How much time does one need in York?

Absolutely spend the night in York. And preferably, two nights. There is a lot to see there.
Take a free walking with the voluntary guides of York (city and the walls)
https://avgyork.co.uk
Visit the York Minster, visit the shambles, tour the Railway Museum, visit Clifford's Tower
have tea at Betty Tea Room
Visit Castle Howard outside York

As one who did a day trip from London to see York, I would suggest staying the night if possible. We just scratched the surface seeing everything arriving at 9:30 am and leaving at 5:30 pm. Like you we were strapped for time, but your itinerary offers the perfect chance to stay the night. Plus, it breaks the drive up a bit.

We went in late June and it was very crowded during the day. I think it would be lovely to walk around in the evening when the crowds were not as prevalent.

It’s a wonderful place! Enjoy all of your trip! Each place is memorable.

Spend the night if at all possible. Although that will only allow time to barely scratch the surface of all that's there to see and do. We spent 3 nights and still had a lot of things we didn't have time for.

I would stay the night, otherwise it is a very long travel day. There is plenty to keep you occupied.

Sounds like at least one night is absolutely a must! Thanks everyone! Really appreciate all the feedback.

Piling on...at least one night, two days. Possibly 2 nights and 2.5 days or a return visit at some point. Enjoy York!

Well, I'm probably one that would just spend the day in York and then continue on to London, but I like London better than York (although I do love the cathedral). 😊 I know I am the outlier here here.

But really, I think a lot depends on your comfort zone, when you're getting to York and how much time you will have there. Also, are you flying into Edinburgh and then leaving immediately for York, or are you spending some time in Edinburgh? It would help to have a better idea of your schedule in order to really give you relevant advice.

That said, you could easily see the highlights of York in a day and even less, but if you do want to explore the city more, then it would be worth it to spend the night there.

I would stay the night which would enable you to have the evening for a stroll, a pub visit and possibly one of the evening walking tours.

A day trip from London was sufficient for me.

With only 8 days, you need to prioritise your time....

First check train times and work out how long you have in York.

Draw up a list of the things you want to do/see in York and estimate how much time each will take.

Then decide if they can all be achieved in a day or if you need an overnight...

You could walk around and see most of York in a day. It’s not very big and even a day visit would be worthwhile. If you have lots of things you want to see in London then prioritise your time there. It would be a very tiring and long day so depends on your stamina levels as well!

We spent three nights in York at the Minster Hotel, that was nice.

There is a lot to see, you need more than a day.
Things to do are, as follows:
The National Railway Museum
The Minster (Cathedral). The tour we had was great, spent three. hours there. It was amazing.
Walk the ancient walls. They date back to the Romans.
We did three museums there and all were great.
Walk the narrow streets of the city.

When you visit The Minster , take some time to look at the spectacular work under way by the team of highly skilled stone carvers in the Mason's Lodge just to the right of the South Transept . Everything you will see there is all done by hand in exquisite detail . The work is ongoing because over time , Limestone , being exposed to the elements , deteriorates and requires replacement . Some power tools are used for initial roughing out , but the final dimensions and details are all done by hand and eye https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5LF4JvdVyuw . The National Railway Museum is a gem , and this video travelogue by Michael Palin is well worth watching https://youtu.be/n6AdjimfTto?si=VEGXfftlD78_jvQ8

Honestly, I like York better than Edinburgh. I agree that you should take the free walking tour-the one I was on walked on the walls.

I spent one night in York and it wasn't nearly enough for me. Got there in the afternoon, walked around the Shambles, the next day we did a day trip into the Dales (Grassington, etc). I wish we'd had another day (or two!) to see everything. I'll be going back.

With just 8 days, I’d consider skipping it. Not that it’s not worth visiting, but you only have 8 days. I’d get to London from Edinburgh as quickly as possible and maximise the time in Edinburgh and London for the 8 days.

The answer is: it depends what you need!