Yorkshire & Northumberland

Harrogate

Our holiday begins as you arrive at your hotel in Harrogate, at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. We spend four nights here at the Cedar Court hotel or the Old Swan hotel. One of England's most attractive towns, Harrogate retains many Georgian and Victorian features including its original spa buildings. After time to discover your new surroundings, and to perhaps visit the famous Betty's Tea Rooms, this evening we meet for dinner in the hotel.

Historic York

This morning, we travel by rail to York, which we discover on a guided tour, seeing the incomparable Minster, one of Europe's largest Gothic cathedrals. This stunning sandstone building is covered in wonderful examples of Gothic architecture, and has stood in its current position, as an icon of the York skyline, in one form or another for the past 2,000 years. We also visit the medieval Shambles, which has remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages. The narrow cobbled street is overlooked by a patchwork variety of houses built in the traditional style of the time.

The rest of your day is at leisure to explore more of this ancient Viking city. Perhaps visit the amazing National Railway Museum, which contains an incredible amount of locomotives from all around the world - from a hospital train used in World War I to an ultra-modern Japanese Shinkansen.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Today we take a nostalgic journey on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to the popular seaside town of Whitby. We board our heritage steam-hauled train in Pickering and make a wonderful return journey through the stunning North York Moors National Park. This heritage line is the most visited in the United Kingdom, offering journeys to tens of thousands of tourists per year. There is an undoubtedly good reason for this, thanks to the incredible moorland scenery that stretches over the hills of the North Yorkshire Moors.

Pass through quaint villages, including Goathland, which is famous for its part in the Harry Potter films, as well as being part of Yorkshire-based soap opera Heartbeat, before exploring wonderful Whitby, the town that inspired Bram Stoker to write his famous novel 'Dracula'.

At leisure in Harrogate

Today your entire day is at leisure in this alluring spa town. There is plenty to do here in this Georgian spa town - including perhaps a visit to the iconic Bettys Tea Rooms. This institution of Harrogate offers a myriad of delicious food and pastries, and it is incredibly easy to while away an afternoon in the elegant café with a cup of specially-blended tea.

Alternatively, there are a plethora of beautiful green spaces around the town, from the 200 acres of the Stray and the Victorian Valley Gardens, to the lush verdant greenery of RHS Harlow Carr Gardens, easily accessible by a short bus journey from the town centre. Alternatively, you may like to visit one of the many art galleries and museums dotted around Harrogate, including the Harrogate Pump Rooms where the brave may try a sample of Harrogate's famous sulphurous spring water.

Settle-Carlisle Railway and Hadrian’s Wall Line

Leaving Harrogate behind, today we travel on the famous Settle-Carlisle Railway. The 72-mile route is regularly voted one of the world's top railway journeys, and once we set off it is easy to see why. Cross over the wonderful Ribblehead Viaduct that cuts through the Yorkshire Dales and is overlooked by the mighty Whernside. The line also skirts the North Pennines, designated an Area of Natural Beauty for it's breathtaking examples of the glory of nature. Once in Carlisle we transfer onto the Hadrian's Wall Line, so named because it runs almost adjacent to the eponymous Hadrian's Wall, built thousands of years ago to keep out the Picts from Britannia, to Hexham. On arrival, we continue by coach to our hotel - the historic White Swan Hotel in Alnwick.

Alnwick Gardens

This morning we enjoy a guided tour around the beautifully landscaped Alnwick Gardens. The gardens are a vibrant place where magnificent architecture and lovingly-tended plants and flowers are brought to life with a variety of water features. From large fountains that appear to rise in tiers into the distance in an elegant display one would expect to see gracing the gardens of Versailles, to tiny little walled gardens that are intimately calm in their beauty. There is also an enormous wooden treehouse here, looking to the world like a small castle from a fairy tale. The varieties of flora here are all perfect for enticing any horticulturist into the myriad paths of this enchanting place.

Bamburgh Castle and Lindisfarne

Today we cross the wild Northumberland countryside to Bamburgh, a scenic coastal town dominated by the magnificent Bamburgh Castle, which overlooks the gorgeous sandy coast of Northumberland. A fort of some kind has been set on the fantastic strategic location of Bamburgh Castle since the 5th century, and buildings have been built and destroyed and re-bulit numerous times through the years. The current iteration of the castle was restored during the 18th and 19th centuries, much to the pleasure of thousands of visitors to the castle since then. We enjoy some free time here before visiting the famous island of Lindisfarme. Often known simply as 'Holy Island', this remote spot has been inhabited since the 6th century. As an important centre of Christianity in Celtic Britain, it was invaded and ransacked by the Vikings during the early years of their English invasions. Now the island is home to both ruins and castles and is a truly spectacular place to spend our last afternoon. Tonight,we enjoy a farewell dinner at the hotel to celebrate our last night of the tour.

Please note that due to tidal variance, the time of the visit to Lindisfarne is subject to change.

The journey home

After breakfast in the hotel, we transfer to Alnmouth station where we join the East Coast Mainline route back to York (First Class), a fitting place to end our adventure.

Please note

Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.

Departure Times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.