More Than a Tour: A Local Helping Hand for Your Stay in York

When you’re staying in York, it’s easy to spend your whole visit within the city walls. There’s plenty to see here, of course, but Yorkshire is just beyond the city, and working out how to explore it can take a bit of planning.

I’m Kes, owner and driver-guide at Highwayman Tours. I came to York for university and have lived here for around 26 years. When you book a private tour with me, you get a driven day out from York for your group of up to four, with collection from your accommodation and a route planned around what interests you. But I’m also happy to help with the smaller questions that come with visiting somewhere new.

A local point of contact in York

A tour starts before we set off. You might be wondering how much you can reasonably fit into a day, whether your evening plans leave enough time for a trip into the countryside, or where to go for a good lunch.

I know York and the roads out into Yorkshire well, so I can give you an honest steer. Some places look close on a map but take longer to reach than you might expect. Sometimes it’s better to leave one stop out and have time to enjoy the places you do visit. That is the sort of thing I’m happy to talk through before your day.

If you’d like to know a little more about me and how I work, you can meet me here.

A day out that fits around your stay

My tours are private driven trips from York into Yorkshire. Your group has the vehicle to yourselves, and I’ll collect you from your accommodation or an agreed York pickup point. We can start with an established itinerary, or you can tell me what you’re interested in and we can talk through a suitable route.

That also means we can plan with the rest of your stay in mind. If you’ve booked dinner or have theatre tickets in York, let me know before the tour. I’ll take that into account when we discuss timings, and I’ll be straight with you about what feels realistic. I can’t control traffic or promise a particular return time, so it’s always worth leaving a sensible margin.

The same goes for lunch. If you’re not sure where to eat, I can suggest somewhere that suits the day and your preferences. Where possible, I’m happy to help arrange a table, but the restaurant makes the final call on availability.

If you’re still choosing where to stay, tell me what matters to you. I may be able to suggest hotels or other places to look at, depending on the location, style and budget you have in mind. I can’t guarantee a room, but a local suggestion can be a useful starting point.

Sometimes a small practical favour helps

Recently, after a tour, I left guests’ bags with their hotel reception so they could carry on enjoying York without taking their luggage around town. It was a small thing, arranged with their hotel, but it made the rest of their day easier.

If you’d like to do something similar, ask me in advance. I can help by arrangement, but it depends on the details and the hotel. I can’t promise access to your room or that every request will be possible.

That practical side matters to me. Visiting a new place can involve a surprising amount of small decisions: when to leave, where to meet, how long to allow, and whether a plan is comfortable or a bit too ambitious. I’d rather help you make a sensible plan than tell you that everything will fit when it won’t.

The help doesn’t have to end when the tour does

If a question comes up later in your stay, you’re welcome to get in touch for local advice. I’ll help where I can, whether you’re looking for a place to eat, thinking about how to get around York, or wondering what you can fit into your remaining time.

And if I’m already booked on the date you want, it’s still worth asking. When I’ve been unavailable, I’ve sometimes helped people look for another tour or a suitable alternative. I can’t guarantee that I’ll find one, but I’m happy to try where possible.

Enjoy York, and see a little more of Yorkshire

For me, looking after guests means more than driving a route. It means listening to what you want from your visit, being clear about what’s manageable, and helping with the practical details where I can. You’re not expected to know the roads, timings or places before you arrive.

You can browse the private tours to see what might suit you, or get in touch with me with your dates, where you’re staying and what you’d like to see. If there’s anything you need to plan around the tour, tell me that too.

I’ll do my best to help you make the most of your stay in York.

Kes
Owner and driver-guide, Highwayman Tours