Yorkshire is the largest county in England, famous for the scenic beauty of its moors and dales, the broad green valleys and gentle hills dotted with farms and little villages. There are so many choices for day-trips that you just might end up staying a few days longer than planned.
The town of York makes a very convenient base for seeing these rural sights, since the tours all depart from town and bring you back the same day. Two popular tour operators offer a variety of scheduled day-trips from York: Mountain Goat and Grand Yorkshire and private tours by BOBH.
The Yorkshire Dales, covering 2178 square kilometres (841 square miles), is one of England’s largest and most famous National Parks. Retaining its renowned beauty and landscapes, the Dales is a working environment, this full day tour introduces you to just that. The classic scenery of the National Park takes us deep into the Dales, you will travel through five of the famous Dales including Wensleydale, Swaledale and Wharfedale.
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Travelling through some of the best countryside in England we will stop to admire the views at the famous Aysgarth Falls, Bolton Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned, and Hawes - The unofficial Capital of the Dales and home to the famed Wensleydale Creamery.
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Or if you are transferring from York to the Lake District, you can take a full day tour of the Dales along the way. Enjoy the spectacular Yorkshire Dales, located between York and the Lake District. Your tour could include a combination of the following sites and attractions: Fountains Abbey, Nidderdale AONB, Wensleydale Creamery & Hawes, James Herriott Country (including Thirsk and the World of James Herriott Museum), Middleham Castle, Bolton Castle, Skipton and Skipton Castle, Bolton Abbey, and Malham Cove.
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Explore the famous area of the North York Moors National Park. Famed for the largest area of heather Moorland in England, there is much more than meets the eye.
The Moors are one of the most important historical areas in Britain in terms of religion, farming, mining, fishing and smuggling. It has more ancient scheduled monuments than anywhere in the country including, standing stones, stone crosses and burial mounds.
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Our journey takes us out of York and we very quickly find ourselves in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside. Our first stop of the day is in the picture-postcard village of Hutton-le-Hole, with time for a stroll through the village, as well as chance to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the Forge Tea Rooms.
Next we head out across the heart of the North York Moors, the spectacular National Park filled with amazing open moorland, fertile dales and valleys, unique flora and fauna and some of Yorkshire’s most amazing natural and agricultural scenery.
At the far end of the North York Moors we reach the Yorkshire coastline, enjoying the views as we approach the seaside town of Whitby, famous for its clifftop Abbey, it’s association with Bram Stoker’s Dracula, its beautiful harbour and Captain James Cook.
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We leave Whitby and head to the village of Goathland, a short, scenic drive that takes us back into the North York Moors. Goathland station is possibly the best place to catch a steam train anywhere in the UK. You’ll board the train and take a seat for the relaxing, charming one-hour journey through the valleys and woodland of the North York Moors.
Our final stopping point of the day is in the quaint market town of Helmsley. Here you’ll have chance to explore the pretty market town and perhaps enjoy coffee and cake in a local tearoom, or even a pint of Yorkshire beer in one of Helmsley’s traditional pubs.
The journey from Helmsley to York is the final part of the tour as we travel across the Yorkshire countryside and back to our starting point.
Yorkshire’s most famous stately home, featured in the “Brideshead Revisited” TV series, makes another delightful excursion. The tour includes a visit inside the mansion and a walk through the extensive grounds, featuring a lake, formal gardens, stables, statues and peaceful tranquility.
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Yorkshire Moors and Coast. A ride through the Howardian Hills to Pickering for a brief stop in this quaint market village, followed by a journey through picturesque Thornton Dale and along the coast to Whitby, a pretty fishing village that was the home of Captain James Cook, whose house is open to visitors.
Hiking opportunities abound in Yorkshire, with dozens of trails ranging from a two-hour stroll to a weeklong ramble.
Walking is one of the best ways to see the beautiful natural countryside, and since this is such a popular activity, many tour services are available for lodging, transportation, food and baggage couriers. Logistics will be no problem with just a little bit of planning, so you can relax and not worry about getting lost or finding accommodations late in the day.
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Three National Trails run through Yorkshire, with routes selected for their overall beauty and accessibility, with plenty of trail markers along the way. These are serious walks that will take a week or longer to complete if you go the entire distance, but of course, you can always walk a shorter length to your taste.
Wolds Way is 79 miles long but crosses a gentle landscape that is not strenuous to cover. The Cleveland Way is 109 miles long, following a route through the moors and along North York National Park coast, with points of interest every step of the way. Finally, there is the much longer Pennine Way, 268 miles up the center of England from Derbyshire to Scotland. You can do these hikes on your own, or with help from one of many tour operators in the area, such as Eye Openers, or Contours.
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This region was made famous by the life and writings of country veterinarian James Herriot, brought to life in several television series.
