Run by Dan Wood aka The Wizard of York, tours leave from York’s Shambles and can run up to six times daily in the holidays. Dan lives near York with his wife and two boys, and loves creating magic moments for locals and tourists.
He says, “We were actually awarded first place last year in same awards, but are still absolutely spellbound with the fourth position globally. It’s mind-blowing to think that our small family business – with big ideas – can reach such heights worldwide!”
The awards are based solely on visitor feedback, and York’s wandering wizard has many other awards up his sleeve too. The business won Experience of the Year for the second time in the Visit York Tourism Awards 2026, as well as Independent Business of the Year. In the Little Vikings Awards for Kids, they’ve picked up Best Tour four years running and Best Birthday Party Entertainer twice.
Asked what the secret to their success is, Dan adds “We put magic first in all that we do. We’re all about making magical memories and bringing fun and laughter to families visiting our enchanting city. Visitors often describe it as the highlight of their whole visit, and we can’t ask for more than that!”
The unique tour is a quest to find magical creatures around York – led by either Dan himself as Phoenix the Red, or second guide Viridian the Green. The interactive experience combines magic, illusion, storytelling and more jokes than you can shake a wand at.
“We love York’s rich history, but this isn’t a historical tour. There are lots of those, and we set out to create something totally different. There are no ghosts stories, and it’s not a Harry Potter tour either – although the theme makes it popular for fans of the wizarding world!”
The company is expanding and are currently seeking out a third wizard guide, whilst conjuring up new ideas and partnerships. The magic never stops for Dan and his team; as well as running public tours, birthday parties and school trips weekly, he’s busy working on the city’s second official Festival of Wizardry. York will be transformed with WizardFest this May 23-25th – a citywide with activities for all ages, including extra Wizard Walks to meet demand.
Magic fans can visit the wizarding website to find out more at www.wizardwalkofyork.com
All TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards can be found at https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo
