JORVIK Viking Centre
Built on the site where archaeologists discovered over 40,000 Viking-age objects, a visit to JORVIK Viking Centre lets students explore the real Viking settlement of Jorvik.
Travel back to Viking York
Step back in time to the year 960 and experience the sights, sounds, and smells of Viking-age York. Pupils can experience life in Viking York, see 1,000-year-old artefacts, and learn directly from our friendly Viking guides. Students will get the opportunity to:
- Ride through the reconstructed Viking street of Coppergate
- Handle and explore real artefacts in our galleries
- Discover everyday life in a bustling Viking town.
Downloadable resources:
Workshops
Workshops extend your JORVIK visit with interactive, 45-minute sessions at DIG, just a 5-minute walk away. Designed with Key Stage 2 in mind, these workshops are suitable for all Key Stages. Our learning team can discuss specific learning objectives.
Maximum group capacities:
- Under 12s: 32 pupils
- Ages 13–18: 22 pupils
- “Traders, Looters or Settlers?” workshop: under 12s – 24, ages 13–18 – 18.
Learn more about pricing and planning information here.
Choose from the options below when booking a workshop to complement your JORVIK visit.
JORVIK Viking Centre Workshops
Battle Tactics
Discover the causes of raiding and warfare in Viking times. See the weapons they used and re-enact strategies for the battlefield in a fun, hands-on session.
Viking Sagas
Learn about Viking myths and poetry from our skald (storyteller). Listen to stories of gods, giants, and heroes, help re-enact a myth, and enjoy Viking riddles or ‘kennings.’
Anglo-Saxons and Viking Medicines
Explore how plants, animals, insects, and even magic were used for medical cures. Investigate how Anglo-Saxons and Vikings treated injuries and ailments.
Traders, Looters or Settlers?
Investigate Viking finds, tree rings, and other evidence to understand why Vikings came to Britain. Conduct hands-on analysis to form your own conclusions about settlers, traders, or raiders.
Ways to Visit JORVIK Viking Centre
Key Stage 1-3 School Groups
A school visit to JORVIK is the perfect fit for Key Stage 2 history topics on Anglo-Saxon and Viking England, or for wider Key Stage 1 and 3 history studies. Your school visit to JORVIK is hosted by our friendly Viking guides, who will deliver interactive talks and activities on a variety of topics. Your group will have the chance to explore the Viking street of Coppergate, see how it was discovered and investigate the evidence left behind.
We recommend combining your visit to JORVIK with a tour of DIG and with a workshop.
Key Stage 4-5 School Groups
The impact of Viking migration to Britain can be traced through the fascinating archaeological discoveries on display at JORVIK Viking Centre. A visit to JORVIK supports the following GCSE and A-Level history units:
- Edexcel Migrants in Britain 800-Present day
- AQA Migration, empires and the people: c790 to the present day
- OCR The Viking Age 790-1066
- OCR Viking Expansion 790-1066.
If you are teaching one of these units we also recommend combining your visit with a trip to DIG and with our KS4/5 Virtual Viking Outreach.
Download our KS4/5 gallery trail sheet ahead of your visit. (PDF, 665KB)
Home Educators
We welcome Home Educator visits to JORVIK Viking Centre. Download our JORVIK gallery cards to use on your visit, (PDF, 3 MB) and our friendly Viking staff will be on-hand to answer your questions and give short talks and demonstrations to help bring Viking archaeology to life.