Looking along a city street from ground level. The buildings on either side of the street are tall and brick with windows, and they have Christmas lights strung across them all. This is York, the venue for trying a 12 Days of Christmas walk in real-life

Creating a Real-Life 12 Days of Christmas Walk in York

29th December 2025 - New Experience Number 42.

Jump to 'Try it yourself'

Looking for a free festive challenge between Christmas and New Year, I decided to see whether I could turn the 12 Days of Christmas into a real-life walk around York.

Could I find every line from the famous Christmas song somewhere in the city?

Find out how I got on as I made the challenge one of my fifty-two new things in the year.

12 Days of Christmas Walk In A Nutshell - Quick Facts

  • Distance : 10km
  • Date : Late December
  • Steps: around 12,000
  • Difficulty : Moderate
  • Location: York, UK
  • Cost: Free

York’s Christmas Connection

I love living in York. My home city is beautiful at any time of year, but it really lends itself to Christmas.

The wooden huts of the Christmas markets always draw a crowd for the unique offerings whilst the abundance of independent cafes and restaurants provide perfect cosy pit-stops during the busy season.

The narrow cobbled street of The Shambles with the overhanging timber-framed buildings has a particularly Dickensian feel to it in December.

In fact, York has several connections with Charles Dickens which I discovered when I tried a Christmas walking tour. The author of the Christmas Carol once even gave a reading of the famous tale to a packed out audience in the magnificent York Assembly Rooms.

Looking along The Shambles in York just before sunrise. The cobbled street is quiet, and the tall overhanging timber framed buildings are decorated for Christmas
A quiet moment along the famous Shambles Street
A row of brick buildings with shops on the ground floor at sunrise. The sky is a purple colour, and the buildings are decorated for Christmas
The city of York has many Christmas connections

The 12 Days of Christmas Song

“Five go-old rings!”, you’re bound to hear that line sung with gusto at some point during the run up to Christmas.

I did a little digging into the meaning behind the song, and it appears there isn’t one single definitive answer. 

The well-known festive song has been around since at least 1780, which is when the earliest known publication of the lyrics for the 12 days of Christmas appeared. Printed in an illustrated children’s book entitled “Mirth without mischief”, it was thought the song was a game.

But there are many suggestions that the song is from a much earlier time. Between 1558 and 1829, people were not allowed to practice their religion openly in England, and it’s thought that the 12 days of Christmas was a bit of a secret code. Each gift in the song was supposedly used to represent a symbol of Christianity. For example, the Partridge in the pear tree was thought to represent Jesus Christ.

Looking along an empty cobbled street with brick buildings at Christmas. The sky is a deep blue as it is just before sunrise, and the twinkling lights that decorate the street look very festive.
A festive street in York, ready for carol singers!

Whatever the true origins of the song, it is consistently agreed that the 12 days begin on the 25th December and finish on January 5th, the day before Epiphany which is traditionally the end of the Christmas celebrations.

Oh, and the answer to the popular Christmas quiz question ‘how many gifts did my true love give to me at the end of the 12 days of Christmas’ the answer is a whopping 364 presents!

The 12 Days of Christmas Walk - The Idea

Years ago I’d noticed there was a Pear Tree Court in York. Now, I don’t know about you, but seeing the words ‘Pear’ and ‘Tree’ together instantly makes me think of the 12 days of Christmas song.

At the time it gave me an inkling of an idea, and I finally got around to delving into it with a bit more curiosity.

After playing around with a few initial thoughts, I followed the thread of an idea as to whether I could find all of the lines of the classic Christmas carol within the city.

Planning the 12 Days of Christmas Walk

My plan was to find something that represented each line of the Christmas carol, the 12 days of Christmas.

I had originally considered trying to find the matching number of items too, but finding eight maids milking in the centre of the city of York was a bit of a stretch. Instead, I opted to find at least one place that correlated to each of the ‘gifts’.

Close up of the exterior of The Golden Lion pub at twighlight. It is decorated for Christmas, and a destination when creating a 12 days of Christmas walk in York
Pubs would be very helpful in the challenge!

I knew of some places which easily tied into the different elements of the song. 

