Best Places to Stay in the Yorkshire Dales
The best places to stay in the Yorkshire Dales are Skipton, Malham, Grassington, Settle, Hawes and Leyburn, along with a growing number of named hotels and boutique B&Bs such as Stone House Hotel near Hawes and Stow House in Leyburn. Each suits a different kind of trip. Skipton works best for first-time visitors who want transport links and a lively centre. Malham is the strongest pick for walkers chasing limestone scenery. Grassington and Leyburn suit a more polished short break, while Hawes and Settle are dependable choices for families and dog owners. This guide works through each option in turn, so you can match the right base to how you actually want to spend your time, whether that means booking a hotel with a restaurant, a period B&B, or simply narrowing down which village to search first.
How We Chose These Places to Stay
Every place in this guide was assessed against the same set of practical questions: how easy is it to reach on foot from a walking route, how many types of accommodation does it actually offer, how far is it from a genuine Dales landmark, and does it work for the kind of trip most people are planning, whether that is a weekend away, a family week, or a serious walking holiday. Named hotels and B&Bs were included only where they have a clear location, a defined character, and enough of a track record to describe honestly.
What We Looked At
- Walking access and proximity to National Park landmarks
- The mix of accommodation on offer, not just cottages
- Suitability for couples, families, walkers and dog owners
- Transport links, including rail access where relevant
The Yorkshire Dales at a Glance
The table below summarises the strongest bases across the National Park, matched to the kind of trip each one suits.
| Area | Best For | Accommodation Mix | Nearest Landmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skipton | First-time visitors, transport links | Hotels, guest houses, self-catering | Skipton Castle |
| Malham | Walkers, limestone scenery | Inns, B&Bs, cottages | Malham Cove |
| Grassington | Couples, food and shopping | Boutique stays, cottages | Upper Wharfedale |
| Settle | Families, rail access | Guest houses, cottages | Settle-Carlisle Railway |
| Hawes | Dog owners, cheese and walking | Hotels, B&Bs | Wensleydale Creamery |
| Leyburn | Families, market town amenities | Hotels, B&Bs | Middleham Castle |
Featured snippet answer: The strongest all-round base in the Yorkshire Dales for a first visit is Skipton, since it combines rail and road access with a genuine choice of hotels, guest houses and self-catering stays within a short drive of the wider National Park.
Skipton: The Gateway to the Dales
Skipton has earned its long-standing nickname as the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, and for anyone staying here for the first time, that reputation holds up. The town sits just outside the National Park boundary, which means it keeps a livelier, more urban feel than the villages further in, with a busy high street, a Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday market, and a train station with direct links to Leeds and beyond.
Why Skipton Works as a Base
Skipton Castle, one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in England, sits right in the town centre, and the surrounding cobbled streets are lined with cafes, pubs and independent shops. For visitors without a car, this matters more than it might elsewhere in the Dales, since Skipton is one of the few bases where you can arrive by train and still reach walking trailheads by local bus.
Where to Stay in Skipton
Skipton’s accommodation runs from straightforward town centre guest houses to hotels aimed at business travellers and weekend visitors alike, with a genuine spread of price points rather than the narrower cottage-only market found in some smaller Dales villages.
Best For: First-Timers and Car-Free Visitors
If this is your first trip to the Yorkshire Dales, or you are travelling without a car, Skipton removes a lot of the friction that comes with a more remote village base.
Malham: Limestone Country for Walkers
Where Skipton offers convenience, Malham offers scenery, and it is difficult to overstate how much of the Yorkshire Dales’ reputation for dramatic landscape rests on this one village. Malham Cove, a vast curved limestone cliff visible for miles, sits a gentle thirty-minute walk from the village centre, and the climb up the steps beside it leads onto a genuine limestone pavement, the kind of terrain that has drawn geologists and photographers for generations.
Why Malham Works as a Base
Beyond the Cove itself, Malham gives walkers direct access to Gordale Scar, a steep limestone gorge with two waterfalls, and to a stretch of the Pennine Way, England’s oldest long-distance National Trail. The village itself is small, built almost entirely around a beck that runs through its centre, and it can get genuinely busy on summer weekends, so an overnight stay lets you see the landscape either early or late, once the day trippers have gone.
