Yorkshire Dales, GB

A centuries-old stone inn near Skipton that holds a Michelin star under chef Michael Wignall, serving modern British tasting menus in a low-beamed dining room. This is the Dales' destination meal, more refined than a gastropub but still rooted in a country inn. Best for a special occasion or a long, unhurried lunch.

A handsome stone coaching inn on the green at Malham, serving generous modern pub food and a long list of cask ales to a steady stream of walkers. It sits a short stroll from the Cove, so it is where most people refuel after the big Malham loop. Reliable rather than fancy, with a proper fire in winter.

A 17th-century inn facing the green and beck at Linton-in-Craven, a couple of miles from Grassington, with log fires, a cosy snug and well-regarded Sunday roasts. It feels like the platonic Dales pub and locals rate its kitchen a notch above the nearby competition. Good for a proper sit-down lunch on a walk between villages.

A restored 17th-century inn at Low Row deep in Swaledale, with stripped-back beams, big dale views and a kitchen that leans on local meat and game. It is the standout sit-down meal in the quiet northern dales, where good dinners are thin on the ground. Worth the drive if you are exploring Reeth and the Swaledale villages.

A tiny, time-warp pub at Hubberholme at the head of Wharfedale, with flagged floors, a single low room and a fire that has been burning for centuries. The poet J.B. Priestley loved it enough to have his ashes scattered nearby. Honest pub food in a setting that has barely changed in generations.

A 16th-century cruck-framed pub at Appletreewick in Wharfedale, complete with a thatched heather-roofed barn out the back and gas lamps in the main bar. It pours a serious range of cask ales and serves straightforward, hearty plates. The kind of characterful old pub people come specifically to see.

A bright, contemporary dining inn above Burnsall in Wharfedale, run by the Bolton Abbey estate, with brasserie cooking and big windows over the dale. It is a more polished, design-led option than the old village pubs, good for when you want a smarter meal without the formality of fine dining. Strong for a long lunch with a view.

A small, much-loved cafe just off the cobbled square in Grassington, turning out full Yorkshire breakfasts and scones that locals swear are the best in the dale. It is the standard morning stop before heading up Wharfedale on foot. Cash-and-cake simple, busy, and friendly.

A bookshop-cafe on Grassington's main street pouring proper coffee alongside all-day breakfasts, soups and homemade cakes, with a children's corner among the shelves. It is the comfortable, browse-and-linger spot in town rather than a quick refuel. Good for a rainy morning with a book and a flat white.

A no-nonsense bikers' and walkers' cafe in the middle of Hawes, doing big breakfasts, bacon rolls and proper mugs of tea at fair prices. It is a Wensleydale institution and a regular muster point for motorbike riders crossing the Buttertubs Pass. Hearty, cheap and reliably good for refuelling.

A cafe and bakery in a quirky old building on Settle's market square, named for the carved figure above the door, serving cakes, pies and lunches that draw a loyal local crowd. It is the busiest, most dependable daytime stop in Settle. Good for a proper Yorkshire lunch before or after the train.

A traditional pub on the green at Kettlewell in upper Wharfedale, with a log fire, regional cask ales and homemade dishes with a Yorkshire slant. Kettlewell is a walkers' hub and this is its solid food-and-pint stop. Comfortable, unpretentious and well placed for the Dales Way.

A small French-leaning bistro tucked into a 16th-century barrel-vaulted cellar off Skipton high street, doing classic continental dishes with Yorkshire produce. The candlelit stone vault makes it the town's go-to for a date or a quieter dinner away from the chain options. Intimate, low-ceilinged and a bit of a find.

A characterful country pub on the Broughton Hall estate just outside Skipton, with flagged floors, open fires and a kitchen that leans hard into fish and seafood alongside pub classics. It is a smarter dining pub than the village locals, good for a relaxed but well-cooked meal. Big enough for groups, with a pleasant garden.

A 1950s American-diner-themed ice cream parlour on a working farm near Bolton Abbey, scooping farm-made ice cream and shakes with big indoor and outdoor play areas for kids. It is squarely a family day out rather than a quiet treat. Good when you need to wear children out and feed them sundaes.

A tiny ten-seat Thai restaurant in a characterful old stone building in Skipton, run by a chef who cooked in Thailand and Thai kitchens around the UK. The small room and eccentric decor make it feel personal, and the cooking is the real, fresh thing rather than a takeaway. The most interesting non-British meal in the market town.

A contemporary Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant in Skipton specialising in Bengali tandoori and clay-oven dishes, run as an independent rather than a chain curry house. Locals rate it the town's go-to for a proper curry, with a relaxed dining room and a menu beyond the usual standards. The pick for a dinner with some spice after a day on the fells.

A friendly, dog-loving village pub in Askrigg in Wensleydale, serving hearty home-cooked plates and a good range of beer to a mix of locals and walkers. Askrigg was the filming village for the original All Creatures Great and Small, and the Crown sits at its heart. Warm, low-key and genuinely local.

The signature Dales day walk, a roughly 7 to 8 mile loop from Malham village taking in Janet's Foss waterfall, the towering Gordale Scar ravine, Malham Tarn and the limestone pavement on top of the Cove. It packs the area's best geology into one route. Moderate, with one steep section and an optional scramble at Gordale.

A 4.3-mile circular through ancient woodland and gorges on the western edge of the park, passing a string of waterfalls including Thornton Force and Pecca Falls. It is a well-made private trail with a modest entry fee, family-friendly but with plenty of steps. One of the most reliably scenic shorter walks in the Dales.

A short, easy circular of about a mile and a half from the Aysgarth visitor centre, linking the Upper, Middle and Lower falls through riverside woodland in Wensleydale. Mostly gentle with a few steps, it suits families and anyone wanting the falls without a big hike. The Lower Falls viewpoint is the highlight.