It’s often said there is a pub for each day of the year in York, (I haven’t personally counted…yet! Maybe that’s another new thing to try?!), and some of the names would be very useful in this challenge!

Starting a new note on my phone I began compiling a list of places that I could visit to tick off each line of the song.

There were plenty of gaps. Calling Birds and Maids A Milking were especially tricky. Typing ‘calling birds’ into Google maps didn’t really help, so I refined my search to look for pubs, shops, buildings or streets named after birds which might fit the bill.

Eventually, my list was complete, and all that was left to do was plot a bit of a route that would encompass all of the places, and set a date.

Walking the 12 Days of Christmas

On a grey December day in that strange time between Christmas and New Year, I set off on my challenge.

The plan wasn’t to find the lines of the song in the right order as that would have involved a lot of doubling up. Instead I came up with a bit of a wonky loop which would take me past all of the places I needed to tick off all of the lyrics.

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair wrapped up warm as she points at some geese by a pond in a park on a cloudy winters day
Layered up and finding geese in Rowntree Park

Wearing multiple layers to stave off the chill, and walking boots to keep my feet comfy and dry, I began on the outskirts of the city, visiting Fulford and then South Bank.

My route took me through a park where families were feeding the ducks, to quiet streets I’d never been on before, and past familiar sites in the heart of York.

The city centre was still looking Christmassy, with strings of lights adorning the main streets, coffee shop windows misted with condensation from the cosy warm hubbub inside, and shops displaying their goods amongst festive finery.

I took a picture at each place that represented the 12 days of Christmas, and yes, I did feel a bit of an idiot taking selfies next to random street signs!

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair wearing a hat and coat as she is outside pointing at a road sign that says 'Swann street'
I did feel a bit ridiculous...
Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair wearing a hat and coat smiling at the camera as she is outside and pointing at a road sign that says 'Dove Street' on a small brick wall. Part of the 12 Days of Christmas Walk
...pointing at random street signs...
Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair wearing a hat and coat, raising her arm next to a brick wall at the street sign that reads 'cygnet street'
...to claim each line of the song!

Creating a Real-Life 12 Days of Christmas - The Places Visited

I found somewhere to represent each line of the song as you can see in the list below. Some links to the lyrics were stronger than others, but that was half the fun of the challenge.

12 Drummers Drumming

The Fulford Arms pub where they have used drums as hanging basket planters!

11 Pipers Piping

I had hoped to call in at the magnificent York Minster to see the pipes of the organ. Unfortunately I arrived a little too late and missed last admission. So, I detoured past a plumbers.

10 Lords Leaping

Lord Mayor’s Walk was the obvious choice here, although disappointingly there was a complete lack of leaping aristocracy.

A drum that has been used as a hanging basket for plants, claimed for the 12 Days of Christmas Walk
The drum hanging basket
York Minster at night. It is a grand gothic cathedral, lit up amongst the darkness
The pipes of The Minster organ
Looking up at a brick building at night. The sign reads 'Lord Mayors Walk' as visited in the 12 Days of Christmas Walk
Lord Mayor's Walk

9 Ladies Dancing

Perhaps if I’d done the challenge at night I’d have seen some actual ladies dancing. Instead, I stopped by Lady Peckets Yard.

8 Maids Milking

This was the most challenging thing to find on the list, so I went with a rather tenuous link to the song – a street called Maida Grove.

7 Swans Swimming

I collected all 7 swans! Three pubs, (The Black Swan, The White Swan and The Old White Swan), two streets, and two actual swans in Rowntree Park.

Looking along an empty and covered alley. The sign at the top of the archway reads 'Lady Pecketts Yard' and can be visited during a 12 Days of Christmas Walk in York
Lady Pecketts Yard
A street sign next to a brick wall. The sign reads 'Maida Grove'
A tenuous link!
Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair wearing a hat and coat as she is outside standing next to a sign for The Swan pub which she is visiting for the challenge of the 12 Days of Christmas Walk
One of the 7 swans

6 Geese Laying

Another lyric where I saw all of the items – six actual geese, again in Rowntree park.

5 Gold Rings

With four pubs in York containing gold in the title, (Golden Fleece, Golden Lion, Golden Ball and Golden Slipper) and one cafe called Gold, I easily ticked off five gold ‘things’.

