Settle to Carlisle and the Best of Yorkshire

Make your own way to our hotel in Skipton, where you meet an experienced Tour Manager and enjoy a relaxing evening with dinner.

This morning, we enjoy a ride on the charming Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway.  The preserved railway was part of the former Midland Railway route from Skipton to Ilkley. On arrival at Bolton Abbey station, our coach picks us up and takes us to the city of Ripon. You’ll have free time to wander around the many fascinating museums and bustling market square or take a walk along the canal side.

Afterwards, we’ll travel by coach to RHS Harlow Carr which is located just outside the city of Harrogate. Harlow Carr offers a variety of growing landscapes, from running and still water, to woodland and wildflower meadows. Highlights include the lavish Main Borders, bursting with generous prairie-style planting, and the lush, moisture-loving plants around Streamside. A visit to Harlow Carr Garden rewards plant and flower enthusiasts with colourful natural beauty throughout the year. This innovatively designed and immaculately cared-for garden is divided into themed sections, each with its own charm. From the multi-hued candelabra primulas that grow alongside the garden's stream to the wildflower meadow with its wildlife observation hide, a visit to Harlow Carr offers endless variety and enjoyment. We return to the hotel by coach later this afternoon.

Today, we enjoy a return journey on the Settle-Carlisle Railway where you can sit back and admire the scenery from both directions. The line pays testament to the ingenuity of 19th-century railway engineers as it travels over 72 miles through the North Pennines, Eden Valley and Yorkshire Dales, crossing 19 viaducts and passing through 14 tunnels. The Ribblehead viaduct is a particular highlight, with 24 arches and a highest point of 32 metres.

This morning, we board the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and enjoy a fantastic round trip from the town of Oxenhope. The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is a 5-mile-long branch line that served mills and villages in the Worth Valley and is now a heritage railway that has been delightfully restored. Afterwards, we travel to the delightful quaint town of Haworth, which was home to the famous Brontë sisters. You have time to explore the historic cobbled Main Street or visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum (entrance not included).

Our next stop is Skipton, where we board a traditional canal boat for our included cruise along the most scenic waterway in Yorkshire, the Leeds and Liverpool canal. There are fascinating stories of how the canal delivered the lifeblood of the industrial revolution through Yorkshire.

After breakfast, you are free to check out of our hotel and make your own way home.