How much does it cost?

From £899 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $1,214 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is this an escorted tour?

Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a Tour Manager from start to finish, and the group travels together on scheduled coach and rail routes.

What happens on Day 4?

Day 4 is free. After breakfast, you have the whole day at leisure to explore Barnstaple at your own pace, with the option to visit the Pannier Market, nearby Ilfracombe, or walk the Tarka Trail.

When does the tour run?

Great Rail Journeys operates seven departures across the year: April, May, June, August, and September 2026 and 2027.

What is not included?

Cancellation and travel insurance are not included. The optional Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway funicular ride is at your own expense.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

North Devon & Somerset

Six-day escorted rail tour of North Devon and Somerset heritage lines

Great Rail Journeys operates this six-day escorted tour based in Barnstaple, North Devon, from April through September. You stay five nights at the four-star Imperial Hotel on the banks of the River Taw, returning to the same location each evening. The tour weaves through Devon and Somerset aboard three heritage railways: the Dartmoor Line from Exeter to Okehampton, the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway through Exmoor National Park in restored 1890s carriages, and the West Somerset Railway past Blue Anchor and Watchet. Between rail journeys, you visit Dartmoor National Park, the UNESCO World Heritage town of Tavistock, the RHS Garden Rosemoor, and Sheppy's Cider Farm for a tasting. A Tour Manager accompanies the group throughout, all rail and coach travel is included, and breakfast and dinner are provided each day. Day 4 is free to explore Barnstaple independently. This package suits repeat rail travellers who enjoy guided comfort, history and heritage, and groups seeking a slower pace with time to settle into one base.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has fallen £100 since 4 Jul, to £899.

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. 3 of 5 points are 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

The tour is based at one hotel (Imperial Hotel, Barnstaple) for all five nights; you return to the same location each evening.
Day 4 is unguided and free at leisure; the tour includes no scheduled activities that day.
Single supplement is GBP 200 (from GBP 1199 versus GBP 999 per person double), a premium of roughly 40 percent above half the double rate.
Group size maxes at 30 people.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Barnstaple
Arriving in charming Barnstaple
Arrive independently at the riverside hotel in Barnstaple to meet the Tour Manager and group, with free time to explore before the first group dinner.
Day 2overnight: Barnstaple
A wild journey through breathtaking Dartmoor
Coach to Exeter, then the Dartmoor Line to Okehampton and on to Tavistock with free time, before touring the wild moorland, granite tors and stone circles of Dartmoor via Moretonhampstead.
Day 3railovernight: Barnstaple
Victorian Lynton & Barnstaple Railway and RHS Garden Rosemoor
Coach to Woody Bay via the Valley of the Rocks, ride the heritage 1890s Lynton & Barnstaple Railway through Exmoor, free time in Lynton, then a guided tour of RHS Garden Rosemoor.
Day 4overnight: Barnstaple
A free day to explore Barnstaple's charm and historic past
A full day at leisure to explore Barnstaple's Pannier Market and Butchers Row, or venture further to Ilfracombe or along the Tarka Trail.
Day 5railovernight: Barnstaple
Riding the heritage West Somerset Railway and a cider-tasting
Coach to Minehead with free time, then the West Somerset Railway heritage line via Blue Anchor and Watchet to Bishops Lydeard, followed by a tour and tasting at Sheppy's Cider Farm.
Day 6
Homeward bound
Check out after breakfast and make your own way home, or continue exploring independently.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2Day 2: Travel the Dartmoor Line from Exeter to Okehampton, then continue by coach through the moorland to Tavistock.
Day 3Day 3: Board the heritage Lynton & Barnstaple Railway for a two-mile journey through Exmoor National Park in restored 1890s carriages, with stops at Valley of the Rocks for coastal views.
Day 5Day 5: Ride the West Somerset Railway through countryside and past stations including Blue Anchor and Watchet, then tour and taste cider at Sheppy's Cider Farm.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
5 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Standard Class rail travel; all rail and coach travel throughout the tour
Breakfast and dinner each day
All tour excursions including heritage rail journeys

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £899 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $1,214 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is this an escorted tour?: Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a Tour Manager from start to finish, and the group travels together on scheduled coach and rail routes.
What happens on Day 4?: Day 4 is free. After breakfast, you have the whole day at leisure to explore Barnstaple at your own pace, with the option to visit the Pannier Market, nearby Ilfracombe, or walk the Tarka Trail.
When does the tour run?: Great Rail Journeys operates seven departures across the year: April, May, June, August, and September 2026 and 2027.
What is not included?: Cancellation and travel insurance are not included. The optional Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway funicular ride is at your own expense.