How to have a fabulous weekend break in Harrogate, for couples
Harrogate is such a pretty town in North of England. It's super close to Nidderdale, which is an area of outstanding natural beauty (you might see the abbreviation AONB on maps telling you this). I think a weekend break in Harrogate makes for a fabulous UK getaway as there is a mixture of things to do combined with UK countryside. Please read on for my guide and linked map on how to spend a weekend in Harrogate …
Montpellier Quarter, Harrogate
Day 1
Ok, so day 1. You can't usually check in to your hotel or airbnb until mid afternoon. This can be a waste of a day. So to maximise your days, I would make the first thing you do a trip to the STUNNING Fountains Abbey (See map reference 1 at the bottom of this post). Oh my gosh, I actually think it might be the most beautiful place I've been to!
Fountains Abbey is a National Trust site and is the ruins of an Abbey next to Studley Royal Water Garden. The pictures speak for themselves. Just look at it! You need to pre book and I recommend arriving mid morning and plan to spend 2-3 hours here.
I mentioned it's a National Trust attraction and so without membership it costs £15 for adult admission. I definitely think it's worth becoming a National Trust member. There are so many things to visit and with the current situation, we're all appreciating our locality more. I have joint membership with my partner and it costs £10 a month for both of us. So by going to Fountains Abbey, we’d already had 3 months worth of our membership.
After drinking in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside, I would stop for a quick lunch. There are a few places en route to the next destination. I recommend one of these places:-
G&Ts Ice Cream parlour - They do soups and sandwiches to go as well as homemade ice cream (2)
Sawley Arms - A nice British Pub! (3)
Half Moon Inn - Another lovely British pub! (4)
After lunch, take a 15 minute car journey over to Brimham Rocks (5). This is another National Trust attraction, but this one is FREE admission (although you do need to pay for parking which is only free for NT members).
Brimham Rocks is an area of land where there are giant rock formations. They were created by a river over 100 million years ago, and it’s mind blowing to see something so old. These were around before dinosaurs! And they are still standing now, and I’ve no idea how as they’re very precarious arrangements!
Brimham Rocks
I would plan to stay here an hour. Your feet are probably getting tired from all the walking by now and it’s time to start the town part of your weekend break in Harrogate. So head in to Harrogate itself and check in to your accommodation (30 minutes drive).
I stayed at the Majestic by Hilton DoubleTree (6) which was lovely and had so much history! A live bomb was dropped on the hotel in WWII which fell through the glass dome but it didn’t actually detonate. There are so many pretty hotels. I really liked the Majestic, it has lovely grounds and is newly renovated inside. It is a 5 minute walk in to the centre, so you may prefer something a little more central.
After checking in and getting settled in your accommodation, it’s time to get ready and go for dinner. I recommend a meal at Three’s a Crowd (7). It’s such a lovely restaurant, with comfort food cooked really lovingly. It has a lovely modern, industrial interior with tables outside overlooking The Stray.
Time to head back to your room, you have a busy day tomorrow…
Day 2
After breakfast, make your way to The War Memorial (Opposite the famous Betty’s Tea Room (8)) for 10.30am for a walking tour of Harrogate. I always recommend walking or bus tours when visiting a new place. It’s one of my favourite things to do. You get a whistle stop tour of where everything is and then you have time after the tour to explore the areas that interest you further.
This tour is definitely one of the best I’ve been on! Harry is so charismatic and LOVES Harrogate! His walking tours are FREE (but please feel free to donate) and he’s so knowledgeable about the history of the area. The tour lasts about an hour and half. Be sure to book first!
Time for lunch, and yes I am going to mention what everyone else does in Harrogate. You MUST go to Betty’s tea room! There’s a reason why every Harrogate post mentions it, It’s just an experience like no other. Everything about the service is so quintessentially English, every type of tea imaginable all served as silver service. It’s just a lovely experience. Be sure to try a Fat Rascal, a traditional Yorkshire local cake (9).
After lunch, head over to Valley Gardens (10). I could spend hours alone here! It’s a beautiful park which used to have a wellbeing hospital on one side and the Pump Room on the other, (The spring water from the Pump Room was known to have healing properties) linked by the undercover walkways that are still there now.
Valley Gardens Harrogate
Valley Gardens, Harrogate
Valley Gardens, Harrogate
There’s still time left on your weekend break in Harrogate to do one more thing during your stay. You may choose to go to something mentioned on the walking tour, but I recommend strolling through the Montpellier Quarter (11). It’s full of original buildings, cobbled streets and floral hanging baskets which really set the atmosphere for a pretty UK village! There are lots of independent shops and cafes to have a toot at.
For your last evening of your weekend break in Harrogate, I would suggest a lovely meal at the Fat Badger (12). It’s an AA rosette restaurant overlooking The Stray. There are two menus, an a la carte or the Sunday menu. If you are going over the weekend, be sure to try a traditional Sunday roast off the Sunday menu. A Sunday roast with all the trimmings is the best British meal out there!
Day 3
Ah it’s the end of your weekend getaway, so it’s time to check out. If you do have a bit more time before heading home, I definitely recommend tagging a trip to Knaresborough on to your trip to Harrogate. Knaresborough is a pretty UK village 15 minutes drive from Harrogate. See my one day itinerary here.
Ahh…so that is it, my itinerary of things to do in Harrogate. Hopefully I’ve given you some fabulous and less obvious ideas. Let me know if you’re planning to go!
Enjoy your weekend break in Harrogate
xXx
You might also like these other posts about fabulous places in the UK
Co’ee!
I’m Natalie, I share travel tips & advice and thoughts on how to live a happy & fabulous life
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