2027 - Pennine Explorer - Rail & Sail

Itinerary

Pennine Explorer

DAY 1 - After joining your holiday coach, you travel north to Yorkshire to check into your hotel for your 4 night stay. Welcome drink on arrival DBB

DAY 2 - 4 At leisure in Yorkshire with three included excursions

Picturesque Ilkley is a great little place with many excellent restaurants and independent shops. Riverside Gardens, alongside the River Wharfe, is a lovely park in which to spend some time. 

INCLUDED EXCURSIONS
Vintage Rail, Skipton & Canal Cruise 
Off to Embsay today for a ride back in time behind a vintage locomotive of the Embsay & Bolton Steam Railway. Settle back in beautifully restored Victorian and Edwardian carriages and enjoy a unique view of some of Yorkshire's finest countryside on a round trip via Bolton Abbey where you have a short stop whilst the locomotive is turned around. Re-board the coach and it's off to Skipton - the charming Dales town with immense history, a rich culture, independent shops, food & drink places galore, an iconic castle, stunning countryside and, perhaps most of all, friendly, fiercely proud and passionate Yorkshire people. Enjoy an included trip aboard a narrow boat on the Leeds to Liverpool Canal to gain an insight into the town's central role in the busy waterways of the industrial revolution. 

Grassington, Wensleydale Creamery & Hawes
Grassington is a small market town on the River Wharfe in the heart of the stunning scenery of the Yorkshire Dales and was the fictional market town of Darrowby during the filming of Channel 5's 'All Creatures Great and Small'.  A short walk from the centre, you'll find the Grassington National Park Visitor Centre. Whether it's the sense of history, or perhaps the great shops, the friendly pubs, or the welcoming locals, who knows? They all contribute to the magic of this place. After time at leisure, re-board the coach and head to the Wensleydale Creamery to learn how Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese is produced and to discover its captivating and often emotional story. The Cheese Experience will take you on a journey in the art of cheese-making, from monastic times through the centuries to today. It also includes the opportunity to watch Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese being handcrafted by a team of master cheese-makers. And of course, a tasting too! Pop into Hawes, a traditional Dales village and home to the National Park Visitor Centre and the Dales Countryside Museum where you can learn about life in the area (entrance not included - approx. £5pp in 2026)

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway & Haworth
Head off to Keighley, a pretty town, nestled between the charming countryside of Airedale and the Haworth Moorland. The town is the terminus of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, and you will enjoy a nostalgic trip about this lovingly restored heritage line. The railway line is most famous for its role in the 1970 film version of The Railway Children. (NB diesel scheduled to operate in September) Disembark in lovely Haworth, a picturesque village surrounded by dramatic moorland and a haven for independent businesses, art galleries, boutiques and then an array of places to eat and drink. Spend your time browsing up and down the cobbled Main Street and fans of the Brontë sisters may want to visit the Brontë Parsonage, home to the Brontë family from 1820 and now a beautifully preserved museum (entrance not included - approx. £15 in 2026 - pre-booking may be required - closed Tuesdays).

DAY 5 - After breakfast, bid farewell to Yorkshire as you head south to interchange and onward to your home towns
NBRailway journey may be by steam of diesel and timetables are subject to change. Please be advised that this itinerary has been planned well ahead of the holiday season in 2025 and there could be changes to train timetables and operations

Tour Highlights

• Hotel for 4 nights with breakfast & dinner
• Welcome drink & porterage
• Ride on Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
• Skipton Canal Cruise
• The Cheese Experience at Wensleydale Creamery
• Visits to Skipton, Grassington, Haworth & Hawes
• Ride on Keighley & Haworth Valley Railway (Keighley - Haworth)

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Accommodation

Your Hotel 3 Star

Best Western Plus Craiglands Hotel, Ilkley
This charming 3* hotel has been welcoming people from around the world for more than 150 years. Timeless in appearance yet full of the mod cons you need for a wonderful stay, this grand Victorian hotel remains the ideal place for a relaxing break, combining comfort and excellent facilities in 6 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and woodland. Comfortable guest rooms offer free WIFI, TV and tea / coffee making facilities. Singles are small doubles for sole use. There is a lift to all floors, restaurant and bar.

NB The hotel has introduced a Go Green Initiative which means guestrooms are serviced every other day. Should you require require additional room servicing or amenities during your stay, please contact reception Back to top