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Historic Whitby & Byland Abbey Adventure
4.9
703 Ratings
York
Embark on a day tour from York to the North York Moors and Whitby. Explore beautiful landscapes, historical sites, and enjoy a traditional seaside town experience.
Embark on a day tour from York to the North York Moors and Whitby. Explore beautiful landscapes, historical sites, and enjoy a traditional seaside town experience.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Byland Abbey - Explore the ruins of this medieval monastery, steeped in history. The remains offer a captivating stop on the tour.
- Helmsley - Take a break in this charming Yorkshire village, where you can enjoy a drink and explore the surroundings. There is also an option to visit the castle ruins for an additional £5.80.
- **North York Moors…
- Byland Abbey - Explore the ruins of this medieval monastery, steeped in history. The remains offer a captivating stop on the tour.
- Helmsley - Take a break in this charming Yorkshire village, where you can enjoy a drink and explore the surroundings. There is also an option to visit the castle ruins for an additional £5.80.
- North York Moors National Park - Experience a scenic drive through the North York Moors National Park, offering breathtaking views that stretch for miles.
- North Yorkshire Moors Railway - Travel back in time with a nostalgic ride on the heritage North York Moors Railway. Vintage carriages transport you through the heart of the National Park, providing stunning views of rolling heather-clad moorlands and lush valleys. This journey is as memorable as the destinations themselves. When the railway is not in operation, tickets to Whitby Abbey are included, ensuring a rich cultural experience regardless of the schedule.
- Whitby - Spend a few leisurely hours in this picturesque coastal town. Relish the world-famous fish and chips and stroll through the charming streets. During your two-hour stop, you also have the option to visit the renowned Abbey if you wish.
What's Included
- Multilingual Audio Guide (no wifi or headphones provided)
- English commentary from driver guide
- Small mini-coach tour, max 16 passengers
- Round trip transportation from York
- Multilingual Audio Guide (no wifi or headphones provided)
- English commentary from driver guide
- Small mini-coach tour, max 16 passengers
- Round trip transportation from York
What's Not Included
- Food and drink
- Additional entrance fees
- Drivers Gratuity (optional)
- Headphone not provided
- Food and drink
- Additional entrance fees
- Drivers Gratuity (optional)
- Headphone not provided
Additional Information
Discover numerous renowned historical sites and embark on an adventure through the breathtaking landscape. Upon reaching the seaside town of Whitby, enjoy some leisure time to explore the historic town and savor the renowned Fish and Chips.
The journey begins at Byland Abbey to explore the historic ruins, followed by a visit to the picturesque village of…
Discover numerous renowned historical sites and embark on an adventure through the breathtaking landscape. Upon reaching the seaside town of Whitby, enjoy some leisure time to explore the historic town and savor the renowned Fish and Chips.
The journey begins at Byland Abbey to explore the historic ruins, followed by a visit to the picturesque village of Helmsley.
- Our tours are not suitable for children under 5 years old
- There will be a designated lunch stop where you’ll be able to purchase lunch
- There are toilet stops on route
- Minimal walking required
- Confirmation is received at the time of booking
- Our vehicles are not currently wheelchair accessible
- Luggage storage is available at the York train station
- Seats cannot be reserved
- Each passenger must have their own seat.
- Please Note; from 23rd March- 27th September 2026 (except for selected dates) the North York Moors Railway will not operate on Thursdays and Fridays during the 2026 season. On these days, our tours will include entrance to the iconic Whitby Abbey instead. Please call the office for further details.
- Due to the nature of the out tours, we cannot wait for customers who arrive at their tour start point late. If you are late for your tour, our cancellation policy applies. 100% charges are applicable and you will not be entitled to a refund or alternative.
- Please note due to a prominent Bike race in the area on September 5th - the tour will follow a different route than we typically do. This will not affect your attractions or the length of your tour.
- Please note that the North York Moors Railway has a private event on 24th- 27th September. On these days, our tours will include entrance to the iconic Whitby Abbey instead.
- Access Code for Mountain Goat App; 313131
- If you are using our app, make sure you download the app before you arrive for your tour as we do not provide Wifi and bring headphones.
