7 Days & 6 Nights

4.6

The Lake District Trail

Walk in the footsteps of Wainwright to admire Lake Windermere from Orrest Head
Breathtaking panoramic view of Ullswater from the Grisedale Valley
Wander "as lonely as a cloud" as you traverse dramatic mountain passes
Enjoying the famous Cumbrian hospitality
The rugged peak of Skiddaw which dominates the skyline

The Lake District Trail takes you on an adventure from the shores of Lake Windermere through the rugged Central and Eastern Lakeland fells to the market town of Keswick. Starting in the bustling Lake District town of Ambleside, take in views from wonderful vantage points such as Orrest Head which Wainwright described as the "introduction to a dream". Continue along the Grisedale Valley amidst the imposing, craggy, mountain peaks of the Helvellyn range, to the village of Patterdale, perfectly situated at the head of tranquil Ullswater Lake. Finish in the market town of Keswick nestled on the shores of Derwent Water where the rugged peak of Skiddaw dominates the skyline. With 2 nights spent in each of the three classic Lakes villages of Ambleside, Patterdale and Keswick, this tour gives you time to immerse yourself fully in this beautiful part of England.

From £799.00

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Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive Ambleside

Ambleside is a bustling lakeside town and 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

Accommodation

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.

Wateredge Inn | Bed and breakfast, Country Inn

The Wateredge Inn is a beautiful country inn offering comfy beds, great food and drink and wonderful views over Lake Windermere. All their rooms are stylish, modern and comfortable, with views of the lake available but they still retain the classic charm of the old building.

Day 2: Ferry to Bowness/Walk to Ambleside 9.5 miles / 15 km

Catch an early ferry from Ambleside to Bowness-on-Windermere before setting out from Bowness Bay and walking back to Ambleside.

After walking through Bowness-on-Windermere on footpaths, you will soon head into the hills on this delightful days’ walking. You will take in some of the most breathtaking views of the Lake District from vantage points such as Orrest Head (described by Wainwright after completing this walk as the ‘introduction to a dream.’) This walk is actually known as the walk that inspired Wainwright.

Combine this with the high point of Wansfell Pike and this really does make for an exhilarating days walking.

Alternatively, you can walk from Ambleside to Bowness, then return on the ferry. We've added both options to your itinerary.

Overnight Ambleside

Accommodation

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

Brantfell House | Bed and breakfast

Wateredge Inn | Bed and breakfast, Country Inn

Day 3: Ambleside to Patterdale 11.5 miles / 19 km

From Ambleside the trail heads North through Rydal Park and impressive Rydal Hall before joining the ‘Coffin Road’ named for the fact that it was originally used to convey the deceased to their final resting place in Grasmere. Gently undulating through trees the trail passes Rydal Mount, home of Wordsworth.

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 you arrive at famous Dove Cottage, also home to Wordsworth, and you may also visit his final resting place at St Oswald’s Church.

Moving out of Grasmere, the trail follows the Grisedale Pass, with an exhilarating walk up to Grisedale Tarn affording wonderful views back down to Grasmere and North toward Ullswater. The impressive craggy heights of Helvellyn fill the skyline to your left as you descend along the valley into Patterdale.

Overnight Patterdale

Accommodation

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.

Old Water View | Country Inn

Located in the charming village of Patterdale, The Old Water View has welcomed guests for over 100 years amid stunning Lakeland scenery. Alfred Wainwright stayed here while writing his famous guides. Featured in Julia Bradbury’s Coast to Coast DVD, it remains an iconic stop on the route. All guest rooms are tastefully decorated with smart TVs, USB sockets, hair dryers, tea/coffee facilities, superfast Wi-Fi, and a drying room, offering comfortable, modern accommodation in a truly historic setting.

Crookabeck | Bed and breakfast

Crookabeck Farm offers B&B accommodation in a stunning farm location in Patterdale. The B&B is in a converted old stone and slate farm building nestled under Place Fell. All bedrooms with en-suite shower room, with guest lounge and outside seating areas. Your welcoming hosts also offer a laundry service.

School House | Bed and breakfast

School House is a lovely B&B in the centre of Patterdale. Each room has tea and coffee-making facilities, complimentary toiletries, wifi and spectacular views from every window. They also have a drying room just in case you encounter a bit of rain on your walk.

Day 4: Ullswater Lake and Place Fell circular walk 8 miles / 13 km

Today’s walk is one of the most beautiful in all Lakeland, circumnavigating the peak of Place Fell and following the stunning lakeshore path of Ullswater. The trail initially climbs to the grassy coll of Boredale Hause framed by the mountains of Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes. The walk ahead down the Boredale glaciated valley is superb and as you descend you experience the magnificent view unfolding ahead. The route turns to follow the lakeside of Ullswater, a real highlight of the day, with unsurpassed views across the quiet waters to the peaks beyond as you walk back to Patterdale.

Overnight Patterdale

Accommodation

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.

