Steam Train, Moors and Whitby: Our New North Yorkshire Moors Railway Day Trip from York
Steam Train, Moors and Whitby: Private Tour from York.
Ride the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, explore Whitby and visit Robin Hood’s Bay on our new private 9-hour day trip from York for up to four guests.
There are plenty of ways to get from York to Whitby.
You can take the bus, drive yourself or plan a day around public transport connections. All of those options can work.
But we wanted to create something different.
Our new North York Moors, Steam Railway & Whitby tour turns the journey into the day itself. You travel privately from York to Pickering, ride the North Yorkshire Moors Railway through the moors to Goathland, continue by private vehicle across North Yorkshire and then spend proper time in Whitby before returning along the coast.
It is not an ordinary taxi journey.
It is a private Yorkshire day trip with a railway journey in the middle.
What is the new North York Moors Railway tour from York?
This is a private, full-day tour lasting approximately nine hours, designed for your own group of up to four guests.
The route is:
York → Pickering Station → North Yorkshire Moors Railway → Goathland → North York Moors → Whitby → Robin Hood’s Bay → York
You are collected from your York hotel, accommodation or another agreed York-area pick-up point. From there, your driver-guide takes you to Pickering Station, where you board the heritage railway for the journey to Goathland.
While you enjoy the train, your driver-guide travels ahead separately with the vehicle. You meet again at Goathland, then continue by private vehicle over the North York Moors towards the coast.
Whitby is the main stop, with around three hours to explore, eat lunch and see the town at your own pace.
That is the whole point.
You are not simply being dropped at the next destination. You are making the journey part of your Yorkshire experience.
See the full North York Moors, Steam Railway & Whitby tour
Why combine a Yorkshire steam train with Whitby?
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway gives you a proper heritage railway journey through the landscape. The road section then takes you across the moors and onwards to the Yorkshire coast.
So the day keeps changing.
You begin in historic York. You travel through the North York Moors by rail. You see Goathland and the open moorland by road. Then you reach Whitby, with its harbour, old streets, steep steps and famous abbey setting.
Finally, you stop at Robin Hood’s Bay before returning to York.
It is a varied day rather than one long drive to a single destination.
The railway journey is also a lovely way to see the moors without having to concentrate on the road. You can sit back, look out of the window and enjoy the changing landscape while your driver-guide takes the vehicle ahead to meet you.
No navigating.
No finding a parking space in Whitby.
No trying to work out how to connect the railway with the rest of your day.
Just a well-planned route with your own group.
What happens at Pickering Station?
After collecting you in York, we travel privately to Pickering Station.
Your Pickering to Goathland railway fare is included in the tour price. You do not need to arrange this part yourself. The driver-guide arranges the railway tickets at the station on the day.
Single tickets for this journey usually cannot be pre-booked online, so we handle that at Pickering before you board.
The service selected for the tour is scheduled to be steam-hauled. However, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway may substitute another locomotive if operational reasons make that necessary.
We think it is better to be clear about that.
You should expect a heritage railway journey through the moors, with the chosen service scheduled to be steam-hauled, but no railway operator can sensibly guarantee that the same locomotive will run in every circumstance.
The railway journey from Pickering to Goathland
The train takes you from Pickering through the North York Moors to Goathland.
This is the Yorkshire steam train part of the day: a slower, more traditional way to travel through the landscape, with time to enjoy the railway rather than treating it as a quick connection.
Goathland is well known for its railway station and village setting, but it is also a useful point in this particular itinerary. The train journey finishes there, and your Highwayman Tours vehicle is waiting for you at the other end.
Your road tour remains completely private throughout.
Other people may be travelling on the railway service, of course. That is a public heritage railway. But your vehicle, driver-guide and road route are reserved for your own group of up to four guests.
What can you see after Goathland?
Once you have met your driver-guide again, the tour continues by private vehicle across the North York Moors.
The exact rhythm of this part of the day depends on the railway timetable, traffic, weather and the time available. There is a planned route, but we try to keep the road portion comfortable rather than cramming in stops just so we can claim to have passed them.
That means you can enjoy the moorland properly.
