9.00am: We meet outside the Dean Court Hotel in Duncombe Place, York, YO1 7EF (near York Minster) and head off for a day exploring Herriot Country in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
10.00am: The first stop is at the traditional market town of Masham in Lower Wensleydale, which gained its market charter over 700 years ago in 1251. Here you can learn some of the Town’s history from your guide and see the remains of an Anglo-Saxon cross shaft, thought to be around 1300 years old, at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, explore the quaint shops or just enjoy a leisurely Yorkshire brew and some cake in one of the cafes on the square – the choice is yours!
10:45am: We depart Masham and head out across Masham Moor where the sheep roam freely amongst the Heather and vast open landscape on our way over the tops to Nidderdale. The fantastic views and scenery over Gouthwaite Reservoir and miles of drystone walls make it perfect for some great photo stops.
12:15pm: We arrive at the picturesque town of Grassington, famous for its role as the fictional town of ‘Darrowby’ in the new ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ television series, first aired in 2020. Here you will have 1.5 hours free time to explore the shops, Cafes and filming locations or even pop into the Devonshire Arms pub (The Drovers in All Creatures Great and Small) for a drink with the locals!
1:45pm: We depart Grassington and make our way to the beautiful Linton Falls. It is only a very short drive away so, if you prefer, you have the option to take the short walk from the Visitor Centre car park down the old stone path to the falls at Linton and meet your guide on the bridge over the river Wharfe.
2:10pm: We depart Linton Falls and follow the meandering route of the River Wharfe to Bolton Abbey, passing through the village of Burnsall and stopping at the historical ruin of Barden Tower, a 12th Century hunting lodge, once the seat of administration for Barden hunting forest and the residence of Henry Clifford, the Shepherd Lord.
2:45pm: We arrive at Bolton Abbey home to the 12th Century ruins of Bolton Priory an Augustinian Monastery founded in 1154 and destroyed in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under the reign of King Henry VIII.
Today it looks extremely picturesque situated on the edge of the river Wharfe and for those of you feeling brave enough you can attempt to cross the river on the famous stepping stones…just don’t fall in!
3:30pm: We depart Bolton Abbey and make our way back to York
5:00pm: We arrive back at the meeting point in York and say our goodbyes
Please don’t be late arriving at the Departure Point as we are unable to wait beyond 9.00am for latecomers due to parking restrictions!
There are only 16 places available on each tour date so book early to avoid disappointment!
Adult Ticket: £58.30
Child Ticket (Aged 5-15): £48.76
(Our trips are not suitable for under 5’s)
This tour can be booked direct with us here ONLINE or at the VISIT YORK INFORMATION CENTRE, 21 Parliament Street, York YO1 8SG
GROUP/FAMILY TICKETS: 10% Discount for any grouping of FOUR or more people on one trip – just type grouprate in the Travel Agent Code Box as you book.
MULTI-TRIP OFFER: 10% Discount off your full booking if you book two or more different trips with us at the same time – just type multitrip in the Travel Agent Code Box as you book each trip.
All timings are approximate (except the start time!) and you should not book onward travel arrangements too close to the time of our arrival back in York in case we have traffic problems. If you do have onward travel arrangements that evening, mention it to our Tour Guide in the morning and we will do our best to help.
We are very flexible and do everything we can to ensure that ALL our passengers have a great day out with us by providing options and choices. This could mean that we adjust the itinerary to accommodate special requests from the group, or to make the best we can of the day if the weather is unfavourable.
November – March: Please note that, between around the end of October and Mid-March, we may have to adapt the itinerary and route due to weather conditions on the day. The Yorkshire Dales are still well worth visiting in winter, very different to summer but equally magnificent!
Yorkshire/Herriot Tour even better than high expectations
Our guide was the best, full of knowledge and expressing it in a concise, clear manner. Many helpful tips as well.
