I live in North Yorkshire, so I’ve done most of this myself — some of it many times over.
Whether you’re coming to North Yorkshire for the holidays or you’re a local desperately trying to fill six weeks — this is everything I’d recommend. I’ve tried to cover a proper range because the county is huge and what works for a toddler on a Tuesday is very different to what works for a ten-year-old on a rainy Saturday.
North Yorkshire is the largest county in England. It has the city of York, the Yorkshire coast, the North York Moors, the Dales, and a load of market towns in between. I’ve organised this by area so you can plan without driving back and forth across the county more than you need to.
York
You could spend an entire holiday in York and not run out of things to do. It’s one of my favourite cities in England — properly one of my favourites anywhere — and it’s especially brilliant with kids because so much of the history has been turned into something you can actually experience rather than just look at.
Jorvik Viking Centre is the obvious starting point. It’s a ride-through recreation of Viking-age York and it is brilliant — atmospheric, specific, and a bit smelly in a good way. Book in advance for the school holidays or you’ll be standing in a queue for a very long time. I’ve written a full Jorvik Viking Centre review here.
York Maze is open from 11 July to 3 September 2026 and it’s exactly what it sounds like — a giant maize maze with a different theme each year. It’s a proper half or full day out and there’s usually enough going on beyond the maze itself to keep things interesting. Book online in advance. Full York Maze review here.
Flip Out York (it was Point Zero if you knew it before the rebrand) is the trampoline park, based at the York Designer Outlet. Good for a rainy afternoon, good for when you need to actually burn energy rather than just walk somewhere pretty. The outlet is right there too if the adults need a distraction. Full Flip Out York review here.
The National Railway Museum is free and I cannot stress how good it is. It’s enormous — multiple halls full of real engines, royal carriages, things you can sit in and walk through — and it takes at least two hours to do properly, probably more with kids. It’s free. Book a timed slot in the school holidays to save standing around, but the entry itself costs nothing. This is one of the best days out in the north of England for families and it doesn’t cost a penny. Full National Railway Review here.
York Minster is worth including even if you’ve seen a lot of cathedrals, because this one is genuinely extraordinary. The stained glass is among the finest in England, the scale is staggering, and kids can usually go up the tower (check access and restrictions before you go — the spiral staircase is tight). The entrance charge is worth it.
The Shambles is free to walk and looks properly medieval because it basically is. It gets very busy on summer weekends — go either early morning or later afternoon if you want to move without shuffling. Worth seeing regardless.
York Dungeons is the theatrical, jump-scare, live-actor option. Good for older kids who want a bit of drama and not suitable for small children or anyone who startles easily. Pricier but it delivers. York Dungeon Review here.
Askham Bryan Wildlife Park is the sleeper hit on this list. It’s run by the agricultural college just outside York and it has meerkats, red pandas, llamas, owls, and loads more — and it’s significantly cheaper than a commercial zoo. The fact it’s attached to a working farm makes it feel a bit different too. I’ve been and can recommend it here.
River boat trips run from the city centre through summer — a nice, calmer hour if you’ve been on your feet all day and everyone needs to sit down for a bit. My son loved this! You can rent smaller boats, too.
The Yorkshire Coast
The North Yorkshire coast is one of the best stretches of coastline in England and I don’t think it always gets the credit it deserves. You’ve got everything from dramatic cliffs and fossil beaches to proper bucket-and-spade resorts and tiny fishing villages that look like they’ve been there forever.
I’ve written a complete guide to the best beaches in Yorkshire with all 22, but here’s the school holiday summary:
Whitby is the anchor. It’s got the abbey, the 199 steps, the beach huts, a proper Gothic atmosphere unlike anywhere else, and fish and chips that are genuinely as good as everyone says. My most visited place on the whole coast. Get there early in the school holidays — the car park by the harbour fills up fast and the fish and chip queues at the good places are long. Book ahead if you can. Full Whitby guide here.
Scarborough has two beaches separated by the headland: South Bay for the classic seaside day with donkeys, arcades and the full summer experience, North Bay for something a bit calmer and quieter. The Sealife Centre is there for a rainy day. The castle views from the headland are free and worth doing.
Filey is quieter than Scarborough and brilliant for younger kids — the beach is wide and sandy, and the Brigg (the long rocky headland) is great for rock pooling at low tide. Full Filey guide here.
Bridlington has the full seaside town experience — amusements, fish and chips, a promenade — plus Flamborough Head and the Heritage Coast nearby for something more dramatic. Full Bridlington guide here.
Saltburn-by-the-Sea is worth the drive for the funicular railway alone — it’s a working Victorian cliff lift that takes you from the clifftop town down to the pier and beach. There’s a good surf school if anyone fancies it, excellent independent shops up on the cliff, and a long sandy beach below. Full Saltburn guide here.
Robin Hood’s Bay is the photogenic fishing village option — impossibly pretty, cobbled streets dropping steeply to the sea, and a beach that’s brilliant for fossil hunting and rock pooling. Wear wellies. Parking fills up very early on sunny summer days — before 9am is not an exaggeration.
Hunmanby Gap and Fraisthorpe are the quiet ones to know about — long sandy beaches with very few people even in August. Great for dogs, great for a peaceful afternoon. Hunmanby Gap here. Fraisthorpe here.