Old Water View | Country Inn

Crookabeck | Bed and breakfast

School House | Bed and breakfast

Day 5: Patterdale to Keswick 12 miles / 20 km

You spend this day surrounded by the mountain peaks, crags and cliffs which epitomise the Lake District. Walking up Glenridding away from Ullswater you are rewarded with views back to the Lake and across the Eastern Fells. The trail follows a bridleway along the Sticks Pass with the peak of Helvellyn to the South.

A steep descent brings you out to St Johns in the Vale, an arable area in a wide glacial valley at the head of Thirlmere surrounded by perhaps the most striking of the Lakeland Fells. Here you follow the St John’s Beck river northward between the rocky flanks of Clough Head to the East and the rugged neighbours, High Rigg and Low Rigg to the West.

A real highlight of the day’s walk is the Castlerigg Stone Circle just East of Keswick, described as ‘one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain’. You finish this exhilarating day upon arrival at the market town of Keswick situated in an idyllic location on Derwent Water.

Overnight Keswick

Accommodation

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.

Fellpack House | 4 Star | Hotel

Fellpack House is a charming small hotel on The Heads, a picturesque Victorian street nestled just on the edge of Keswick’s vibrant centre. Each of the nine individually styled rooms offers its own unique character, featuring calming, colourful interiors and views that stretch towards the fells or over the town rooftops.

Downstairs, the welcoming lounge and bar provide the perfect spot to raise a glass to a day well spent in the Lake District, or to unwind with a good book from the handpicked library collection.

Grange Country House | 5 Star | Hotel

Grange Country House is a luxurious bed and breakfast. This elegant Victorian property offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and Derwentwater. Known for its warm hospitality and attention to detail, Grange Country House provides beautifully appointed rooms, a relaxing atmosphere, and a hearty breakfast to set guests up for a day of exploration.

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.

Day 6: Derwent Water, Walla Crag and Friars Crag circular walk 6.5 miles / 11 km

Following a fairly steep climb up to the heather clad summit of Walla Crag 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! Walking onward you skirt the Cat Gill ravine before descending to reach Ashness Bridge fording the torrents of Ashness Gill. This much admired and photographed single arched bridge is a reminder of once busy packhorse routes across the Fells.

The Lakeshore path back to Keswick is a delightful hike 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 some of the finest in all Europe.

Overnight Keswick

Accommodation

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.

Fellpack House | 4 Star | Hotel

Downstairs, the welcoming lounge and bar provide the perfect spot to raise a glass to a day well spent in the Lake District, or to unwind with a good book from the handpicked library collection.

Grange Country House | 5 Star | Hotel

Skiddaw Hotel | 4 Star | Hotel

Day 7: Onward Travel

THIS TRIP'S CARBON SCORE

This trip has a carbon score of 11kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 11kg is equivalent to 2 Neapolitan margherita pizzas. Buon appetito!. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.

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Other Information

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Is it for me?

The Lake District Trail provides a chance to escape to one of the most beautiful areas of England. Enjoy picture perfect Lakeland landscapes and revel in the poetic romance of the Lakes. If you are looking to explore the mountains, fells, valleys and lakes while walking in the footsteps of the cream of Britain’s writers and poets, this is the perfect choice.

Trip Type:

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Long-Distance Trails

The minimum age for this tour is: 18 Years

Grade & Terrain

As this is a self-guided walking tour, you will be responsible for navigation, decision making and safety during your trip. You should have a good level of walking fitness as there is ascent and descent throughout. You should also be capable of negotiating some tricky terrain and be comfortable walking on short sections where there may be no distinct path underfoot at times. There are small sections of high exposure, it is recommended that you have a good head for heights. The Lake District Trail is not waymarked specifically but does traverse many popular routes in the Lake District fells and you should navigate using the Macs App. During wet weather, the trails may get muddy and boggy, so it is important to be prepared for this and ensure you have suitable waterproof hiking gear and robust walking boots.

Please do not underestimate walking in adverse weather when in the Lake District – it’s, not uncommon for the weather to change rapidly in the North of England, where heavy rainfall or thick fog could very quickly disorientate you, therefore using the Macs Adventure Smartphone App is highly recommended for this tour. There are some sections where the path underfoot may become indistinct, but we provide comprehensive route notes, maps and GPX tracks through our smartphone app, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding your way. Make sure that you pay attention at any intersections and if you do not find a way marker at an intersection think back to the last junction and make sure you are on the right path.

Accommodation & Meals Navigation What's Included

Included

6 nights hand picked B&B, guesthouse and small hotel accommodation
6 Breakfasts
Door to door baggage transfer as per itinerary
Detailed Information Pack, Route Notes and Maps
Access to the GPX tracks via the Macs Smartphone App
Emergency telephone support from our office in the event of a problem

Excluded

Travel to the start or from the finish of the walk
Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks
Ferry crossing from Ambleside to Bowness on Windermere
Travel Insurance - prerequisite for all bookings
Personal Equipment
Transport when you need to skip a stage

Extras

Extra nights

When to go Travel & Transfers Info & FAQ

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard cycling gear such as warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Dogs

Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate walkers with dogs as many of the accommodation providers do not accept pets.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.