You may see:
- Open North York Moors landscapes
- Old villages and traditional stone buildings
- Moorland roads and changing views
- Goathland and its railway surroundings
- The approach towards the Yorkshire coast
Then comes Whitby.
Whitby is the main stop
You have around three hours in Whitby, making it the centrepiece of the day rather than a rushed photo stop.
You could spend your time visiting or looking around the Whitby Abbey area, walking by the harbour, exploring the old streets, browsing independent shops or stopping for lunch.
Want to see the abbey? Fine.
Want to concentrate on the harbour and town? No problem.
Want time for fish and chips and a wander? That can be part of the plan too.
Whitby has steep streets and steps, particularly around the abbey and older parts of town. Some surfaces are uneven, so do bear that in mind when deciding how you would like to use your time.
Whitby is worth visiting from York because it feels so different from the city. York gives you medieval streets and historic city walls. Whitby gives you the sea, harbour views, Gothic atmosphere and the North Sea coast.
For more detail, read our guide: Is Whitby Worth Visiting from York?
Why finish at Robin Hood’s Bay?
After your time in Whitby, the tour continues along the coast to Robin Hood’s Bay.
It is a smaller, older coastal settlement with a very different feel from Whitby. The streets are steep here too, so it is worth taking things at a comfortable pace.
This final stop gives you another view of the Yorkshire coast before the private drive back to York.
The route is not trying to turn every village into a rushed tick-box. It is about combining the best parts of the day sensibly:
- A heritage railway journey
- North York Moors scenery
- Time in Whitby
- A coastal stop at Robin Hood’s Bay
- A private return to York
More than people think can fit into one day when the route is planned around the railway timetable.
How much does the tour cost?
The tour prices are:
- One guest: £466.35
- Two guests: £492.79
- Three guests: £519.24
- Four guests: £545.69
These prices include:
- Private vehicle
- Local driver-guide
- York-area collection and return
- Pickering to Goathland railway fare
- North York Moors road tour
- Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay
- FareHarbor booking fee
They do not include Whitby Abbey admission, other attraction admission, food, drinks or personal purchases.
The railway fare and FareHarbor booking fee are already included in the advertised price. There is no separate railway ticket for you to arrange.
When does the tour run?
This tour runs on selected North Yorkshire Moors Railway operating dates only.
The railway timetable sets part of the day, so start times vary slightly depending on your chosen date. The live booking calendar shows available dates and the exact York collection time for each booking.
That is important when planning your Yorkshire holiday. This is not a tour that runs identically every day at one fixed time.
Check the calendar first, especially if you are travelling on a short visit or have other arrangements later in the day.
We cannot promise every date will be available. But where availability allows, we can give you a memorable way to connect York, the North York Moors and Whitby without losing the whole day to transport.
Check live availability for the tour
Is this better than travelling from York to Whitby independently?
That depends on what you want.
If you only want to reach Whitby and spend the day there, the direct Coastliner bus can be a sensible option. Driving gives you more independence, although you still have to manage the roads, parking and the return journey.
The private tour is for something slightly different.
It suits you if you want:
- A private York pick-up and return
- A Yorkshire steam train journey
- The North York Moors as part of the route
- Around three hours in Whitby
- Robin Hood’s Bay as a coastal stop
- No car hire
- No public-transport connections to organise
- A day planned for your own group of up to four guests
You are not paying simply to get from York to Whitby.
You are booking a private sightseeing day that happens to finish back in York.
For a broader comparison of bus, train, car and private tour options, read York to Whitby: Best Ways to Get There.
You can also see more ideas in our guide to the best day trips from York without a car.
A new signature Yorkshire day trip
We are genuinely pleased to launch this tour because it brings several things together without making the day feel overcomplicated.
You get the railway.
You get the moors.
You get proper time in Whitby.
You get the coast.
And you get a private vehicle waiting for you at Goathland rather than having to arrange the rest of the day from scratch.
That is the problem with many sightseeing journeys: the interesting places are there, but connecting them can involve a fair bit of faff.
This tour removes much of that faff.
If you would like to ride the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, explore Whitby and see more of the coast in one day from York, it is worth checking the live calendar.
We would be very happy to make it work for you where availability allows.
( Kestrel, Highwayman Tours)
