Hamilton & Chase Tours
England's North: The Lakes and York — Private Package 8-day United Kingdom tour: Cambridge, York, the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, and Chester.

8-Day Private Package Journey

England's North: The Lakes and York

Cambridge, York, the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, and Chester.

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided
From €2,990 per person 8 days / 7 nights
View Itinerary

Tour Overview

8 days across United Kingdom.

The north of England is a different country from the south in everything except the passport. The landscape is harder, the cities more direct, the history more contested. York was the Roman capital of Britain — Eboracum — whose Minster is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe and whose Shambles is the best-preserved medieval street in England. The North York Moors are a national park of heather moorland, dramatic sea cliffs, and the village of Goathland that appeared as Hogsmeade in the Harry Potter films. Whitby, on the cliff above the North Sea, is where Bram Stoker set the arrival of Dracula and where the Synod of Whitby in 664 AD decided the date of Easter for the entire Christian church. The Yorkshire Dales are the limestone plateau of Wharfedale, Swaledale, and Ribblesdale — the landscape of James Herriot's books and David Hockney's paintings. The Lake District is England's most celebrated mountain landscape: sixteen lakes, the highest peaks in England, the cottage where William Wordsworth wrote The Prelude, and Beatrix Potter's farmhouse at Hill Top above Esthwaite Water. This eight-day journey covers the entire north in a private circuit from London.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1 — Arrival in London and Cambridge
Day 1
1

Day 1

Arrival in London and Cambridge

The capital and the other university.

Your private driver meets you at Heathrow or Gatwick Airport. Cambridge is an hour north of London and the correct way to understand Oxford: the two ancient universities share a history of rivalry in which Cambridge usually claims the sciences and Oxford the humanities, though both resist the categorisation. The colleges of King's, Trinity, St John's, and Queens' are the architectural heart of Cambridge — the Backs, where the lawns of the colleges run down to the River Cam, are the most photographed scene in English university architecture. King's College Chapel (1446–1515) has the finest example of late Gothic fan vaulting in England and the choir whose Christmas Eve service of Nine Lessons and Carols has been broadcast since 1928. A punt on the Cam between the college bridges: the flat-bottomed boat that navigates the shallow river is as Cambridge as the gown. Welcome dinner in Cambridge.

  • Private airport transfer and drive to Cambridge
  • King's College Chapel — fan vaulting and the Christmas choir
  • The Backs — the college lawns reaching the River Cam
  • Punting on the Cam beneath the college bridges
4–5★ hotel, Cambridge city centre
Day 2 — Lincoln and York
Day 2
2

Day 2

Lincoln and York

The cathedral on the cliff and the Roman capital of Britain.

Lincoln Cathedral, visible from 30 miles away on its limestone ridge above the Lincolnshire plain, was the tallest building in the world from 1311 to 1548 — when the central spire collapsed — and is still the third tallest cathedral in England. The Norman west front and the Angel Choir (1280) represent the zenith of English Gothic. Lincoln also holds one of the four surviving original copies of Magna Carta (1215) in the castle that stands opposite the cathedral across the hilltop. York in the afternoon: the Roman city of Eboracum where Constantine was proclaimed Emperor of Rome in 306 AD. York Minster is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe — its Great East Window (1405–1408) is the largest area of medieval stained glass in the world. The Shambles: the medieval butchers' street of overhanging timber-framed houses whose upper storeys almost touch above the narrow lane, the best-preserved medieval street in England and the probable model for Diagon Alley.

  • Lincoln Cathedral — the tallest building in the world from 1311 to 1548
  • Lincoln Castle and the 1215 Magna Carta
  • York Minster — the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe
  • The Shambles — the medieval butchers' lane of overhanging houses
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, York city centre
Day 3 — York in Depth
Day 3
3

Day 3

York in Depth

The Viking city, the city walls, and the railway museum.

York was the Viking capital of England — Jorvik — from 866 to 954 AD, and the JORVIK Viking Centre occupies the excavated site of the 10th-century Viking street beneath the Coppergate shopping area: 40,000 artefacts recovered from the anaerobic mud that preserved everything from wooden combs to silk from the Byzantine Empire. The York city walls are the most complete surviving medieval city walls in England — a 2.1-mile circuit walkable in one hour with views over the Minster and the city from the ramparts. Clifford's Tower: the 13th-century royal keep on its mound above the Ouse where the worst antisemitic massacre in medieval English history took place in 1190 — 150 Jewish people died rather than submit to forced baptism. The National Railway Museum: the world's largest railway museum, whose collection includes Mallard (the steam locomotive that holds the world speed record for steam traction at 126 mph since 1938) and the Japanese bullet train Shinkansen 0 Series.

  • JORVIK Viking Centre — the excavated 10th-century Viking street
  • York city walls — the complete 2.1-mile medieval circuit
  • Clifford's Tower and the 1190 massacre site
  • National Railway Museum — Mallard and the world's largest railway collection
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, York city centre
Day 4 — North York Moors and Whitby
Day 4
4

Day 4

North York Moors and Whitby

The heather plateau, Hogsmeade, and the cliff town of Dracula.

