Yorkshire and Northumberland

Our holiday begins in Harrogate, at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. One of England's most attractive towns, Harrogate retains many Georgian and Victorian features, including original spa buildings. After time to explore, and maybe visit Betty's Tea Rooms, we meet for dinner in the hotel.

Please Note: For departure 08/06/23 you will stay at the White Hart Hotel in Harrogate.

• Dinner

We visit the beautiful gardens of RHS Harlow Carr. Stroll along the tranquil Woodland or Streamside Walk, or take in the perfumed flora of the Scented Garden. We continue to York for a guided tour that includes the medieval Shambles, which has remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages. Our tour ends at the glorious Minster - one of Europe's largest Gothic cathedrals - where entrance is included. The rest of your day is free, and you could choose to visit the National Railway Museum. Return to the hotel in time for dinner.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We visit the seaside resort of Whitby, where we discover the brooding Abbey ruins. Overlooking the North Sea, the clifftop structure was a 7th-century Christian monastery that later became a Benedictine abbey, and is fascinating to explore. We continue with an insight into the town's coastal heritage at the RNLI Lifeboat Station. The station is one of the RNLI's oldest, and we are given a presentation followed by time to look around. You also have free time in the town, possibly to take a stroll on the beach with some fish and chips. We join the scenic North Yorkshire Moors Railway, making the return journey by steam train. Dinner is a delicious Yorkshire-themed meal at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Leaving Harrogate behind, we travel on the famous Settle-Carlisle Railway, a 72-mile route regularly voted one of the world's top rail journeys. It's easy to see why as we cross the Ribblehead Viaduct, a striking bridge that cuts through the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, and skirt the North Pennines, a designated Area of Natural Beauty. In Carlisle, we transfer by rail to the Northumbrian town of Hexham, and continue by coach to our hotel in Alnwick.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We visit historic Alnwick Castle, where we're immersed in beauty on a guided tour of its impressive state rooms and landscaped gardens. The castle has an illustrious history spanning over 950 years. Today, it's a Grade I listed building and its state rooms are a wonder to see, with palatial, Italian Renaissance style decorating. The gardens are no less spectacular. From elegant displays that wouldn't look out of place at Versailles to pretty walled gardens that exude a calm beauty, they're a feast for the senses.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We cross the wild Northumberland countryside to Bamburgh, a town dominated by its castle, overlooking the sandy coast. We enjoy a private 'behind the scenes' tour of Bamburgh Castle before it opens to the public, discovering the extraordinary Grade I listed castle. We continue to the famous island of Lindisfarne. Known as the 'Holy Island', this remote spot has been inhabited since the 6th century. We're treated to a tasting of local mead and fudge, made by the monks who've lived here for centuries, before returning to our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We take the train to York, where your holiday comes to an end.

• Breakfast