10 Best Day Trips from York (With or Without a Car)

York is a brilliant base for exploring Yorkshire. Within an hour or so you can be walking through a stately home, eating fish and chips on the coast, riding a steam train across the moors or standing in the ruins of a medieval abbey. Several of the best are easy without a car.

I live in the Yorkshire Dales, and I’ve been to most of the places below myself: Castle Howard, Whitby, Scarborough, Fountains Abbey, Harrogate and Knaresborough. This guide covers the best day trips from York, how long each one takes, how to get there with or without a car, and which ones are worth combining.

Day Trips from York at a Glance

Day trip	Best for	By car	Without a car
Castle Howard	Stately home and gardens	30 min	Bus 81 (about 1 hr) or a tour
Harrogate	Spa town, Bettys, gardens	45 min	Train, 38 min
Knaresborough	Viaduct, river, Mother Shipton’s Cave	35 min	Train, about 25 min
Leeds	Shopping, museums	40 min	Train, about 25 min
Scarborough	Seaside, castle	1 hr 10 min	Train, about 50 min
Whitby	Abbey, harbour, fish and chips	1 hr 30 min	Coastliner bus (about 3 hrs) or a tour
North York Moors	Moorland, steam railway	50 min to Pickering	Coastliner bus or a tour
Helmsley and Rievaulx	Market town, abbey ruins	40 min	Tricky; best by car
Fountains Abbey	Abbey ruins, water garden	50 min	Train to Harrogate, then bus and taxi
Yorkshire Dales	Villages, waterfalls, walking	1 hr+	A tour

Travel times are approximate. Prices, opening times and transport last checked October 2026.

Easy Day Trips from York Without a Car

1. Harrogate

Harrogate is the day trip I know best: it was the first place my wife Callie took me when I came to visit her in Yorkshire, and her family lives there. It’s an elegant Victorian spa town with the original Bettys tearoom, the Victorian Turkish Baths, the Valley Gardens and some of the best independent shops in the county. It feels completely different from York: calmer, greener and more genteel.

Start with my guide to the best things to do in Harrogate, and book ahead if you want afternoon tea in Harrogate.

Getting there: direct trains about every 30 minutes, taking 38 minutes · Time: a full day · Combine with: Knaresborough, one stop down the line.

2. Knaresborough

Knaresborough is one of the prettiest towns in North Yorkshire, built above the gorge of the River Nidd with a railway viaduct striding across it. I’ve been several times, and the view of the viaduct from the riverside never gets old. Hire a rowing boat on the river, walk up to the castle ruins for the classic view, and visit Mother Shipton’s Cave, England’s oldest paid attraction, with its petrifying well.

Getting there: direct trains on the Harrogate line, about 25 minutes · Time: half a day · Good to know: Mother Shipton’s Cave is open from late March to 1 November in 2026; boats run in the warmer months.

3. Scarborough

Scarborough is often called Britain’s first seaside resort, and it’s the easiest beach day from York: just under an hour on the train. The town has two big sandy bays, the North Bay and the South Bay, split by a headland topped by the ruins of Scarborough Castle. Do the seaside classics (fish and chips, an ice cream, the arcades along the South Bay), then walk up to the castle for the view over both bays. More ideas in my guide to things to do in Scarborough.

Getting there: direct TransPennine Express trains, about 50 minutes · Time: a full day · Good to know: Scarborough Castle is run by English Heritage (paid; free for members).

4. Leeds

If the weather turns or you want a city fix, Leeds is 25 minutes away by train. It’s best for shopping (the Victorian arcades of the Victoria Quarter and Kirkgate Market, one of the largest covered markets in Europe) and for free museums, including the Royal Armouries. It’s not the prettiest day trip on this list, but it’s an easy one.

Stately Homes and Abbeys

5. Castle Howard

If you only do one day trip from York, make it Castle Howard. It’s one of the grandest houses in England, with a painted dome, a long gallery full of art and 1,000 acres of gardens, lakes and temples. You may recognise it from Brideshead Revisited, or as Clyvedon Castle in the first season of Bridgerton.

I’ve been, and the scale of the place is what stays with you: the house is enormous, and the grounds go on and on. Give it a full day rather than squeezing it in, and if you’re visiting from mid-November to early January, time it for the Christmas decorations, which this year have a Dickens theme.

Getting there: about 30 minutes by car; bus 81 from York Station Avenue takes about an hour, with extra Sunday buses in summer · Cost: house and gardens from about £27, gardens only from about £15.50 · Time: a full day · See Castle Howard tickets and tours.

6. Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal

Fountains Abbey is the largest monastic ruin in England and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and I think it’s the most beautiful place in this whole guide. The roofless abbey sits in a wooded valley next to Studley Royal, an 18th-century water garden with ponds, temples and statues. You can easily spend a whole day walking between them.

Getting there: about 50 minutes by car; without one, it’s a train to Harrogate, the 36 bus to Ripon, then a taxi · Cost: about £21 for adults (National Trust, free for members) · Time: 3 hours minimum, better as a full day · Combine with: the small cathedral city of Ripon, 10 minutes away.

7. Helmsley and Rievaulx Abbey

Helmsley is a handsome market town on the edge of the North York Moors, with a castle ruin, a cobbled square and good cafés and delis. Three miles away, Rievaulx Abbey is one of the most atmospheric abbey ruins in England, tucked into a quiet valley. Walk between the two on the Cleveland Way, or drive and do both in an afternoon.

Getting there: about 40 minutes by car; public transport is limited · Time: half a day to a full day · Good to know: Rievaulx Abbey is run by English Heritage (paid; free for members).

