Tour Highlights
Highlights of the tour include:
- World of James Herriot Museum (ticket included)
- Ripon Cathedral
- Grassington – “Darrowby” in All Creatures Great & Small
- Opportunity to have lunch at the “Drover’s Arms” (not included)
- The Alderson’s Farm – Yockenthwaite
- Wensleydale Creamery
- Aysgarth Falls
- Hotel Pick-up and Drop-off (included)
York Day Trip to Yorkshire Dales
This fantastic day trip from York has a real ‘private tour’ feel as you are picked up from your hotel in York. With a maximum of 6 people per group, you’ll enjoy a uniquely personal experience. The size of the vehicle chosen for this tour allows us to take you right into the heart of the Yorkshire Dales on the tiny rural lanes and hidden backroads. We take you where the 16-seater minibuses and bigger coaches simply can’t go. You’ll spend the day in the company of a Yorkshire guide, allowing you to ask questions along the way and to make extra photo stops on demand at truly unforgettable locations in the incredible Yorkshire Dales.
Full itinerary:
On this exclusive small-group tour from York, you explore some of Yorkshire’s most iconic scenery as you travel on the rural lanes in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. You’ll see sights that have been featured in ‘All Creatures Great & Small’, including Darrowby, and you’ll have chance to enjoy lunch (payable locally) at “The Drover’s Arms”. You’ll also spend time at the fabulous “World of James Herriot Museum” in Thirsk (entrance included).
With a maximum of six passengers per group, this tour takes you away from the main roads and busy tourist trails to discover the timeless scenery of the Yorkshire Dales. Your driver-guide, a native Yorkshireman with a real connection to the region, takes you on the rural roads and country lanes that can’t be accessed by big tour groups.
Your day begins with collection from your accommodation in York city centre*, before heading out of York and into the North Yorkshire countryside. The first stop of the itinerary is in the town of Thirsk, where you’ll visit the World of James Herriot Museum (entrance ticket included). Located in the very building where James Herriot lived and worked, the museum offers a fascinating insight into the history of veterinary science in James Herriot’s time, as well as a wonderful look at the creation of the two different adaptations of ‘All Creatures Great & Small‘.
After approximately 75-90 minutes in Thirsk, we travel towards the scenery of the amazing Yorkshire Dales National Park. Our route takes us through the small city of Ripon, where we’ll enjoy a brief stop at Ripon Cathedral. We continue the journey into Nidderdale, a region designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, passing through the town of Pateley Bridge before we reach Wharfedale and the charming town of Grassington. The small market town of Grassington is famous as the filming location for “Darrowby” in the latest series of ‘All Creatures Great & Small’. Walking through the front door of the “Drover’s Arms” (the Devonshire Arms in real life), you’ll have chance to enjoy lunch (pre-ordered earlier in the day to save time). After lunch, you’ll have time in Grassington to wander through the town and take photos in front of “Skeldale House”, before our tour continues into the picturesque scenery of Wharfedale.
There are countless incredible photo opportunities on this drive as your guide shows off some of England’s finest countryside, rolling hills, babbling streams and valley views. We’ll stop at the beautiful 12th century Church of St Michael & All Angels in Hubberholme (where James & Helen are married) and pause for photos overlooking Yockenthwaite (the Alderson’s farm), before climbing into the mountainous scenery between Wharfedale and Wensleydale.
We drop into Wensleydale make a brief stop at the Wensleydale Creamery, where you’ll have chance to sample some of the famous local cheese, before making a final brief stop at Aysgarth Falls, where you’ll have chance to see the thundering stepped limestone waterfall.
Finally, we head out of the Yorkshire Dales and make our way back to York, concluding a fantastic day out in Yorkshire with drop off at your accommodation in the city.
*Hotel Pick-Up Service includes hotels in York City Centre only – (for guidance, we include all hotels within, or close to, the City Walls – if in doubt, please ask). If your hotel is outside the city centre, we can arrange to meet at York railway station or outside York Minster.
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The tour begins with collection from your accommodation in York. Pick-ups usually start at 8:40am-8:45am. Leaving York, it is not long before we are surrounded by the countryside and farmland of Yorkshire as we head north towards Thirsk.
We reach the market town of Thirsk for an included visit to the wonderful “World of James Herriot Museum”. The museum is located in the very building where the creator of James Herriot, real life vet Alf White, lived and worked.
After approximately 90 minutes to explore the museum, we jump back on board the touring vehicle and head out towards the Yorkshire Dales.
Our route to the Dales takes us through the small city of Ripon, where we pause for 15 minutes to see Ripon cathedral and its original church crypt (built in AD 672).
The next step of the journey takes us through Nidderdale (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and then on and into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Our first stop is Grassington, the town featured as “Darrowby” in the latest series of All Creatures Great & Small”.
Our time in Grassington begins with an included lunch at the Devonshire Arms – the pub that, from the outside at least, featured as ‘The Drover’s Arms’ in All Creatures Great & Small. After lunch and tea or coffee, you’ll have a few minutes to explore Grassington and see the building used as ‘Skeldale House’.
We then head out across the scenery of Wharfedale and Wensleydale as we begin our driving tour of the Yorkshire Dales. We make regular photos stops along the way as we explore the landscape made famous by James Herriot in All Creatures Great & Small. We’ll stop at the Church of St Michael & All Angels in Hubberholme and again overlooking Yockenthwaite (familiar as the Alderson’s Farm). We make a brief stop at the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes, where you’ll have chance to sample Yorkshire’s famous cheese, and make a final stop at Aysgarth Falls where you’ll have chance to photograph the dramatic stepped waterfall.
We then return to York, arriving back in the city centre at approximately 5:30pm. The tour concludes with drop-off at your hotel in the city.
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- Hotel Pick-up and Drop-off in York
- Entry ticket for the World of James Herriot Museum
- Driving tour of the Yorkshire Dales with limitless photo opportunities and stops at sights including Hubberholme, Yockenthwaite, the Wensleydale Creamery and Aysgarth Falls
- The services of a local guide throughout the day
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- Meals & Drinks
- Gratuities
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