Heart of the Lake District

Take a train to nearby Windermere (3hrs from London, 2hrs from Glasgow) and hop on one of the frequent buses along to Ambleside (15 min). This bustling lakeside town is a great starting point for your adventure in the Lake District. Tonight you may wish to venture into town from your B&B and find a local pub in which to have dinner.

Overnight Ambleside

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Lacet House | Bed and breakfast

A warm welcome awaits you at Lacet House. They have 5 rooms in total all of which overlook White Platts recreational park. All rooms are tastefully decorated either traditional or contemporary design and have black out blinds, flatscreen TV, hairdryer and central heating.

Brantfell House | Bed and breakfast

Brantfell House provides accommodation set within a renovated Victorian house. The property has 5 rooms - all rooms have flat screen TV/ DVD players, tea and coffee making facilities and modern en-suite shower rooms.

The Fisherbeck | Country Inn

The individually designed rooms at The Fisherbeck have luxury Sealy beds and private modern bathrooms with free designer toiletries. Rooms also have a TV, radio, hairdryer and tea and coffee facilities.

Walk in the footsteps of Beatrix Potter today as you follow trails through landscapes that inspired her writing and visit famous sights associated with the famous author. Start by jumping on one of the iconic Windermere ferries across Lake Windermere to Wray Castle. From here, follow easy paths and tracks by the quiet western shore of the lake before heading slightly inland to visit Hill Top, the former home of Beatrix Potter, which she bought with her royalties from the sale of The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Visit Moss Eccles Tarn, one of Potter's favourite places for painting, and then continue to Ferry House, where you catch a ferry back over to the other side of the lake. Perhaps enjoy a quick ice cream in Bowness-on-Windermere, before catching the local bus down to Ambleside.

Ascent:+210m / Descent: -220m

Note: if you opt to walk from your accommodation to Ambleside pier it adds +1 extra mile to the distances stated above.

Overnight Ambleside

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Lacet House | Bed and breakfast

A warm welcome awaits you at Lacet House. They have 5 rooms in total all of which overlook White Platts recreational park. All rooms are tastefully decorated either traditional or contemporary design and have black out blinds, flatscreen TV, hairdryer and central heating.

Brantfell House | Bed and breakfast

Brantfell House provides accommodation set within a renovated Victorian house. The property has 5 rooms - all rooms have flat screen TV/ DVD players, tea and coffee making facilities and modern en-suite shower rooms.

The Fisherbeck | Country Inn

The individually designed rooms at The Fisherbeck have luxury Sealy beds and private modern bathrooms with free designer toiletries. Rooms also have a TV, radio, hairdryer and tea and coffee facilities.

Head north through Rydal Park on the outskirts of Ambleside this morning, passing one of William Wordsworth's former homes, Rydal Mount, where Wordsworth spent his last days. This route is also known as the 'Coffin Road’ named for the fact that it was an old corpse road used in medieval times to carry the deceased to their final resting place in Grasmere. Enjoy following gently undulating trails as you head towards your next destination in the Lakes.

At White Moss Common at the north end of Rydal Water, the views ahead to Grasmere are spectacular and you will see why this was a favourite place of Wordsworth’s sister, Dorothy. Following the trail down into Grasmere arrive at the famous Dove Cottage, Wordsworth's first family home, and you may also visit his final resting place at St Oswald’s Church. Grasmere is a delightful little town with plenty of tempting tearooms, a few traditional pubs and the famous Sarah Nelson's Gingerbread Shop which we highly recommend paying a visit to!

Ascent: +90m / Descent: -85m

Overnight Grasmere

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Heidi’s Grasmere Lodge | Country Inn

The 200 year old traditional Cumbrian property has been furnished using local craftsmen and local materials and offers some lovely accommodation in Cumbria. Each of their 6 fabulous ensuite rooms has its own uniqueness with high quality furnishings. Each room has a flat screen TV, internet connection, underfloor heating, duck-down duvets and pillows, Egyptian cotton sheets and wool carpets.

Glenthorne | Guest House

Glenthorne is a long-established guest house. They offer comfortable accommodation and delicious home-cooked meals in stunning surroundings. They are service orientated people who aim to make your stay as comfortable as they can. All rooms are individually decorated and have all the amenities you require for a lovely overnight stay.

The Swan Inn

The Swan Inn is located in the timeless village of Grasmere in the Lake District. With a pub and restaurant open throughout the day, the Swan also provides a drying room for rainy days.

Enjoy the perfect introduction to walking higher up in the Lake District fells as you make your way slowly to the top of Helm Crag today, and discover the iconic "Lion and the Lamb" craggy outcrops, so named because they are said to resemble the aforementioned creatures. Alfred Wainwright said of this walk "The virtues of Helm Crag have not to be lauded enough. It gives an exhilarating little climb, a brief essay in real mountaineering." From the Lion and the Lamb, enjoy some of the Lake District's best views, looking over the Fairfield and Helvellyn mountain ranges - you will have the real feeling of being up in the mountains today as Wainwright alluded to, but this is gained without too much effort!

