Best time to visit York
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.
How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.
Compare with another destination
Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.
Tours in York
30 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you.
- 1
Private York Minster Guided Walking Tour - 2
Private Walking Tour of York - 3
Romans, Vikings and Medieval York: An Audio Tour - 4
North York Moors Private Tour day trip incl Steam Train & Whitby - 5
Fun, Flexible Treasure Hunt Around York with Cryptic Clues & Hidden Gems - 6
The Original Viking Walk: Private Guided Tour of York - 7
York Walls Private Walking Tour - 8
York Witch Walk: Haunted Tales and Theatrical Storytelling - 9
York on a Fork Food Tour - 10
Private Ghost Tour of York - 11
The Deathly Dark Tour of York - 12
Mad Alice’s The Bloody Tour of York -Best Tour Award Europe - 13
Wizard Walk of York - WINNER Best Tour & Experience of the Year - 14
Private Viking Walk of York - 15
The Best of York on Foot in a Small Group - 16
Shadows of York: Ghost Walk and Horrible History. - 17
Guided Bike Tour in York - 18
Exclusive York - Private Personally-Designed Walking Tour - 19
York Dungeon Entry Ticket - 20
Shared York Walking Tour – Hidden Gems & History - 21
North York Moors and Whitby Day Tour from York - 22
York Witches and History Walking Tour - 23
Moors, Whitby & The Yorkshire Steam Railway Day Trip from York - 24
Villainous History and Rum Tasting Tour in York Indoor Experience - 25
Herriot and Yorkshire Dales Day Trip from York - 26
Yorkshire Dales Tour from York - 27
J & M York City Walking Tours - 28
City Sightseeing York Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour - 29
Original Harry Potter Locations Tour : Guided Tour of York - 30
Golden Tours York Hop-on Hop-off Open Top Bus Tour with Audio Guide
Last refreshed 2026-10-24.
Similar climatesStratford-upon-Avon96% · Oxford96% · Stonehenge94%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to York (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against York's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.
Month-by-month
| Month | Temp °C | Feels °C | Rain days | Rain h | Rain h/day | Humidity | Wind km/h | Sun h | UV | Interest | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2–7 | 3 | 11 | 108 | 9.8 | 82% | 24 | 98 | — | Quiet | 4 |
| Feb | 3–9 | 5 | 12 | 148 | 12.3 | 75% | 28 | 104 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Mar | 3–11 | 7 | 13 | 145 | 11.2 | 69% | 24 | 157 | 2 | Quiet | 5 |
| Apr | 4–13 | 9 | 11 | 114 | 10.4 | 61% | 22 | 216 | 3 | Quiet | 6 |
| May | 8–16 | 14 | 13 | 139 | 10.7 | 65% | 20 | 239 | 4 | Quiet | 6 |
| Jun | 11–19 | 18 | 11 | 120 | 10.9 | 62% | 20 | 252 | 5 | Moderate | 8 |
| Jul | 13–21 | 19 | 14 | 172 | 12.3 | 63% | 21 | 241 | 4 | Moderate | 7 |
| Aug | 13–21 | 19 | 12 | 137 | 11.4 | 63% | 22 | 231 | 4 | Peak | 8 |
| Sep | 11–19 | 17 | 11 | 114 | 10.4 | 68% | 21 | 174 | 3 | Peak | 7 |
| Oct | 8–15 | 12 | 16 | 163 | 10.2 | 76% | 24 | 124 | 1 | Busy | 5 |
| Nov | 5–10 | 7 | 11 | 103 | 9.4 | 82% | 22 | 92 | 1 | Peak | 5 |
| Dec | 3–8 | 4 | 15 | 160 | 10.7 | 86% | 24 | 61 | — | Busy | 3 |
UV Index in York by Month
UV index in York peaks at 5 (moderate) in June, dropping to 0 (low) in January.
Best months in detail
June
8/1011–19°C (feels 18°C) · 11 rain days (120h) · 252 sun hours · 62% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)
August
8/1013–21°C (feels 19°C) · 12 rain days (137h) · 231 sun hours · 63% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 4 (moderate)
September
7/1011–19°C (feels 17°C) · 11 rain days (114h) · 174 sun hours · 68% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
4/102–7°C (feels 3°C) · 11 rain days (108h) · 98 sun hours · 82% humidity · Quiet crowd
February
4/103–9°C (feels 5°C) · 12 rain days (148h) · 104 sun hours · 75% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
March
5/103–11°C (feels 7°C) · 13 rain days (145h) · 157 sun hours · 69% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)
April
6/104–13°C (feels 9°C) · 11 rain days (114h) · 216 sun hours · 61% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
May
6/108–16°C (feels 14°C) · 13 rain days (139h) · 239 sun hours · 65% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 5 (moderate)
July
7/1013–21°C (feels 19°C) · 14 rain days (172h) · 241 sun hours · 63% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 4 (moderate)
October
5/108–15°C (feels 12°C) · 16 rain days (163h) · 124 sun hours · 76% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 1 (low)
November
5/105–10°C (feels 7°C) · 11 rain days (103h) · 92 sun hours · 82% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 1 (low)
December
3/103–8°C (feels 4°C) · 15 rain days (160h) · 61 sun hours · 86% humidity · Busy crowd
Frequently asked questions about visiting York
When is the best time to visit York?
June is the highest-scoring month (8/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 11–19°C (11 rainy days). The top three months by score are June, August, September.
What is the worst time to visit York?
December is the lowest-scoring month (3/10). Typical conditions: 3–8°C (15 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in York?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in February and peaks in November. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.
Which months in York have good weather but fewer tourists?
June (climate 8/10, crowd index 40) and April (climate 6/10, crowd index 36) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in York by month?
UV peaks at 5 (moderate) in June and is lowest in January at 0 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan —, Feb 1, Mar 2, Apr 3, May 4, Jun 5, Jul 4, Aug 4, Sep 3, Oct 1, Nov 1, Dec —.
What is the UV index in York in June?
June is the peak UV month in York, with a daily-peak UV index of 5 (moderate). Standard sun protection — sunglasses and light SPF — is recommended.
How high can UV get in York on the sunniest days?
Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 5 (moderate), but the top 10% of days reach UV 6 (high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: April, May, June, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.
Is air quality in York bad for travelers?
PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 5 months: January, February, March, April, December. The worst month is March with a typical-day mean of 11 µg/m³ (moderate); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 21 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.