Holiday apartments, airbnb and cottages in Harrogate

Visit Harrogate, the timeless piece of the east in Gods Own County!

It's grim up north? Anyone who thinks that hasn't been to Yorkshire, and Harrogate is the epitome of this verdant county's beauty. If you are looking for holiday accommodation in Yorkshire, look no further than Harrogate, which has established itself as a luxurious destination since the nineteenth century. Victorian aristocracy from across the country flocked to this town to enjoy its nation-wide famous Turkish Bath, and clean countryside air, and 200 years later, people are still visiting for the same reasons. The only difference is that now, visitors can indulge in one of the most fashionable shopping, and prestigious food scenes in the country after their treatments. If you want to find your place in Yorkshire's answer to Istanbul, reserve a room in a beautiful townhouse, or a cosy cottage in the land just beyond the city, then get ready to escape to one of the country's best kept secrets.

When to visit?

The scenery may not be grim up north, but the weather can be less promising, as the climate in Harrogate never peaks over 20 degrees, even in the summer months. If you are holidaying in Harrogate, you may also need to remember your umbrella, as there is a chance you might see some rain, whatever the season! The moderate temperate and rainfall in this North Yorkshire paradise isn't going to stop visitors enjoying its rich landscape or getting lost in this spa town, nor does it stop more than 130,000 descending on the nearby The Great Yorkshire Showground every summer, for the biggest celebration in the agricultural calendar. If you are planning on visiting Harrogate during this time then remember to book accommodation in advance, because they will book up!

How to get there?

Located in North Yorkshire in the north of England, Harrogate can be reached from across the UK by rail, road, or air. It is likely that the quickest and easiest way of travelling is by train, as there are services from London Kings Cross via York which take just under three hours. Other popular routes include Manchester Victoria via Leeds, which take an hour and a half, Edinburgh via York taking 3 hours and 15 minutes, and Portsmouth via London and York coming in at a total of 5 hours and 30 minutes travel time. You will arrive into Harrogate train station which is in the heart of the city, meaning you can start exploring as soon as you arrive. If you would like to explore the world famous city of York further while you are passing through, why not stay in a quaint holiday home in York for the night, before continuing on with the short journey to Harrogate. If you would rather drive to Harrogate, take the M1 from London, and the south, the M62 from the west, or the A66 from the north and Scotland.If you are travelling from far corners of the UK, including Northern Ireland, it may be quicker to fly direct to Leeds Bradford International Airport from Belfast, Glasgow or Southampton, and land only 22 miles away from the city centre. The final few miles can be completed by bus, or train from the nearby city of Leeds. If you are visiting from afar, it could be a good idea to choose a holiday apartment in Leeds before hopping on a train to Harrogate, where you can discover another great northern city which is an electric melting pot of culture, so don't pass up on the opportunity to visit this vibrant city!

Where to stay?

Harrogate town centre

When looking for accommodation in Harrogate, there is no better place to begin than the city centre. If you dream of stepping back in time to an opulent Victorian hive which has preserved the quaintness of its nineteenth century charm, while offering the luxury of the contemporary day, then a townhouse in Harrogate centre is the answer to your dreams. Reserve a bedroom which is only a stones-throw from the famous Turkish Bath, the beautiful RHS Harlow Carr Gardens, and the Mercer Art Gallery, which is home to over 2000 works of art from across the 19th and 20th centuries. You certainly won't go hungry in a self-catering house or apartment, as the streets come alive with exquisite restaurants and bars when night falls over Harrogate centre.

Knaresborough

The medieval town of Knaresborough will captivate you in one way or another. Whether it is wandering through its age-old market streets, visiting Mother Shipton's Cave, renowned as the oldest tourist attraction in the country, or it is the view of the striking railway viaduct above Nidd Gorge, Knaresborough's most recognisable landmark. Choose a self-catering holiday home in Knaresborough, and leave time to visit the vibrant market every Wednesday, when the streets around your holiday letting come alive with colour and flavour from the local farmers produce, then try cook up a hearty Yorkshire dinner (or tea as they say in Yorkshire) in your rental kitchen.Though this town is only 3.6 miles from the heart of Harrogate, it has a spirit of its own, making it a holiday destination in its own right, and a beautiful place to choose accommodation near Harrogate.

