Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
England: York, the Yorkshire Dales, the North York Moors and Whitby
7 days from York: two nights in York for the Minster, the walls and the railway museum, two in the Dales for Malham Cove and Wensleydale, and two on the coast in Whitby, arriving by steam train.
7 days · Round trip from York · up to 12 guests
Whitby Abbey on the East Cliff, visited at opening on day 6 Photo: Mdbeckwith, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Whitby_Abbey_landscape.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from York
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Most days are 2 to 4 hours on foot on city pavements, cobbles, field paths and cliff-top tracks. Malham Cove has about 400 uneven stone steps to the limestone pavement on top, and Whitby has the 199 steps up to the Abbey. The longest walk is the optional Cleveland Way from Whitby to Robin Hood's Bay on day 6, about 11 km with short climbs; every longer walk has an easy option, and the minibus can meet you.
- Meals included
- 6 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 800 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- York Minster at its morning opening, with the Great East Window before the tour groups arrive
- The medieval walls of York and the Shambles in the early evening, then a welcome dinner inside the walls
- The National Railway Museum with your guide, from Mallard to the royal carriages
- Malham Cove's limestone cliff and the fissured pavement on top, then a pub lunch in Malham
- Wensleydale cheese at the creamery in Hawes and the 24 arches of Ribblehead Viaduct
- Rievaulx Abbey, then the steam train from Pickering across the North York Moors to Whitby
- The cliff path from Whitby to Robin Hood's Bay, and fish and chips by the harbour
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 800 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
York: the walls and the Shambles
Arrive in York, walk the city walls, then the Shambles
- Welcome dinner in York
- Stay in York
Make your own way to York: direct trains take about two hours from London King's Cross or from Manchester Airport. We meet your See Sight Tours guide at the hotel at about 2 pm (the exact time and place come with your final itinerary). After a short welcome, your guide takes the group up onto the city walls at Bootham Bar, the old gate on the road north, and along the stretch to Monk Bar, with the towers of the Minster above the rooftops and the Dean's Park gardens below. The walls are mostly medieval, built on Roman and Viking lines, and they still run round much of the old city.
Evening
Down from the walls we walk the Shambles in the early evening, when the day crowds have thinned, a narrow medieval street of overhanging timber-framed houses that was once the butchers' row. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner inside the walls.
Included
- Welcome meeting with your guide at the York hotel
- Guided walk on the city walls from Bootham Bar to Monk Bar
- The Shambles in the early evening
- Welcome dinner in York
Easier option: Walk the Shambles and the streets below the walls and skip the wall steps.
Free time: Arrive in York at your own pace before the 2 pm meeting
Activity: About 2 hours on foot, with steps up to the walls and a narrow wall path with a parapet on one side.
York Minster and the National Railway Museum
A day in York on foot: the Minster, then the National Railway Museum
- Breakfast
- Stay in York
Morning
We are at York Minster when it opens to visitors in the morning, before the tour groups arrive. Your guide takes you through the nave, the octagonal chapter house with its carved stone canopies, and the Great East Window, a wall of early 15th-century stained glass about the size of a tennis court. The Minster took more than 250 years to build and was completed in 1472.
Afternoon
If you want the view, climb the central tower, 275 steps, before lunch on your own in the city. In the early afternoon we walk about 15 minutes across the river, past the station, to the National Railway Museum, where entry is free. Your guide shows you the Great Hall's turntable, Mallard, which still holds the world speed record for a steam locomotive, a Japanese bullet train and Queen Victoria's royal saloon. From about 3:30 pm the rest of the day is yours: Jorvik Viking Centre, Clifford's Tower, the river or a ghost walk after dark.
Included
- York Minster at its morning opening, with your guide: the nave, the chapter house and the Great East Window
- The National Railway Museum with your guide
Optional experiences
- York Minster tower climb
- Jorvik Viking Centre
- Clifford's Tower
- A York ghost walk in the evening
Easier option: Ride a taxi between the Minster and the railway museum, and rest on the benches in the Great Hall.
More active option: Climb the Minster's central tower, 275 steps, and walk the rest of the walls circuit in the late afternoon.
Free time: Lunch on your own; late afternoon and evening free in York
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on level pavements and museum floors. The tower climb is optional, narrow and steep. On Sundays the Minster opens to visitors after services, so we swap the order of the day.
