Whitby
Whitby Museum · Photo: Geni
Cross Whitby from west to east. See ammonites and model ships at the Pannett Park museum, where under-18s go free, then have harbourside fish and chips. Cross the swing bridge to the house where young James Cook lodged as an apprentice, and finish by climbing the 199 Steps to the abbey ruins on the clifftop.
Museum · 10:00–11:30 (1h30m)
Fossils, curiosities and ship models; under-18s in education go free.
An indoor and outdoor museum in Whitby.
Photo: Geni
Food stop · 11:50–12:50 (1h)
Harbourside fish lunch; there is a children's menu and a takeaway counter.
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
Museum · 13:05–14:05 (1h)
Under-16s free with an adult; the house where Cook lodged as a young apprentice.
An indoor museum in Whitby.
Photo: aude
Landmark · 14:30–16:15 (1h45m)
Count the 199 Steps on the way up, then explore the ruins and visitor centre.
An outdoor landmark in Whitby, aimed at ages 9 and up.
Photo: Jeff Buck
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
YorkshireWakefield (M1 J38-39)
Two of West Yorkshire's best-value big days out, four miles apart. Walk the open-air galleries at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where under-19s go free, then spend the afternoon at the free National Coal Mining Museum learning about life down the pits.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park → National Coal Mining Museum
YorkshireHull city centre
Hull's Old Town packs a lot into a short walk. Spend the morning at The Deep with its sharks and penguins, then follow the river into the free Museums Quarter for vintage trams and a 1940s street, and end in the grand old dock offices of the Maritime Museum.
The Deep → Streetlife - Hull Museum of Transport → Hull Maritime Museum
