SPECIAL themed bus tours are taking to the city's streets this week to tell York’s Christmas story.

As lockdown ends, York’s bright red tour buses are returning with unique Christmas-themed tours to help families get in the mood for festive fun.

National travel restrictions from November 5 temporarily put the brakes on City Sightseeing York’s open-top tours but its red buses are back on the road from Thursday, December 3.

Circular tours of York’s landmarks will run every 30 minutes on Monday to Friday and every 20 minutes on Saturday from 21 stops across the city, giving grandstand views of famous landmarks such as York Minster and Clifford’s Tower.

And for the first time, York’s own Christmas story provides the theme for the sightseeing bus tours, celebrating the city’s important role in many Christmas traditions.

For eight days from Tuesday, December 15, these special tours will wrap up the sightseeing firm’s 2020 season in style - featuring festive activities, from carol singing to tree decorating, and appearances from historical figures including Oliver Cromwell and Queen Victoria.

The firm is also promising plenty of bonus surprises throughout the one-hour special tours – including for those who’ve been good all year, a VIP visit from Santa Claus.

York City Sightseeing general manager Ben Mansfield said: “We’re delighted to be back and just in time to run our special Christmas themed tours for the very first time.

"Our open-top buses are a safe and friendly way to bring the magic of Christmas in York to life, with plenty of fresh air and fun for the family.

“2020 has been a year like no other for us all, and yet we’ve already welcomed over 20,000 people onto our red sightseeing buses to enjoy our tours since our service resumed with the easing of lockdown rules in early July.

“We’re now ready to wrap up this year with our unique Christmas themed tours, and we expect demand for tickets to be high.”

Book online at www.yorkcitysightseeing.com/specials. Tickets start from £16 adult and £35 for a family. All the tours begin from Exhibition Square.

City Sightseeing is the world’s largest excursion sightseeing bus tour operator, providing tour bus services in more than 100 cities around the globe. City Sightseeing has continued its expansion with its first operation in Vietnam in Hanoi and announcing a launch in Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City.