York Escape Room Games
Urban adventures bringing the secrets of York to life.
- Work together to solve fun challenges & puzzling clues Perfectly balanced & location-based.
- Guided by clues sent to your phones Messages sent to you and your team's phones.
- Explore York's historic landmarks and hidden gems Our speciality, discovering and showing off amazing places!
- Discover top-rated pubs, bars and cafes - all optional Optional breaks to catch a rest along the way.
- Compete Set the fastest time and see you ranking on your end certificate. for top spot on the York leaderboard
Don't have a great time?
Simply let us know why and we'll refund you in full.
Next Steps
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- 1. Select your game, pick a trail of your choice and receive your welcome email.
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- 2. Rally your team and enter a team name and phone number(s) into the system.
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- 3. Receive your welcome text, then head to the start location on a day and time of your choice.
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- 4. Text START to receive the first in a series of cryptic directions. Solve the puzzles to unravel your mystery.
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- 5. Discover unique places, the secret and hidden of your city - and great independant pubs/cafes!
Gift an Experience
Choose from over 125 top-rated experiences across 40 cities, or choose a gift balance for ultimate flexibility. We're happy to switch should your recipient wish to change!
York Experiences
Each trail takes place in a different area of the city - click each tile to learn more!
- Story
A Fatal Feud
Murder in York. Can you get to the bottom of our classic whodunnit?… more
- Story
Ghosts of York
Restless spirits. Conniving clues. Haunting histories.… more
change the date, time, number of people or game.
- Story
The Drowned City
Magic, monsters and a Roman Emperor, a tale of deception in Ancient York… more
Quirks and Snickets
The secrets York hides in plain sight… more
Action-packed York escape rooms in York
How the York days out work
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Discover York's secret places
- Experience York's unique places and share stories in independent pubs & cafes, curated for each York York escape room.
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Fun challenges
- Engaging puzzles and captivating stories reveal York in a new light.
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Play together or competitively
- Work as a team or compete head-to-head to set the fastest time on our York leaderboard.
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Fully flexible bookings
- Alter your booking freely; change the date, time, number of people or chosen York York escape room. Even stop and start once you've begun.
Fun activity for all groups
York escape room Reviews
The great things you say about CityDays York escape rooms
M&M
Great, adventure of the City.
TWOPANDAS
Really nice and fun experience roaming around the city and finding new places that are easily missed during normal rout…
Roy Bass
Brilliant! Really enjoyed it and learnt such a lot about Kensington
The Ways
Very accurate and easy to follow.
Obamacair
It was such a fun adventure!!! Would definitely do again, great way to get steps in too haha!
Octonaughts
Great adventure. Very kid friendly.
Morgan & co
Great day out with the family and friend, took us places you’d never go normally, great fun and so interesting.
Team Neal
Enjoyable trail, if a bit busy this time of year.
Noel noops
We had a great time solving the Jack the Ripper mystery. We loved walking around interesting parts of London which we w…
Les Cervaux
What a great evening out for our family of 6 in 3 pairs. Fun to have a bit of rivalry and the clues were not too easy y…
Team Us 2
Brilliant day walking around London. Highly recommended
Josef Peachfuzz
nice!
Blitzen
Really fun treasure hunt with good clues which made it obvious when you were on the right path which was brilliant and …
Team Rocket
Profound experience discovering different landmarks in New York. Cassidy’s bar was shut for Christmas but we found Five…
Lesters
We had a great time! A great mix of tougher and simpler questions!
Bitchen
Very fun and engaging! Challenging clues but it kept us interested and showed us part of the city we’d never been.
Darling Buds of May
We had a really amazing time doing the Festive lights Hunt. So well organised and really easy to set up your teams. Cl…
Brookes Babes
What a fun day out with zero time pressure, just a really exciting way to see Oxford and learn more about the city’s hi…
Silent Knights
Great evening, saw some gorgeous sights. Travelled down streets I’ve never have.. Good fun! Roll on Christmas next yea…
Filthy Animals
Very good idea and a great way to see new bits of London. Just about the right amount of walking, clues were challengin…
Ready to see lots of smiling faces? Read all our customer reviews
Ready? Book your York escape room today
The “Fresh” Way To Experience A York Escape Room
You’re always prepared to go the extra mile, York - and with these escape rooms, we mean that literally.
Until now, York’s curious, quick-witted and creative brains have been trapped behind doors, confined to opening hours and incarcerated within four walls.
But not on our watch!
Prepare to take on new challenges, puzzles and fiddly riddles to uncover York’s many mysteries and plunder the city’s secretive snickelways with CityDays!
Our York escape rooms reveal more than just your competitive streak.
You still get all the puzzles, riddles, cryptic clues and challenges of a traditional escape room – but instead of being cooped up inside, we take the games outdoors.
No doors. No ceilings. No specific time slots. No hassle. That’s the CityDays way!
Urban Escape Rooms York: An Outdoor Extravaganza
We know that Yorkies are up for a challenge, and they’re willing to work hard to play hard.
That’s why we’ve created escape rooms that are, shall we say, a little outside of the box.
We love the philosophy of traditional escape rooms - you know, working together as a team, solving puzzles, deciphering riddles, all that stuff! But we fundamentally disagree with one point: that you have to be inside to do it.
