Is train travel included?

Yes. Great Rail Journeys includes standard-class rail travel throughout, plus two heritage rail excursions, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on day 2 and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway on day 4.

Is this an escorted tour?

Yes, a UK Tour Manager travels with the group from start to finish.

All four nights are spent at the Crowne Plaza in Harrogate, a 4-star hotel.

Which trains are used?

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Whitby/Goathland to Pickering, and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway from Ingrow to Oxenhope, both heritage lines steam-hauled where possible.

What is not included?

Cancellation and travel insurance, UK rail connections from your home station to Harrogate, and some meals beyond breakfast daily and 3 dinners.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Explore Yorkshire

Escorted 5-day Yorkshire holiday from Harrogate with two heritage steam trains

Great Rail Journeys runs this 5-day, 4-night escorted holiday from a single base in Harrogate, the Victorian spa town in North Yorkshire, England, with a UK Tour Manager accompanying the group throughout. Every night is spent at the 4-star Crowne Plaza hotel, so there is no packing and unpacking between stops. Days combine coach excursions with two heritage steam rail journeys: the North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Whitby to Pickering on day 2, and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway from Ingrow to Oxenhope on day 4, a line tied to the 1970 film The Railway Children. Day 2 also includes free time in Whitby to climb the 199 steps to the clifftop ruins of Whitby Abbey. Day 3 is left free, with options to ride the train into York or visit Knaresborough Castle. This suits travellers who want a low-effort trip built around heritage rail nostalgia and literary history, based from one unpacked hotel rather than a demanding multi-stop itinerary.

Price history

Across 3 checks, this price has held at £399 every time.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 1 of 3 point is a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

Day 3 is a free day at leisure with no organised activity; the itinerary lists self-guided options like a train to York or a visit to Knaresborough.
Only breakfast is included every day; of the four nights, dinner is included on just 3 of them, per the operator's inclusions list.
UK rail connections from your local station to and from Harrogate are not included; they can be booked separately as an optional extra.
The evidence for this tour does not list current departure dates; confirm availability with the operator before booking.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Harrogate
Arriving in elegant Harrogate
Meet the Tour Manager at the centrally located Harrogate hotel, with time to explore the Victorian spa town before the first group dinner.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2railovernight: Harrogate
Whitby and a journey on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Coach to Whitby to explore Whitby Abbey and the town, then a heritage steam journey on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway via Goathland to Pickering.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3overnight: Harrogate
A free day to explore Yorkshire at leisure
Day at leisure with options including York, Knaresborough Castle, Mother Shipton's Cave or Harrogate's Montpellier Quarter and RHS Harlow Carr.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4railovernight: Harrogate
A journey back in time on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway
Heritage railway journey through the Worth Valley to Oxenhope, then visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5
Homeward bound
The holiday concludes after breakfast, free to make your own way home or continue exploring.
Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

Day 1Arrival in Harrogate, the Victorian spa town, with time to see the Valley Gardens and Bettys Tea Room.
Day 2A visit to Whitby, climbing the 199 steps to the clifftop ruins of Whitby Abbey, which inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula, before boarding the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a heritage line worked by steam engines where possible.
Day 3A free day with the option to take the train to York and see York Minster and The Shambles, or visit Knaresborough Castle ruins and Mother Shipton's Cave.
Day 4A ride on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway from Ingrow to Oxenhope, a line tied to the 1970 film The Railway Children, followed by a visit to Haworth, the hilltop village where the Bronte sisters lived and wrote.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
4 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Standard Class rail travel
Heritage Rail Excursions
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Breakfast each day, 3 dinners
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?: Yes. Great Rail Journeys includes standard-class rail travel throughout, plus two heritage rail excursions, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on day 2 and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway on day 4.
Is this an escorted tour?: Yes, a UK Tour Manager travels with the group from start to finish.
What hotel is used?: All four nights are spent at the Crowne Plaza in Harrogate, a 4-star hotel.
Which trains are used?: The North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Whitby/Goathland to Pickering, and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway from Ingrow to Oxenhope, both heritage lines steam-hauled where possible.
What is not included?: Cancellation and travel insurance, UK rail connections from your home station to Harrogate, and some meals beyond breakfast daily and 3 dinners.