Where to Stay in Malham
Malham’s accommodation leans towards inns and bed and breakfasts rather than large hotels, which suits the village’s scale. The Lister Arms, set right on the green, and Beck Hall, a former yeoman’s cottage dating from 1705, are both long-established names here, offering the kind of proper Yorkshire breakfast that sets you up for a full day on the fells.
Best For: Serious Walkers and Photographers
Malham suits anyone whose trip is built around walking rather than shopping or dining, and its position close to the Pennine Way makes it a natural stop for anyone tackling a longer route.
Named Hotels and Boutique Stays Worth Knowing
Cottages dominate most guides to the Yorkshire Dales, but the National Park also has a small, genuinely distinctive set of hotels and B&Bs that reward a bit of research, particularly for anyone who wants a proper restaurant on site or a period building with real history behind it.
Stone House Hotel, Near Hawes
Stone House Hotel sits in Sedbusk, a hamlet just outside Hawes, in an Edwardian country house built in 1908. It has been in the same family’s hands for decades, and the interior still carries the character you would expect from a building of that age, including oak panelling in the main lounge and open log fires. The hotel looks out over Upper Wensleydale, and its position a mile or so from Hawes puts it within easy reach of Hardraw Force, England’s highest single-drop waterfall above ground, and the Wensleydale Creamery.
Stow House, Leyburn
Stow House was built in 1876 as a private residence and has since become one of the more distinctive boutique B&Bs in the Dales. It sits in Leyburn, a market town in Wensleydale that also works well as a family base, and its character leans towards a quieter, food-and-drink-led stay, with a proper cooked breakfast and a small library and sitting room for evenings in rather than out.
Other Notable Names to Check
A handful of other properties come up repeatedly among visitors who know the area well. Yorebridge House in Bainbridge combines a restaurant-with-rooms format with genuine period features. The Burgoyne in Reeth looks out over the village green in Swaledale and suits anyone after a quieter, more secluded stay. Grassington and Malham both have well-regarded inns of their own, mentioned in the sections above, so it is worth reading those alongside this list rather than treating hotels and villages as entirely separate decisions.
Comparing the Named Stays
| Property | Village | Style | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stone House Hotel | Sedbusk, near Hawes | Edwardian country house | Quiet luxury, walking access |
| Stow House | Leyburn | Victorian boutique B&B | Couples, food-led breaks |
| Yorebridge House | Bainbridge | Restaurant with rooms | Foodie short breaks |
| The Burgoyne | Reeth | Georgian townhouse hotel | Seclusion, valley views |
As with any independent hotel or B&B, details such as room configurations, dog policies and current pricing change over time, so it is always worth checking directly with the property before booking.
Best Villages by Trip Type
Choosing where to stay in the Yorkshire Dales often comes down less to the village’s name and more to what kind of trip you are actually planning. The breakdown below focuses specifically on accommodation style rather than walking routes, since that ground is already covered in detail elsewhere on this site.
Best for Couples and Short Breaks
Grassington remains one of the most popular choices for a couples’ break, thanks to its cobbled streets, independent shops and a genuine choice of places to eat within walking distance of most stays. Leyburn offers a similar, slightly quieter alternative, particularly for anyone drawn to Stow House or another of the town’s boutique B&Bs.
Best for Families
Settle and Leyburn both work well for families, largely because they offer more in the way of everyday amenities, shops and the kind of market town bustle that keeps children entertained between walks. Settle’s connection to the Settle-Carlisle Railway also gives families an easy day out that does not depend on the car.
Best for Walkers and the Three Peaks
Malham and Hawes both suit walkers, though for different reasons. Malham puts you closest to the limestone landscape described above, while Hawes sits at the head of Wensleydale, within reach of Hardraw Force and a genuine spread of fell paths.
Best for Dog Owners
Hawes and Malham again lead this category, with dog-friendly pubs, open fell access straight from the village, and inns such as Beck Hall in Malham that welcome four-legged guests as a matter of course rather than an afterthought.
For a short couples’ break in the Yorkshire Dales, Grassington and Leyburn are the strongest choices, thanks to their combination of independent shops, restaurants and boutique accommodation within easy walking distance.
Hotel, B&B, Cottage or Inn: Which Suits Your Trip?
With so many accommodation types on offer across the Dales, it helps to think about which one actually fits your trip before you start comparing individual properties.