Ascent: +325m / Descent: -325m

Overnight Grasmere

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Heidi’s Grasmere Lodge | Country Inn

The 200 year old traditional Cumbrian property has been furnished using local craftsmen and local materials and offers some lovely accommodation in Cumbria. Each of their 6 fabulous ensuite rooms has its own uniqueness with high quality furnishings. Each room has a flat screen TV, internet connection, underfloor heating, duck-down duvets and pillows, Egyptian cotton sheets and wool carpets.

Glenthorne | Guest House

Glenthorne is a long-established guest house. They offer comfortable accommodation and delicious home-cooked meals in stunning surroundings. They are service orientated people who aim to make your stay as comfortable as they can. All rooms are individually decorated and have all the amenities you require for a lovely overnight stay.

The Swan Inn

The Swan Inn is located in the timeless village of Grasmere in the Lake District. With a pub and restaurant open throughout the day, the Swan also provides a drying room for rainy days.

After a hearty breakfast, a transfer will bring you to your final stop in the Lakes, the lively town of Keswick.

Soak in the views as you gently wind your way up to the heather-clad summit of Walla Crag, where you are rewarded with one of the finest views in all of Lakeland. The sparkling surface of Derwent Water below and the Skiddaw range rising behind Keswick are sights to behold! Descend to reach Ashness Bridge, one of the most photographed and picturesque packhorse bridges in the Lake District with stunning views. The lakeshore path back to Keswick is a delightful stroll through woodland and along wide bays. At the rocky outcrop of Friar’s Crag, you will find a memorial to John Ruskin who thought the views were some of the finest in all of Europe.

Ascent: +285m / Descent: -285m

Overnight Keswick

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Skiddaw Hotel | 4 Star | Hotel

The four-star Skiddaw Hotel is set in the picturesque market town of Keswick. Each of the 43 en-suite bedrooms offers a high standard of comfort and has all the amenities you would expect from a good hotel.

Keswick Park Hotel | 4 Star | Hotel

The Keswick Park was built in 1880 as a traditional Lakeland/Cumbrian slate house near the centre of Keswick. In the 1970's it was converted to a comfortable Guest House. It is conveniently located for bed and breakfast only 200 metres level walk from Keswick town centre, the "Queen of the northern Lake District".

Linnett Hill Hotel | Hotel

This guest house has been completed refurbished since Andy & Mandy took it over in 2012, all bedrooms are en-suite with new bathrooms, complimentary toiletries, flat screen TV’s and they have WIFI throughout. There is the use of the guest lounge with free drinks, snacks and access to newspapers and magazines. They also have drying facilities for those rainy days.

This short, sharp climb up a "little mountain" or "lair of the wildcat" is a firm Lake District favourite. As Alfred Wainwright said, "It is a family fell where grandmothers and infants can climb the heights together, a place beloved". For a relaxing start to the day, take the Keswick Launch to Hawse End before starting to follow well-defined paths through the bracken. As you climb, views open up over lovely Derwent Water and the beautiful Newlands Valley. A short section towards the summit involves a little bit of scrambling and a head for heights, but if this isn't for you, you can still enjoy amazing views from very close to the top and you could simply turn round and go back the way you came. However, it is worth the effort on that very short section to stand on the top and take in the amazing views over the Lake District including the mighty Skiddaw to the North. After leaving the summit, the path heads downhill and then you can enjoy a relaxing stroll back via the shores of Derwent Water to Hawse End where the boat will take you back to Keswick in 10 minutes for your final night in the Lake District.

Ascent: +340m / Descent: -350m

Overnight Keswick

Accommodations

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Skiddaw Hotel | 4 Star | Hotel

The four-star Skiddaw Hotel is set in the picturesque market town of Keswick. Each of the 43 en-suite bedrooms offers a high standard of comfort and has all the amenities you would expect from a good hotel.

Keswick Park Hotel | 4 Star | Hotel

The Keswick Park was built in 1880 as a traditional Lakeland/Cumbrian slate house near the centre of Keswick. In the 1970's it was converted to a comfortable Guest House. It is conveniently located for bed and breakfast only 200 metres level walk from Keswick town centre, the "Queen of the northern Lake District".

Linnett Hill Hotel | Hotel

This guest house has been completed refurbished since Andy & Mandy took it over in 2012, all bedrooms are en-suite with new bathrooms, complimentary toiletries, flat screen TV’s and they have WIFI throughout. There is the use of the guest lounge with free drinks, snacks and access to newspapers and magazines. They also have drying facilities for those rainy days.

Your holiday comes to an end after breakfast. From Keswick take a bus to Penrith (50min) or Carlisle (1h15m) for onward travel connections.