The North York Moors National Park covers 1,436 square kilometres of heather moorland, river valleys, and North Sea cliffs. In late August the moors turn purple — one of the finest natural spectacles in England. Goathland: the village whose station appeared as Hogsmeade in the Harry Potter films and which is served by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway — the steam heritage railway that runs 18 miles from Pickering through the moor. Whitby: the fishing town and seaside resort on the North Sea cliff where the herring fleet still operates and where Bram Stoker visited in 1890, saw the ruined abbey on the clifftop, and decided it was where Count Dracula would arrive in England. Whitby Abbey (founded 657 AD, destroyed at the Reformation) stands on the headland above the harbour. The 199 steps from the harbour to the abbey have been climbed by every character in the novel and every tourist since. The town's jet jewellery — made from the fossilised wood found in the local cliffs — was popularised by Queen Victoria after the death of Prince Albert.

  • North York Moors heather plateau — purple in late August
  • Goathland — the Hogsmeade station on the steam railway
  • Whitby Abbey — the ruined 7th-century monastery on the clifftop
  • Whitby harbour — Dracula's landing point, jet jewellery, and herring fleet
Meals: Breakfast 4★ hotel, North York Moors or Whitby
Day 5 — Yorkshire Dales
Day 5
5

Day 5

Yorkshire Dales

The limestone plateau of Wharfedale and James Herriot country.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is the limestone upland of the Pennines — the spine of England — where the rivers Wharfe, Swale, and Ribble have carved valleys of exceptional character. Aysgarth Falls in Wensleydale: the three-tiered limestone waterfall where Robin Hood and the Merry Men filmed their confrontation in the 1991 film. Bolton Abbey: the 12th-century Augustinian priory in Wharfedale whose ruined nave stands in a bend of the River Wharfe that JMW Turner painted three times. Malham Cove: the 80-metre curved limestone cliff formed by a glacial meltwater waterfall at the end of the last ice age, whose limestone pavement above was used as the wizarding world in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Skipton: the market town at the southern edge of the Dales whose castle (the most complete medieval castle in the north of England) has been continuously occupied since 1090.

  • Aysgarth Falls — the three-tiered waterfall in Wensleydale
  • Bolton Abbey — the 12th-century priory in a bend of the Wharfe
  • Malham Cove — the 80-metre limestone cliff and the Harry Potter pavement
  • Skipton Castle — the most complete medieval castle in northern England
Meals: Breakfast 4★ hotel, Yorkshire Dales or Harrogate
Day 6 — The Lake District
Day 6
6

Day 6

The Lake District

England's highest mountains and the landscape of Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter.

The Lake District National Park covers 2,362 square kilometres of glaciated mountain landscape in Cumbria — England's largest national park and the one whose literary associations are the most layered. Scafell Pike at 978 metres is the highest mountain in England; Windermere at 17 kilometres is the longest natural lake in England. Dove Cottage in Grasmere: the whitewashed cottage where William Wordsworth lived from 1799 to 1808, writing The Prelude and much of the work that defined English Romanticism, now preserved as a museum. Rydal Water and Grasmere lake from the ridge: the view that Wordsworth walked every day. Hill Top at Near Sawrey: the farmhouse where Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and The Tailor of Gloucester — now owned by the National Trust and preserved exactly as she left it. Windermere and the steamer that has been crossing the lake since 1845.

  • Dove Cottage, Grasmere — Wordsworth's home from 1799 to 1808
  • Rydal Water and Grasmere — the Romantic landscape
  • Hill Top — Beatrix Potter's farmhouse at Near Sawrey
  • Windermere — the longest natural lake in England
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Lake District
Day 7 — Chester
Day 7
7

Day 7

Chester

The Roman fortress city with the best-preserved medieval rows in England.

Chester was the Roman fortress of Deva Victrix — the most complete Roman legionary fortress in Britain, whose walls have been walked continuously since the 2nd century and remain intact for 3.2 kilometres around the city centre. The cathedral: the Benedictine abbey founded on the site of the Roman fortress's principia and converted to a cathedral at the Reformation, with the finest medieval choir stalls in England (1380). The Rows: the two-level covered galleried shopping streets unique to Chester, built in the 13th and 14th centuries, with shops on both the ground level and the raised gallery above — there is no equivalent anywhere in the world. The black-and-white half-timbered buildings of the city centre represent the Victorian reinvention of medieval half-timbering at its most exuberant. Dinner in Chester.

  • Chester Roman walls — 3.2 kilometres of the most complete Roman walls in Britain
  • Chester Cathedral — the 1380 choir stalls and the Benedictine cloister
  • The Rows — the unique two-level medieval galleried shopping streets
  • Black-and-white Tudor Chester city centre
Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Chester city centre
Day 8 — Departure
Day 8
8

Day 8

Departure

One last northern morning.

