Day 1: Harrogate
Our tour begins in beautiful Harrogate where you meet your Tour Manager and the rest of the group at your 4* Hotel. The hotel is located in a quiet, leafy avenue, close to the pretty town centre and historic spa. Situated at the eastern edge of the Yorkshire Dales, Harrogate is ideally located for exploring Yorkshire. Tonight, we dine together in the hotel. (D)
Day 2: Historic York
Today we travel by train on the scenic line from Harrogate to York for a guided tour of this beautiful city. York has a long and varied history. Founded by the Romans in 71 AD it became a Viking stronghold in 866 AD, and our tour brings the city’s rich story to life. We see York Minster, the largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, which was consecrated in 1472 AD and towers above the city’s pretty medieval streets. Our tour ends at the National Railway Museum where you can explore exhibits such as a Japanese Bullet Train a number of Royal Carriages. We return to Harrogate and dine together this evening in the hotel. (B,D)
Day 3: Worth Valley & the Brontës
We travel west by coach to join the Keighley and Worth Valley Steam Railway*. Our nostalgic journeytakes us through Brontë country, climbing the steepgradient of the Worth Valley to Haworth. Therailway is perhaps most famous for its role in the1970 film ‘The Railway Children’. On arrival inHaworth we visit the Brontë Parsonage, which was the home of the world’s most famous literary family between 1820 and 1861 and is now a museum. It was here, amid the dramatic landscape of the moors, that Emily, Anne and Charlotte penned some of the world’s best novels including Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. We return to Harrogate and dine together in the hotel. (B,D)
Day 4: The North Yorkshire Moors Railway
This morning we travel by coach to the market town of Pickering where we join the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for an enthralling journey by steam* across the breathtaking landscape of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park to Whitby. We are accommodated in Heritage carriages as the train winds through hidden valleys, passing the 1912-style station at Levisham and Goathland, better known as ‘Aidensfield’ in television’s ‘Heartbeat’. You have free time in the seaside town of Whitby, famous for its Abbey’s legendary connection to Count Dracula. (B,D)
Day 5: Homeward bound
After breakfast you are free to depart from Harrogate, but perhaps you might wish to spend a little time exploring this pretty town before you leave. Harrogate has beautiful parks and an abundance of historic buildings including the town’s famous spa. Of course you shouldn’t leave Harrogate without experiencing tea and scones at the famous Betty’s tea rooms. (B)
Your hotels
Our hotels in Harrogate are the recently refurbished 4* Kimberley Hotel, which occupies a former Victorian townhouse, the 4* Old Swan Hotel which was the retreat where Agatha Christie famously disappeared for 10 days in 1926, the 4* Holiday Inn, which is ideally located in the town centre or the 4* Cedar Court Hotel, a historic grade II listed building which dates back to 1671 and overlooks the famous 200 acre Stray parkland. En suite rooms in all the hotels have a separate seating area and all of the facilities you would expect of a modern 4* hotel including a television, coffee/tea maker, hairdryer and internet access.
1 April, 16 April, 7 October and 21 October 2010 departures will be staying at the 4* Old Swan Hotel.
1 July, 3 September, 21 October and 28 October departures will be staying at the 4* Holiday Inn.
30 September 2010 departure will be staying at the 4* Cedar Court Hotel.
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
These meals, where shown, are included in the price of your holiday.
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