North York Moors and Whitby Day Tour from York
Description
Explore some of the many famous historical sites and adventure across the spectacular landscape. Here you’ll take a trip to the seaside town of Whitby once you arrive in the town you will have free time to explore historic town and enjoy the famous Fish and Chips. The first stop is Byland Abbey to visit the historic ruins, then onto the picture perfect village of Helmsley.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Visit the ruins of this medieval monastary, drenched in history the remains are a fasianting stop on the tour.
Enjoy a break in this Yorkshire village, where you can stop for a drink and explore the area. You will also have the option to visit the castle ruins for an additional £5.80.
Enjoy a scenic drive through the North York Moors National Park, where you will see stunning views which extend for miles.
Step back in time on a nostalgic ride along the heritage North York Moors Railway, where vintage carriages carry you through the heart of the National Park. Enjoy remarkable views of rolling heather-clad moorlands and lush valleys, making the journey as memorable as the destinations themselves. On occasions when the railway isn’t operating, tickets to Whitby Abbey are included, ensuring a rich cultural experience regardless of the schedule.
Stop for a few leisurely hours in this stunning coastal town. Enjoy world famous fish and chips and saunter through the beautiful streets. You will also have the option to visit the famous Abbey during your two hour stop here if you wish.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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.
Reviews(693)
A lovely day out seeing the moors and Whitby. Ben was a friendly and knowledgeable guide.
Thank you for your 5 star review of our North York Moors tour with driver guide Ben! We're delighted to hear about your great day which was highly contributed by Ben. Thank you for choosing us to Go Explore Yorkshire. Best wishes, Mountain Goat
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.
Thank you Cindy for your feedback about our North York Moors and Whitby tour. We're delighted to hear about your great day with ourselves, exploring the landscapes whilst learning the history and stories. We're sorry to hear that you felt like you didn't have enough time to explore, due to the nature of the tour and the locations covered, there has to be time travelling on board throughout, which we do hope was made comfortable and relaxing on our luxury vehicles. Thank you for choosing us to Go Explore. Best wishes, Mountain Goat
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.
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.
Thank you Helen for your 5 star review of our North York Moors and Whitby tour! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed our curated itinerary and the information provided by our driver guide throughout. Thank you for choosing us to Go Explore Yorkshire. Best wishes, Mountain Goat
The tour was wonderful! Ben Allen was very informative and entertaining! I would recommend this tour to anyone. I also enjoyed it being a small group. Thank you!
Thank you Melody for your 5 star review of our North York Moors and Whitby tour! We're delighted to hear about your great time with ourselves and how the driver guide Ben contributed greatly to your experience. Thank you for choosing us to Go Explore Yorkshire. Best wishes, Mountain Goat
The day went very well, in a very comfortable minibus, with interesting commentary and stops that allow you to discover North Yorkshire, such as stops on the moors or at old abbeys, which would not have been possible by local bus. Thanks for the warm welcome!
Thank you Cecile for your 5 star review of our North York Moors and Whitby tour! We're delighted to hear about your great day on tour with us, exploring the sights and history of the moors. Thank you for choosing us to Go Explore Yorkshire. Best wishes, Mountain Goat
John was brilliant! He provided important details and fun trivia during the entire trip. We had a lovely time! One thing to note is, if you’re getting on the steam/diesel train to Whitby, there’s a chance of delays which cuts back on your remaining time for the tour plus delays time going back to the city centre.
Thank you for your 5 star review of our North York Moors and Whitby tour with our driver guide John, who's information and knowledge has greatly contributed to your time with ourselves. Thank you for choosing us to Go Explore Yorkshire. Best wishes, Mountain Goat
It was an okay tour. I don’t understand why we took a train to Whitby as it was running late and a big waste of time. More time at Whitby Abbey would have been better.
Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy the train that was part of your itinerary. Unfortunately, the times of the train are out of our control but we do sincerely apologise for the lateness on your day, which in consequence has disrupted the tour schedule. We will take your feedback on board for our next tour itinerary reviewal. Best wishes, Mountain Goat
We had a wonderful trip through some beautiful parts of Yorkshire including a visit to the ruins of Byland Abbey, then onto the picturesque village of Helmsley. From there we were taken to the North Eastern Railway station of Goathland where we boarded a train for the trip to Whitby. What a surprising town that was! Heaps of visitors there for some gathering of people dressed up in a variety of costumes. We were driven up to the old Abbey, and walked down the many steps to street level. We had 2 hours free time in Whitby before meeting back our bus & lovely driver, who gave us excellent commentary both there and back to York.
Thank you Robyn for your 5 star review of our North York Moors and Whitby tour! We're delighted to hear about your great time on tour with ourselves, exploring the landscapes of the moors, Whitby and the attractions includes. Whitby often has events on so we're glad that you got to see the different parts to the coastal charm! Thank you for choosing us to Go Explore Yorkshire. Best wishes, Mountain Goat
Had a great trip to the Yorkshire Moors and Whitby. Guide Trevor was excellent knew so much about the area. We had a few stops for photos and enjoyed some market shopping and our 2hr stop in Whitby.
Thank you for your 5 star review of our North York Moors and Whitby tour! We are delighted to hear about your great time with Trevor and hope that you came away with lots of great photos and long lasting memories. Thank you for choosing us to Go Explore Yorkshire. Best wishes, Mountain Goat