Chester in the morning: the riverside walk along the Dee below the Roman walls, the Eastgate Clock (the second most photographed clock in England after Big Ben), and the Grosvenor Museum whose Roman collection is the most important outside London. Your private driver transfers you to Manchester Airport (45 minutes), Liverpool Airport (45 minutes), or south to Birmingham Airport (90 minutes) at the agreed time. Alternatively, the tour can be extended by one night to include Liverpool — whose Albert Dock, Tate Liverpool, and the Beatles Story attraction add a final urban day to the northern circuit.

  • Chester Eastgate Clock and the riverside walk
  • Grosvenor Museum — the Roman collection
  • Private transfer to Manchester, Liverpool, or Birmingham Airport
Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

4–5★ hotel, Cambridge

Cambridge

1 night

4–5★ hotel

City centre

The University Arms on Parker's Piece or the Hotel du Vin in the old Cambridge building

4–5★ hotel, York

York

2 nights

4–5★ hotel

City centre

Two nights allows the full York programme — Minster, Viking centre, walls, and railway museum

4★ hotel, North York Moors / Whitby

North York Moors / Whitby

1 night

4★ hotel

Whitby or moors village

Whitby town is the atmospheric choice; a moors inn gives the heather landscape on the doorstep

4★ hotel, Yorkshire Dales / Harrogate

Yorkshire Dales / Harrogate

1 night

4★ hotel

Dales village or Harrogate

Harrogate is the most comfortable base for the Dales day; a Dales country house puts you in the landscape

4–5★ hotel, Lake District

Lake District

1 night

4–5★ hotel

Windermere or Grasmere

Grasmere puts you in the Wordsworth landscape; Windermere has the widest hotel choice

4–5★ hotel, Chester

Chester

1 night

4–5★ hotel

City centre

Chester has excellent properties within the Roman walls and on the Dee riverside

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

  • 7 nights in 4–5★ hotels and country house hotels
  • Daily breakfast at each property
  • Private airport transfer at London
  • Private vehicle and driver throughout
  • Cambridge guided visit including King's College Chapel
  • Lincoln Cathedral and Magna Carta guided visit
  • York Minster and JORVIK Viking Centre guided visits
  • North York Moors circuit including Whitby Abbey
  • Yorkshire Dales circuit including Bolton Abbey and Malham Cove
  • Lake District — Dove Cottage, Hill Top, and Windermere
  • Chester Roman walls and Cathedral guided visit
  • All entrance fees for guided visits
  • 24/7 travel specialist support
  • Hamilton & Chase digital travel booklet

Not Included

  • International flights to London / from Manchester or Liverpool
  • Travel insurance (required — we can arrange on request)
  • Meals not listed
  • Personal expenses
  • Gratuities for guides and drivers
  • City tax (collected by hotels)

Good to Know

  • The North Yorkshire Moors turn purple with heather in late August to mid-September — if this is the reason you are visiting, timing matters and Hamilton & Chase will advise on current conditions.
  • The Lake District is the wettest region of England — waterproof footwear is recommended for any walking regardless of the forecast.
  • York in summer (June–August) is extremely busy — the JORVIK Viking Centre and the Minster are best visited before 10am or after 3pm. Hamilton & Chase times visits accordingly.
  • Manchester Airport has more international connections than any other northern England airport — the default departure point for this tour.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Hadrian's Wall extension

A half-day detour to Hadrian's Wall — the 117km Roman frontier built by Emperor Hadrian in 122 AD. Vindolanda fort and the Roman Army Museum are the best visitor sites. Can be added between Day 6 (Lake District) and Day 7 (Chester), routing south via Carlisle.

From €125 pp

North Yorkshire Moors steam railway

A journey on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam train from Pickering to Goathland and back — 18 miles of moorland scenery on a preserved 1836 railway line.

From €45 pp

Liverpool extension

An additional night in Liverpool — the Albert Dock, Tate Liverpool, the Beatles Story museum at the Cavern Club quarter, and the two Gothic cathedrals that face each other across Hope Street. Adds one night to the itinerary.

From €145 pp

Durham Cathedral visit

Durham Cathedral — the finest example of Norman architecture in England, a UNESCO World Heritage site alongside the adjacent castle. Can be added between the Lake District and Chester days, routing south via the A1.

From €65 pp

"I had always assumed the north was an afterthought to London. Three days in York changed my mind entirely. The Shambles is the most extraordinary medieval street I have ever walked; the JORVIK Viking Centre is genuinely moving rather than a tourist experience. The Lake District was everything Wordsworth promised. Hamilton & Chase designed a northern England that most London-focused tours would never show."

Louise & Mark P.

Cape Town, South Africa · England's North, September 2024

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

Is this tour compatible with a London arrival and departure?

Yes — the tour begins with the airport transfer from London and ends with a transfer to Manchester Airport. If you need to return to London, a first-class train from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston takes two hours and is usually quicker than a domestic flight.

What is the difference between the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors?

The Dales are limestone — green valleys, white cliffs, waterfalls, and drystone walls. The Moors are sandstone — heather plateau, dark peat, dramatic sea cliffs, and wide views. Both are national parks; both are extraordinarily different from each other and from the popular image of northern England.

Private Package Journey

England's North: The Lakes and York

8 days / 7 nights

From €2,990

per person

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