Castle Howard, Rievaulx Abbey, and North York Moors Day Trip from York

York, United Kingdom

Walk on the wild North York Moors, marvel at the grandeur of Castle Howard, and choose to visit the medieval ruins of Rievaulx Abbey on this 8-hour small-group tour from York. Along the way, you'll visit the market town of Helmsley, stop at Duncombe Park, and see the ruins of Byland Abbey and the enormous White Horse of Kilburn.

Meet your group and your Yorkshire-born driver/guide in the center of York at 9:15am for the scenic 50-minute drive to the medieval market town of Helmsley on the edge of the North York Moors. Along the way, you'll pass the ruins of Byland Abbey and the White Horse of Kilburn, a giant chalk figure carved out of the hillside, as well as countless pubs and villages.

After a quick photo stop at Duncombe Park, a stately home on the outskirts of Helmsley, you’ll have 90 minutes to explore Helmsley at leisure. Visit some of the town’s many independent shops, enjoy an early lunch in a quaint tearoom, pub, or cafe, or take in sights including the stunning church and medieval Helmsley Castle (own expense).

Alternatively, take the optional trip to Rievaulx Abbey (own expense), only a few minutes’ drive from Helmsley. The well-preserved ruins of this once wealthy and powerful Cistercian abbey are a truly remarkable sight, and you'll still have a few minutes to enjoy Helmsley after you've finished exploring.

Then it's back on the minibus to drive through the idyllic village of Hutton-le-Hole and out onto the wild and rugged Moors. You’ll spend at least an hour on the Moors, walking across the heather as you learn about the history and wildlife of the region and how it has changed dramatically over the centuries.

It's about a half hour drive through the countryside and quaint villages of North Yorkshire to Castle Howard, Yorkshire's grandest and most famous stately home. You may well recognize it from the TV and film versions of Brideshead Revisited. Set on 9,000 acres (3600 hectares), Castle Howard offers manicured gardens, expansive grounds and woodland, the wonderfully appointed Temple of the Four Winds, and of course the stately home itself.

You’ll spend three hours here, exploring at your leisure: your tour includes a discount on your House & Gardens entrance ticket, saving up to £7.50 per person. Learn about the building of Castle Howard and the Howard estate, the many films and TV programs it has featured in, and the Howard family themselves from the expert guides dotted around the house.

Finally, hop back on the minibus for the 30-minute trip to York city center: you should arrive around 4:45pm. If your hotel is on the way, feel free to ask your driver if they can drop you off.

USD $46.00

Review by:   Cawanganga,    October 2017
Wow! What an amazing tour. Stunning scenery and picturesque villages. Wish it was longer and we had more time in Helmsley. Great guide and easy meeting point. Wonderful day.

Review by:   Stephanie P,    October 2017
This tour was well planned, informative, and a good balance of activity and travel. I was pleasantly surprised by the Rievaulx Abbey. We enjoyed the site, information, and ability to explore the ruins on our on at our own pace. Going to Castle Howard at the end of our tour worked very nicely into the day. We had plenty of time to see the house and grounds, and since it was the end of the day, there were fewer people, which allowed for a more leisurely tour. It was overall an excellent experience and would highly recommend.

Review by:   Jane D,    September 2017
This tour is first rate. Chris is very knowledgeable and good-natured. Loved the moors, dales, Abbeys and delightful Hutton-le-Hole. There is time to do both Helmsly and another abbey, so do ask to see both. Good mix of touristy places as well as remote and quiet countryside.

Review by:   Ana Maria B,    September 2017
The tour was amazing and I've appreciated a lot the guide and the driver, very nice and talkative people.

Review by:   Manuela-Lidia G,    September 2017
5 tour!!!_br/_ very knowledgeable, passionate and friendly guide_br/_ very skilled driver_br/_ wonderful places to visit, especially Castle Howard and the gardens_br/_ enough visit time in each location

Review by:   Autumn M,    August 2017
Peter was the best tour guide! Very detailed during every stop and pointing things of interest along the way. Every stop was beautiful and full of history. So glad I came and met some nice people too!

Review by:   mgsemail,    August 2016
This was a five-star trip, small group and Chris our guide was wonderful... really enjoyed all the stops and had plenty of time to really get a feel for each place... highly recommend this to her to anyone in York

Review by:   mgsemail,    August 2016
Chris was a great tour guide. We really enjoyed the small group. He was fantastic at driving through the back roads and byways of the English Countryside so that we could really get a feel for the area and we especially enjoyed having enough time at every major stop to see the sights at Rievaulx Abbey and Castle Howard...