Yorkshire Dales and Fountains Abbey Small-Group Day Tour from York

York, United Kingdom

Discover the rolling moors and lush valleys of the Yorkshire Dales and the haunting ruins of UNESCO-listed Fountains Abbey on this 9-hour small-group tour from York. Along the way, you'll visit Aysgarth Falls, drive Buttertubs Pass, admire the historic towns of Leyburn and Middleham, and see Wensleydale cheese being made at the Wensleydale Creamery.

Meet your small group and driver/guide in York city center at 8:45am, ready for your full-day tour of the Yorkshire Dales in a comfortable, climate-controlled minibus. To get the best out of the day's weather, the exact order of the itinerary is fine-tuned every day.

A typical day begins with a 1-hour 45-minute drive to the valley of Wensleydale, home of the crumbly, cow milk cheese. You'll stop at the Wensleydale Creamery (own expense) to watch authentic Yorkshire Wensleydale being made and perhaps pick up some souvenir cheese, before embarking on a 2-hour road-trip through some of the Yorkshire Dales' most scenic landscapes.

Your first stop is the stunning Aysgarth Falls, a tumbling series of low, wide waterfalls that featured in the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Next, the route winds up the spectacular Buttertubs Pass, one of England's most striking roads: you'll pause at the top to look down into the butter tub formations that gave it its name and across into Swaledale valley. You'll pass through Leyburn, with its cobbled main square, and the historic village of Middleham, breaking for a photo at Middleham Castle, where King Richard III grew up.

Finally, you'll arrive at the highlight of the day: the magnificent estate of Studley Royal Park and the ruins of Fountains Abbey (own expense). A UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in the twelfth century, Fountains Abbey was once one of England's leading Cistercian monasteries, and its ruins are some of the best preserved in England.

You'll have two hours at leisure here to appreciate not only the ruins but the glorious 18th-century landscaped estate that houses them. Stroll through the Georgian water gardens with their elaborate follies, follow walking trails through Studley Royal Park, or enjoy coffee and cake overlooking the lake at the Lakeside Café. As you leave, admire the deer in the Medieval Deer Park, where herds from three species roam freely across the vast estate grounds.

The drive back to York takes about one hour: you'll be back in the center around 5:45pm.

Review by:   Basma S,    October 2016
This tour was amazing!