Yorkshire at Christmas

Make your way to Harrogate and meet your Tour Manager at the hotel. You're then free in the spa town of Harrogate, which boasts a scenic location in the heart of North Yorkshire's Nidd Valley. Harrogate is home to beautiful parks and an abundance of historic buildings, including the town's famous spa. If you want to relax, you could plan a visit to the Victorian-era Turkish Baths, do some shopping at one of the many independent boutiques or enjoy a stroll around the wintry Valley Gardens ahead of dinner.

• Dinner

Leaving Harrogate behind, we head to Settle by coach to join the famous Settle-Carlisle Line. This 72-mile route is regularly voted one of the world's top railway journeys thanks to the gorgeous scenery it travels through, which at this time of year is filled with seasonally appropriate countryside. We make our way along a narrow valley into the Yorkshire Dales National Park, enjoying views of two of the Three Peaks, Pen-y-Ghent and Ingleborough, before reaching the most famous landmark the route, the magnificent 24-arched Ribblehead Viaduct. Our train's ascent comes to an end as we enter Blea Moor Tunnel and continue across the Dent Head Viaduct for a glimpse of Whernside, the third of the Three Peaks. From Dent, the highest mainline station in England, we journey across the Moorcock Viaduct, leaving the Yorkshire Dales National Park behind as we travel through Cumbria and the rolling hills of the Eden Valley on our way to Carlisle where you have free time to look around and soak in the festive atmosphere before making the return trip to Harrogate.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We catch the train to York for a fascinating guided tour of its ancient sights, including the 12th-century Gothic Minster and the medieval Shambles, all decked out in festive fairy lights. The rest of your day is free and you might like to visit the city's quaint Christmas market, which offers a delightful assortment of gifts, crafts, local farm produce and continental foods. Stroll through Parliament Square, lined with charming wooden stalls, and take in the warming scent of mulled wine and bratwurst as you indulge in a spot of Christmas shopping. Alternatively, you could visit one of the city's renowned museums, such as Jorvik, which gives in-depth insight into York's Viking past, or the National Railway Museum.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today is Christmas Eve, and we join the Wensleydale Railway, enjoying a mince pie and mulled wine before we travel through the lovely Yorkshire countryside. After our journey, we visit Bettys Tea Rooms back in Harrogate for a luxury cream tea.

Day 5 is Christmas Day, and the emphasis is on good food and relaxation. We enjoy a traditional Christmas lunch with all the trimmings before an afternoon spent at leisure. This evening, we sit down to a festive buffet dinner together in the hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

It's Christmas Day and the emphasis is on good food and relaxation. We enjoy a traditional Christmas lunch, served with all the trimmings, before a free afternoon for you to take a leisurely walk or unwind in the hotel. This evening, we sit down to a festive buffet dinner followed by entertainment.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We take a Boxing Day excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Fountains Abbey. Set within a beautiful estate, these are the largest monastic ruins in the country and the abbey hosts an annual candlelit carol service within the Cellarium, which we attend. You are free to explore the atmospheric grounds afterwards, home to red deer, otters and mountain hares, before we return to the hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Our festive holiday comes to an end today and you're free to depart Harrogate in your own time.

• Breakfast