The Best Places for a Group Getaway Across Yorkshire

A land of contrast, the magnificent county of Yorkshire gives visitors the perfect opportunity to experience a little of everything, from the fascinating history and culture of vibrant industrial cities and towns, to the outstanding scenery and quaint villages of the English countryside. The brooding romance of the Yorkshire Moors, the infamous sweep of coast and the gentle lull of the Yorkshire Dales – what better place to discover with a group of your favourite people?

Whether you are looking for an action-packed break with a group of equally adventurous pals, an indulgent few days with your besties, or just a quiet getaway with family to unplug from the demands of a busy life, Yorkshire has it covered. Check out our thoughts on the best places to visit.

The fashionable spa resort of Harrogate

If you are celebrating a special occasion, choose the elegant spa town of Harrogate in the West Riding of Yorkshire for a sparkling few days. Stroll around the exclusive Montpellier Quarter, visit the Royal Pump Room Museum and on balmy days, laze around the lawns of the leafy Valley Gardens with its Art Deco Sun Pavilion. If you love all things green, pop along to RHS Garden Harlow Carr to explore the woodland and wildflower meadows, stopping at the beautiful rhododendrons and Himalayan blue poppies.

When it’s time for a bit of pampering, visit the glorious Moorish-style Turkish Baths & Health Spa for a NEOM treatment and experience the euphoria of a Turkish bath under the splendour of its arabesque painted ceilings, Islamic arches and terrazzo floors. When you are as relaxed as you can be, indulge yourself further and pop into Betty’s Tea Rooms, a 100-year-old establishment where an afternoon tea doesn’t just fill a gap, but delights all the senses with its grandeur and elegance.

The grand old city of York

Packed with fabulous shopping and a whole host of attractions, this inspiring city makes a great day out. Unapologetically touristy, it invites you to wander its historic streets and be wowed by the 13th-century Gothic Cathedral of York Minster, York Castle Museum and the fantastic Jorvik Viking Centre with its lifelike mannequins and dioramas depicting Viking life in the city. Chocolate lovers should book a guided tour at York’s Chocolate Story, enjoying some sweet treats along the way while those looking for a more serene activity can take a leisurely cruise through the city along the River Ouse followed by an afternoon tea by the waterside.

A quick browse around the antiques shops will burn off those calories as will a whizz around the Harry Potter store, intriguingly named The Shop That Must Not Be Named. Finish with cocktails and some fine dining at one of the city’s top restaurants before heading home for a well-earned nightcap.

The buzzing metropolis of Leeds

It might be a county of lush landscape and dramatic moors, but Yorkshire is also home to this glitzy modern city, the ideal place for an impromptu city break with friends. Its rich industrial past as a mill town provides a handsome backdrop to a now buzzing metropolis, bursting with shops, restaurants, and culture galore. World-class theatre, innovative performance art and outstanding architecture, it’s also home to major international sporting events, immersive Victorian museums and colourful carnivals – there really is something for everybody in Leeds.

Bring your credit cards (you’ll need them) to the elegant Victorian Shopping Quarter – home to leading designer stores such as Harvey Nichols, Louis Vuitton and Mulberry, and visit the Victorian landmark of Kirkgate Market and Leeds Corn Exchange for independent retailers, vintage markets and eateries. Show up for a performance at the sumptuous City Varieties Music Hall or catch a show at the Leeds Grand Theatre before ending (or beginning) the night with a drink or two in one of the achingly cool Call Lane area’s live music venues.

The seaside town of Whitby and the North York Moors

The world’s most famous vampire, Captain Cook and a whole load of heritage – welcome to the seaside town of Whitby. Not your average seaside resort, this town, dominated by the Gothic Whitby Abbey – inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula – is awash with legend and intrigue, the perfect setting for an escape with friends. Visit in summer to enjoy the beach and watch the fishing boats come into harbour as you sample the best fish and chips in the country. Or come during the winter, when the shadow of the abbey looming over the winding cobbled streets will be sure to tempt you into a warm and welcoming tavern for a few hours respite from the bleak outdoors.

Whatever the season, spend your days exploring the ruins at the clifftop abbey, uncovering original maritime letters at the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, and signing unsuspecting pals up for one of the Dracula tours at Whitby Walks. You can’t leave without seeing a bit of the romantic, bleak and brooding moorland so hop aboard a vintage steam engine on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at Pickering to experience a return journey through 24 miles of Yorkshire’s stunning scenery. On the way home, take the long way back via Hemsley to the west, and experience afternoon tea in one of the charming tearooms of this beautiful moor-enveloped Yorkshire market town.

Brontë country – Haworth and the Yorkshire Dales

There are so many intriguing places to visit in the Dales – cultural Richmond, pretty Pateley Bridge, historical Skipton and the magical market town of Hawes to name but a few. With a plethora of quaint honey-coloured stone villages and towns wrapped in blankets of rich green land, you’d be hard-pushed to pick a favourite. But just a few miles south of the breathtaking scenery of the Yorkshire Dales, lies a particularly special place: the renowned village of Haworth, former home of the Bronte sisters. Now a literary mecca, a wander around the cobbled Main Street, a visit to the iconic parsonage – now the Brontë Museum – and a hike up to the wild and windswept moors which inspired Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, will definitely make you feel as though you have just stepped out of this most famous of novels.

You’ll have no real reason to leave the village with its sweet shops to browse, tearooms to treat yourself in and history to unravel, but if you do, take the walk up to the ruined farmhouse of Top Withins and the enchanting Bronte Falls to see if you recognise their Bronte connection. Explore the South Pennine moorland all around Haworth and up into the Yorkshire Dales National Park, not forgetting to stop off for a tour of the Black Sheep Brewery and Wensleydale Creamery to see how these Yorkshire institutions do their thing.

Wherever you to choose to visit, Big Domain have the perfect place for your escape to Yorkshire. Choose from a superb collection of farmhouses, manor houses and party houses for your group accommodation in Yorkshire.