Yorkshire Dales Itinerary: 3 to 5 Days by Car, from a Local

This Yorkshire Dales itinerary is how I’d plan three to five days in the Dales for a friend visiting for the first time. I live near Leyburn in Wensleydale, so that’s the base, and it assumes you have a car: you can see the Dales by bus, but you’ll see far less of it.

It isn’t a fixed loop. Each day is a self-contained day out from Leyburn, so you can shuffle the days around the weather, skip one or stop after three. Days 1 to 3 cover Wensleydale and Swaledale, the dales I know best. Days 4 and 5 head to the southern Dales, and those are researched.

Opening times and prices last checked October 2026.

Before You Go: Car, Base and Timing

• Hire a car. I’d plan this trip around driving. Compare car hire on Booking.com.
• Stay in Leyburn. It’s a market town with shops, pubs and cafés, and it puts Wensleydale on your doorstep. See places to stay in Leyburn, or read my guide to where to stay in the Yorkshire Dales for other bases.
• Check seasonal opening. Some sights close or cut their hours in winter. Bolton Castle, for example, is closed from 2 November 2026 to 5 March 2027. Coming in winter? Read my guide to the Yorkshire Dales in winter first.

Day 1: Leyburn, Middleham, Bolton Castle and Aysgarth Falls

Start in Leyburn. If it’s a Friday, the market is on. Walk out to the Shawl, a limestone ridge just west of town, for wide views over Wensleydale.

Then drive to Middleham, a small horse-racing town. Middleham Castle (English Heritage) was the northern power base of Richard III, and his son was born here. From there, head up the dale to Bolton Castle at Castle Bolton, a medieval castle where Mary, Queen of Scots was held prisoner. In season it’s open 10am to 5pm, with a tea room, gardens with a maze and a daily bird of prey display, but it’s closed from 2 November 2026 to 5 March 2027, so skip it on a winter trip.

Spend the afternoon at Aysgarth Falls, my favourite waterfall in the Dales. Three sets of falls (Upper, Middle and Lower Force) step down the River Ure, and easy woodland paths link them. Don’t miss the Lower Falls. Finish with a quick look at West Burton, a pretty village with Cauldron Falls a couple of minutes’ walk from the green.

Extra time? Walk from Leyburn to the little waterfall at Harmby, just east of town. All the falls are in my guide to the Yorkshire Dales waterfalls.

Day 2: Upper Wensleydale: Askrigg, Hawes and Hardraw

Drive west up the dale to Askrigg, which played Darrowby in the original BBC series of All Creatures Great and Small. A path of less than a mile leads from the village to Mill Gill Force. Stop in Bainbridge on the way, with its big village green and old stocks.

Have lunch in Hawes, a market town with its market on Tuesdays. The Wensleydale Creamery has a cheese experience, a cheese shop and places to eat, and the Dales Countryside Museum is a good stop if it rains.

End the day at Hardraw. Hardraw Force drops about 30 metres (100 feet) in a single fall, behind the Green Dragon Inn, and you pay a small fee to see it. The Green Dragon is my favourite pub in the Dales, so stay for dinner. All the Wensleydale villages are in my guide to the Yorkshire Dales villages.

Day 3: Swaledale: Buttertubs Pass, Keld and Reeth

From Hawes, take the Buttertubs Pass over to Swaledale. The road runs from near Hawes towards Thwaite and Muker, and it was one of the climbs on the first stage of the 2014 Tour de France. It’s named after the limestone potholes beside the road, where farmers are said to have cooled their butter on the way to market. The pass can be treacherous in ice and snow, so check conditions before you cross in winter.

At the top of Swaledale is Keld, with several waterfalls close to the village: East Gill Force is the easiest to reach, and Kisdon Force is for confident walkers, as the path down is steep and slippery. Then drive down the dale to Reeth, where Swaledale meets Arkengarthdale. Reeth’s view over the green and up the dale is the one I show any friend first. It has three pubs, and the Coast to Coast walk passes through.

Only have three days? Stop here. You’ll have seen the two dales I’d show anyone first.

Day 4: Malham Cove, Janet’s Foss and Gordale Scar

Day 4 is a longer drive to Malham, in the southern Dales. Malham Cove is an 80-metre limestone cliff about a kilometre north of the village. Stone steps on its west side climb to the limestone pavement on top, where scenes from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were filmed.

Back in the village, follow the easy woodland path to Janet’s Foss, a waterfall where, legend says, the queen of the fairies lived in a cave. Carry on to Gordale Scar, a limestone gorge with waterfalls inside (going further up it means a difficult scramble, so most people turn back at the falls).

Alternative: spend the day in Wharfedale instead. Bolton Abbey has the ruins of Bolton Priory, stepping stones across the River Wharfe, and walks through Strid Wood to the Strid. Stay well back from the water’s edge there. Then finish in Grassington, Darrowby in the Channel 5 All Creatures.

Day 5: Ribblehead Viaduct and the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail

Head west to the Ribblehead Viaduct, which carries the Settle–Carlisle railway across the moor on 24 stone arches, 32 metres (104 feet) high at its tallest point. Then spend the afternoon on the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail, a 4.5-mile circular walk past Pecca Falls, Thornton Force, Beezley Falls and Snow Falls. Tickets are £11 for adults and £5.50 for children (card only). Allow 2 to 4 hours, and note that last entry is 2.30pm from November to February.

No Car? The Easier Option

If you’d rather not drive, the simplest way to see the Dales is a day tour from York. The full-day Yorkshire Dales tour from York covers several villages, and the Herriot and Yorkshire Dales day trip includes Grassington. Buses do run in Wensleydale and Swaledale, but they’re limited: check DalesBus.

Tips for Your Dales Road Trip

• Budget for parking. Parking in the villages and at the big sights is usually paid.
• Download offline maps. Phone signal is terrible in much of the Dales.
• Plan Sundays carefully. Many shops and cafés open short hours on Sundays, if at all. Do a walk, a castle or a pub lunch instead.
• Swap days for the weather. Save the Wensleydale Creamery, the Dales Countryside Museum and Bolton Castle for wet days, and Malham or Swaledale for clear ones.
• Flying in? I’ve used Airalo eSIMs in about 15 countries, including the UK before I moved here. It’s a little overpriced, but it works really well, and you’ll want data for the drive (even if the Dales won’t always give you signal).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days do you need in the Yorkshire Dales?

I’d recommend three to five days. Three days covers Wensleydale and Swaledale; five lets you add Malham and Ingleton in the southern Dales.

Where is the best place to base yourself in the Yorkshire Dales?

For this itinerary, Leyburn in Wensleydale. Hawes, Reeth and Grassington are good alternatives depending on which dales you want to see most.

Do you need a car in the Yorkshire Dales?

I’d recommend one. Buses exist but are limited, especially on Sundays. If you don’t drive, a day tour from York is the easiest option.

Can you do the Yorkshire Dales in a day?

You can see a lot of Wensleydale in one day by car (Day 1 and Day 2 above, squeezed together), but you’ll only scratch the surface.

Plan the Rest of Your Trip

• Spending time in York too? Add my York itinerary.
• Visiting from Harrogate? See my day trips from Harrogate.
• More ideas in my Yorkshire Dales guide and Yorkshire itineraries and road trips.