If you’re looking for a festive getaway – look no further.

York, the historic gem in the crown of North Yorkshire, is the perfect walkable city to take a weekend trip to, great for Christmas shopping and brimming with Christmas spirit.Recently, I went to check out how the festive period is done in the Yorkshire city.

I stayed at the Ibis Style, which was an easy 10 to 15 minute walk into town. With a full breakfast buffet at the hotel, you can head into the town well fed and ready to indulge in whatever festive tour you fancy that day.

The Christmas market is bustling. There are decorated trees on every corner and the cobbled high streets look as though they have been lifted from a page of a children’s fairytale book.. Even the Jorvik Viking Museum tops its reconstructed Norse houses with snow. The Centre is a transportive look into the city’s Viking culture, with an animatronic reconstruction of a Viking village. With river cruises and city passes opening up every possible corner of York, you can squeeze everything into one weekend, and you will be hard-pressed to run out of things to do.

For families who want to spend time on the Ouse River whilst keeping the children occupied, signing up to City Cruises’ Santa Experience is a great idea.  It costs £20 per child ages 2 to 15, and from £20 per adult. Father Christmas started his annual cruises here 25 years ago, and children will leave with a gift bag of goodies, including a fruit drink, a chocolate bar and a personalised present. For the grown-up guests, there is the offering of free tea and coffee as well as a mince pie, which can be enjoyed as you float past the Yorkshire Museum Gardens. There is also an autism friendly option curated in partnership with York Inspirational Kids.

There are a host of walking tours and even a ghost bus tour that you can hop on at night to explore one of England’s most haunted cities. If you prefer to have a more in-depth tour and something more festive, you can also head on the Christmas Walking Tour, which lasts an hour and a half and costs £12.50 per person. The tour takes you through Christmas past and explains why York is such a major festive destination.

You will certainly get your steps in just trying to hit the must-see hotspots around the city. However, if you feel this isn’t enough, – there is also a beautifully scenic walk around the city where you can follow its Roman protective walls.

This will provide beautiful sweeping views of the city itself and the surrounding countryside and won’t take you more than two hours. At night, fairy lights criss-cross on top of streets and shoppers come out in their masses. If you ask for a window seat at The Fat Badger – next to the great city walls – you can continue people watching out onto the cobbled street whilst enjoying your meal. The truffle mac and cheese is delicious – and if you want to get in the festive spirit, the deep-fried brie bites with cranberry are a must.

You can stay at York’s newly renovated Ibis Style, which is themed around beer and breweries, starting at £130 for a twin room based on two people sharing.