A goose standing in a park walking towards the camera next to a pond with a bridge in the background.
One of the six geese
Exterior of a brick pub called the Golden Fleece. There is a golden sheep hanging from the sign. As visited during a 12 Days of Christmas Walk in York
The Golden Fleece pub
Exterior of a cosy looking cafe with the lights on at a late afternoon in winter. As visited during a 12 Days of Christmas Walk in York
Another gold - the cafe!

4 Calling Birds

Despite racking my brain for some creative solutions to this one, the closest I could find to match the line was Dove Street.

3 French Hens 

I walked to French restaurant, Rustique, which looked gorgeously festive. I should have planned a stop here as the smells were amazing!

2 Turtle Doves

Incorporating the Caribbean bar and restaurant into the route as I passed by Turtle Bay.

Close up of a street sign low down on a brick wall with some leaves hanging over it. The sign reads 'Dove Street'
The calling bird
Festive exterior of a two floor brick building late on an afternoon. There is an arch decoration over the door. The sign says Rustique, and it is a French restaurant, claimed for the 12 Days of Christmas Walk in York
A French restaurant
Exterior of a bar called Turtle Bay. It is night time and the building is lit up and looks festive.
For the Turtle Doves

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

Rounding off the walk with a wander to Pear Tree Court within the city walls.

Covering just over 10km, and walking just under 12,000 steps, this was a brilliant way to theme a walk and stretch the legs over the festive season.

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair wearing a coat, standing outside raising her arm to a street sign on a brick wall. The sign reads 'Pear Tree Court' and was the final calling point for a 12 days of Christmas walk in York
Finishing the song with Pear Tree Court
A map from strava. It shows the centre of York and has a red line over it which is the route taken when covering a 12 days of Christmas walk in real-life in York
The route and details from Strava

Things I’d Consider Doing Differently

This is a walking challenge that I might do again because it has so much potential.

For example;

  • Finding the lines of the song in order for a longer challenge.
  • Planning stops at cafes or pubs that are mentioned in the lyrics, well there are so many to choose from!
  • Adding a bingo list to the pictures taken at each of the stops for an additional bit of creativity and challenge.
  • Going a bit dafter and doing it in fancy dress relating to the song.
  • Gathering a group together to take on the challenge.

Why A 12 Days of Christmas Walk Was a Brilliant New Challenge

New experiences are an amazing way to see familiar things through a new lens and an opportunity to get creative.

What started as a bit of a harebrained idea turned into one of my favourite themed walks I’ve done. It made me notice parts of York I’d normally walk straight past, and gave a completely different feel to the city between Christmas and New Year.

How often do you walk through the area you live without paying much attention to your surroundings? We’re often so busy trying to get from A-B that we don’t notice the amazing things around us.

I’d love to know what your own city’s version of the 12 Days of Christmas would look like.

Challenge Fifty-Two, a white woman with dark hair wearing a hat and coat, pointing to a sign outside a plumbers at night.
I had to get creative for some lines of the song!
Two swans on water in Rowntree Park in York on a cloudy winter day
A good festive leg stretch

Want To Try It Yourself?

  • If you’re in York, you could try and find all of the things that were on my list. 
  • You don’t have to do the walk in the Christmas season, you can of course do it at any time of year.
  • Why not see if you can find the lines to the song where you live? 

Cost Of Experience

  • This new walking challenge was absolutely free!
  • Of course, if I stopped off for a drink, snacks, or lunch, there would have been a small cost to the experience. 

Recommendations

  • Plan ahead. Start with your own local knowledge and use Google maps to help you fill in any gaps. 
  • Plot your rough route. Rather than just setting out, planning the route to see how far it is will also give you an idea of how much time it will take. I use the brilliant ‘plot a route‘ when I’m planning a walk.  
  • Get creative. You may find some lines of the song a little harder to find than others, but use your creativity to 
  • Check the forecast. Dress for the weather, layering is often a good option.
  • Wear comfy shoes. Sore feet or blisters will definitely impact your enjoyment of this challenge so be kind to your tootsies. 
  • Don’t forget your camera! Take some snaps of the places you claim for the song, and let me know how you get on if you give it a go!

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