York Mystery Plays 2012 

Make your way to the 4-star Kimberley Hotel or the 4-star Holiday Inn, both in Harrogate, our home for the next four nights, where your Tour Manager will be waiting to greet you. You are free to get acquainted with the Spa Town of Harrogate, renowned for its independent boutiques and Betty's Tea Rooms, before dinner together this evening. (D)

This morning we travel by coach to Saltaire Village, a Victorian model village with UNESCO World Heritage Status. We enjoy a guided tour as well as some free time to visit Salts Mill. In the afternoon we enjoy a ride on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway*. We travel through Brontë country, climbing the steep gradient of the Worth Valley to Oxenhope. The railway is perhaps most famous for its role in the 1970 fi lm version of Edith Nesbit's story "The Railway Children". On arrival in Oxenhope we visit the Exhibition Shed before making our return journey to Ingrow, where we visit the Museum of Rail. (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', where you are free to explore the impressive house and extensive gardens. Leaving Castle Howard, we travel on board our Routemaster to the pretty village of Grosmont in the North York Moors. Here we board the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for a fantastic journey on the heritage line to Pickering, travelling in restored carriages hauled by a steam locomotive*. (B,D)

This morning you are free to explore Harrogate at leisure. The town has beautiful parks and an abundance of historic buildings including the town's famous spa. Of course you shouldn't leave Harrogate without experiencing tea and scones at the famous Betty's tea rooms. This afternoon we travel by coach to York, where we are met by our guide to learn more about this medieval city during our walking tour. York has passed through the hands of Romans, Saxons, Vikings, and Normans, who have all left their mark on York's rich architecture. We remain in York for the evening, enjoying dinner in a local restaurant before we experience one of the true highlights of the holiday; a performance of the York Mystery Plays. The Mystery Plays have not been staged on this scale since 1988 and this year take place in the ruins of St Mary's Abbey in York's botanical Museum Gardens. We return to Harrogate by coach. (B,D)

Following breakfast you are free to depart or perhaps spend more time exploring Harrogate. (B)

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

This holiday includes a performance of the world-famous York Mystery Plays, which have been performed in the city for hundreds of years, but which last took place on this scale in 1988. Staged amidst the ruins of St Mary's Abbey 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 from the Creation to the Last Judgement, the 2012 performance will be one of the largest and most spectacular in the country.

On this tour we offer you a choice of two hotels in Harrogate: the Holiday Inn and the Kimberley Hotel.

Our departures on 30 July, 6 and 20 August stay at the Kimberley Hotel.

Our departure on 12 August stays at the Holiday Inn

On our departure on 26 August, you have the choice of staying at Holiday Inn or the Kimberley Hotel.