Hotels near the Jorvik Viking Festival

Get some hands-on experience of what it was like to be a Viking. More than 10,000 visitors turn up to York's annual Jorvik Festival to watch Norse warriors fight to the (mock) death with their enemies, the Saxons.

This international celebration of York's heritage welcomes Vikings from all over the world, not only for ferocious and bloody battles, but also to enjoy dozens of specially organised arts, music, drama and action events throughout the city.

York, most often associated historically with the Romans, was in fact ruled by Viking kings as Jorvik between 866AD and 952AD. The area where the Jorvik Centre is situated was excavated in the 1970s and during the festival visitors can also take a tour of the homes, shops and streets found by the archaeologists.