The Yorkshire Dales were even more spectacular than I expected and I was thankful the view from the bus was over the dry stone walls. Walking in between those walls down to Linton Falls was a treat and as a life long James Herriot fan, standing in front of the fictional Skeldale House used in Grassington for the second series was almost surreal.
28 Oct 2023
What a lovely day!
Everything from the pick up to the drop off was top-notch. We were met with a smile and off we were. Our Guide had an excellent and clear voice and is so knowledgeable! He engaged each of us in a relatable way as we drove along. The countryside, though, is the star of this show. If you’ve never been, you must. Dry stone walls, green fields, waterfalls, sheep and cows and pheasant/grouse were everywhere and the little villages are divine. (I don’t know how everyone drives the narrow winding roads!) For the Herriot fans, it’s amazing to see the actually settings they used for filming as well as the little town – where I got two beautiful cashmere scarves at a sweet young-woman-owned shop. Her art is divine also! It’s a full day so dress for the weather with comfy shoes.
28 Oct 2023
Glorious day on the Dales
Our trip featured some of the highlights of the Yorkshire Dales. Our driver guide shared so much of the area’s history. He also ensured that we captured some beautiful photos. We had a delicious lunch at The Cake House in Grassington and yummy scones at the Border House teas in the market town of Masham. Even though we had intermittent showers the sun did manage to show it self and it was a wonderful day. The bus was so comfy I even managed a nap from Bolton Abbey back to York.
28 Oct 2023
A wonderful day in the Dales!
What a wonderful day out to Herriot country! Our tour guide was exceptionally knowledgeable, helpful, patient and attentive to everyone aboard which made the trip really enjoyable. We were so fortunate to have a sunny day to see the spectacular views. I’ve wanted to do this trip for a while and I was certainly not disappointed. I’d thoroughly recommend this tour, thank you Best of Britain.
04 Nov 2023
Nice friendly unrushed tour
The tour was very enjoyable visiting firstly Bingley Five Rise Locks then a 2 hour stop at Haworth and then on to Burnsall Bridge before a final stop at Bolton Abbey. There were also photo stops en route. The air conditioned coach was very comfortable and our driver Mark was knowledgeable and gave an interesting and informative commentary. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour and will definitely do the others available in the future - David P
23 Sep 2021
Highlight of our York Trip
WOW! What a fabulous day out. It was so much fun, informative, great to see all the little villages, the countryside and the wildlife. Our Guide was fabulous. He was so friendly, made our day really. Many photo stops and recommendations and he was always there to take a photo. He knew so much and it was really great to listen to his commentary as we drove along the country roads. We learned a lot! What an interesting part of the country. Made our trip to York very memorable. Thanks – I will be recommending you to many people.
24 Nov 2023
Lovely Dales Drive and Visits to Haworth/Bolton Abbey
An excellent-value-for-money excursion with amazing scenery and interesting stops - Martin
12 Jul 2021
Great tour of beautiful countryside
Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend this tour - emmablackwell00
05 Oct 2020
Full-Day Private Tour of Haworth & The Yorkshire Dales
I booked the full-day Private Tour of Haworth & the Yorkshire Dales, and I was lucky to have Mark as the tour guide. He was professional, knowledgeable and he would make sure you have the best experience and that you enjoy the trip. I never felt rushed or that I am missing on something. I applause BOBH for the measures they took to be COVID secure; I never felt that I was risking my health or being unsafe. I highly recommend booking with them, and I am sure you would have a great experience as did I - Kholoud
30 Sep 2020
Yorkshire Dales, Bronte Parsonage and Lots of Sheep!
Our driver for the private tour was Chris - so knowledgeable about the area - extremely well versed in all things from the history that goes back centuries to little known facts about the Bronte family. We never felt rushed and thoroughly enjoyed the entire day as we were driven along narrow country lanes, the rolling countryside and lovely villages. Highly recommend!! - Patricia T
26 Oct 2019