Day Trip to North Moors and Whitby from York, UK
Visiting the iconic moors and the seaside town of Whitby is one of the best day trips from York. This landscape has inspired famous works in literature and film, including Wuthering Heights, Harry Potter, and Dracula. After a day of exploring, you will see why the North York Moors has captured so many imaginations.
While you could rent a car and self-drive this route, I opted for a guided tour instead. It didn’t seem worth the hassle of dealing with a car rental for a single day and adjusting to driving on the left side of the road. The tour hit the perfect number of stops, with plenty of time for photos and wandering around Whitby. Exploring the moors was a fantastic way to kick off my trip to the UK.
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North York Moors and Whitby Day Trip
I did this day trip as a bus tour. The roads here are very narrow and winding, so they use a small bus that can navigate them. Because of this, the tour is capped at 16 people. I recommend booking at least two to three weeks in advance because the tour does sell out. I actually had to keep an eye on this tour and wait for a cancellation on my date to book it. I highly recommend visiting on a weekday because Whitby is a popular seaside destination, especially on weekends.
If you decide to follow along on this day trip independently, I use DiscoverCars to find the best deals when I rent cars in Europe. Parking is difficult to find in Whitby, so you may want to skip circling the block and just park at Whitby Abbey instead. Another option is to take the 2.5-hour Coastliner bus from York to Whitby. You will pass through the scenic landscape of the moors and can spend time in Whitby before returning to York.
Byland Abbey
The first stop of the day is at Byland Abbey. It’s just a quick stop here with enough time to explore the surprisingly large ruins.
Byland Abbey dates to 1195 when it was established as a Catholic monastery. It reached its peak in the 13th century before being abandoned in the 1500’s as a result of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. It has since fallen into spectacular ruin. If the partial shape of the rose window at the front of the abbey looks familiar, it’s because York Minster’s own rose window took inspiration from Byland Abbey.
Helmsley Market Town
After a short drive, it’s time for a 30 minutes break in Helmsley, a charming market town. If you’re visiting on a Friday, the town market will be on. The short visit is enough to wander the streets and take a quick peek at Helmsley Castle.
If you skipped breakfast, there are plenty of options around the main town square and on the road to the castle. I stopped into Cornercopia Café for a delicious latte.
St Gregory’s Minster in Kirkdale
The third stop is at St. Gregory’s Minster, a church in the Anglo-Saxon style that dates to 1060. Remarkably, this church remains in excellent condition and is still in use today. One of the notable features is right above the entrance door. It’s a sundial that also dates to the 11th century and has an inscription in Old English. The interior of the church is very simple, but the new stained glass dedicated to a recent caretaker contrasts nicely with the building’s age.
Just outside of St Gregory’s Minster, you will be able to see Kirkdale Cave from the bus. The cave is famous for containing the fossils of extinct hippos, rhinos, elephants, and hyenas.
The North York Moors National Park
After leaving St.Gregory’s, you will drive into North York Moors National Park. As you leave the rolling green hills, you will enter the moors dotted with heather. When I visited in late May, the heather gave the top of the hills an almost burgundy appearance. If you visit between August and September, you will see the moors transformed into a vibrant purple landscape of heather blooms.
It’s incredibly scenic to drive across the moors, and luckily, the tour also stops to give you a chance to take photos. The moors are a barren landscape and being on top of the hills, cooler and windier than at lower elevations.
Whitby Abbey
This tour to the North York Moors included entry to Whitby Abbey. Depending on when you travel, you may have a trip on a steam train included instead. I was very happy to visit Whitby Abbey as it was a highlight of the day tour. We had about 2.5 hours to explore both Whitby Abbey and the town which was plenty of time.
Sitting high above the harbour, these Gothic ruins are definitely inspirational. Whitby Abbey’s literature claim to fame is being the place that Bram Stoker’s Dracula ran to upon arrival to the town. Built in the 13th and 14th century, the ruins still have dramatically arched windows and empty rose windows. The location sitting above the Yorkshire Coast in a field of grass is one of the prettiest settings I’ve experienced for a church.
After wandering around Whitby Abbey, walk towards St.Mary’s Church. There are fantastic views over Whitby from here where you can see all the orange tiled roofs. There are 199 steps to walk down to descend into the town but with the sweeping views of the sea, it’s well worth the effort.
Exploring Whitby
In town, I headed straight to lunch. Whitby is famous for its fish and chips. Everyone is going to have their opinions about the best place in the UK to experience it but if you’re here, it’s not to be missed. What makes the Whitby fish and chips unique is that they are fried in beef fat. If you’re looking for vegetarian chips, I can recommend Hadley’s Fish and Chips. There is no shortage of seafood restaurant here so you should be able to find some by just wandering close to the the pier.
After grabbing some fish and chips, wander across the bridge and towards the pier. The walk down the pier will take you past multiple restaurants and ice cream places if you are still hungry. When I visited, there were a lot of people catching crabs in the river. Near the pier, there are sweeping views of St.Mary’s Church sitting above the town.
Walking back to meet the bus, I was surprised to find out that the bridge I had crossed was actually a swing bridge and I was lucky enough to see it in use as a boat passed through.
One thing to checkout before you end your time in Whitby is the replica of Captain Cook’s boat. This replica HMS Endeavour is full-sized and it’s incredible to think of it undertaking an expedition in the 1760s to Australia and New Zealand.
Returning to York with Views of Goathland
After the excursion to Whitby, it was time to make the 1.5 hour return trip to York. There aren’t any stops on the way back but there is a different route than the drive to Whitby.
We were able to get a great view of the Goathland train station that was used in the Harry Potter movies as well as of the village that was used in the series Heartbeat.
I was originally considering just taking the bus to Whitby but I am so glad I did this day tour to the moors and Whitby instead. It was nice to be able to explore more of the rural areas in Yorkshire. Ultimately 2.5 hours in Whitby was enough time so the tour really helped make the most of the day. It was the perfect day trip and so relaxing to not have to worry about driving and finding parking.
