Derwentwater, Lake District

Tour of the Lake District

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Overview

Route

What’s Included?

Itineraries & Prices

Accommodation

Travel Info

Additional Days

Overview

Walking Holidays

8 - 13 Nights

93 miles / 145 km

Prices from: £1275 per person
Start: Ambleside, Lake District
Finish: Ambleside, Lake District
Availability: Any start date from April to September
Grading: Easy to Moderate
Way-marked: No

Tour of the Lake District Highlights

Magnificent scenery

Explore every corner of the English Lake District – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – where impressive mountains are mirrored in tranquil lakes.

Rural locations

Escape the crowds in the wild and undeveloped Western Fells, where contrasting natural landscapes provide diverse and secluded walking.

Historic villages

Wander quiet lanes in beautiful Lakeland villages such as Coniston, Boot and Grasmere, and enjoy their delightful local hospitality.

Idyllic lakes

Enjoy wonderful views across the many lakes that give the region its name.

Local breweries

Sample locally-brewed ales in traditional English Pubs which brew their own beer, such as the Strands Inn and Brewery in the small village of Nether Wasdale.

Record breaking mountains

Walk amongst some of England’s highest peaks, like the awe-inspiring Scafell Pike and the spectacular Helvellyn.

Explore England’s Highest Peaks & Deepest Lakes

The Tour of the Lake District circuit will take you on a true highlights tour of the magnificent Lake District National Park. Enjoy majestic views across Lake Coniston and Derwentwater, picture-perfect villages like Rosthwaite and Grasmere, and the dramatic steep-sided valleys of Borrowdale and Eskdale.

The route provides a taste of both extremes of the Lakes. On the one hand, you’ll visit the historic market towns of Ambleside and Keswick – lively centres which boast a fantastic array of quality restaurants, pubs and art galleries. The local literary culture is ever-present, where you can enjoy a visit to the home of poet William Wordsworth.

But the Tour of the Lake District also leaves the crowds behind, heading deep into the Western Fells. In the quiet valleys of Eskdale and Wasdale, you’ll meet fewer fellow travellers, but experience warm hospitality in traditional Lakeland pubs.

Skirting between some of England’s most iconic mountains, The Old Man of Coniston, Scafell Pike, Skiddaw and Helvellyn, there is no end of inspiring views. It is a rare opportunity to see some unspoiled corners of Britain’s most inspiring natural landscapes, coupling calming wilderness with bustling civilisation.

Tour of the Lake District Route Map

Recommended Itinerary

Our most popular itinerary is TOLD2 which covers the route in 9 days / 10 nights.

Travel to Ambleside for your first night’s accommodation

Travel to the bustling town of Ambleside, sitting at the northern end of Windermere, England’s largest lake. This very compact town is something of a crossroads, and has great bus connections as a result.

Day 1: Ambleside to Coniston (12.5 miles / 20 km)

Leaving Ambleside, you’ll climb Loughrigg Fell and enjoy one of the best views in the central Lake District, before passing the entrance to the famous Langdale Valley at Elterwater. End the day at Coniston village by Coniston Water – inspiration for the children’s adventure novel Swallows and Amazons.

Day 2: Coniston to Eskdale (11 miles / 18 km)

Today you’ll leave the busy central Lakes and head into the quieter Western Fells. Skirt the shoulder of one of England’s most iconic mountains, The Old Man of Coniston, then drop into the wild and almost deserted Duddon Valley.

From here, a gradual climb takes you up and over into the green and beautiful valley of Eskdale, dominated at its head by Scafell Pike – the highest mountain in England.

Day 3: Eskdale to Wasdale Head (12 miles / 19 km)

Today begins amongst the quiet and picturesque villages of Boot and Eskdale Green, with valley and riverside walking. Follow the route of ‘Ratty’ – a narrow-gauge steam railway originally built to service the Victorian mine at Eskdale, but now maintained for visitors.

You’ll then head straight up the Wasdale Valley – its dramatic head looming gradually closer, made up of iconic mountains such as Great Gable and Scafell Pike.

Day 4: Wasdale Head to Buttermere (7.5 miles / 12 km)

From Wasdale Head a sustained climb takes you up and over into the unspoilt and undeveloped Ennerdale Valley. A second ascent over Scarth Gap brings you to the beautiful, tree-lined shore of Lake Buttermere, and into Buttermere village.

Day 5: Buttermere to Keswick (10 miles / 16 km)

Today sees a gradual return to the busier half of the Lake District, but via rarely-trodden paths. Head out of Buttermere and climb up the valley alongside Sail Beck, then down into the pastoral Newlands Valley. Peaceful walking takes you to the village of Portinscale, and then a short stretch into the bustling town of Keswick.

