A Winter Adventure opens at JORVIK Viking Centre
The Norse god, Skadi, may have brought the snow and ice down to Viking-age Coppergate, but the 10th century inhabitants are promising a very warm welcome to visitors making winter trips to JORVIK Viking Centre in York – where sub-zero temperatures are forecast to stay until February!
A Winter Adventure brings a whole new wintery experience to visitors to the world-famous attraction, making it the perfect addition to a trip to the Christmas markets. As York’s residents prepare for the festive season, so the Vikings are getting ready to celebrate Yule, with their own natural decorations hung on their houses.
Gareth Henry is the director for visitor engagement for York Archaeology, which runs JORVIK Viking Centre, and he has been directing this year’s stunning displays and technological innovations.
Speaking about this year’s wintry transformation, Gareth Henry said;
“Snow hit Viking-age Coppergate for the first time last year, and was received phenomenally well by our guests, so we’ve brought it back for this winter season – and added a few more changes too,”
“For the first time ever, visitors will be able to peer through a time portal, into the blacksmith’s house that we excavated on this site in the 1970s, and see what it would have been like to live there, even before they get on board a time sleigh to travel back in time for themselves!”
The new Time Portal forms the first part of the visit to JORVIK, once people have descended to stand at 10th century street level. An introductory show, using the most up-to-date time vortex technology, provides a window to the city populated by Nordic settlers 1000 years earlier – and visitors will see the first glimpses of the snow-covered city.
Visitors then alight a Time Sleigh, for a tour around the backstreets, transformed into a stunning winter wonderland with snow-covered streets and houses. Cold blue lighting adds an extra frisson of excitement, as mist rolls in off the river and onto the quayside.
The Viking-age residents are wearing their extra warm woollen cloaks and knitted hats, whilst the produce on the market stalls on Coppergate are offering winter fare for the local residents’ stew pots!
Speaking further on this year’s yueltide adventure, Gareth Henry explains;
“Once off the ride, visitors can warm themselves by the fare in our Skald’s house, to hear about how the hardy Vikings survived in the winter months, and hear sagas and tales of Yuletides past,”
Prebooking is essential for all visits to JORVIK, can be done on the website, jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk. Tickets are £17.50 for adults, £14.00 for students and £12.00 for children.
A family ticket costs £49.00 (two adults and two children) or £56.00 (Two adults and three children), with under 5s admitted free of charge.
Tickets are valid for unlimited repeat visits for a whole year – which means that visitors can enjoy A Winter Adventure as well as a more conventional visit to JORVIK when the snow once again melts away at the end of February 2026. For more details, please visit jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk
