9 Places You Should Visit In North Yorkshire

From the Yorkshire Dales' heather moorlands to the North York Moors’ misty cliffs, the places you should visit in North Yorkshire are varied (and very much worth your time).

These nine must-see spots in England’s biggest county also include spooky staircases, sandy beaches and river-carved rock formations. Oh, and we've also included some lesser-known alternatives to each destination for repeat visitors or travellers taking a longer break at one of our North Yorkshire campsites. 

Ready to explore? Here are the best places to visit in North Yorkshire this year.

Whitby's 99 Steps

Get one of the best views in North Yorkshire by climbing this staircase stretching from the bottom of the River Esk estuary to the clifftop above the Yorkshire coast. After taking in the panorama over Whitby, you’ll be in prime position for a wander around Whitby Abbey – a mystical set of ruins linked to author Bram Stoker’s most notorious character, Dracula. 

Encircling a former whaling harbour, the older eastern bank of the river is full of fishing cottages transformed into independent shops, pubs and cafés. The seaside resort also has a couple of sandy beaches and a museum dedicated to the explorer Captain Cook.

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Loved the 99 Steps? You might also like: 

• Ribblehead Viaduct, an enormous Grade II-listed structure stretching across the fabulously named Batty Moss 

• Scar House Reservoir’s dam with its vertigo-inducing viewing platform

Scarborough’s sandy beaches

This family-friendly seaside resort – probably the best place in North Yorkshire for eating fish and chips by the coast – is a sprawling spot set across rocky limestone cliffs dipping down to sandy beaches. It has a host of handsome Victorian houses sitting high above the sea, a hallmark of the era when it first became a tourism hub. Promenades were created between North and South Bay and above the South Cliff in the 1800s and are still pleasant places for a seaside stroll today.

Down by the water, there's far more excitement to be had. Flock to the fairgrounds, doughnut stands and 19th-century spa complex lining the front or just grab the bucket and spade and spend a full day on the sand.

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More top towns in North Yorkshire include: 

• Helmsley, the only market town in the North York Moors 

• Pickering for Beck Isle Museum with its authentic recreations of Victorian shops

Malham Cove 

This steep wall, carved out during the Ice Age by a rushing river, is in the beautiful countryside of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Climbers often attempt to scale the looming 80-metre crags, while spelunkers go subterranean in the cave system stretching on for 1.6 kilometres. 

Have a gander at the gorgeous Gordale Scar limestone ravine nearby too, a favourite landmark of the artist Turner and poet Wordsworth, along with Malham Tarn, the highest lake in England. 

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More natural landmarks in North Yorkshire to visit include: 

• Brimham Rocks, formations in shapes so odd that local legends reckon druids carved them

• The 400-foot-deep Hole of Horcum, a natural amphitheatre said to be created when a giant scooped up a handful of earth

• Gaping Gill, a cave so enormous it could fit an entire cathedral inside

York Minster

This stately city’s massive 13th-century Gothic cathedral is a must-visit place in North Yorkshire. Mosey over to the medieval stained glass and up to the two bell towers that are still functioning today.

It’s also worth strolling York's city walls, which form a walkway flanking both sides of the River Ouse. Don’t miss the National Railway Museum either, where you'll see the luxury interiors of trains used by England's royal family, or the Shambles, a topsy-turvy row of shops that inspired Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series. 

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More striking structures in North Yorkshire include:

• Skipton Castle, one of England’s best-preserved medieval buildings 

• Scarborough Castle with its clifftop views over North Yorkshire’s stunning coast

• Nunnington Hall for picnics among the wandering peacocks in the vast gardens

Fountains Abbey 

This religious building, along with the surrounding Studley Royal Park, was one of the UK’s first historical hotspots to make it onto the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, you can rove among the ruins of one of England’s most striking abbeys, along with the Jacobean Fountains Hall, the mini neo-Gothic masterpiece of St Mary’s, and the water gardens and deer park. All in all, the site gives visitors a taster of what life was like for the elite in the 18th century.  

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Other key religious attractions to visit in North Yorkshire include: 

• The Cistercian Rievaulx Abbey, set in a serene valley in the North York Moors 

• Easby Abbey with its pretty-as-a-picture setting besides the River Swale

• The 1,350-year-old Ripon Cathedral, the oldest building of its type still in use in the UK

• Selby Abbey, the first monastery founded in the north of England after the Norman Conquest 

Harrogate

This traditional town became a byword for wellness in the Victorian era thanks to its 88 natural springs. Nowadays, you can still make the most of the healing water by booking a treatment in the 19th-century Turkish baths. Admire the glazed brickwork and painted ceilings in the restored Moorish-style interiors as you relax.

Alternatively, stroll around streets edged with Georgian homes and old pump rooms before roaming in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden Harlow Carr, a manicured green space on the outskirts of Harrogate with a log maze (plus tearooms for tasty treats once you’ve figured your way out...).

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Other grand gardens in North Yorkshire include: 

• Mount Grace Priory’s ruins edged by peaceful ponds and manicured greenery 

• The Himalayan Garden & Sculpture Park’s 80 contemporary sculptures

• The family-friendly Forbidden Corner’s four acres of tunnels, chambers and follies

The Yorkshire Dales' Three Peaks

One of England’s most spectacular national parks has a trio of fells to climb – and many people attempt to tackle them in one day as part of the Three Peaks route. This 24-mile-long hike, taking around 12 hours, takes you up to the Pennine peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. If you’d rather roam in a more peaceful manner, you can of course scale any of the mountains separately.

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More places to hike in North Yorkshire: 

• Hackfall for tree-lined treks in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

• The Sutton Bank inland cliffs for views over the sapphire-blue Lake Gormire  

Robin Hood’s Bay 

A swathe of red-brick cottages spilling down to the sea is what makes Robin’s Hood Bay so eye-catching. And the soaring cliffside surroundings don’t hurt either. Take in the views from the Coastguard Station, a National Trust building, before hunting for fossils in the shale rock. The stretch of coast near the village is one of the eight best beaches to visit in North Yorkshire. 

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Keen on the coast? You should also take a look at: 

• The double-harbour fishing village of Staithes 

• Runswick Bay’s scenic curve of sand 

• The 300-strong seal colony at Ravenscar 

Ingleton Waterfalls Trail 

This 4.5-mile walk, running through old oak woodland towards whooshing waterfalls, makes for a fantastic family-friendly day out. Wander in limestone glens past wildflowers, moss and ferns, and across bridges into open moorland. Thornton Force is the mightiest sight on the route – this waterfall rushes down over a 14-metre cliff. 

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Can’t get enough of waterfalls? Here are a couple more to visit:

• Janet’s Foss, which spills into a pond formerly used by farmers for ship dipping  

• The triple flight of waterfalls at Aysgarth Falls on the River Ure

You can see some more of the best places to visit in North Yorkshire by visiting the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. If you're extending your trip to Northumberland or the rest of Yorkshire, take a look at our Ultimate North East Camping Guide for an in-depth intro to the whole region.