Location
Memorial gardens
Leeman Road
This tour will start at Coach Bay A on Leeman Road, Y01 6FZ, Opposite the Memorial Gardens at 9:00 AM.
The pickup point is a 5 minute walk from York Railway Station. Please arrive on 5 minutes early.
What 3 Words - ///rocks.defend.dive
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(703 Ratings)
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T8488klwendyc
Sep 2, 2026
Great day out - Ben was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and entertaining.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
956paminam
Aug 26, 2026
A tour I'd love to do again - It was a great experience with no bad things to mention. Our guide Barry was amazing and could recall information about every little thing we saw on our trip! The stops along the way were fascinating and pretty. I especially liked Helmsley where we had a bit over half an hour free time. Whitby was worth visiting as well.
The seats in the bus are comfortable and the tinted windows were a bonus as they kept the sun from blinding me.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mlindseth
Aug 26, 2026
Perfect day - Barry was our guide this day and what a day it was going to be. His knowledge and stories made the day perfect. When you add cozy little places, a beautiful landscape, exciting stories, and Whitby, you get a perfect day. Something warm on the train as it was a hot August day, otherwise everything perfect. Once again, Barry gets top marks and is probably the best guide I've had on these tours around Europe.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C7336losharond
Aug 25, 2026
Anniversary trip - Barry was an excellent driver/tour guide, his knowledge was brilliant, he really made the day enjoyable and then tips of where to go for food was good as well, would really recommend his tour to friends and family
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Barryk_h
Aug 25, 2026
Ben was Great - Our driver and tour guide, Ben A. was terrific. He drove well and gave a very nice narrative of what we were seeing and where we were going.
Review provided by Viator
Craig_c
Aug 25, 2026
Excellent tour. Ben A was... - Excellent tour. Ben A was our driver and he had tons of good information, not just scripted corny jokes you might get on other tours. Byland Abbey was an unexpected highlight. It was Sunday so we didn’t do the train but were given tickets to Whitby abbey instead. Moors were gorgeous. Only letdown was how crowded Whitby was on a Summer Sunday.
Review provided by Viator
Q159opcaroln
Aug 18, 2026
Lovely excursion - A lovely day out seeing the moors and Whitby. Ben was a friendly and knowledgeable guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paza2468
Aug 11, 2026
Best York Experience! - We were visiting York and heard about this day trip which sound like a pleasant and fun experience and we weren’t wrong!
We booked through the Tourist information Centre in York which was easy and accessible.
The tour bus arrives on Leeman Road, Coach Stop A (opposite the Memorial Gardens) at around 8:50am before leaving at 9am.
The tour takes you through the various parts of York all while your guide gives you a history of York and Yorkshire, it’s flora and fauna as well as teaching you some Yorkshire words and phrases such as ‘ey up and tarrah. (We even learned the Yorkshire counting for sheep).
The tour goes to Byland Abbey (one of those destroyed by Henry VIII) for great photo opportunities before travelling to Helmsley for a short pit stop and to briefly explore.
After heading back onto the bus you travel into to North York Moors for more great photo opportunities and a short stop at Kirkdale/St Gregory’s Minster before travelling to Goathland Station (or Hogsmeade Station from the first Harry Potter film) to catch the North Yorkshire Moors train to Whitby where your driver picks you up and takes you to the top of Whitby by the Abbey. You can either walk the 199 steps down from the Abbey and explore or stay on the coach and get a lift down before exploring.
John was our guide throughout the day and was amazing. He made the whole trip interesting and entertaining, offering useful information about what we were seeing as we drove along. We would highly recommend him for your tours.
For a brilliant experience in York you must book this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Helen_s
Aug 11, 2026
Great regional overview - Our driver was so informative and obviously invested in sharing his love for the area. The stops we made were a great selection of features.
Review provided by Viator
Cindy_d
Aug 17, 2026
Fantastic Tour! Would’ve loved more time to explore. - So much beautiful scenery and fun anecdotes! But it was a lot of time on the bus/train. We found ourselves wanting more time at our stops to explore and thought maybe the scope was too much.
Review provided by Viator
