Shambles

York is a beautiful and welcoming city with lots of landmarks and cultural points of interest but your trip would not be complete without a walk down the iconic Shambles. Atmospheric, full of history and home to some fabulous shops to suit all age groups (especially Harry Potter fans). It gets very busy during the day but is quieter in the evening when you can get those elusive photographs.

I do enjoy the Shambles, it does seem significantly prettier or more interesting than the rest of York, a very pretty street, you can imagine going back several hundred years and the people coming and going about their daily lives.

For taking good photos, I would suggest go early in the morning, as it gets full of people later in the day, the same could be said for all of York, if you want pictures without people in them get up early.

Walking through the Shambles is a must for any length York trip, the buildings are close together, the crooked houses they lean out on their top level over the street, some of the buildings of which have been there since the middle ages.

The various shops, art shops, old sweet shops, shops that trace you family name, you feel like you are taking a walk back in time with the cobblestone underfoot with the wood and plaster old buildings lining the narrow pedestrian street.

Full of history, interesting shops and ghostly stories, atmospheric & quirky, not to be missed.

Fantastic old buildings. Lots of independent shops along cobbled streets, like going back in time.
To see the Shambles and the rest of York I highly recommend using the park & ride. Buses every 12 minutes £3.50 a head but discount for groups, think 5 or more, as the 4 of us had 2 dogs we got discount £10 return for 4 people.
The market round the Shambles was also good with plenty of places to eat.
We love York.

Returned to the Shambles, having visited a few years ago. I remembered it as being a quaint, cobblestoned street, full of history and a place you could spend a few hours discovering “different” shops. I was so disappointed! It was full of tacky, Harry Potter inspired gift shops plus the inevitable over-priced, underwhelming, expensive eateries. I think it took us half an hour to walk the full length, not stopping to look at anything, as I could have been in any city, with cheap-looking, tacky giftware at one end of the spectrum to high priced, designer shops that can be found in any large city. Will not rush to return.

I visited here with my husband mid-week.
I have been several times before but he has never been.

There is no dedicated parking but it is right next to York Minster and in the centre so easy to find.

The Shambles is an amazing example of architecture from that time and the buildings all look very well preserved.

Unfortunately, what used to be a street of quirky and interesting shops that locals and tourists alike could use has now just become a Harry Potter themed street and shops full of overpriced junk for tourists.

It's a very busy street so you often will have to queue to enter shops and you will ALWAYS be in someone's way if you try to take photographs, look up at the buildings from a stood still position or want to look in shops.
But my late afternoon / early evening, it's dead and you can wander around easily.

The Shambles Market is worth a browse as this has become a bit of a 'hipster' paradise with Instagrammable (but often tasty) food outlets that aren't too expensive and some decent stalls.

If you visit York, you MUST go to The Shambles because the chance to see a street like this should not be missed. But the shops themselves are forgettable and it's such a shame the shops have lost the charm and variety of previous years.

This iconic area of York is well worth a visit. It dates back to the 14th century and was apparently the area used by the butchers of that era. Nowadays it is a collection of narrow, winding lanes – Shambles and Little Shambles – full of tourist, souvenir and sweet shops, with some Harry Potter outlets, and heaps of tourists. The latter can be an issue especially at weekend and holiday times, making shopping almost impossible. The ancient building and shops with their Tudor appearances, uneven walls and roofs are however a delight and a photographer’s dream. Allow around 30-45 minutes to explore, then try and find somewhere to have refreshments. Street theatre artists abound and provide some entertainment. A must place to visit when in York.

It is a very picturesque street with a great historical vibe. The street itself is covered with cobbles and is very uneven so may not be suited to those in a wheelchair. It is also very very busy during the day. I visited both during the day and night and although none of the shops are open during the night, if you want to take your time and not be stressed by the crowds I would recommend visiting during the night. However, the crowds during the day are to be expected but this does not make them any less annoying. Despite this, it’s a must do while in York. Especially if you are a Harry Potter fan. I recommend visiting but if you are visiting during the day you need a lot of patience because of the crowds.

We visited this and there are a lot of shops and just like being on a Harry Potter film set. There is a shop that sells “a york egg” and reasonable handmade pies, sausage rolls and brownies.

The Yorkshire roast does an amazing pudding wrap………….i had pork with carrots, roasties, apple sauce, GRAVEY and vegetables.

There was one shop that amazed me………. The York Ghost Merchants!! People were queueing over 3 hours to buy a one off clay painted ghost at £15 in a box

Always visit here on a trip to York. It's full of character and so many lovely shops. Highly recommend Little Saffrons, the potions cauldron, the shop that must not be named, the York ghost merchants and flax and twine

The Shambles is one of the things everyone says you need to check out whilst in York. Its a very old street full of pokey old shops and very picturesque to look at. Tourists will be flocking here taking lots of pictures so it can get busy. There isnt really many shops down the very small road and the vast majority seem to be trying to capitalise on the similarity to shops in the Harry Potter films with lots of Harry Potter merchandise available for sale. Whilst in the Shambles, its worth cutting through one of the small link passageways into the Shambles Market behind it, where there are more stalls, pokey shops and places to grab food etc.

Also, whilst you are here, pick up the leaflet outside of the glass cat shop for the "cat trail", which starts in the shambles and is a great way to explore the city centre whilst having fun.