6 Days & 5 Nights

4.4

The Yorkshire Dales In Comfort

Classic walking through the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Burnsall, where Yorkshire’s very own Dick Whittington hails from.
Limestone plateaus, high heather moorland and green valleys.
Walk to the stone-built village of Grassington, through flower-rich meadows.
Tea rooms, local brews and cuisine, including famed Yorkshire pudding.

Classic walking through the southern Yorkshire Dales, staying in characterful accommodations within the charming towns of Settle, Malham and Grassington. These special landscapes of immense beauty and character will forever be committed to memory as you walk from limestone plateaux to green valleys, and from stone-built villages to expansive heather moorland tops. At every turn you will be immersed in scenery that is well-known as “James Herriot country”, after the TV series starring this beloved vet. Stop in local pubs for lunch, in cosy tea rooms during your walks and in the evenings enjoy an eclectic range of restaurants in an area that is recognised as being one of the greatest culinary locations in the UK.

From £775.00

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Itinerary

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Day 1 Arrive Settle & overnight

Arrive in Settle, a bustling and historic Yorkshire Dales market town. It is home to the famous Settle-Carlisle Railway and surrounded by a limestone landscape that abounds with dry stone walls, meadows, scars, peaks and waterfalls. It is also one of the places where the movie “Calendar Girls” was filmed.

Overnight Settle

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Falcon Manor Hotel | Hotel

Built in 1841, this Grade II listed building has retained many period features, with converted and tastefully furnished interiors creating the warm and friendly atmosphere. It offers an ample car park free of charge and also free WiFi. Their bar menu is hearty & wholesome featuring everything from soup and sandwiches to traditional platters with fabulous regional produce. And pub classics like fish and chips and satisfying pies and casseroles for those looking for something a little more substantial.

The Golden Lion | Guest House

The Golden Lion at Settle offers the warmest welcome, great food and comfortable rooms - right in the heart of the beautiful market town of Settle. Each room has individual features and character - including the fabulous newly refurbished guestrooms. Wake up to a traditional full Yorkshire breakfast.

The Harts Head Hotel | Hotel

Set in the Yorkshire Dales in the picturesque village of Giggleswick the Harts Head Hotel offers 7 en-suite letting rooms, rustic homemade food and a fine pint of Thwaites Cask Ale. The ideal resting spot after a walk or bike ride.

Day 2 Walk to Malham 10 miles / 16 km

Today you will be walking partly on the Settle Loop which affords great views of the Three High Peaks of Yorkshire, Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. You will also traverse a limestone upland, before descending into Malham through rolling farmland. The crystal clear waters of Malham Beck flow through the centre of this delightful village. People have been living in this area since the Bronze Age and also 8th Century Anglian farmers, Norsemen and medieval monks. This route can also be shortened by taking an alternative path into Malham.

Standard Route: 16km (10 miles) Ascent: 405m / Descent: 365m
Shortened Route: 11km (7miles) Ascent: 360m / Descent: 335m

Overnight Malham

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Beck Hall | Bed and breakfast

Surrounded by rolling hills and magnificent limestone landscapes, Beck Hall was built in 1710 and has been providing hotel and B&B accommodation since the 1930s. After a day of walking or exploring, unwind with ease in one of their 20 whimsical en-suite rooms or lounge by the roaring fire with a pint in hand at the Snug. Each room at Beck Hall is distinct, and all have TV, tea and coffee making facilities, central heating and heated towel rails. Dining at their streamside Secret Garden Restaurant is a unique experience - they are England's first 100% plant-based hotel. Using the best ingredients from local suppliers, they create mind-blowing plant-based dishes that are uncompromisingly delicious, sustainable and seasonal.

Lister Arms | Country Hotel

The Lister Arms offers a warm Yorkshire welcome, wonderful home-cooked food, and a selection of real ales. All guest rooms are en-suite with complimentary toiletries, WiFi in the bar and lounge areas, tea & coffee making facilities – stocked with good old-fashioned Yorkshire Tea, hot chocolate and delicious biscuits, comfortable beds and plump pillows. In the restaurant, the menus are traditional in the sense that they offer you a warming array of home-cooked dishes. You can enjoy dishes which are freshly prepared to order using good quality local ingredients, sourced from trusted suppliers in the area.

