Harrogate, Harewood & Yorkshire Dales on Rails

Harrogate's elegance and style draws from its 18th century history, when it became the spa town of choice for its wealthy visitors after the discovery of its medicinal waters. It has left a legacy of grandeur which can be seen everywhere amid its opulent buildings, green open spaces and beautiful parks and gardens. The Royal Pump Room Museum houses the strongest sulphur well in Europe! There is an included visit to beautiful Harewood House (with a special exhibition celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen & JMW Turner) and plenty of time to explore this boutique heritage spa town in the heart of Yorkshire. There is also an included trip on the Wensleydale Railway as part of a day out in the idyllic Yorkshire Dales with its rolling hills and picturebook villagesHoliday Highlights
- Hotel for 4 nights in Harrogate with dinner & breakfast- Tea / coffee after dinner- Porterage & welcome tea / coffee on arrival- Entrance to Harewood House including special exhibition- Ride on Wensleydale Railway - Leeming Bar to Leyburn- Scenic drive through the Yorkshire Dales

Your Itinerary
Day 1 - After joining your holiday coach, enjoy a scenic drive to the Cedar Court Hotel, well located in the centre of Harrogate. 4 nights DBB\n\nDay 2 - 4 At leisure in Harrogate with two included excursions and a full day at leisure\n\nWith a whole day at your disposal in the lovely Victorian spa town of Harrogate, you may wish to visit the grade II listed Royal Pump Room Museum (admission applies - approx. £4 pp in 2024), which explores Harrogate's spa history, browse the various independent and well-known shops, sip a cuppa in the famous Bettys Café Tea Rooms, or even pamper yourself with a visit to the luxurious Turkish Baths (prices vary). There are also several pretty gardens here worthy of a wander, including Valley Gardens and The Stray, known for its colourful cherry trees in Spring.\n\nINCLUDED EXCURSIONS\nHarewood House\nHarewood sits in the heart of Yorkshire and is one of the Treasure Houses of England. The House was built in the 18th century and has art collections to rival the finest in Britain. Visitors can enjoy exhibitions of contemporary art, rare Bird Garden, Farm Experience and over 100 acres of exquisite gardens to explore. Harewood House was transformed into Buckingham Palace for both series 1 and 2 of the blockbuster ITV drama, Victoria. Many of the opulent rooms on the State Floor, the famous kitchens Below Stairs as well as exteriors of the house and parts of the Estate were used in the production. From hidden corridors to political scandal, Harewood has many stories to tell.\n\n2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the births of novelist Jane Austen (1775 - 1817) and landscape painter JMW Turner (1775 - 1851). A ground breaking exhibition illuminating the works of these legendary artistic figures opens at Harewood House on 23 May 2025 (entrance included). A speculative encounter between Turner and Austen will be brought to life through works by contemporary artists, together with rarely seen cultural artifacts from the period including period costume, party invitations and rare illustrated books and prints. Harewood has an assumed role in Austen's 1814 novel Mansfield Park. Turner painted Harewood, its landscapes and its people.\n\nWensleydale Railway & The Yorkshire Dales\nHead to Bedale, a small Georgian market town, one of the Gateways to the Dales with many listed buildings and the Church of St. Gregory on the main street before you board the Wensleydale Railway at Leeming Bar with its beautiful Victorian station, restored to how it would have been in the 1920s. Your Pacer Diesel train travels west on its heritage journey to the gateway town of Leyburn. Then it's off to explore the idyllic Yorkshire Dales, designated a national park in 1954 (further extended in 2013). Known for its outstanding scenery, unspoilt countryside, diverse wildlife habitats and a rich cultural heritage, the Yorkshire Dales has many moods - it can be wild and windswept or quietly tranquil with valleys full of meadows, drystone walls and barns. Take a scenic drive of discovery via Pateley Bridge, a lovely little Dales town on the River Nidd, and pretty Grassington, the friendly and picturesque village in Upper Wharfedale.\n\nDay 5 - After breakfast, travel home with a courtesy stop en route, arriving back at your local joining points early to mid-evening.4* Cedar Court Hotel Harrogate
This 4* hotel is situated in a beautiful setting in a quiet area of town overlooking 200 acres of the pristine Stray parkland, approx. 15 minutes' walk from the centre of Harrogate. \n\nThe Cedar Court Hotel dates back to 1671 and was Harrogate's first hotel. The guestrooms are traditionally furnished and feature TV, hairdryer and tea / coffee making facilities. \n\nPublic areas are open plan with a traditional style bar. Evening meals may be taken in a characterful private dining room or the main restaurant. Please note that there are no rooms with walk-in showers. \n\nThere is a lift as well as ground floor rooms.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n