatting, which is especially handy if some of the hens don’t know each other very well. You’ll all bond and have a laugh as a professional mixologist teaches you how to create the tastiest cocktails, from Caipirinhas to Cosmopolitans! You’ll whip up loads of delicious drinks, sipping on everything you make and playing some hilarious games from blindfold buddies to tandem cocktail making!

Gin Tasting - Mother’s Ruin is the drink on everyone’s lips at the moment. Why not learn all about its fascinating history and get your hands on plenty of samples with a gin tasting? You’ll taste a range of different brands and types and can even learn how to create mouth-watering gin-based cocktails, perfect for a sophisticated bachelorette bash.

Evil Eye - 42 Stonegate, York, YO1 8AS

If you’re fans of gin and quirky décor, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven with a trip to the Evil Eye Lounge during your York hen do. This seriously cool bar and gin shop boasts a menu featuring more than 1,000 different gins. Not surprisingly, that’s a Guinness World Record! This city is jam-packed with traditional boozers, making this place a weird and wonderful break from the norm.

Flares - 6 Tanner Row, York, YO1 6JB

Embrace full-on retro cheese with a night out at Flares on your York hen do. Expect banging tunes from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s that you can throw shapes to until the early hours. This club is really popular with stag and hen parties so you can celebrate in a feel-good atmosphere. What’s more, fancy dress is allowed. What will your theme be?

Revolution - 1 Coney Street, York, YO1 9QL

Revolution always know how to throw a good party. Here, you can celebrate at a beautiful waterside location, bust some moves on the dance floor or simply chill out in the garden terrace, enjoying one of their tasty cocktails. This is also one of the many venues in the city that offer cocktail making and gin tasting masterclasses. What better way to warm up for the last night of freedom?

JORVIK Viking Festival

You can celebrate a hen do in York at any time of year. February is host to JORVIK Viking Festival, two weeks of fun that pays homage to the city’s rich Norse heritage. During the largest festival of its kind in Europe, you can expect loads of Viking-themed events including live history encampments, tours, talks and combat performances.

York Fashion Week

York Fashion Week takes place in March each year with seven days of runway shows, exhibits, workshops and lectures all aiming to support local and international talent such as retailers and designers. If you’re a budding fashionista, this will give you tons of inspiration.

York Chocolate Festival

If you’re visiting in April, you’re in for a real treat! The York Chocolate Festival celebrates everyone’s favourite sweet treat with workshops, markets, demonstrations and a fairground. If that’s not enough, you can even get your hands on free samples!

York Food and Drink Festival

Foodies will love York Food and Drink Festival in September where you can sink your teeth into a range of events including wine tastings, food tastings, talks, cookery demonstrations and workshops in some of the city’s most fabulous venues.

Christmas Hen Parties in York

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas once you enter a hen do in York in November and December. It might be chilly but you can just throw on an extra layer and get stuck into the fun! To immerse yourselves in the Christmassy magic, visit the Christmas Festival with live entertainment, fairs and stalls selling food, drink and gifts. York’s been voted the Most Festive City in the UK, so you know you’re in for a special weekend if you visit during the season to be jolly!

Getting to Your York Hen Do

York is easy to get to by car, train or coach. It’s around a 45-minute drive in Leeds, an hour and a half’s drive from Manchester, a three hour and 45 minute drive from Glasgow and around a four hour drive from London. You can get trains from a number of big, mainline stations directly to York train station. Don’t worry if you’ve got a long journey ahead of you; use the time to plan what you’ll get up to first on your hen do in York. Trust us, you’re in for a fantastic time.

Getting Around During Your York Hen Do

Exploring the city by foot is a must during your hen do in York and luckily most places of interest are close together. However, if you’re girls who love their heels, you might find the winding, cobbled streets get a bit much. No worries though because you can jump on a bus or hop in a taxi in a flash. You can even hop on a boat to explore the River Ouse and soak up the stunning sights in style from a unique viewpoint.