As my one-day Yorkshire Dales tour came to an end on a beautiful day in August, I kept wondering why this stunning area still remained relatively unpopular with foreign tourists, compared to places such as London and its surrounding areas.
While many might have heard about the Yorkshire Dales National Park, only a few consider squeezing this gorgeous region into their UK travel itinerary. Well, if you’re one of these people, read on! I hope I can change your mind with these 5 reasons why a Yorkshire Dales tour should be on your bucket list.
All these photos were taken from my excellent one-day Yorkshire Dales tour with BOBHolidays. In fact, my experience in the Yorkshire Dales would not have been as amazing had it not been for the tour guide, who was highly knowledgeable and accommodating. You can read more about the tour at the end of this article. For now, let’s check out the 5 reasons why you certainly should visit the Yorkshire Dales.
1. Its brilliant scenery will take your breath away
The Yorkshire Dales’ limestone scenery is simply spectacular! Its vast heather moorland, lovely waterfalls, and grand hay meadows make up a wonderfully diverse landscape of each dale (i.e. valley) in this area.
During our Yorkshire Dales tour, the tour guide also explained in detail how geographical events in the past contributed to shaping the unique landscape here.
There are sheep roaming around on these meadows and sometimes (when their gates are left unlocked) abruptly crossing the road, which gives some entertaining moments to those driving by.
2. So many charming villages to wander around
During this Yorkshire Dales tour, we drove past many stone-built villages and small towns which, except from the cars, gave an impression that we were somehow momentarily transferred back to the 19th century. The tour guide let us stop a bit longer at Hawes, Arncliffe, and Pateley Bridge, all of which were attractive in different ways.
Hawes
We had a 1.5-hour lunch stop at Hawes – a charming market town, where I got myself a delicious plate of chicken coronation sandwich with mango chutney at a lovely cafe. I also had the chance to fill my stomach with lots of (free) cheese. (Read number 3 below to find out about my cheese-tasting experience in Hawes).
Other things to do in Hawes include visiting the Dales Countryside Museum, checking out the Hawes Ropemakers, or just walking around the beautiful valleys and hills around the town center.
Arncliffe
On the way back from the Yorkshire Dales, we also stopped at Arncliffe – a quaint peaceful village in Littondale. We then followed the tour guide for a short walk around. What attracted me most were the stone-built houses with dry stone walls, the closed-down beautifully-designed local school, and the imposing church with an age-old “punishment tool” in front of its gate.
Pateley Bridge
Our last stop before getting back to York is Pateley Bridge – a charismatic market town in Nidderdale. Pateley Bridge looked so pretty that I fell instantly in love with it! Those with a sweet tooth can also pick some mouth-watering chocolate at the oldest sweet shop in the world right here.
3. It’s perfect for cheese lovers <3
A highlight of my Yorkshire Dales tour is the visit to Wensleydale Creamery Visitor Centre. As a cheese-lover, I was over the moon to get to taste more than 20 different types of cheese produced right there in Wensleydale. I’d wanted to buy them all and ended up buying the Blueberry and Pineapple cheese after thinking so hard as to which ones to pick. The good news was our tour van also had a fridge to store the cheese we’d bought!
There’s also a cafe, a restaurant, and a souvenir shop at Wensleydale Creamery Visitor Centre. For a small fee, you can also take a 40-minute tour of the centre and observe how cheese is made!
4. Castles and abbeys here are no less stunning
In addition to its gorgeous natural landscape, the Yorkshire Dales are also home to well-preserved medieval castles and abbeys.
During our Yorkshire Dales tour, we visited the magnificent Bolton Castle where Mary Queen of Scots was once imprisoned for a month. The castle features a pretty garden of flowers and herbs and a dazzling maze. There are also lots of exciting activities here, such as archery demonstration, birds of prey display, and wild boar feeding.
(Note: These activities are organised at certain times during the day. Check out their website for a full timetable of activities!)
5. Filming locations for movie enthusiasts
Movie enthusiasts will love this Yorkshire Dales Tour, as the tour drives past many famous filming locations such as Aysgarth Fall (in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves), the Falcon Inn (in the TV series Emmerdale Farm), and Askrigg (in the James Herriot All Creatures Great and Small TV series).
Choosing a Yorkshire Dales Tour
Has this list convinced you to consider Yorkshire Dales as your next holiday destination?
If you only have one day to spare, I’d highly recommend booking a Yorkshire Dales tour. My Yorkshire Dales tour with BOBH gave me a hassle-free travel experience and plenty of interesting knowledge about the region which I wouldn’t have known otherwise.
In addition, BOBH is highly ranked on Tripadvisor with very positive reviews, which are evidence of their great service. The tour departs at 9 am from York and returns at around 6.30 pm. They also run tours to Whitby and other places in Yorkshire. You can check out their full list of tours in Yorkshire here.
I’ve also made a short video of this Yorkshire Dales Tour with BOBH.
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Note: I was sponsored for this tour by BOBH, but of course, all opinions here are my own.
I love all the adorable towns you can wonder, and most eith its own castle or little piece of history … its amazing.
The Yorkshire Dales are beautiful, and I’ve been lucky to visit too. Did you understand their strong accents, they’re so nice and friendly! Wensleydale cheese isn’t my favourite, but I’m glad you tried it. The pretty villages are so iconic and quintessentially English 🙂
Yorkshire is such a pretty area of the UK. I cannot believe that I missed the Wensleydale Creamery. Now I have to go back to sample cheese and ice cream!
