Yorkshire Dales tour: James Herriot Country small group

Follow the All Creatures Great & Small locations without navigating the roads yourself

A full-day tour of Yorkshire Dales departing from York with hotel pickup, visiting the World of James Herriot Museum in Thirsk, Ripon Cathedral's 672AD crypt, Grassington (Darrowby in the TV series), and Wensleydale Creamery for cheese tasting. The group stays under six people, which opens access to rural farm tracks and backroads that larger coaches cannot use. A live English-speaking guide drives the air-conditioned minibus and commentary runs throughout the day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. World of James Herriot1h · entry included
2. Wensleydale Creamery20m

Explore Yorkshire Dales and James Herriot sites

• Visit World of James Herriot Museum
• Explore Ripon Cathedral and crypt
• Travel through Wharfedale and Wensleydale
• Walk along village green by river Wharfe
• Lunch stop in Grassington town
• See Church of St Michael and All Angels in Hubberholme
• Photo stop at Alderson's Farm in Yockenthwaite
• Cheese tasting at Wensleydale Creamery

The experience

You start from your York hotel in the morning and spend the day on the roads and in the villages that made James Herriot's stories real. The minibus holds no more than six, which is the whole point: while bigger tour groups stick to the main routes, you take the farm tracks and backroads of Wharfedale and Wensleydale that open up the landscape Herriot wrote about. Your guide drives and talks the whole way, pointing out the moorland and valleys as they unfold.

The first stop is Thirsk, where you walk through the World of James Herriot Museum inside the actual house where Herriot lived, worked and wrote his books. From there you head to Ripon to see the cathedral, built on the site of a Saxon church from 672AD. The crypt below it is the original one. Then you drive into Grassington, the village that played Darrowby on screen, and you'll recognize Skeldale House and the market square from the show. Your guide can help you pre-order lunch at the Drover's Arms (the real name of the Devonshire in the series) so you don't lose time deciding. You walk the village green and along the river Wharfe, following the same paths the characters did.

The afternoon takes you through Hubberholme to see the Church of St Michael and All Angels (the place where James and Helen marry in the show), and then to Yockenthwaite, where you stop for photos overlooking the Alderson's Farm (Heston Grange in the story, where James first meets Helen). The last stop is Wensleydale Creamery for a free tasting of local cheeses before the drive back to York. The whole day runs about eight and a half hours from pickup to drop-off.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in York.
• transport in an air-conditioned minibus with a live English-speaking driver-guide.
• entrance ticket to the World of James Herriot Museum.
• live commentary throughout the day.
• access to the free cheese tasting at Wensleydale Creamery.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 21 Oct 2027

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Child (5 to 15 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 6

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 30 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Grand Yorkshire Limited

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're staying in York and want to see the All Creatures Great & Small locations without renting a car or navigating unfamiliar roads yourself. The small group size is what makes the backroad routes possible. You'll reach places and landscapes that larger coaches cannot access, and the guide handles all the driving and commentary so you can focus on the scenery and the story.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 15 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. No refund if you cancel.

What is the World of James Herriot Museum actually like inside?

The World of James Herriot occupies the house where the real vet James Herriot lived, worked and wrote his books. You walk through the rooms where he lived and worked, seeing the spaces that shaped his writing, and the museum tells the story of his life and his practice.

Can I get lunch in Grassington, or do I need to bring my own food?

Grassington has the Drover's Arms (the Devonshire in All Creatures Great & Small), and your guide can help you pre-order lunch there before you arrive so the meal is ready when you sit down. Food is your own expense, but the guide's help means you don't spend time waiting or deciding.

Will I see the actual filming locations from the TV series?

Yes. You visit Grassington, which played Darrowby and where you see Skeldale House and the market square from the show. You also stop at Hubberholme Church, where James and Helen's wedding was filmed, and at Yockenthwaite, the location of Heston Grange and the Alderson's Farm where James first meets Helen.

Why can this tour use roads that bigger groups cannot?

The minibus holds no more than six people, which is small enough to navigate the rural farm tracks and backroads of the Yorkshire Dales. Larger coaches cannot fit on these narrow routes, so they stay on the main roads and miss the countryside that makes the landscape distinctive.

Is the Wensleydale Creamery tasting included in the price?

The stop at Wensleydale Creamery is included, and you have access to the free tasting room where you can sample local cheeses. Any cheese you buy is your own expense.

What time does the tour start and finish?

The tour runs about eight and a half hours total, including hotel pickup in York city centre in the morning and drop-off back at your accommodation. Your guide will confirm the exact pickup time when you book.