Malham Cove and Grassington
York to Malham, then Grassington in Wharfedale
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Grassington
- Drive about 2.5 h
We check out at 8:30 and drive west through Harrogate and Skipton into the Yorkshire Dales National Park, about two hours with a coffee stop.
Morning
We reach Malham mid-morning, before the National Park car park fills. From the village a flat path of about 1.5 km follows Malham Beck through fields to the foot of Malham Cove, a curved limestone cliff about 80 metres high left by the meltwater of the last ice age. A stone staircase of about 400 steps climbs its west side to the limestone pavement on top, a grid of bare grey blocks and deep cracks with a view down the dale.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at a pub in Malham. In the afternoon we cross the moor road to Grassington, our home for two nights, about half an hour away.
Evening
It is a small market town with a cobbled square and stone houses above the River Wharfe, and the rest of the afternoon and evening are free.
Included
- Guided walk from Malham village to Malham Cove
- The limestone pavement on top of the cove
- Sit-down pub lunch in Malham
- Grassington's square and lanes
Easier option: Walk the level path to the foot of the cove and back, about 3 km, and skip the steps.
More active option: Before lunch, add the woodland path to the waterfall at Janet's Foss and the gorge of Gordale Scar, about 5 km there and back from Malham.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Grassington
Activity: About 2.5 hours of driving in two legs, broken by a coffee stop and Malham. About 3 km on foot plus about 400 uneven stone steps if you climb the cove; the limestone pavement is uneven and slippery when wet.
Wensleydale and Ribblehead
Grassington up Wharfedale to Hawes, then Ribblehead Viaduct and back by Ribblesdale
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Grassington
- Drive about 2.5 h
We leave Grassington at about 9 am and drive up Wharfedale past Kettlewell and Buckden, then over the high moor road at Fleet Moss and down into Wensleydale; if our vehicle partner rules out that steep, narrow pass for the minibus, we take the lower road from Buckden through Bishopdale and Aysgarth instead.
Afternoon
In Hawes, a market town at the head of the dale, we visit the Wensleydale Creamery, where cheese has been made since the 1890s; you see how it is made and taste the range before a sit-down lunch in the town. In the early afternoon we drive about 20 minutes west to Ribblehead, where the Settle to Carlisle railway crosses the open moor on a viaduct of 24 stone arches, completed in 1874. A level track of about 1 km leads to the arches, with Whernside, the highest of the Three Peaks, behind.
Evening
We come home by Ribblesdale and Settle, and the late afternoon is free in Grassington before dinner together at a Dales inn.
Included
- Scenic drive up Wharfedale by Kettlewell and Buckden
- Wensleydale Creamery visitor centre with cheese tasting, Hawes
- Sit-down lunch in Hawes
- Walk to Ribblehead Viaduct
- Dinner together at a Dales inn
Optional experiences
- The Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes
Easier option: See the viaduct from the roadside near the old station and stay with the minibus.
More active option: Walk on beside the line from the viaduct towards Blea Moor, about 5 km there and back on a stony track.
Free time: Late afternoon free in Grassington
Activity: About 2.5 hours of driving in three legs, broken by Hawes and Ribblehead. About 2 km on foot on a level stony track; Ribblehead is exposed and windy, so bring a warm layer.
Rievaulx Abbey and the steam train to Whitby
Grassington to Ripon, Sutton Bank, Rievaulx Abbey and Helmsley, then Pickering by steam train to Whitby
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Whitby
- Drive about 2.5 h
We check out at 8:30 and cross east by Pateley Bridge, Ripon and Thirsk, then climb the steep road up Sutton Bank onto the North York Moors, stopping at the top for the view west across the Vale of York to the Dales we have left. Rievaulx Abbey lies in a wooded valley a few minutes on, founded by Cistercian monks in 1132; your guide walks you through the tall ruined church and the monks' quarters.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Helmsley, a market town with a ruined castle. In the early afternoon the minibus drops us at Pickering station and takes the bags on to Whitby by road, while we board the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The heritage line runs north for around 90 minutes to 2 hours, with an engine change at Grosmont and the last miles on the national network, through the deep glacial valley of Newtondale and across the open moor, through Goathland, the station used as Hogsmeade in the first Harry Potter film, and down the Esk valley to Whitby.
Evening
We arrive in the late afternoon; the evening is free.
Included
- Sutton Bank viewpoint
- Rievaulx Abbey with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Helmsley
- North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Pickering to Whitby
- Bags taken from Pickering to the Whitby hotel by minibus
Easier option: Stay in the abbey's museum and café at Rievaulx while the group walks the far end of the ruins.