When a Hotel Makes Sense
A hotel such as Stone House suits a trip built around comfort and a proper on-site restaurant, particularly if you would rather not cook after a long day of walking. It also suits couples celebrating an occasion, since many of the Dales’ named hotels lean towards a more polished, dinner-included style of stay.
When a B&B Makes Sense
A B&B such as Stow House works well for a shorter break where breakfast is included but you plan to eat out most evenings, and it often gives a more personal, owner-run feel than a larger hotel.
When Self-Catering Makes Sense
Self-catering remains the right choice for longer stays, family groups, or anyone who wants the freedom to come and go without fitting around a hotel’s mealtimes. If that describes your trip, our complete guide to a Yorkshire Dales cottage holiday covers village choice, cottage features and booking advice in full detail.
Best Time of Year to Visit
The right season depends on what you want from your stay as much as where you are basing yourself. Broadly, late spring through early autumn suits walkers and anyone chasing wildflower meadows, while winter suits visitors who would rather prioritise a cosy hotel or B&B stay over long days on the fells. For a full month-by-month breakdown, including what to expect in each season, see our existing Yorkshire Dales cottage holiday guide, which covers this in depth.
Getting Around Once You’ve Chosen a Base
Car-Free Options
Skipton and Settle both benefit from rail links, with the Settle-Carlisle Railway in particular offering one of the most scenic train journeys in England, and the Dalesbus network fills in some of the gaps between villages during peak season.
Driving Between Valleys
For most visitors, a car remains the most practical way to move between valleys such as Wensleydale, Swaledale and Wharfedale, since public transport between the smaller villages can be limited outside summer weekends.
Skipton vs Harrogate as a Base
Harrogate sits just outside the Yorkshire Dales proper, but it comes up often enough as an alternative base that it is worth a direct comparison. Harrogate offers a more refined, spa-town feel, with a wider choice of restaurants and shopping, while Skipton sits genuinely inside the gateway to the National Park itself, with shorter drives into Wharfedale and beyond. For most visitors whose main goal is spending time in the Dales rather than the town itself, Skipton is the more practical choice, though Harrogate remains a reasonable option for anyone splitting a trip between the Dales and a spa break.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best village to stay in the Yorkshire Dales?
There is no single answer, since it depends on your trip. Malham suits walkers, Grassington and Leyburn suit couples and short breaks, and Settle or Hawes suit families and dog owners.
What is the most beautiful part of the Yorkshire Dales?
Many visitors consider the limestone country around Malham, including Malham Cove and Gordale Scar, to be the most dramatic part of the National Park, though Wensleydale and Wharfedale both have their own strong claims for the title.
Where should I stay to explore the Yorkshire Dales?
Skipton or Settle work best as an all-round base for exploring widely, since both have good transport links, while a more central village such as Grassington or Hawes cuts down on driving time if you plan to focus on one or two valleys.
What is the best base for the Yorkshire Dales for walking?
Malham and Hawes are the two strongest bases for walkers, thanks to their direct access to the Pennine Way, Malham Cove and Hardraw Force.
Is Skipton or Malham the better base for a first visit?
Skipton suits first-time visitors who want transport links and a wider choice of shops and restaurants, while Malham suits those whose main priority is scenery and walking from day one.
Are there good hotels in the Yorkshire Dales, or is it mostly cottages?
Cottages remain the most common accommodation type across the Dales, but a genuine spread of hotels and boutique B&Bs exists too, from Stone House Hotel near Hawes to Stow House in Leyburn and Yorebridge House in Bainbridge.
Final Thoughts: Choosing Your Yorkshire Dales Base
Picking the best place to stay in the Yorkshire Dales comes down to matching the accommodation type and the village to how you actually want to spend your trip, whether that means the transport links of Skipton, the limestone scenery around Malham, or a period stay at somewhere like Stone House Hotel or Stow House. If self-catering is your priority once you have settled on an area, our Yorkshire Dales cottage holiday guide picks up from here in full detail, and if walking is central to your plans, our Pen-y-Ghent guide covers routes and safety advice for one of the National Park’s best-known peaks. For a wider look at self-catering across the UK before narrowing down to the Dales specifically, our self-catering accommodation guide is a useful next read.
Written by the Rock House Cottage team, who research UK holiday cottage destinations and accommodation options to help travellers choose the right base for their trip, drawing on National Park data, named local properties and practical stay planning.
