Join a local expert on a guided walk or local tour. Choose a journey to uncover smugglers' secrets, learn about the area's fishing heritage and wildlife and even sample some fabulous gin!
Guided walks and local tours are a great option if you don't fancy planning a route, want to meet new people, or want to learn more about the area. Here, we have listed the guided walks and local tours in Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay.
Baytown Walks and Tours
Baytown is here to help you learn about and celebrate Robin Hood’s Bay—the place, the people, and its smuggling heritage. Nestled along the North Sea, near the North York Moors, Robin Hood’s Bay boasts a historical legacy spanning nearly 1000 years. Over the centuries, its inhabitants have been celebrated for their resilience, self-reliance, and ingenuity.
Whitby Mini Guide
We have created a FREE mini-guide with all the essential information about Whitby, now available for instant download.
These walks and tours are a brilliant way to learn about the history of Robin Hood's Bay. They have a few walks available and can tailor walks and tours to your interests or needs.
Smugglers’ Tours | 1 hour
This is a leisurely guided stroll through the streets of Baytown, where you uncover the secrets of the village's smuggling past. The tour is filled with fascinating historical facts and will take you to authentic smuggling locations, where you'll hear thrilling tales of smugglers and encounters between Revenue men and smugglers. This tour introduces Baytown's 18th-century history and will provide fascinating topics for evening conversations by the pub fireside!
They can arrange this personal tour to accommodate your schedule at any time and on any day that suits your needs. Click here for more information.
Beer Tasting Special | 1 hour
This tour is the same as the smuggler's tour; however, following the tour, you return to a local bar or cafe before hearing about and tasting all seven of Baytown’s craft bottled ales. Everyone gets to take away a bottle of their favourite Baytown drink.
This personal tour can be arranged anytime and any day to suit your requirements. Click here to learn more.
Whitby Storyteller Walks and Tours
The Whitby Storyteller offers many walks and tours around Robin Hood’s Bay and the surrounding area. Rose provides Robin Hood’s Bay ghost walks, guided walking tours of Whitby, Whitby ghost and Dracula walks, nature and adventure walks and group tours. We love Rose's storytelling style and will take part in her walks repeatedly, each time learning something new.
With a growing reputation, Rose has been featured in several esteemed TV programmes, such as Jonathan Ross’ Myths and Legends, Joanna Lumley’s Home Sweet Home, Meet the Richardsons, Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out, and Antiques Road Trip on BBC.
Guided Walking Tour of Whitby
Rose’s guided walking tour of Whitby is a leisurely walk around the old east side of Whitby, filled with stories, folklore, and history. Immerse yourself in local anecdotes and legends on this guided walk that breathes life into Whitby and its ancient surroundings.
The guided walk begins from St. Mary’s Church at the top of the 199 steps or any other pre-arranged meeting place and is by private booking only. The tour normally lasts around 75 minutes, but bookings can be tailored to suit. This type of walking tour is perfect for family groups, schools, universities, couples, wedding parties and other gatherings. Click here to book.
Whitby Town Walking Tours
Whitby Town Walking Tours aims to tell the town's story. Each tour offers something for everyone. This isn't just a regurgitation of facts but rather something to be enjoyed and hopefully returned to time and again.
Whitby Highlights Walking Tour
This group tour can be arranged at any time. The Whitby highlights walking tour is a 90-minute private guided walk that shows you the best of Whitby from a local perspective. Discounts are available for large groups. Click here for further information.
Brewery Tours at Whitby Brewery
These tours are offered regularly right next to Whitby Abbey, so they're perfect as part of a sightseeing day. They allow you to tour the brewery and sample some of its finest ales. To see the schedule and book, please click here.
For something a little different, app tours
If you can't book a guided tour or you would like to try something a little different, try a walking tour with VoiceMap. Go at your own pace using your smartphone and headphones. With the latest GPS technology, VoiceMap ensures that you won't fall behind the audio, allowing you to stop and explore points of interest at your leisure. You can purchase a tour online and begin straight away. Brilliant if you're in Whitby on a last-minute visit.
Whitby Distillery Tours
With no experience in distilling, Whitby Gin’s creators were fuelled by their passion and dedication to create a high-quality gin reflecting their beloved home's diverse natural landscape. They use botanicals, including heather from the North York Moors, sugar kelp, and local honey, to celebrate different elements of the North Yorkshire coastline.
After nine months, the first batch of Whitby Gin was crafted in a 40 sq ft utility room. Remarkably, they produced 3,000 bottles from such a small space! Their journey is still unfolding, driven by an unwavering commitment to innovation and creativity. They strive to introduce new products while remaining loyal to the town that ignites their passion. Read more about the history of Whitby Gin here.
One-Hour Distillery Tour
Explore the behind-the-scenes process of crafting their internationally acclaimed spirits. During the one-hour tour, you receive a detailed introduction to the beginning of Whitby Distillery, participate in a botanical masterclass to learn about the pillars of their gin through touch and smell and gain exclusive insights into how they craft the award-winning spirits by getting up close with their copper still.
Taking the Whitby Distillery Tour is a must-do experience for any gin lover. The tour guides are knowledgeable and friendly, making the tour educational and enjoyable.
Additionally, you can sample three different spirits tasters and take home a free Whitby Gin glass. Designated drivers will receive a Whitby Gin 5cl mini bottle to enjoy at home. Learn more about the one-hour distillery tour here.
Fancy something a little different? How about joining Gill Locker on her Red Hat Ghost tour?
The Red Hat Ghost Walk offers something a little different, going beyond the typical Whitby ghost tour. Your guide, Gill Locker, a local of Whitby, has preserved the local tales passed down through generations of her family. These stories are delivered while exploring secret alley ways and hidden yards across Whitby.
These stories, rich with Whitby’s history, have been shared for years, and Gill proudly continues this tradition.
Gill has crafted these tales in her own unique, engaging, and entertaining style. She loves sharing them with today's visitors to Whitby. The route Gill leads visitors on is fully wheelchair accessible with no steps.
This captivating Whitby Ghost Walk will take you off the beaten path. You will hear delightful local folklore, myths, legends, and ghost stories, all delivered in rhyme by a true Whitby local. View walk dates and booking information here.
Let us know in the comments if you have tried any of these guided walks and tours in Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay; we think they are a fantastic way to learn more about the town and spend some time in this beautiful area of the world.
Is there a tour bus in Whitby?
Hi Ian, yes, there is an open-top sightseeing tour bus in Whitby. You can find more information here.