More active option: Walk the Cleveland Way along the escarpment from Sutton Bank to the White Horse of Kilburn viewpoint and back, about 3 km, while the group takes in the view.
Free time: Evening free in Whitby
Activity: About 2.25 hours of driving in short legs, broken by Sutton Bank, Rievaulx and lunch, then the train. About 1.5 hours on foot on grass and gravel. On days when the steam train does not run through to Whitby, we change at Grosmont or the minibus completes the journey; we confirm this with your final itinerary.
Whitby Abbey and Robin Hood's Bay
Whitby up the 199 steps to the Abbey, then the cliff path to Robin Hood's Bay
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Whitby
- Drive about 30 min
We cross the swing bridge to the old town and climb the 199 steps to St Mary's Church and Whitby Abbey, arriving as the abbey opens at about 10 am, for an hour there. St Hilda founded a monastery here in 657, and the Synod of Whitby met here in 664; the tall ruin you see is the 13th-century church of the Benedictine abbey that followed. Bram Stoker set part of Dracula in Whitby after staying in the town, and your guide shows you the spots he used. From the abbey, walkers follow the Cleveland Way south along the cliff tops with your guide, about 11 km past old fog signals and fishing coves, and drop into Robin Hood's Bay, a village of red-roofed fishermen's cottages packed into a ravine. The rest of the group rides the minibus there and walks down the steep main street to the shore.
Afternoon
Walkers reach the village in the early afternoon for a late lunch of their choice; the minibus brings everyone back by about 4:30 pm.
Evening
The evening ends with fish and chips together by Whitby harbour.
Included
- The 199 steps and St Mary's Church
- Whitby Abbey at its morning opening, with your guide
- Cleveland Way cliff walk from Whitby to Robin Hood's Bay with your guide (or the minibus)
- Robin Hood's Bay village and shore
- Minibus back to Whitby
- Farewell fish and chips dinner in Whitby
Optional experiences
- The Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby
Easier option: Ride the minibus to the top of Robin Hood's Bay and walk down the main street to the slipway and the beach, about 1 km, steep but paved.
More active option: Walk the Cleveland Way from Whitby Abbey to Robin Hood's Bay, about 11 km and 3 to 3.5 hours, with short climbs in and out of the coves.
Free time: Lunch on your own in Robin Hood's Bay; late afternoon free in Whitby
Activity: The 199 steps are wide but steep. The cliff path is uneven and exposed, with steps in and out of the coves, and closes in places after cliff falls; your guide picks the route on the day. Robin Hood's Bay's main street is very steep.
Whitby to York
Whitby across the North York Moors to York station
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we leave Whitby at about 9 am and drive south across the open top of the North York Moors, past the heather moorland of Fylingdales, down through Pickering and along the edge of the Howardian Hills to York. The drive takes about an hour and a half, and we reach York station by about 11 am, where the trip ends and your guide sees the group onto their trains. From York, direct trains reach London King's Cross in about two hours, and direct trains to Manchester Airport take about two hours. If you are flying home today, book a flight leaving Manchester after about 4 pm, or Heathrow or Gatwick after about 5:30 pm, allowing for the connection across London. If you would rather stay on, we can book extra nights in York, or connect you to our classic England trip, which also passes through York, or to Edinburgh, about two and a half hours north by direct train.
Included
- Drive across the North York Moors to York
- Drop-off with your bags at York station
Activity: Book a flight from Manchester leaving after about 4 pm, or from Heathrow or Gatwick after about 5:30 pm.
- York2 nights
- Grassington2 nights
- Whitby2 nights
- Yorkend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May and June bring lambs in the Dales, long light evenings and nesting seabirds on the coast; July and August are warmest and busiest; in August and early September the heather on the North York Moors turns purple; September and October are quieter and cooler. Rain is likely at some point in any month, so each day has an indoor alternative.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who have seen London and want a week in one English county, in depth
- Walkers who like a good half-day on foot with a pub lunch at the end, and an easier option on the same day
- Railway lovers: the National Railway Museum, Ribblehead and a steam train across the Moors
- Anyone who wants two nights in each place and no long road days
- A short trip to add before or after our classic England trip
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: York's walls, Malham Cove, the 199 steps and Robin Hood's Bay all mean steps, steep streets and uneven ground
- Travellers who want London, the Cotswolds or the Lake District on the same trip (see our classic England trip)
- Serious fell walkers looking for a full hiking week
- Anyone who wants a different hotel every night or one hotel for the whole stay
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
6 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- York2 nights
- Grassington2 nights
- Whitby2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 6 nights: 2 in York, 2 in Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales and 2 in Whitby
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms, walkable to each town centre; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- A private minibus and professional driver from York on day 1 to York station on day 7, sized for 7 to 12 guests
- North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Pickering to Whitby on day 5, with your bags taken by road
- Minibus return from Robin Hood's Bay to Whitby on day 6
- All parking fees for included stops
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, from the welcome meeting in York to York station, leading every walk and visit
- Local guides where a site requires them
Activities
- Guided walk on York's city walls and the Shambles
- York Minster with your guide
- The National Railway Museum, York, with your guide
- Malham Cove and the limestone pavement
- Grassington
- Wharfedale by Kettlewell and Buckden
- Wensleydale Creamery visitor centre and cheese tasting, Hawes
- Ribblehead Viaduct
- Sutton Bank viewpoint
- Rievaulx Abbey
- North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Pickering to Whitby
- The 199 steps and St Mary's Church, Whitby
- Whitby Abbey
- Cleveland Way cliff walk to Robin Hood's Bay (or the minibus)
- Robin Hood's Bay
Meals
- 6 breakfasts
- 3 lunches: Malham (day 3), Hawes (day 4) and Helmsley (day 5)
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in York (day 1), a Dales inn dinner in Grassington (day 4) and a fish and chips farewell dinner in Whitby (day 6)
Not included
- International flights
- Trains to York before the trip and from York after it
- The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or any visa
- Travel insurance
- Hotel nights before and after the trip
- Meals not listed, including lunches on days 1, 2, 6 and 7 and dinners on days 2, 3 and 5
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities such as the Minster tower climb, Jorvik Viking Centre, Clifford's Tower, a ghost walk and the Captain Cook Memorial Museum
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 800 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Yorkshire trip price include?
Six nights in central hotels, 6 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners, our own minibus and driver from York and back, the steam train from Pickering to Whitby, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, including York Minster, the National Railway Museum, the Wensleydale Creamery, Rievaulx Abbey and Whitby Abbey.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That fits one minibus, which can use the narrow Dales lanes and village car parks a coach cannot, and everyone can hear the guide in the Minster, on the walls and on the cliff path.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome meeting in York to York station on the last morning and leads every walk and visit, with a professional driver at the wheel of the minibus. Where a site uses its own guides, they join us there. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately. Expect 2 to 4 hours a day on foot on pavements, cobbles, field paths and cliff tracks, with about 400 steps at Malham Cove and the 199 steps in Whitby. The longest walk, the 11 km cliff path to Robin Hood's Bay, is optional; every longer walk has an easier version, and the minibus can meet you.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 800 more than the twin-share price, shown up front before you book. Solo travellers get the same room standard, the same seat in the minibus and on the train, and the same table at every included meal. Ask us if you would like to share a room with another solo guest.
When is the best time to visit Yorkshire?
May to October. Spring brings lambs in the Dales and long evenings, summer is warmest but busiest, the Moors turn purple with heather in August and early September, and September and October are quieter. We avoid the late-May bank holiday and the August school holidays where we can, when Malham and Whitby are at their fullest.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. The small group starts from CAD 4,705 per person sharing a room, with taxes included.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 8,470 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, train and entries without a guide.
Do I need a visa for England?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for a tourist visit, but do need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), applied for online before you fly. It is not included in the price. Other passports may need a visa; check before you book and we will help.
Is the steam train the Harry Potter one?
Not the train, but the line: Goathland station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway was Hogsmeade in the first Harry Potter film, and we pass through it on the way to Whitby. The engines are mostly preserved steam locomotives; on some days a heritage diesel runs instead, and we confirm the timetable with your final itinerary.
Can I combine this with your classic England trip?
Yes. Our classic England trip from London through Oxford, the Cotswolds, Bath and the Lake District spends its last two nights in York, so this week fits straight after it or before it. The two trips share York but visit different places in the Dales. Ask us and we will line up the dates and the night in between.
What if it rains?
It may; the Dales and the coast are wet and windy at times even in summer. York Minster, the railway museum, the creamery and the steam train all run in rain, and your guide swaps the order of days or picks a sheltered walk when the weather is poor. Bring a waterproof jacket and shoes with grip.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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