North Yorkshire Towns & Villages
Some of the best school holiday days out involve picking a market town, parking up, and just wandering. These are the ones worth your time:
Helmsley is one of my favourite places in the county. It’s a proper North Yorkshire market town with a ruined castle, a walled garden, brilliant places to eat and drink, and Rievaulx Abbey only a few miles away. You can fill a full day without really trying. Things to do in Helmsley here.
Thornton-le-Dale is small enough to do in an hour but lovely enough to remember. The thatched cottage by the beck is genuinely as photogenic as the pictures suggest, there are good tea rooms, and it’s a brilliant quick stop if you’re heading further into the Moors. My Thornton-le-Dale guide here.
Pickering is the starting point for the North York Moors Railway — a heritage steam railway that runs through the Moors to Grosmont and on to Whitby. This is one of those experiences that’s actually as good as it sounds. Kids love a steam train, the scenery through the Moors is spectacular, and you can combine it with a day in Whitby at the other end. Read my Pickering guide here.
Malton has quietly positioned itself as Yorkshire’s food capital over the last few years and it’s earned it. Brilliant independent food shops, a lovely market, and a nice base for exploring the Howardian Hills. Read my Malton guide here.
Countryside & Outdoors
Dalby Forest (near Pickering) is one of the best all-day outdoor options in North Yorkshire. Go Ape for older kids, brilliant cycling trails with bike hire on site, walking routes for every ability, a visitor centre and cafe, and a play area. You barely need to plan it — just drive in, pick an activity, and go. Parking costs a few pounds but everything else is very manageable. Read my Dalby Forest guide here.
Brimham Rocks near Pateley Bridge is one of those places that looks made up but isn’t — genuinely strange, giant rock formations on a moorland plateau that kids can clamber around. It’s National Trust. NT members get free parking; non-members pay car parking only. Worth every penny.
Sutton Bank in the Hambleton Hills has one of the best views in England and it’s a short, accessible walk from the car park at the top. There’s a National Trust visitor centre and cafe. On a clear day you can see the Vale of York stretching out below you.
Flamingo Land near Malton is the theme park and zoo option — it’s large, loud, and a proper all-day commitment. I’ve got an older review here but it’s worth checking their current ride lineup and prices before you go as things change.
The North York Moors themselves are free to walk and genuinely beautiful in summer — particularly around the Hole of Horcum near Goathland, and the stretch near Roseberry Topping if you want something with a bit more of a climb to it.
Rainy Day Options
It will rain. Here’s what to do when it does.
In York: you’re fine. The Railway Museum is enormous and free. Jorvik and the Dungeons are both indoor. Flip Out is indoor. York handles rain better than most places — you can walk between the covered market, the Shambles, and the museums without being outside for long.
Scarborough Sealife Centre is reliable on a rainy day — a decent aquarium that takes a solid couple of hours and genuinely engages kids of most ages. Read my Scarborough SeaLife Centre review here.
The Deep in Hull is technically East Yorkshire, about an hour from York, but it’s one of the best aquariums in the UK and absolutely worth a rainy day drive. The underwater tunnel alone is worth it. I’ve been — full review here.
Dalby Forest has covered picnic areas and the trails are do-able in light rain, but give it a miss in heavy weather.
Free Things to Do in the North Yorkshire School Holidays
These are the ones that won’t cost you anything (or very nearly nothing):
- National Railway Museum, York — genuinely free, genuinely brilliant, no caveats
- All of the beaches — parking costs money; the sea and sand do not
- The Shambles, York — free to walk, beautiful
- Whitby Abbey viewpoint and graveyard — you can see the abbey without paying English Heritage to go inside the ruins; the views from the churchyard are free and just as atmospheric
- Brimham Rocks — NT members free; non-members pay car parking only, rocks are freely accessible
- Sutton Bank — free if you find roadside parking (limited); NT car park is a few pounds
- Dalby Forest walks — the forest is free; car parking is around £6–9 for the day
- Thornton-le-Dale — free to wander
- Helmsley market square — the castle charges, the town is free
- North York Moors walks — just park and go
Practical Tips
Book in advance. Jorvik, York Maze, and Flip Out all benefit from pre-booking in the school holidays. The Railway Museum is walk-in but timed-entry slots are worth grabbing. Nothing worse than driving an hour and finding there’s no space.
Go early. Whitby especially — the harbour car park and the good fish and chip shops both fill up fast. Robin Hood’s Bay, Runswick Bay, and Staithes all have very limited parking that goes before 9am on sunny summer days.
School holiday dates. North Yorkshire schools typically break late July — roughly 18–22 July 2026 (varies by school, check yours). Peak busy period runs from then until early September. The beaches are busier at weekends than weekdays throughout the summer.
York park-and-ride. If you’re doing York, the park-and-ride is significantly cheaper than city centre car parks and the buses are frequent. Use it.
Dog-friendly note. Many Yorkshire beaches have seasonal dog restrictions between May and September — usually limited to early morning and evening on the main beach areas. Robin Hood’s Bay, Fraisthorpe, Hunmanby Gap, and Spurn Point all have more relaxed rules. Check individual beach rules before you go if you’re bringing the dog.
Weather backup. Always have a rainy day plan. Check the forecast the night before and have a York/Scarborough/Hull indoor option ready. The North Yorkshire weather can turn very quickly, especially on the coast.
Got a North Yorkshire school holiday favourite I’ve missed? Drop it in the comments — I’m always looking for an excuse to go somewhere new.