Lakes and Dales by Steam

Begin your holiday at the Crown Hotel, Wetheral, where you meet your Tour Manager. Your hotel is situated in a picturesque village, close to the Scottish border and the city of Carlisle. With the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and Hadrian's Wall just a train ride away, this is the perfect place from which to explore. You enjoy dinner at your hotel this evening.

Carlisle dates back to Roman times and boasts a myriad of ancient buildings and beautiful architecture. Carlisle Castle, which was built during the reign of William II, son of William the Conqueror, is well worth a visit. Many of the streets are also infused with more modern history, thanks to Carlisle's place as a centre of textile manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution, when it became a hub for the railways.

• Dinner

Journey by steam train from Haverthwaite to Lakeside today, on the southern shore of Windermere. On arrival in Lakeside, sail across the lake to Bowness. Windermere is one of the Lake District's most famous bodies of water and is recognised by UNESCO for its outstanding natural beauty, which has been inspiring artists and writers for centuries. You have free time in Bowness, famous for inspiring the fictional town of 'Rio' in Arthur Ransome's novel series 'Swallows and Amazons'. You could also visit the house of one of the Lake District's most renowned inhabitants, Beatrix Potter. On your way back to Carlisle, stop at pretty Grasmere. Close to Grasmere Lake, the village was once home to William Wordsworth. You could take a wander along the river or through the village, and maybe treat yourself to a local specialty - Grasmere Gingerbread, which has been made here using an authentic Victorian recipe since 1854.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a spectacular journey on the Settle to Carlisle Line to Skipton. It took seven years to complete this route before its opening in 1875. The line cuts through hills, mountains, and valleys, over marshland and rivers; the very scenery that made it difficult to complete is exactly what makes it worth experiencing. Enjoy miles of untouched beauty from your carriage as the line enters the Yorkshire Dales and passes over the majestic Ribblehead Viaduct, one of the undoubted icons of the Yorkshire landscape. Watched over by atmospheric Whernside, one of Yorkshire's highest peaks, the viaduct opened in 1876 and stretches more than 1,300 feet over the boggy land below. After some free time in the pretty market town of Skipton - maybe visiting a tea shop, bakery or delicatessen - return to Carlisle by rail.

• Breakfast

After travelling to Ravenglass by train, take a steam-hauled rail journey to Dalegarth aboard the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. One of the oldest minimum-gauge heritage railways in England, the line originally opened in 1875 and boasts some truly incredible scenery. Enjoy fantastic views across undulating hills and the highest mountain range in England, before you arrive in Ravenglass. This afternoon, transfer to Muncaster to visit its castle. Owned by the Pennington family for over 800 years and set in picture-perfect surroundings, this fortress is almost Arthurian in appearance, with square towers topped by parapets. Enjoy some free time to explore before returning to the hotel. Enjoy a final dinner this evening at your hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After a leisurely breakfast, your holiday comes to an end.

• Breakfast