Grassington Dickensian Festival & Manchester's Christmas Markets
2 days - by Coach

Christmas Markets are very popular these days, with stalls decked out in various mythical or historical themes, but for over 30 years at Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales they’ve been decking out the people too, in Victorian bustles, bonnets, weskits and stovepipe hats. As you negotiate the stall-jammed narrow streets of this pretty stone-built village, watch out for magicians, fire-jugglers, buskers, shoe-shine boys, urchins, chestnut sellers, Scrooge, a town crier in tri-corn hat, even Fagin-style pickpockets with their Artful Dodger sidekicks. They have traditional crafts, food and songs too, making this a fun retro-style shopping day out.

Meanwhile, what Manchester may lack in period panache, it more than makes up for in scale and up to the minute chic. There are 8 Christmas markets, easily walkable at intervals between the Corn Exchange and Albert Square, all with different European themes, with everything from Brie to Bratwurst, Swiss leather goods, Spanish pottery, German traditional wooden toys, Alpine plants and, er, Bonsai trees.

This tour is organised and operated by Omega Short Breaks Ltd ABTA Y5914

• Return coach travel from your chosen local departure point
• Overnight stay in a twin / double bedded room* at a 3 or 4 star North Western hotel
• Dinner and full English breakfast
• Visit to Grassington Dickensian Markets
• Visit to Manchester Christmas Markets
• Services of a coach driver / tour representative
• VAT at the government's prevailing rate at the date of travel

Saturday: Why would a policeman be walking round on stilts, or a Napoleonic Hussar pressing people into stocks, at a Dickensian market? Nobody is quite sure, but it all adds to the fun, and after a coach pickup in your local area we’re heading straight for it. You can talk to the town statues and they’ll talk right back, but don’t step on the fakir while he’s lying on his bed of nails. There are lots of indoor as well as outdoor stalls so no need to be chilly, and we’ll wrap the day up nicely with dinner and a warm bed for the night at one of our select 3 or 4 star North West area hotels.

Sunday: A full English breakfast to get the engine running and then we motor to the Manchester Markets. They’re fun, whatever order you do them in. Just browse, change your mind and go round in circles if you like, but if you maintain a strict course in one direction you’ll easily do all eight before it’s time to set off on the journey home in the mid to late afternoon.

Here are some example hotels or similar ones that we use for this break, actual availability may change with the travel date you choose.

Some hotels have an additional supplement per person, as shown below. Supplements are stated for the break (not per night)

To be confirmed 3 or 4 Star North West area hotel,
	3 or 4 star North West area hotel