Is It Worth Visiting Whitby? A Quiet Coastal Town with Gothic Ruins and a Lot of Soul
Some places reveal themselves slowly.
Whitby wasn’t a destination I had planned around. I arrived because I had a few free days, a good weather forecast, and a train ticket with my name on it.
Tucked into the coast of North Yorkshire, Whitby is known as the birthplace of Dracula — or at least the setting that inspired it. But when I stepped off the train, what I found wasn’t eerie or dramatic. It was peaceful. Washed in sea air. Just strange enough to be memorable.
🚆 Getting There
From London, it’s about 4.5 hours by train, departing from King’s Cross with a transfer in York. Alternatively, you can drive (5 hours via M1) or take a coach from Victoria (around 7 hours). The train felt like the best mix of convenience and charm — and the final stretch into Whitby station, with the coastline curving beside it, made the long ride feel worth it.
Once you arrive, everything is within walking distance. The harbour. The hilltop. The beach. No need to rush or plan too tightly.
📍 What to Do in Whitby
I climbed the 199 Steps to the top of the hill just after breakfast. It was quiet. The only sound was the wind and my own boots on stone.
Up there, the ruins of Whitby Abbey sit dramatically on the cliff, framed by sky and sea. Built in the 7th century and still holding space with full presence. You can see all of Whitby from the top — boats in the harbour, cottages spilling toward the sea, and the winding lanes of the old town.
Later, I stopped by St Mary’s Church, walked through its graveyard, and then wandered down to the beach — which, at sunset, felt like something between a fairytale and a film. People always say "lalaland" for places like this. It fits.
🏡 Where I Stayed
I booked a 400-year-old cottage near the centre of town.
It was a shared Airbnb with three bedrooms, four beds, and a fully equipped kitchen. Less than 5 minutes’ walk from the train station and just a short stroll from the harbour.
It cost us under £20 per person per night — the kind of find that makes solo or small group trips feel easy and low-stress.
🎒 Packing Light
For this trip, I carried one bag — a waterproof backpack that doubles for both travel and light walking. Whitby isn’t rugged hiking terrain, but it’s coastal, and the weather changes quickly. My backpack kept everything dry on the walk up to the abbey (which got misty fast), and still fit comfortably under café tables and next to train seats.
When you're traveling solo, this kind of gear matters more than you think. You need your bag to keep up — to protect your camera in the mist, your sketchbook from a coffee spill, your layers when the wind rolls in.
That’s why I swear by my best waterproof backpack for travel — not bulky, not flashy, just quiet gear that works in quiet places.
Whitby surprised me. Not because it was extraordinary, but because it was quietly itself. A little strange, a little sad, very cinematic.
And sometimes, that’s exactly what you want.
Looking for a backpack that keeps up with you?
