🚗 The Best Day Trips from Leeds
Escape the hustle and bustle of Leeds with these incredible day trip ideas. Whether you’re after scenic walks, historic sites, or cultural treasures, there’s something for everyone just a short journey away.
On this page:
- 🎨 Cultural and Creative Experiences
- 🍺 Food and Drink Adventures
- 🏰 Historic Sites and Landmarks
- 🌳 Nature and Outdoor Escapes
👉 Click here to view all of these locations on a Google map
Cultural and Creative Experiences
📚 Ilkley Literature Festival
Attend the UK’s second oldest literature festival in the charming spa town of Ilkley. This annual event brings authors, poets, and thinkers to Yorkshire. Ilkley was voted the Best Place to Live in the UK by the Sunday Times in 2022.
📍 Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29
👉 Ilkley Literature Festival website
🏺 Salts Mill, Saltaire
Explore this historic mill-turned-arts centre, featuring galleries, shops, and cafés in the UNESCO-listed village of Saltaire.
📍 Victoria Rd, Saltaire, Shipley BD18 3HU
👉 Salts Mill website
🎨 The Hepworth Gallery, Wakefield
This award-winning gallery is a treasure trove of modern art and sculpture, set alongside a beautiful riverside garden.
📍 Gallery Walk, Wakefield WF1 5AW
👉 The Hepworth website
🏛️ The Piece Hall, Halifax
The beautiful Grade I listed Piece Hall is the only remaining example of the great eighteenth century northern cloth halls. It's a hub for arts, events, shopping, and dining. A vibrant destination blending culture and history.
📍 Blackledge, Halifax HX1 1RE
👉 The Piece Hall website
🌼 Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Awarded Yorkshire Tourist Attraction of the Year in 2023, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a world-renowned open-air art gallery, blending contemporary sculptures with a stunning natural setting.
📍 West Bretton, Wakefield WF4 4LG
👉 Yorkshire Sculpture Park website
🎭 York Theatre Royal and York Minster
Spend a cultural day in York with a visit to this historic theatre and the awe-inspiring cathedral, both steeped in history and artistry.
📍 York Minster, York YO1 7HH and York Theatre Royal, St Leonard's Pl, York YO1 7HD
👉 York Minster website
👉 York Theatre Royal website
Food and Drink Adventures
🍎 Ampleforth Abbey Orchards and Cider Mill
Tour one of the largest commercial orchards in the north of England at this historic abbey, sample their handcrafted cider, and learn about traditional cider-making techniques.
📍 Ampleforth, York YO62 4EN
👉 Ampleforth Abbey website
🍻 Black Sheep Brewery
Enjoy a brewery tour and sample some of Yorkshire’s finest ales. A must-visit for beer enthusiasts.
📍 Wellgarth, Masham HG4 4EN
👉 Black Sheep Brewery website
🍦 Brymor Ice Cream
Savor delicious handmade ice cream at this family-friendly farm in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
📍 High Jervaulx Farm, Ripon HG4 4PG
👉 Brymor Dairy website
🍷 Theakston Brewery
Visit one of Britain’s oldest family-run breweries in Masham. Enjoy a guided tour and taste iconic ales like Old Peculier.
📍 Masham, Ripon HG4 4HH
👉 Theakston Brewery website
🧀 The Courtyard Dairy
Awarded Best Cheese Shop in the UK by The Times in 2024. A paradise for cheese lovers offering award-winning artisan cheeses, a deli, and cheese-making workshops in the Yorkshire Dales.
📍 Austwick, Lancaster LA2 8AS
👉 The Courtyard Dairy website
🧀 Wensleydale Creamery
Visit the home of the famous Wensleydale cheese. Take a tour, sample the cheeses, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the Yorkshire Dales.
📍 Gayle Ln, Hawes DL8 3RN
👉 Wensleydale Creamery website
Historic Sites and Landmarks
🏰 Castle Howard
A magnificent stately home surrounded by beautiful gardens and a vast estate. Used in multiple films and TV shows, and home to the Howard family for more than 300 years.
📍 Castle Howard, York YO60 7BY
👉 Castle Howard website
🏛️ Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden
A UNESCO World Heritage site with majestic ruins and beautiful landscaped gardens. A must-visit for history and nature enthusiasts.
📍 Fountains, Ripon HG4 3DY
👉 Fountains Abbey website
🏚️ Haworth and Brontë Parsonage Museum
Visit the charming village of Haworth, home to the Brontë sisters. Explore their historic home and wander the cobbled streets.
📍 Haworth, Keighley BD22 8DR
👉 Brontë Parsonage Museum website
🏚️ Ripley Castle and Gardens
A Grade I listed 14th-century country house close to Harrogate. Explore this historic estate with a guided castle tour.
📍 Ripley, Harrogate HG3 3AY
👉 Ripley Castle website
🏛️ Skipton Castle
Built in 1090 and one of the best-preserved medieval castles in England, offering an immersive experience into history.
📍 The Bailey, Skipton BD23 1AW
👉 Skipton Castle website
🏰 York Minster and York City
Spend the day exploring York, from the awe-inspiring York Minster to the Shambles, a medieval street filled with shops and cafés.
📍 York Minster, York YO1 7HH
👉 Visit York website
Nature and Outdoor Escapes
🌲 Bolton Abbey
Explore the stunning ruins of the 12th-century Bolton Priory and its surrounding estate. Enjoy riverside walks, woodland trails, and picturesque picnic spots.
📍 Bolton Abbey, Skipton BD23 6AL
👉 Bolton Abbey website
🦢 Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve
This RSPB reserve is ideal for birdwatching, gentle walks, and family outings amidst wetlands and woodlands.
📍 Newton Ln, Castleford WF10 2BH
👉 Fairburn Ings website
🌊 Flamborough Head
One of the most important seabird colonies in Europe, Flamborough Head and the surrounding area offers rugged coastal beauty with chalk cliffs, sea caves, and abundant wildlife. Ideal for birdwatching or a scenic coastal walk.
📍 Bridlington YO15 1AP
👉 Flamborough Head website
🌳 Hardcastle Crags
A woodland gem close to Hebden Bridge, with trails for all levels, a 19th-century Gibson Mill, and a picturesque river running through.
📍 Hebden Bridge HX7 7AL
👉 National Trust Hardcastle Crags website
🧗♀️ Ilkley Moor and Cow and Calf Rocks
Known as the inspiration for the Yorkshire "county anthem" "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at". Enjoy breathtaking views and fresh moorland air at this iconic Yorkshire destination. A great spot for walking and climbing.
📍 Hangingstone Rd, Ilkley LS29 8BT
👉 Ilkley Moor information
🛶 Knaresborough and River Nidd
Visit the charming market town of Knaresborough, famous for its riverside views, Mother Shipton’s Cave, and the iconic viaduct. Don’t miss a boat ride along the River Nidd.
📍 Knaresborough HG5 9AZ
👉 Knaresborough information
Malham Cove and Gordale Scar
An incredible limestone formation in the Yorkshire Dales, also well known as a Harry Potter filming location. The cove’s unique geology and sweeping views make it a must-visit.
📍 Malham, Skipton BD23 4DJ
👉 Malham Cove visitor information
🏖️ Scarborough
Britain's first seaside resort, now a classic seaside town with family attractions, two sandy bays, and a historic castle.
📍 Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11
👉 Scarborough tourism site
🏞️ Yorkshire Dales National Park
A haven for nature lovers with rolling hills, limestone formations, and quaint villages. Perfect for hiking, picnicking, or just soaking in the beauty of the countryside.
📍 Yorkshire Dales National Park
👉 Yorkshire Dales website
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