Spark your pupils’ interest and bring history to life with a visit to JORVIK Group attractions.

School Visits

Studying the Vikings this term? Take your pupils on a school trip to JORVIK! Built on the very site where archaeologists discovered over 40,000 Viking-age objects, a visit to JORVIK gives students the opportunity to learn about the real Viking settlement that was once in York. Friendly Viking guides will deliver interactive talks and activities on a variety of Viking topics – where else can you meet a real Viking? The ride experience transports visitors back to 10th-century York to meet exciting characters, including blacksmiths, traders, weavers, fishermen and their families, before digging deeper and seeing incredible artefacts up close!

At DIG, kids get to discover only the most exciting archaeological artefacts from the 2000 years of history hidden under the streets of York. Four replica excavation pits are filled with Roman, Viking (see if you can spot any of the artefacts on display at JORVIK!), medieval and Victorian finds, so they can grab a trowel and dig up the clues that show how people lived in these times. Owned by the same archaeologists who discovered the Viking-age city and created JORVIK Viking Centre, DIG offers you a unique archaeological adventure to get you on your way to becoming a real archaeologist.

A school visit to Barley Hall allows pupils to become immersed in life in a wealthy merchant’s townhouse in the Middle Ages. Accompanied by our costumed characters, your class will learn about the Snawsell family who lived here towards the end of the medieval period and how the remains of their home were uncovered and restored and what life was like for both the family and the servants living in a wealthy merchant’s townhouse in the Middle Ages.

A visit to JORVIK, DIG or Barley Hall, is a great way of supporting your pupil’s development in history, literacy, and science. You can also complement your visit to JORVIK Group attractions with fun and interactive workshops covering topics from Shakespearian plays (perfect for KS1!) or Viking traders (ideal for KS2!).

Look out for JORVIK Viking Festival and Schools Week

Teachers mark your calendars, it is time for another That JORVIK Viking Thing: Schools Week! The free digital learning week takes place 6th-10th February and this year explores the theme of remarkable archaeological evidence from Viking-age York. You can sign up to find out more about the hub of livestreams and videos by visiting: https://www.jorvikthing.com/sw2023/

February half-term is packed full of Viking fun with the return of JORVIK Viking Festival! The Vikings are pitching their tents in central York for nine days of Norse activities. Viking crafting, Best Beard Competition and combat performances are great for little ones. Plus, bestselling author of Horrid Henry and Two Terrible Vikings, Francesca Simon, will be making an appearance for a special event. The full programme of events for Festival can be found on their website.

Virtual Outreach

Can’t visit in person? With JORVIK Group Virtual Outreach you can invite a Viking, medieval medic, or friendly archaeologist into your classroom! Get in touch to find out about our wide range of sessions available, from a bespoke Q&A session with a Viking to a chat with a medieval barber-surgeon, who will introduce you to the tools of the trade for medics in medieval York.

Get in touch

JORVIK Group websites are packed full of information about options for teachers, from school trips and souvenir packs to virtual outreach and loan boxes. You can also email their Schools team (schools@yorkat.co.uk) or call the reservations team (01904615505) who are happy to help!