I spy with my little eye a clock, a cat and a flag! We’ve been busy working on something new behind the scenes for the past few months and we’re so excited to launch a brand new walking trail for York: the Little Vikings I Spy Trail. For some time we’ve wanted to create a fun walking trail for families that’s available all year round, encourages families to explore York and helps them discover places they might not otherwise have seen. Importantly, it also had to be free and accessible for everyone. We’re really grateful to Visit York for supporting our project and for helping to make this permanent new walking trail around York a reality.
NEW! Click here to access our interactive 3D map of York which you can follow along the way!
With the help of our own three children, we’ve put together a lovely circular route with twenty-two weird and wonderful things to spot along the way. Starting and ending at the Visit York Information Centre on Museum Street, the I Spy Trail will have you strolling down snickleways, gaping at the city’s medieval gates and ambling down the Shambles, ticking off iconic and eccentric landmarks along the way.
We know from bitter experience just how much persuasion, negotiation and bare-faced bribery can be involved in getting children to put one foot in front of the other, and we hope that this is one walk that they will actively enjoy. We would, of course, encourage you to enjoy a coffee or ice cream along the way (or even a mulled wine if the season permits – this is a permanent, all-seasons activity that’s available all year round). It goes without saying, we hope, that any government restrictions on travelling and social distancing should be adhered to (even if that means saving this trail for another time).
How to do the Little Vikings I Spy Trail
Want to explore York on foot with your children, but minus the moaning? Then the Little Vikings I Spy walking trail is just the thing! Our brand new, free walking of York is available all year round – all you have to do is collect the map and get your shoes and coats on! The map should be all that you need – follow the route and see how many things you can tick off. Top marks if you get them all (some are obvious but others are trickier, so you’ll need to keep your wits about you and don’t forget to look up!).
Where to get the Little Vikings I Spy Trail map
Keen to get started? We get it! But first things first – you need your map. To get hold of the I Spy Trail map, you can either:
– NEW! You can now access an interactive 3D version of the map from our website, so you can follow the route on your phone and pick up some facts along the way.
– Click here to download a high quality version of the I Spy Trail map from the Little Vikings website and print it out, or
– Pick up the I Spy Trail printed map and leaflet from the Visit York Information Centre during opening hours
We really hope you enjoy the I Spy Trail and look forward to seeing families exploring York, map in hand! Show us what you find on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter by using the hashtag #ispyyork
PS – Once you’ve explored York city centre, why not try out one of these brilliant family walks around York? And don’t forget to check out our brand new Walks Around York content, with plenty of reviews and tips for the best walks in Yorkshire with kids