Boroughbridge

The town of Boroughbridge is the definition of a quaint English countryside escape, with its whitewashed cottages, cobbled square and collection of traditional pubs which serve up local ales, and some of the best Sunday dinners in the country! Reserve a cosy cottage in Boroughbridge, then wake up in a bedroom with a view of the River Ure, before going for a relaxing canal walk before breakfast in a local tea room.

The Nidderdale Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty

No one can blame for you for choosing to visit the Yorkshire Dales for a therapeutic escape, where you are surrounded by nothing but sublime hills, patchwork fields and the odd pub, because no one wants to be so secluded that they can't pop to their local. If this sounds like dream break for you, then look no further than a holiday home with a garden in Nidderdale. There is a reason why Nidderdale has been crowned as an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it is because it is exactly that, beautiful! So secure your accommodation in this organic location, and enjoy the exceptional natural assets of this glorious county.

Ripon

Known as the ‘Cathedral City of the Yorkshire Dales', Ripon's most famous landmark has put this tiny town on the map for those who want to delve into the rich Yorkshire countryside traditions. Choose a bed and breakfast in Ripon, then visit Fountains Abbey, an English Heritage site, which has stood on this northern landscape since 1132, when it was founded by 13 Benedictine monks. After a day in the twelfth century, refuel in one of the tasty Italian restaurants along the high street, and leave room for a Yorkshire Tea in almost every hour of the day.

Pateley Bridge

Established in 1827, Pateley Bridge is home to the oldest sweet shop in England, need we go on? If this doesn't sell this charming market town to you then there must be no point in mentioning the fascinating Nidderdale Museum, which gives an insight into life in the town through the ages, or the endless activities which the whole family can enjoy in the craggy hills around Pateley Bridge. Though it can be nice to enjoy the sweet seclusion of Pateley Bridge, you don't need to completely cut yourself off from the rest of the world, as you can choose from a range of holiday cottages with wifi, where you can check back into reality.

What to do in Harrogate?

Relax in the Turkish Baths

The Moorish mosaics and Islamic arches of the Turkish Baths are among the most exquisitely restored Victorian baths in the country, so there is no better place to take time out from the everyday, than in this otherworldly destination. With a range of treatments and baths to choose from, one thing can be said with certainty: every visitor in Harrogate will leave feeling more relaxed than they did when they arrived.

Wander around RHS Garden Harlow Carr

Whatever time of the year you decide to visit RHS Garden Harlow Carr, you can expect to be to mesmerised by the season flowers, plants and stunning landscape which makes up these gardens. This attraction is as equally beautiful in the spring blossom as it is under the fiery autumn leaves, and whatever time of the year you visit, you can enjoy a cup of tea and a spot of lunch in the Bettys tea room which is on sight.

Visit Mother Shipton's Cave

Mother Shipton's Cave is the oldest tourist attraction in the country, as tourists have visited this mystical landmark since 1630! Any sight which has managed to pull in visitors for nearly 400 years surely is worth visiting, so walk in the footsteps of those who existed in the centuries before us, and get to know the legend of the famous prophetess, and the water she used to turn objects into stone, along with the ‘Petrifying well' which is the setting at the heart of the mystery.

Explore the Royal Pump Room Museum

When Tsarina Alexandra of Russia visited Harrogate in 1911, one of her stops was the Royal Pump Room, as she, among many other prestigious visitors, visited this sulphur well to bathe in peace and seclusion in the early twentieth century. Today the Royal Pump Room is an established museum which explores the history of the towns spa history, and the extraordinary people who have come to visit in the past.

Have afternoon tea in Bettys Tea Room

Mention Bettys to anyone in Yorkshire, and they will instantly recall it as the luxurious tea room chain, which serves up the finest afternoon tea and patisserie goods in the world. Tourists to the cities which are blessed with a Bettys will seem to agree, as there is always a queue to get into its doors, but the wait is undoubtedly worth it, as drinking tea in Betty's is an experience you won't rush to forget. Though there are a handful of Bettys around the county, the Harrogate store was the first to open, by Frederick Belmont, a Swiss confectioner back in 1919, making it is the best place to take your tea in the city.

Walk around Nidd Gorge

With picturesque views of the railway viaduct, and verdant green forests which are the ideal place to leisurely embrace Yorkshire's rugged landscape, Nidd Gorge is a mystical morning escape which is a contrast to the grandeur of Harrogate's historic townhouses. Not only is Nidd Gorge perfect for a family adventure, it is also a wildlife and photography enthusiasts utopia, as you can spot more than 80 different species of birds in this organic haven.