Start from 36 curated places around Whitby, GB, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Magpie Cafe
The black-and-white house on Pier Road that has been frying haddock and serving fish pie since 1939, the famous sit-down choice for Whitby fish and chips. The restaurant upstairs outshines the takeaway window. Best when you want the classic with a harbour view and don't mind the queue.
Trenchers
A big, bright, family-run fish-and-chip restaurant near the station that took the National Fish and Chip Awards Restaurant of the Year title and sources its fish responsibly. Less old-world charm than the harbour spots, more consistent frying. Best for a large group that wants a sure thing.
Trails & outdoors
Whitby to Sandsend Cleveland Way
A roughly three-mile clifftop and beach stretch of the Cleveland Way running northwest from West Cliff to the village of Sandsend, with wide sea views the whole way. Flat by Yorkshire-coast standards. Best as an easy one-way walk you can reverse along the sand at low tide.
Whitby West Pier and West Cliff Walk
A short, flat loop out along the West Pier to the lighthouse and back up to the Whale Bone Arch and Captain Cook statue on West Cliff. Pure sea air and harbour views with no climbing. Best for a quick leg-stretch or a sunset stroll.
Things to do
Whitby Museum
A gloriously old-school independent museum in Pannett Park, crammed with Jurassic fossils, Whitby jet, whaling relics and ship models in original wooden cases. Run by a local society, it has barely changed in decades and that's the charm. Best as a rainy-day deep dive into the town's odd history.
Whitby Distillery
A small craft distillery offering guided tours that walk you through the copper still, the gin's foraged moor botanicals like heather and kelp, and a tasting at the end. Hosts get strong marks for warmth and knowledge. Best for an adults' afternoon, though non-drinkers are catered for.
Landmarks & sights
Whitby Abbey
The gaunt 13th-century Benedictine ruin on the East Cliff headland that Bram Stoker stared at while sketching Dracula. English Heritage runs it with an audio guide and a small museum, and the silhouette against the sky does most of the work. Best for anyone who wants the one view that defines the town.
St Mary's Church, Whitby
The 12th-century clifftop church at the top of the 199 Steps, with rare Georgian box pews, a triple-decker pulpit and a graveyard that fed straight into the Dracula story. The climb is the point as much as the church. Best paired with the abbey since they share the headland.