You see, our York escape rooms are held outdoors, and look a little different from other games you might have played. Let us fill you in…
CityDays’ Outdoor York Escape Rooms: A Lesson in “Touching Grass”
Have you ever heard the slang phrase “touch grass”? No, we hadn’t either. It was one of the most-used slang phrases of 2023 and it basically means “go outside”, or as we might have said back in the day, “you need to get out more”.
Inadvertently, we’ve been encouraging people to “touch grass” for over five years now.
Right from the start, York has been our playground and our easel - and we’re very proud to say that a lot of our success stems from Yorkshire explorers like you.
We transform cities into playgrounds by creating routes and puzzles from scratch that are designed to test you and your puzzle-solving, teamwork and observation skills, based on the city in question - in your case, York.
You’ll have to use your powers of deduction, wit and guile to complete the game. Brains, not brawn, will win you and your team the top spot on our York leaderboard.
Prepare to take on some York escape room games like you’ve never played them before. Stick with us to find out how it works…
How Our York Escape Rooms Work
Since our York escape “rooms” are held outdoors, they’re “built” slightly differently. After all, as there are no rooms or physical barriers involved, you might be wondering what the object of the game is…
Well, it’s really very simple.
You and your team start at a chosen location (depending on which trail you pick).
From there, you have to complete a set of tasks, puzzles and riddles, deciphering clues to take you between locations, sent to your phone(s) via WhatsApp. If you don’t give us the right answer, you can’t move on in the game!
When you’ve sent us the correct answer, you’ll be given new clues and challenges to lead you to your next destination. Each location is located a short walking distance away, and may require you to keep your eyes peeled for possible clues along the way…
Once you’ve answered all our clues, visited all the destinations and completed the trail, we’ll tally up your score. This is based on how many correct answers you got, any time penalties you accrued, and how many hints you asked for.
All you need to play our games is a phone with Whatsapp, access to cellular data and a pair of comfy shoes. That’s it!
Any questions? Here’s how it works.
Escape Room City Centre York: An Adventure On Your Doorstep
Whether you’re a lifelong York resident or just in this marvellous city for the day, you deserve a thrilling adventure that takes you beyond
Our escape rooms in York are based around the city centre and easily accessible - so whether you’re a local or a visitor, you can easily find the start location for your game and start playing!
Each route is set in a particular area or suburb and contains a mix of puzzles, challenges, clues and more. The type of outdoor escape routes differ slightly, so here’s a breakdown of what to expect…
Narrative, Picnic and Classic Routes: Choosing Your York Escape “Room”
York holds a very special place in our hearts and it seems we’re not alone. It was one of our original CityDays cities to receive an urban adventure trail and remains a fan-favourite destination for our explorers.
Since those halcyon days, we’ve expanded our trail roster to include all manner of York treasure hunts, walking tours and escape rooms.
Here’s a quick breakdown of our trail types:
Classic: The original style York escape room that delivers challenges, puzzles, history, and exploration, plus plenty of pub, cafe and bar recommendations along the way.
Picnic: The most delicious escape room style trail that blends exploration, puzzle-solving and learning but with added stops to local gourmet hotspots where you collect delicious sweet and savoury treats throughout the route.
Story: A York escape room with a plot twist! We’ve woven a fictional narrative alongside facts to give you even more fun while exploring and racing through the city. These are often themed routes where characters reveal York’s secrets in an engaging and occasionally cryptic manner!
The Best Outdoor Escape Rooms in York
Here are our available games and outdoor escape rooms in York city centre!
Quirks and Snickets: York's Hidden History
Unravel the mysteries of York in 'Quirks and Snickets', an outdoor escape room game set in the city's labyrinthine snickelways. Starting at St Helen's Square, tackle puzzles to discover York's hidden historical gems, from Viking tales to Roman emperors. Explore landmarks like the Roman ruins, Barley Hall, and the Shambles while enjoying brain-teasing challenges. Perfect for locals and tourists alike, this adventure blends history and fun in an exploration of York's iconic streets.
The Drowned City: Myth and Mystery
Prevent the doom of York in 'The Drowned City', a mythological outdoor escape room adventure. Solve riddles involving Roman Emperors, Norse monsters, and Greek gods while exploring York's renowned sights. Visit Museum Gardens, York Minster, and more, delving into puzzles that bridge fact and fiction. Ideal for dreamers of all ages, this journey offers a thrilling blend of York's history and mythology.
A Fatal Feud: Time-Travelling Murder Mystery
Step back to 1491 in 'A Fatal Feud', a time-travelling murder mystery outdoor escape room in York. Begin at Clifford's Tower and follow clues around historic locations to solve a centuries-old crime. Test your detective skills at landmarks like Mansion House and York Minster, interspersed with puzzles and local pub stops. A must for true crime and history enthusiasts seeking an immersive York experience.
York Gourmet Food Hunt: Culinary Quest
Combine gastronomy and gaming in 'York Gourmet Food Hunt', an escape-room style adventure exploring York's culinary delights. Gather picnic items from local eateries, from historic pastries to artisanal cheeses, while solving clues and uncovering city secrets. Conclude your journey in a picturesque garden, savouring your finds. Suitable for all foodies, this unique experience blends fun, food, and history.
Ghosts of York: Paranormal Puzzle Adventure
Transform into paranormal investigators in 'The Ghosts of York', a spine-tingling outdoor escape room game. Interact with spectral characters from York's history, spanning Roman legionnaires to Vikings. Tackle challenges and clues across haunted locations, with optional pub breaks. Discover ghostly tales and historical facts in this engaging exploration of folklore and fiction in York.