Excursions

Why we love SUTTON-ON-THE-FOREST The wide, winding main street, the absence of street lights, the delightful houses and cottages…this is a small village with huge appeal. Where: Drive out of York, heading north on the Helmsley road, and you’ll soon come across the village of Sutton-on-the-Forest. There isn’t much forest anymore, although you’ll drive through…

Why we love MUKER Peace and tranquillity, beautiful scenery, dry-stone walls and barns – and the narrow, winding mountain passes you can drive through to get in and out of the village. Where: Nestled at the bottom of the hillside above the meandering River Swale is the tiny but delightful village of Muker – one…

Why we love STAITES The tiny fishing village on the northern edge of the North York Moors has so much charm and beauty that it will simply take your breath away. Walk its back lanes to find your own unique perspective, have fish and chips a few yards from the beach, or simply admire the…

If you’re putting together the itinerary for your holiday to the UK, or just planning a short visit to Yorkshire, you’ll want to make the most of whatever time you have. Here’s a fantastic way to get the most out of two days in York, giving you chance to combine city sightseeing, museum visits and a few local luxuries, while also visiting some of the spectacular scenery and awe-inspiring destinations in the fantastic Yorkshire countryside that surrounds the city itself. Day 1: ‘York & Yorkshire in a day’: a full-day sightseeing tour with Grand Yorkshire Book yourself onto ‘York & Yorkshire in a day’, an extended full-day tour that combines both a York walking tour and a Yorkshire countryside and coastline driving tour. The morning walking tour gives you an unbeatable insight into the history of ancient York while introducing…

Yorkshire’s beautiful coastline is dotted with fantastic seaside towns and quaint former fishing villages – and the jewel in the crown of this spectacular Jurassic coastline has to be Whitby. Whether it’s the lure of Britain’s best fish and chips, the mystery and intrigue of the town’s Dracula connections or the challenge of walking the…

The North York Moors is located (as the name would suggest) north of York and is one of the most popular places to visit in Yorkshire. The Jurassic scenery of the Moors includes wide open areas of heather moorland, beautiful lush green valleys, stunning cliffs and coastline, charming towns and villages, famous hills and one of the world’s most popular steam railways. You can take a day trip from York to the North York Moors with Grand Yorkshire on two different tours covering five days every week from March to November. Here are just five of the many reasons to visit the North York Moors on a day trip from York: It’s a National Park. With an area of 554 square miles, the North York Moors is one of Britain’s 15 National Parks and contains the UK’s largest continuous heather…

There is something incredible special about steam trains; the noise, the heat, the smell, the soot, the power, the history, the nostalgia, the pure joy! Travelling by steam train is a truly wonderful way to relive the golden age of rail travel. When you join Grand Yorkshire for our ‘Steam Trains, Whitby and the Moors’ day trip from York, we’ll give you the chance to travel across the Moors on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. And we guarantee your journey will be steam hauled, or we’ll pay for your ticket. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a heritage railway operating a mixture of historic steam trains and heritage diesels (you can read about the steam trains running on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway by clicking here). Staffed almost entirely by enthusiastic volunteers, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is one of the most…

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway owns or cares for over 30 locomotives at any time, with around two thirds of these undergoing or scheduled for long-term repair. The railway has an active fleet of 10 – 12 engines in operational service, with five or six in action on any given day and others undergoing short term repairs and maintenance. You can find out more about the North Yorkshire Moors Railway by visiting www.NYMR.co.uk or by joining Grand Yorkshire’s day trip from York (click here for details). As well as the fleet of steam locomotives, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway operates some diesel engines. However, if you travel on a tour with Grand Yorkshire, you’ll travel by Steam Train – guaranteed! Your guide will find out the schedule of trains for the day and adjust timings if necessary to avoid the diesels…

Set in the amazing surrounds of Studley Royal Park, Fountains Abbey is one of Yorkshire’s leading tourist destinations, yet remains a place of tranquility, serenity and unspoilt beauty. Here are just five of the many reasons you should visit Fountains Abbey during any trip to Yorkshire: It’s huge! – Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best-preserved Cistercian Monasteries in England. It’s so well preserved that you can walk around it, inside it, underneath it, through it and on top of it. The landscape around the abbey is so varied that you can see it and photograph it from above, alongside, within and from below it. And while you are there you can find out about life as a monk at the abbey by using the free audio guide. Studley Royal Park – Fountains Abbey is surrounded…

We are delighted to launch three superb half-day excursions from York this autumn. These half-day excursions from York depart in the early afternoon from York city centre and offer you the opportunity to visit and explore three of the most exciting attractions in the region surrounding York. The first of these excursions from York each week is an afternoon excursion from York to Fountains Abbey. This UNESCO World Heritage site is located close to Ripon, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. On this afternoon excursion from York to Fountains Abbey you’ll enjoy approximately 3 1/2 hours to explore the famous abbey ruins, the exquisite Georgian Water Garden, the magnificent medieval Deer Park – and much more. Click here for further details and to book this excursion from York to Fountains Abbey.   On Thursdays and Sundays each week, Grand…