How much does it cost?

From £1,975 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,668 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is train travel included?

Yes. Rail travel and seat reservations from your home station to Telford and from Bradford back home are included, along with several named heritage steam railways and rail journeys throughout the itinerary.

Is this an escorted or independent tour?

Escorted, with a Tour Manager throughout.

Which trains are used?

The Severn Valley Railway (Bridgnorth to Kidderminster), the Llangollen Railway (through the Dee Valley), the East Lancashire Railway (through the Irwell Valley), the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (Keighley to Bingley), plus standard rail between Chester and Liverpool, Huddersfield and Marsden, and to and from your home station.

What hotels are used?

Best Western Valley Hotel in Ironbridge (2 nights), Queen Hotel in Chester (3 nights), Holiday Inn Express in Burnley (1 night), and Midland Hotel in Bradford (3 nights).

When does this tour run?

One departure is listed, in June 2027, from GBP 1,975 per person.

Railtrail Tours · Escorted tour

Wonderful Railways & Waterways 2027

Escorted 10-day England and Wales tour on heritage steam railways and canals

Railtrail Tours' Wonderful Railways & Waterways is a 10-day escorted tour through England and Wales, moving between four hotel bases with a Tour Manager throughout. Starting at Ironbridge, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the group visits Blists Hill's recreated Victorian town before a steam excursion on the Severn Valley Railway through 16 miles of countryside on day 2. The route continues to Chester for three nights, with river cruises in Chester and Liverpool and an aerial boat crossing of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct followed by a ride on the Llangollen Railway. A single night in Burnley includes a canal cruise crossing the Manchester Ship Canal and a steam run on the East Lancashire Railway, before three nights in Bradford bring a boat trip through Standedge Tunnel and a steam ride on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. The operator rates the activity level as Active, with regular towpath and city walking. This suits travellers drawn to Victorian engineering, heritage steam railways, and canal history who are comfortable with an active daily pace.

What to know before you look closer

Only one departure is currently listed, in June 2027.
The stay in Burnley on day 6 is a single night sandwiched between three-night stays in Chester and Bradford, adding one extra hotel change partway through the trip.
The operator rates the tour's activity level as Active, with towpath walks, a walk along Burnley Embankment 60 feet above the town, and city walking in Chester and Liverpool; this is a more active pace than a typical seated coach tour.

Day by day

Day 1overnight: Ironbridge
Arrival at Ironbridge
Journey from your home station to Telford and make our way to the Valley Hotel, our hotel for the next two nights. Orientation walk with a local guide before our first evening meal together.
Day 2railovernight: Ironbridge
Blists Hill and the Severn Valley Railway
Continue our tour of Ironbridge with a visit to Blists Hill, a recreated Victorian town. Steam excursion on the Severn Valley Railway through 16 miles of countryside from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the River Severn.
Day 3railovernight: Chester
Chester
Train to Chester and transfer to the Queen Hotel for the next three nights. Afternoon stroll along the ancient city walls to the River Dee for a relaxing river cruise before returning through the city centre for our evening meal.
Day 4railovernight: Chester
Liverpool waterfront
Travel to Liverpool and the Royal Albert Dock for a river cruise exploring the city's waterway history. Free time to explore using the included hop-on/hop-off bus ticket before returning by rail.
Day 5railovernight: Chester
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Railway
Road to the Llangollen Canal for an aerial cruise across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, 126ft above the River Dee. Continue to Llangollen for free time, then a return train ride along the Llangollen Railway through the Dee Valley.
Day 6railovernight: Burnley
Bridgewater Canal and East Lancashire Railway
Relaxing cruise along the Bridgewater Canal through Morton, Patricroft and Barton, crossing the Manchester Ship Canal via the Barton Swing Aqueduct, with afternoon tea on board. Road to Bury for a steam journey on the East Lancashire Railway through the Irwell Valley, continuing to the Holiday Inn Express in Burnley.
Day 7overnight: Bradford
Weavers' Triangle and Queen Street Mill
Visit the Weavers' Triangle on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and walk part of Burnley Embankment, 60ft above the town centre. Guided tour of Queen Street Mill Textile Museum, the world's last surviving 19th century steam-powered weaving mill. Coach across the Pennines to the Midland Hotel, Bradford, for a three-night stay.
Day 8railovernight: Bradford
Standedge Tunnel
Train to Huddersfield, changing trains to climb into the Pennines to Marsden. Short towpath walk to Standedge Tunnel for a boat trip into the longest, deepest, and highest canal tunnel in Britain.
Day 9railovernight: Bradford
Keighley & Worth Valley Railway and Saltaire
Train to Keighley for a return steam ride on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, alighting at Bingley for a towpath walk along the Bingley Five Rise Locks. Free time at the UNESCO World Heritage industrial village of Saltaire.
Day 10
Departure
After breakfast, bid farewell to Bradford and make your way to the station for homeward journeys.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2Day 2: Steam excursion on the Severn Valley Railway through 16 miles of countryside from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the River Severn.
Day 5Day 5: Aerial cruise across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, 126 feet above the River Dee, followed by a steam ride on the Llangollen Railway through the Dee Valley.
Day 6Day 6: Cruise along the Bridgewater Canal crossing the Manchester Ship Canal via the Barton Swing Aqueduct, then a steam journey on the East Lancashire Railway through the Irwell Valley.
Day 8Day 8: Boat trip into Standedge Tunnel, the longest, deepest, and highest canal tunnel in Britain.
Day 9Day 9: Return steam ride on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, followed by a towpath walk along the Bingley Five Rise Locks.

Included

9 nights bed, breakfast & evening meal
Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)
Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described
All excursions & admissions as detailed
Services of experienced Tour Manager

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £1,975 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,668 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is train travel included?: Yes. Rail travel and seat reservations from your home station to Telford and from Bradford back home are included, along with several named heritage steam railways and rail journeys throughout the itinerary.
Is this an escorted or independent tour?: Escorted, with a Tour Manager throughout.
Which trains are used?: The Severn Valley Railway (Bridgnorth to Kidderminster), the Llangollen Railway (through the Dee Valley), the East Lancashire Railway (through the Irwell Valley), the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (Keighley to Bingley), plus standard rail between Chester and Liverpool, Huddersfield and Marsden, and to and from your home station.
What hotels are used?: Best Western Valley Hotel in Ironbridge (2 nights), Queen Hotel in Chester (3 nights), Holiday Inn Express in Burnley (1 night), and Midland Hotel in Bradford (3 nights).
When does this tour run?: One departure is listed, in June 2027, from GBP 1,975 per person.