The Coast and the Moors

8. Whitby

Whitby is the most memorable day trip from York, and the one I’d pick for anyone who wants to see the Yorkshire coast. Climb the 199 steps to the clifftop ruins of Whitby Abbey (the setting that helped inspire Bram Stoker’s Dracula), wander the narrow lanes of the old town, and finish with fish and chips by the harbour. It’s a long day from York, so leave early. See my guide to things to do in Whitby.

Getting there: about 1 hour 30 minutes by car; the Coastliner 840 bus takes about 3 hours over the moors (beautiful, but long) · Time: a full day · Without a car: this small-group day trip from York to Whitby and the North York Moors includes three hours in Whitby.

9. The North York Moors and the Steam Railway

The North York Moors are at their best in August and early September, when the heather turns the hills purple. The classic way to see them is on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a heritage steam line from Pickering through Goathland (the village that played Aidensfield in Heartbeat and Hogsmeade station in the first Harry Potter film). Drive to Pickering, ride the train, and stop in Goathland for a walk on the moor.

Getting there: about 50 minutes by car to Pickering; the Coastliner bus also stops in Pickering and Goathland · Time: a full day · Good to know: check the railway’s timetable before you go, as services vary by season. Read more in my North York Moors guide.

The Yorkshire Dales

10. The Yorkshire Dales

I live in the Yorkshire Dales, so I’m biased, but this is the Yorkshire I’d most want visitors to see: dry-stone walls running up green hillsides, waterfalls, stone villages and some of the best walking in England. From York, the southern Dales (Grassington, Malham, Bolton Abbey) are about an hour and a quarter by car; Wensleydale and Swaledale take longer but are worth it (see my favourite Yorkshire Dales villages). If you only have time for one view, make it Reeth in Swaledale. And if you’re near Hawes, the Green Dragon Inn at Hardraw is my favourite pub in the Dales. Staying a few days? See where to stay in the Yorkshire Dales and my Yorkshire Dales itinerary.

Getting there: 1 hour+ by car · Without a car: a tour is by far the easiest option. This highly rated full-day Yorkshire Dales tour from York visits Bolton Castle and Hawes, and All Creatures Great and Small fans will love this Herriot and Yorkshire Dales day trip. See my Yorkshire Dales guide.

Day Trips I’d Combine

• Harrogate and Knaresborough: on the same train line. Spend the morning in Knaresborough and the afternoon in Harrogate, finishing with tea at Bettys.
• Pickering, the steam railway and Whitby: drive to Pickering, take the train to Whitby, and get the train back.
• Castle Howard and Helmsley: about 30 minutes apart by car. Castle Howard in the morning, Helmsley and Rievaulx in the afternoon.
• Fountains Abbey and Ripon: 10 minutes apart. Ripon Cathedral is free to visit.

Tips for Day Trips from York

• Hire a car for the countryside. Trains are great for Harrogate, Knaresborough, Leeds and Scarborough, but for the Moors, the Dales, Helmsley and Fountains Abbey a car makes all the difference. Pick one up on the day you leave York (you won’t want one in the city), and compare car hire on Booking.com.
• Or let someone else drive. Small-group day trips from York cover the Dales, the Moors, Whitby and Castle Howard, and save you navigating narrow country lanes.
• Checking out before a day trip? Many hotels will hold your bags for the day. If yours won’t, or you’re in an apartment, book luggage storage near York station so you can head straight off.
• Check seasonal opening. Some attractions close or cut their hours in winter, and the steam railway runs a reduced timetable. Visiting in winter? See my guides to York in winter and the Yorkshire Dales in winter.
• Consider English Heritage or National Trust membership if you’ll visit several abbeys and castles: Fountains Abbey, Rievaulx, Scarborough Castle, Whitby Abbey and Helmsley Castle are all covered by one or the other. See my guide to abbeys in Yorkshire.

Where to Stay

Staying in York gives you easy trains to Harrogate, Knaresborough, Leeds and Scarborough, and quick access to the A64 for the coast and Castle Howard. Compare places to stay in York, or see my guide to where to stay in York. If you’d rather be closer to the Dales and Fountains Abbey, Harrogate is a better base: see my guide to where to stay in Harrogate and my day trips from Harrogate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best day trip from York?

Castle Howard for history and grandeur, Whitby for the coast, and Harrogate if you don’t have a car. With more time, the Yorkshire Dales are the most beautiful.

What day trips can you do from York without a car?

Harrogate, Knaresborough, Leeds and Scarborough are all easy by train. Castle Howard is about an hour on bus 81. For Whitby, the Moors and the Dales, a guided tour is the most practical option.

Can you do Whitby as a day trip from York?

Yes, but it’s a long day. It’s about 1 hour 30 minutes each way by car or around 3 hours by bus, so drive or join a tour, and leave early.

Is Castle Howard worth visiting?

Yes. It’s one of the finest stately homes in England, with spectacular interiors and huge grounds. Allow a full day, and visit at Christmas if you can.

Is York or Harrogate a better base for day trips?

York is better for the coast, the Moors and Castle Howard, and has more train connections. Harrogate is better for the Dales, Fountains Abbey and Knaresborough. Many visitors split their stay between the two.

Plan the Rest of Your Trip

• Make the most of York itself with my guide to the best things to do in York and my York itinerary.
• Exploring further? Read my picks of the best places to visit in Yorkshire and my Yorkshire coast guide.
• Building a longer trip? Start with Plan your Yorkshire trip and my Yorkshire itineraries and road trips.