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.

We continue to Ripley Castle, a Grade I listed 14th-century country house. Here, we include a guided tour of some of the castle rooms which include the library, drawing rooms, tower room and Knight's Chamber. After the tour, there’s time to explore the magnificent walled gardens and grounds where a collection of specimen trees from around the world can be found.

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.