River House B&B | Hotel

Your hosts Ann & Alex Roe, welcome you to River House, a Four Star Bed and Breakfast in Malham, a Victorian Country house, with parts originally built in 1664. All bedrooms at River House are en-suite with complimentary toiletries, digital flat screen tvs, hair dryers, heated towel rail and a plentiful supply of Yorkshire Tea & Coffee.

Day 3 Malham Cove and Tarn Loop 8 miles / 13 km

Make your way north out of Malham on the Airedale Way. Malhamdale and the upper reaches of Airedale has some of the most spectacular scenery in England, including Malham Cove, one of this country’s great “natural wonders”. First however, you will come across the waters of Malham Tarn, England’s highest freshwater lake.

Make your way around the tarn, which is a National Nature Reserve and then cross open farmland before turning back south and walking over the top of Malham Cove. A fairly steep descent brings you back into this charming village.

Ascent: 250m / Descent: 250m

Overnight Malham

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Beck Hall | Bed and breakfast

River House B&B | Hotel

Lister Arms | Country Hotel

Day 4 Walk to Grassington 8 miles / 13 km

This morning head south along the Airedale Way, before turning east and walking on a riverside path alongside the Gordale Beck. Then walk up to a plateau with woods and dip down into the valley and past farms and rolling countryside. Ascend once more to the top of a limestone peak alongside Lainger Beck for fantastic views, before dipping back down into Threshfield.

Arrive in the attractive small town of Grassington, set in the heart of Wharfedale. It has a picturesque cobbled square, winding alleyways, and tonight you may like to sample a local brew in one of its cosy pubs.

Ascent: 380m / Descent: 365m

Overnight Grassington

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Black Horse Hotel | Hotel

The Black Horse Hotel was extended in 1990 and now boasts 15 modern en-suite bedrooms, each with their own individuality. Enjoy modern facilities in rooms that were here before Dickens was a boy.

Grassington House | Inn

Grassington House, an award-winning restaurant with rooms in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, and a beautiful three-storey Grade II listed Georgian residence.

The Devonshire | Country Inn

The Devonshire is a classic Yorkshire Inn that has all the charm and character that you would expect from a pub sitting in the middle of Grassington. The Hotel was actually used in the 2020 series of All Creatures Great and Small, a remake of the beloved tv show based upon the “James Herriott” books following a Scottish vet on his move to a sleepy Dales village; Darrowby.

Day 5 Wharfedale Loop Walk via Burnsall 8 miles / 13 km

Initially cross a foot bridge over the River Wharfe and above Linton Falls. Admire the impressive Norman church here, before skirting Ebolton Hill and arriving in the “hidden” village of Thorpe, so-called as it lies between two limestone hills. In the Middle Ages, local people would take refuge from Scottish raiders here.

Continue to the alluring village of Burnsall with a pretty green, beside the River Wharfe. It was here where local man, William Craven, Yorkshire’s very own Dick Whittington, founded a grammar school in 1602. Walk on the Dales Way back to Grassington.

Ascent: 205m / Descent: 200m

Overnight Grassington

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Black Horse Hotel | Hotel

The Black Horse Hotel was extended in 1990 and now boasts 15 modern en-suite bedrooms, each with their own individuality. Enjoy modern facilities in rooms that were here before Dickens was a boy.

Grassington House | Inn

Grassington House, an award-winning restaurant with rooms in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, and a beautiful three-storey Grade II listed Georgian residence.

The Devonshire | Country Inn

Day 6 Onward Travel

THIS TRIP'S CARBON SCORE

This trip has a carbon score of 16kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 16kg is equivalent to 6.5 packets of British butter. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.

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Other Information

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Is it for me? Accommodation & Meals Navigation What's Included

Included

Overnight accommodation in B&B's, guest houses & small hotels
Breakfasts included
Luggage transfers
People transfers where mentioned
Detailed information pack, route notes and maps
24/7 telephone support from our UK office

Excluded

Travel insurance (required)
Travel to starting point/from finish
Lunches, dinners and snacks
Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage
Personal equipment

Extras

Additional nights before, during or after the walk

When to go Travel & Transfers Info & FAQ

General Information

The distances and ascents/descents are approximations of the recommended routes.Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example. proper rain gear, sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has detailed advice and a kit list on what to take.This includes good waterproof gear, walking shoes/boots, and lots of other useful bits and bobs.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.