I must admit Yorkshire Dales was never on my radar until I read your post. The limestone scenery looks beautiful, as do the bridges and castle looking buildings. I am a bit confused as to what sheep poo might be but I’d love to try it! And the cheese looks delicious too. I just got back from Italy and am on a cheese kick still. Adding Yorkshire Dales to my list now!
I am so glad you wrote this post. It’s true that a lot of visitors think that England is just London and its surroundings. Yorkshire is so beautiful! The natural landscape and the little villages are perfect for exploring. I would love to stay there for a week or more. Pinned for future reference! 🙂
Wow this is my kind of adventure! You are right, the beautiful scenery is breathtaking! I also adore the charming villages and it would be a perfect way to spend the day to wander around and take photos!
Looks like classic UK beauty to me! I love all the photos of the villages–the stone buildings are just so pretty. Plus, who doesn’t love cheese?!
Wow! Your pictures are wonderful. I always think to go to London, but really, I typically love smaller towns when I travel. Thanks for sharing – adding this to my list of places to visit!
Wow this place looks amazing. How old is the oldest sweets shop anyway ;D? This place looks so charming!! The cheese tour also sounds amazing. How many different types did you get to try? I’ve never heard of pineapple cheese! Is it just flavored or do they actually have chunks of it?
I was told they started making sweets in the 1600s, so yeah it’s been quite a long time 🙂 About the cheese: Yes they have pineapple chunks as well. There are also other fruity types of cheese here such as cranberry and blueberry cheese. They’re heaven!
Omg I’m in love with your post! I’ve always wanted to do a roadtrip through the English countryside and Yorkshire sounds absolutely charming! Beautiful green scenery and fairytale aura. Thank you for sharing tips and advice – def putting this on the list of must sees!
Ah I love small English towns like the one you showed in the pictures here! I took a trip to the Lake District once and it looked a lot like that… so charming! I will have to add it to my UK list 😉
This place looks so lovely, I’d like to visit it! The stone-built houses are so pretty and I’m a cheese lover so….I think I’d really enjoy it! 🙂
Wow you’ve definitely convinced me to put Yorkshire Dales on my list the next time I’m in England! I love the countryside scenery and would really enjoy trying all those cheeses!!
Glad I came across this post. Your words, pictures and video took me away to the Yorkshire Dales from the comfort of my computer screen.
Wow, the scenery does look really beautiful from the look of your photos! I can’t get enough of the charming little towns, so I know I would just love it!
The scenic Yorkshire dales is so tempting and urges me to book tickets now. Beautiful alleys of Pateley bridge is perfect to walk around in those sweet, small markets. Hawes is really a very charming town, straight from fairyland types countryside town. Yorkshire dales tour now is on my wish list. Thanks for sharing!
Yorkshire is definitely one of the prettiest parts of the UK and you have captured it so beautifully. Quaint English towns are my favourite weekend spots as you get to explore the real countryside in these places. The castles and waterfalls sound so perfect, would love to visit when I’m in the country.
I have to admit I had never heard about the place before, but your pictures won me over! And that was even before I saw the cheese and chocolate combo, ha ha! I have always dreamt of getting lost on that kind of small British villages surrounded by fields with a green you can only find in those places. Loved your post so much!
Small countryside areas are pretty much by favorite parts of the UK, so this is right up my alley. Bolton Castle and the surrounding area reminds me so much of Rock of Cashel in Ireland, which I loved. Definitely adding this to my UK dreamlist.
I think my number one reason for wanting to visit would definitely have to be the cheese! I am definitely a cheese snob and love bringing some home with me from all over the world. Obviously, the second reason would, of course, be the scenery. Old looking towns like that make me so happy!
This greenery town is so gorgeous on it own! The houses and very humble looking and you are so lucky to visit and experience its beauty.
Too bad I didn’t know of this place when I was in England. It would have made one heck of a day trip from London. The landscape looks just spectacular! Oldest sweet shop in England? That’s intriguing!
Hawes looks like such an adorable quaint town! I love exploring more of the British countryside – I just need to bring myself to plan a trip and brace the cold, windy weather!
Viola xo | A Piece of Viola
What an amazing, idyllic landscapes, I went to Scotland and Cornwall recently and they looked quite similar. Perfect for a summer weekend 🙂
For a moment it looked like Ireland, and because I love this kind of landscape, I was already adding another trip there in our schedule. Imagine my surprise when I’ve learnt it’s Yorkshire Dales! I’ve already added it to our bucket list, thank you!
Looks so amazing! I’ve always wanted to visit but haven’t gotten around to doing it. Thanks for the tour operator recommendation! Day trips are always easier when you book a tour so you don’t have to worry about transport etc!
I am impressed and you are right that Yorkshire Dales is really really beautiful. Your pictures don’t look from the real world and are part of some fairyland. The landscapes are spectacular. Adding it to my list. Thanks.
These small towns always have amazing and interesting stories, and often have something special to offer. Love the scenery too btw
Oh, that looks amazing! Admittedly I had never heard of of Yorkshire Dales, but I can see why you love it! There is just so much to see in the UK, I think a lifetime is not nearly enough to see it all 🙂