Scarborough (overnight), then Whitby
Scarborough Castle · Photo: Humphrey Bolton
Day one is a classic Scarborough loop: seals and penguins at the far end of the North Bay, the pagoda lake at Peasholm Park, the castle on its headland and a harbourside ice cream to finish. On day two, drive up to a hidden woodland waterfall on the moors before a Whitby afternoon of fish and chips and the clifftop abbey.
Aquarium · 10:00–12:00 (2h)
Penguins, seals and the ocean tunnel; book online for the lower price.
An indoor and outdoor aquarium in Scarborough.
Photo: visitsealife.com
Food stop · 12:15–13:30 (1h15m)
Free park with a pagoda island; picnic lunch by the lake.
Photo: DS Pugh from Geograph.org.uk
Castle · 14:00–16:00 (2h)
Headland ruins with views over both bays.
An outdoor castle in Scarborough.
Photo: Humphrey Bolton
Food stop · 16:15–16:45 (30m)
Ice cream sundaes at the 1940s harbourfront parlour.
A family-run ice cream parlour on Scarborough's harbourfront, trading since the 1940s and known for handmade ice cream and sundaes.
Photo: Christine Matthews
Nature & gardens · 10:00–11:30 (1h30m)
Short woodland walk to the waterfall and the Hermitage boulder.
A Forestry England woodland south of Whitby with Falling Foss, a roughly 20m waterfall in a wooded gorge, and the Hermitage, an 18th-century shelter carved into a boulder. There are no waymarked trails and no easy-access route, so sturdy shoes and a carrier rather than a pushchair suit young children.
Photo: forestryengland.uk
Landmark · 12:00–13:30 (1h30m)
Abbey ruins and visitor centre on the East Cliff.
An outdoor landmark in Whitby, aimed at ages 9 and up.
Photo: Jeff Buck
Food stop · 13:50–14:50 (1h)
Late fish lunch by the harbour before heading home.
Long-running harbourside fish and seafood restaurant on Whitby's Pier Road, with a takeaway counter alongside the sit-down restaurant. There is a children's menu; expect queues at busy times.
Photo: Clare Wilkinson
YorkshireYork city centre
Three indoor stops a few minutes apart. Walk the cobbles of a recreated Victorian street at York Castle Museum, have lunch at the café inside a 660-year-old timber guildhall where children go free, then join a guided chocolate tour with tastings and a lolly to decorate.
York Castle Museum → Merchant Adventurers' Hall → York's Chocolate Story
YorkshireSheffield city centre
Three free stops linked by tram. Meet the woolly rhino and polar bear at Weston Park Museum, ride across town to see a 12,000-horsepower steam engine in action at Kelham Island, and end among 2,500 plants in the Winter Garden.
Weston Park Museum → Kelham Island Museum → The Winter Garden
YorkshireYork city centre
Start high on the medieval walls with the Minster towering beside you, then step inside the cathedral, where under-18s go free with a paying adult. After a picnic among the abbey ruins in Museum Gardens, ride through Viking-age York at JORVIK and finish on top of Clifford's Tower looking back over everything you've walked.
York City Walls → York Museum Gardens → Jorvik Viking Centre → Clifford's Tower
