Tips on Avoiding Whitby Tourist Traps

Read these tips to make the most of your visit to Whitby, UK.

Whitby has several museums to visit. There are small lifeboat museums, Cook Museum and The Whitby Museum. Cook Museum is where Captain James Cook lodged when he was an apprentice seaman. The Whitby museum is an old fashioned place with a bit of everything on display.

The Esk Valley Railway offers 4 trains a day from Whitby to Middlesbrough. There is a fairly pricey café with outdoor seating.

To avoid expensive parking in town you can park on the west cliff of Whitby and take the steps next to the abbey into town. Unless there’s a sign indicating otherwise you can also parallel park for free on the road.

You can rent a variety of boats in Whitby. Depending on your mood you can speed around in a speedboat, hop on a fishing boat or just spend some leisure time on the Esk Bell. The Esk Belle has a bar and toiletries. If you take the yellow bus you can get a discount for a trip on the replica of Cpt Cooks HMS Endeavor, which is great for kids.

Khyber Pass will take you up to Westcliff, which inspired Whitbys description in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. You can see where Dracula attacked Lucy in St. Mary’s churchyard. This drive offers a lot of scenic views.

You can take a bus tour of Whitby Abbey, which comes with an automated guide. St. Mary’s Church is on the hill next to the Abby and is free to visit. You might also find pirate graves in the graveyards!

The open top bus tours run £4 for adults and £3 for children. You get to see the town and learn about its history.

Editor's note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about Whitby tourist traps.