A strenuous 6-mile loop up one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, with a genuine rocky scramble near the summit and panoramic views over Ribblesdale, plus the dramatic Hull Pot pothole on the way down. This is a proper hill walk, not a stroll. For fit walkers who want the Three Peaks experience in a single summit.

A moderate Wharfedale walk of around 6 to 7 miles following the Dales Way along the River Wharfe between two classic villages, with riverside meadows, stepping stones and limestone scenery. Largely level apart from gentle rises, it is the easygoing way to see the heart of Wharfedale. Easy to shorten using the bus back.

A short, mostly easy 2 to 3 mile out-and-back from Malham village to the mossy Janet's Foss waterfall and the mouth of Gordale Scar. It delivers two of Malhamdale's best features without committing to the full Cove circuit. A good option with younger children or limited time.

An easy, mostly flat riverside route through the Bolton Abbey estate from the priory ruins upstream along the Wharfe to the Strid, where the river squeezes through a narrow rock channel. Wide woodland paths make it good for families and a gentle half-day. The estate has tearooms at both ends.

The home of Wensleydale cheese in Hawes, with a viewing gallery over the working dairy, a cheese-making experience, tastings and a big shop. Cheese has been made in this dale since the 1100s and the centre tells that story while letting you sample your way through. A reliable indoor option and a fun stop with kids.

A near-complete medieval castle at the top of Skipton's market street, freely explorable from dungeon to watchtower and centred on an ancient yew in the courtyard. Over 900 years old and a Civil War siege survivor, it is the town's headline attraction and an easy rainy-day visit. Engaging for children, who get a tour sheet.

One of England's great scenic railways, climbing from Settle over Ribblehead Viaduct and through the high Pennines to Carlisle on a line saved by locals from closure. You ride it as a normal Northern service, hopping off at request stops like Dent, the highest station in England. The best way to see the western Dales without driving.

A large Wharfe-side estate built around a 12th-century priory, with riverside walks, stepping stones, woodland trails, a steam railway nearby and tearooms throughout. It is the most family-friendly day out at the southern edge of the park, mixing history with plenty of room for kids to run. Mostly outdoor, with indoor cafes for rain.

A bird-of-prey centre near Settle with around 35 eagles, vultures, hawks, falcons and owls, running flying displays through the day. Kids can get close to the birds and there are hands-on handling experiences. A dependable family outing with some weather cover, three miles from Settle.

A working farm at Bolton Abbey turned family attraction, with animals to feed and pet, tractor-trailer rides and big indoor and outdoor play areas. It is aimed squarely at younger children and works rain or shine thanks to the covered barns. A good half-day when the weather is against you.

A local-history museum in Hawes set in the old railway station, covering Dales life from lead mining to cheese-making, with a restored station platform and engine outside. It is compact, well done and a good place to understand the landscape you are walking through. A quiet indoor option for a wet hour in Wensleydale.

A characterful old inn at Hardraw near Hawes that doubles as the gateway to Hardraw Force waterfall, with a flag-floored bar, real ales and roaring fires. You pay a small fee at the bar to walk through to the falls, then come back for a pint. The combination of waterfall and proper old pub makes it a fine evening or rainy-afternoon stop.

A curving 80-metre limestone amphitheatre above Malham village, with a maze of weathered limestone pavement across the top that featured in the Harry Potter films. A steep stone staircase climbs the left side to the clints and grikes up top, where the views run down Malhamdale. The single best short walk for anyone who wants the drama of the Dales without a full day out.

The 24-arch Victorian railway viaduct striding across boggy Ribblehead moor, carrying the Settle-Carlisle line beneath Whernside. Built in the 1870s by navvies who lived in shanty camps on the moor, it is the postcard image of the western Dales. Trains still cross it, so time a visit and you can watch one rumble over.

A triple set of broad waterfalls carrying the River Ure over limestone steps in Wensleydale, with Upper, Middle and Lower falls linked by woodland paths. The Lower Falls below the old packhorse bridge are where Robin Hood once brawled on screen. Best after rain, when the river thunders over the full width of the rock.

One of the most complete medieval castles in England, over 900 years old and survivor of a three-year Civil War siege, sat at the top of Skipton's high street. You can wander the full circuit of rooms, the watchtower and the ancient yew-tree courtyard largely unsupervised. A good rainy-day anchor and an easy add-on to the market town.

A collapsed cavern turned ravine just east of Malham, where overhanging limestone walls close in around two waterfalls at the head of the gorge. Turner painted it and the Romantic poets wrote about it; standing at the base it still feels genuinely primeval. Scramblers can climb the lower fall to continue up onto the moor.

The ruins of a 12th-century Augustinian priory on a bend of the River Wharfe, set within a large estate of riverside walks, stepping stones and woodland. The priory church is still in use and the grounds make an easy, scenic day at the southern edge of the Dales. Good for families who want a flat riverside ramble with tearooms.

England's highest single-drop waterfall above ground, a 100-foot ribbon falling into a wooded amphitheatre reached through the Green Dragon Inn at Hardraw, near Hawes. On dry days you can walk right behind the curtain of water. A short, quirky detour that pairs naturally with a visit to nearby Hawes.

The cobbled-square hub of Wharfedale, a compact town of stone cottages, independent shops and cafes that stands in for fictional villages in TV's All Creatures Great and Small. It works as a base for walks up the dale and as a pleasant place to just potter for an afternoon. The folk museum on the square is small and free.

The highest market town in the Yorkshire Dales and the capital of Wensleydale, home to the creamery, a working ropemaker and the Dales Countryside Museum. The Tuesday market and the smell of cheese give it a proper working-town feel rather than a tourist front. A natural base for the upper dale and the Buttertubs Pass.