Special Offer
Yorkshire & Northumberland
8 Days from$1,725
per personTake advantage of our latest saving of up to $75 per person when booking on or before Aug 14, 2018.
The Award Winning Leader in Escorted Worldwide Rail Tours
Take advantage of our latest saving of up to $75 per person when booking on or before Aug 14, 2018.
Scenic rail journeys bring to life the history and wild, natural beauty of Yorkshire and Northumbria on this wonderful eight day tour. Follow in Viking and Roman footsteps, visiting historic York, Chester's Roman Fort, Bamburgh Castle, Lindisfarne and the glorious Alnwick Gardens.
Our tour begins as you arrive at your hotel in Harrogate, at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. We spend four nights here at the Crown Hotel, the Tour Inn or the Old Swan. 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.
This morning we travel by rail to York, a beautiful walled city steeped in centuries of history. We discover much of the city's long and fascinating story on a guided walking tour of its main attractions. These include the incomparable Minster, which is one of Europe's largest and most ornate gothic cathedrals, and the Shambles, a quaint street that has remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages.
Following the tour, you have the chance to take in the sights of this marvellous city at your own pace. The network of medieval streets offers a unique charm and is one of York's major highlights, as is the National Railway Museum (free admission). The largest of its kind in the world, the museum boasts many steam locomotives and a selection of Royal carriages.Another popular option is the Jorvik Viking Centre, which faithfully recreates York when it was capital of the Viking Kingdom. Otherwise perhaps stroll along the city walls or take in the views from Clifford's Tower.
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 the wonderful journey through the stunning North York Moors National Park. Our route takes us through Goathland, a charming place perhaps best known as 'Aidensfield' in TV's Heartbeat. We pass over undulating moorland and through the winding Esk Valley as we make our way to the coast in restored carriages. Your time in Whitby is free for you to perhaps visit the brooding abbey, explore the town's Dracula connections or simply wander through the maze of narrow cobbled lanes in this authentic fishing port's old town before our return journey on the preserved railway.
*Wherever possible the rail excursion will be steam-hauled.
Today your entire day is at leisure in this alluring spa town. You could spend the day simply unwinding and enjoy the hotel's facilities, or explore this charming town further. Known for its verdant parks and gardens, you could take in the delightful Valley Gardens or the incredible landscaped gardens at RHS Harlow Carr. Alternatively you might like to indulge in relaxing treatments at the Turkish Baths, while admiring the Royal Pump Room. If you have not done so already, why not enjoy a sumptuous afternoon tea at Betty's Tea Rooms?
Leaving Harrogate behind, today we travel on the famous Settle & Carlisle Line. 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.
Once in Carlisle we transfer onto the Hadrian's Wall Line to Hexham, where we continue by coach to our hotel - the historic White Swan Hotel in Alnwick.
This morning we enjoy a guided tour around the beautifully landscaped Alnwick Gardens. The gardens are a vibrant place; magnificent architecture and lovingly tended plants and flowers are brought to life with a variety of water features.
Today we cross the wild Northumberland countryside to Bamburgh, a scenic coastal town dominated by the magnificent Bamburgh Castle, before visiting the famous island of Lindisfarme**.
**Please note that due to tidal variance, the time of the visit to Lindisfarne is subject to change.
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 that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.
We recommend that for this tour you arrange flights to and from Manchester Airport (MAN), which is approximately 70 miles from your base in Harrogate.
You may check in at the first hotel on your itinerary anytime after 14:00; your Tour Manager will be available between 16:00 and 18:00. However, if you are arriving later, you can meet your Tour Manager before dinner from 19:00.
An escorted experience and travel during your tour
Comfortable accommodation in your destination
Delicious meals included
Exciting excursions and free time to explore
Not Included
Being "first timers" to this part of England we found the tour both interesting and enjoyable. The itinerary was well planned and not too arduous, there was something for everyone, and the hotels were comfortable with good food. The Tour Manager helped make the tour run smoothly.
Whilst not steam buffs, we found the trip to Whitby by train drawn by a steam locomotive one of the highlights of the tour mainly because it brought back happy memories of the days of steam on single-track lines in the country. The Whitby tour on the yellow bus with an amusing commentary was a fun and informative.
Another major highlight was the trip to Bamburgh castle (interesting tour guide) and Lindisfarne Island (perfect location with lots to do). Some of our group thought that the castle there was more interesting than that at Bamburgh.
Something new and exciting every day: a tour of York's wonderful history, steam train to Whitby, the beauty of the Settle to Carlisle line, a roman Fort - after a night in the best of three good hotels - great gardens at Alnwick, a castle and the mystery of Holy Island. What a week! And the sun became hotter as we travelled north!
A calm, efficient Tour Manager ensured the tour went smoothly, directing us knowledgeably to the most interesting places and opportunities. My wife and I had a great break away, enjoying every minute, with plenty of time to go off on our own, shop or just visit a local tea room. Thank you.
I thought I would like to wrtie a few lines about our recent tour in Yorkshire and Northumberland, to let you know that we had a truly wonderful experience.
We were most impressed by the efficiency of the Tour Manager, David, and the organisation that went into the tour in general.
The hotels were very good, at every station we arrived to find a coach had been organised to take us to our next destination or hotel, and we visited some wonderful places - too many to mention.
All in all, a wonderful tour and truly remarkable value, particularly as so much was included in the price: full board, all excursions, and of course a very helpful Tour Manager.
We are already planning our tour for 2012 - with Great Rail Journeys, of course!
Explore Yorkshire and Northumberland by rail
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