Day 1 – Haunted York

Head north to the most haunted city in Europe, York. A city with a dark past, its history is rife with tales of guts, gore, and ghosts. With reports of over 500 hauntings sometimes it seems as though a ghostly figure with a score to settle hides around every street corner. 

On your first day of this overnight tour, travel by train from London to York and meet your expert local guide for a walking tour of the city. Begin by visiting York Minster, one of the most iconic landmarks in the city. While not known for hauntings itself, it sets a dramatic backdrop for your spooky adventure.

Tread the cobble paths of York’s snickelways as you hear tales of highwaymen, plague, and witch hangings. Look out for the peering face of Mad Alice, executed at York Castle in 1825 for the murder of her husband. 

Move on to The Shambles, York's famous medieval street. The narrow, cobblestone streets and overhanging timber-framed buildings create an eerie atmosphere. Each shop claims to have its own ghost – and one even sells them! Hear tales of headless phantoms staggering down the streets and decide if Margert Clitheroe really deserved her gruesome fate.

End your tour with a drink at York’s most haunted pub, the Golden Fleece. At over 500 years old, this former coaching inn has had plenty of time to acquire spirits. Talk of figures disappearing through walls, disembodied footsteps, and poltergeists plague the history of this inn. 

Your overnight stay will be in one of York’s many haunted hotels. Watch out for doors slamming, objects being moved around and out of their original positions and terribly cold spots in the rooms, even in the height of summer!

Day 2 – Gothic Yorkshire

On your second day, explore the beauty of the North York Moors and the spectacular Yorkshire coastline. Discover quaint market towns, rolling hills and dales, vast open moorland, and spectacular ruined abbeys as you explore the landscape that helped inspire Wuthering Heights.

Explore the charm of a one of Moors prettiest market towns, featuring one of Yorkshire's hidden gems – the Church of St Peter and St Paul. Beyond its quaint facade lies a treasure trove of astonishment, where the unassuming parish church reveals an array of medieval murals adorning its walls. Prepare to be captivated by scenes that leap from the pages of history, depicting beheadings, dances with hellfire, and tales of torment. Fans of Harry Potter can also explore a picturesque village in the heart of the North York Moors countryside, known as the filming location for ‘Hogsmeade’ in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Journey deeper into North York Moors until you reach the Yorkshire coast. This makes a great place to stop for lunch with countless fish and chip restaurants to choose from. This location is steeped in mystique, harbouring the haunting ruins that ignited the inspiration behind the legendary tale of Dracula.

From here, head back onto the misty moors where the remnants of England's majestic Abbeys, Rievaulx and Byland, await your exploration. Despite the centuries that have shrouded these ruins in silence, the very air tingles with the whispered tales of Rievaulx's spectral bells, rumoured to chime hauntingly through the mist-laden nights. Meanwhile, Byland, once the dwelling place of a medieval ghost story author, beckons you to unravel the mysteries of its eerie past. Brace yourself for a spine-tingling adventure through history and the supernatural, as the mist-clad moors guard secrets that will send shivers down your spine!

Guests who would like to combine this tour with a second overnight can also begin their second day with a visit to Castle Howard. Renowned for its grand architecture, extensive landscaped gardens, and as the setting for various films and television series, most notably "Brideshead Revisited."