When it comes to Christmas markets, few anywhere in the world are as magical as the award-winning one held every year amid the winding, medieval streets in the historic city of York.
Charming Alpine chalets, decorated with holly and twinkling fairy lights, are crammed with an irresistible array of local crafts, artisan products and delicious festive treats.
Sip mulled wine or hot chocolate and bite into some freshly-roasted chestnuts, while listening to carol singers and buskers or watching performers on every corner.
Towering over everything is the magnificent York Minster while just a stone’s throw away is the famous Shambles, with its Tudor shops that inspired Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books.
There’s an excellent street food market there too – but you won’t need that because you’ll already have tucked into a sumptuous three-course brunch on the Northern Belle during the journey to York.
And a champagne reception will await you on your return to the train before a magnificent six-course dinner with fine wines is served as we head back home.
Glasgow Central Station
Edinburgh Waverley Station
York
Kick-start the festive season in style with an indulgent day excursion aboard the Northern Belle luxury heritage train to the enchanting York Christmas Markets.
£495 per passenger
Book today with a 15% deposit
Book NowIn addition to our Historic York Christmas Markets journey why not upgrade your on-board experience to include the following:
Single travellers will receive half bottles of these derivatives.
Book with Laurent-Perrier ClassIn partnership with KRUG champagne we introduce another class of travel.
In addition to our Historic York Christmas Markets journey why not upgrade your on-board experience to include the following:
Bottle of KRUG Grand Cuvée Champagne per couple
Bottle of wine upgraded from our Northern Belle Collection per couple
Seating allocated in Duart formerly a carriage on The Royal Train or Glamis named after Her Majesty’s childhood home
A memorable gift on departure
Single travellers will receive half bottles of these derivatives.
Book with KRUG ClassPlease read our most frequent questions here, if you don't see what you're looking for, visit our full list of Travellers Tips.
If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our reservations team.
Get in touchNorthern Belle has limited tables for two. We are happy to take a request, however this is not a guarantee and there is a chance that you may be sharing a table of four with another couple. Subject to availability you may guarantee a table for two by paying a supplement of £105 per passenger. When booking online if private tables of two are available you can select your preference, but you can select a shared table without a supplement subject to availability.
All of the Northern Belle carriages are vintage pullman style. Each row of seats is a table for two and across the aisle a table for four.
Yes. If notified at the time of booking, we will do our best to comply with any dietary requirements. These include Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, Pescetarian and the exclusion of certain ingredients such as nuts, onions and dairy. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide meals requiring strict religious observance in preparation. Please order at least 14 days prior to travel to ensure we can order the supplies to the train whilst on tour. Please note that due to the small preparation areas on the train we cannot guarantee cross contamination within the kitchen and if you have severe allergic reactions then please call the reservations team to discuss. When you book on line you will find a section to list your passenger’s dietary needs and other comments.
We are able to accommodate passengers with slight walking difficulties. However, we recommend they are accompanied by a carer. We regret that our carriages cannot be boarded on wheelchair. Staff are able to assist passengers to their seats and folding wheelchairs can be stored during the journey.
Some journeys are not suitable for people with disabilities. Should you have any special requirements please contact your nearest reservations office.
For a journey aboard the Northern Belle luxury train, adhere to the smart casual dress code. Choose comfortable yet stylish attire and wear appropriate footwear for day trips that may involve walking.
Our Best Available rate is subject to availability at time of booking, it is not applicable for parties of 12 or more. Please contact [email protected] for group pricing.
I just wanted to write a short email to give fantastic feedback for Lucy, Glenn and Arwen on the Hull-Edinburgh trip today (9th November) - Harlech. All three of them were absolutely excellent and made this very first and very special trip excellent for me and my mum. Thank you so, so much. I cannot believe how tirelessly and diligently they all worked to resolve minor issues and they really do deserve heaps of praise. We've never travelled in this way or experienced this kind of service before.
Just a quick note to say a big Thank You ! to you and all at Northern Belle. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole Northern Belle experience ! Memories for a lifetime !!! Special thanks should go to the “greeter” at Chesterfield station (sorry, I don’t know here name), the lady who played the bagpipes at the railway station, the chefs, the driver (a very smooth journey at speed after the initial delay), the magician, the musicians and the onboard crew … in particular the stewards, Jo, Asim and Jamie, who provided a 5* silver service. Exemplary service from beginning to end !! I also really appreciate the exceptional efforts to which your onboard chefs went to accommodate the menu changes for my mentally-disabled son. They were all perfect !
I feel the need to contact you to express our sincere thanks to you, your booking teams, the staff on board and exceptional attentive service on board during our wonderful journey on Saturdays Settle Carlisle train experience We were booked on Belvoir carriage in seats 19 and 20. Treated to excellent service by Phil, Lucy and Tom during our journey They were pleasant, spent time talking to passengers, provided efficient professional service and ensured our experience on board went without a hitch Thank you Northern Belle for a wonderful day and now looking forward to our next trip to Torquay on 20th August
This was our third time onboard the Northern Belle and it was just as magical as ever. Having previously enjoyed Edinburgh at Christmas routes we opted for a summertime excursion as a pleasant change. The addition of a trip on the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat made for a great addition to the trip, especially with the hot and sunny weather we enjoyed amidst the lush landscape of the area. We all book for the opulence of the train and the exceptional food (huge thanks to the chef for the culinary delights we feasted on) but the heart of the experience truthfully is the wonderful staff who offer warm greetings and high attention to detail.
May I just take this opportunity to thank you and all your colleagues again for the most incredible experience on board The Northern Belle. It was a very special part of my 60th birthday celebrations and exceeded all of our expectations. The most amazing celebration and I am eternally grateful.
We travelled on the Derby to Sheffield return first class on the Christmas special with a 7 course lunch on Britains most luxurious train. It was like going back to the 1930's with a champagne reception and turkey main course. The train staff were wonderful. the food was top quality and the entertainment and atmosphere was well worth the money.
Glasgow, Edinburgh
Glasgow, Edinburgh