York, Dales & Moors 2012 

Your tour begins in York, as you meet your Tour Manager at the hotel. You are then free to explore this attractive walled city, before dinner this evening. On Day 2 we learn about the ancient city of York on a guided walking tour. The city boasts a variety of Roman and medieval architecture, and today we see the famous Shambles street and the magnificent Minster - northern Europe's largest Gothic Cathedral. Your afternoon is free to explore - perhaps visit the National Railway Museum (entry free), with its large collection of carriages and steam locomotives. (Day 1-D; Day 2-B,D)

We join the heritage Wensleydale Railway* in Leeming Bar, for the scenic journey through the superb Yorkshire Dales to Redmire. From here we take a vintage bus to Hawes, where after time for lunch we visit the Wensleydale Cheese Factory. On our return we visit Aysgarth Falls. Here the River Ure tumbles over a flight of steps, creating a triple waterfall and Wensleydale's most famous beauty spot. (B,D)

A transfer in a closed-top Routemaster heritage bus takes us to Pickering, where we join the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for a marvellous steam-hauled* journey to Whitby. Travelling in restored carriages, we cross the stunning North York Moors and head through the winding Esk Valley as we make our way to the coast. We have time at leisure to explore the authentic fishing port of Whitby, crowned by its atmospheric abbey ruins, before making our return journey on the railway. (B,D)

*Steam-hauled when possible.

This morning we travel in a Routemaster (heritage bus) to the impressive Castle Howard. We enjoy a visit to the lavish house, which has been home to the Howard family for 300 years and is famous from 'Brideshead Revisited'. After time to explore the beautiful gardens, we return to York where your afternoon is at leisure. For our August departures, this evening we enjoy an enthralling performance of the York Mystery Plays, in which stories about the history of humanity are performed every 10 years in the city's Museum Gardens. After breakfast on Day 6 our tour concludes, and you are free to depart at your leisure. (Day 5-B,D; Day 6-B)

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
These meals, where shown are included in the price of your holiday

Departures on 6 May and 5 August include accommodation at the Marriott Hotel, York. Our departure on 2 September offers a choice of accommodation at either the Marriott Hotel or the Royal York Hotel. All other departures include accommodation at the Royal York Hotel.

Our August departures include a performance of the world-famous York Mystery Plays. Staged in the botanical Museum Gardens, the Mystery Plays are some of the oldest pieces of English Literature, dating back to the 14th century. Bringing to life the stories of humanity, the 2012 performance will be one of the largest and most spectacular in the country.