Day 6: Keswick to Rosthwaite (9.5 miles / 15.5 km)

The route heads up to Castlerigg Stone Circle, before taking a fellside route with amazing views over Derwent Water. Pass through the quiet and secluded Watendlath valley, before crossing a final pass into the mighty Borrowdale valley and the village of Rosthwaite.

Day 7: Rosthwaite to Grasmere (8 miles / 13 km)

A short day allows you time to savour the beauty of the Lake District as you cross over the fells from Borrowdale to Grasmere. Grasmere is a really charming village situated right in the heart of the National Park. Visit Dove Cottage, the best-known home of William Wordsworth, the school where Wordsworth once taught, now home to a famous Gingerbread Shop and St. Oswald’s church, the last resting place of the Wordsworth family.

Day 8: Grasmere to Patterdale (8 miles / 13 km)

From Grasmere there is a lot more climbing to do. The route crosses over the Helvellyn range – either over the pass at Grisedale Tarn (570m), or for the more adventurous, via the summit of Helvellyn, England’s 3rd highest mountain. The route drops down to Patterdale on the shore of Ullswater.

Day 9: Patterdale to Ambleside (9.5 miles / 15 km)

Completing the loop, your final day takes you back to Ambleside via a final mountain pass, the Scandale Pass. An optional extension up to the peak of Red Screes would provide a 360-degree panorama and a fitting end to the trip.

Onward travel

After breakfast, you will start your journey home after a wonderful Tour of the Lake District.

What’s Included?

Your Tour of the Lake District walking holiday includes:

Carefully selected accommodation along the route and trail transfers when applicable
En-suite or private bathroom facilities whenever possible
Daily door-to-door baggage transfers
Comprehensive information pack, kit list, guidebook and map (one set per room)
Personalised itinerary with details of your accommodation, route and recommendations for lunch and dinner
Traditional English breakfast
24-hour emergency contact number
Full financial protection

Your walking holiday doesn't include:

Travel insurance
Transport to and from the start and end of the walk
Lunches and evening meals

Itineraries & Prices

We offer five suggested itineraries for walking the Tour of the Lake District and have detailed the approximate distances for each stage.

Our most popular itinerary is TOLD2 which covers the full route in 9 days. We also offer two shorter ‘highlights’ itineraries which cover the section between Keswick and Coniston.

Tour code

Itinerary

Average miles

Difficulty

Price per person

TOLD1

7 Days / 8 Nights

13.5 miles per day

Moderate

From £1275

Average miles : 13.5 miles per day

Tour code: TOLD1

Difficulty : Moderate

7 Days / 8 Nights (TOLD1)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is also a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Ambleside for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Ambleside to Coniston 12.5 miles / 20km

Day 2 Coniston to Eskdale 11 miles / 18km

Day 3 Eskdale to Wasdale Head 12 miles / 19 km

Day 4 Wasdale Head to Keswick 17.5 miles / 28km

Day 5 Keswick to Rosthwaite 9.5 miles / 15.5km

Day 6 Rosthwaite to Patterdale 16.5 miles / 26.5km

Day 7 Patterdale to Ambleside 9.5 miles / 15km

Depart Onward travel from Ambleside

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £1755 per person

Carefully selected guest houses, inns and hotels throughout your walk, which will be the best available in each location. As premium accommodation is in short supply on this trail, please note that some establishments will be of a higher standard than others. En-suite facilities or private bathroom guaranteed.

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £1275 per person

Good quality and comfortable B&Bs, guest houses and some hotels located as close to the trail as possible. We will prioritise en-suite facilities or a private bathroom, although in remote areas with limited accommodation this may not always be possible.

Enquire Now

TOLD2

9 Days / 10 Nights

10.5 miles per day

Moderate

From £1585

Average miles : 10.5 miles per day

Tour code: TOLD2

Difficulty : Moderate

9 Days / 10 Nights (TOLD2)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is also a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Ambleside for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Ambleside to Coniston 12.5 miles / 20km

Day 2 Coniston to Eskdale 11 miles / 18km

Day 3 Eskdale to Wasdale Head 12 miles / 19km

Day 4 Wasdale Head to Buttermere 7.5 miles / 12km

Day 5 Buttermere to Keswick 10 miles / 16km

Day 6 Keswick to Rosthwaite 8 miles / 14km

Day 7 Rosthwaite to Grasmere 8 miles / 13km

Day 8 Grasmere to Patterdale 8 miles / 13km

Day 9 Patterdale to Ambleside 9.5 miles to 15 km

Depart Onward travel from Ambleside

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £2150 per person

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £1585 per person

Enquire Now

TOLD3

12 Days / 13 Nights

8 miles per day

Easy

From £1965

Average miles : 8 miles per day

Tour code: TOLD3

Difficulty : Easy

12 Days / 13 Nights (TOLD3)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is also a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Ambleside for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Ambleside to Elterwater 5.5 miles / 9km

Day 2 Elterwater to Coniston 7 miles / 11km

Day 3 Coniston to Seathwaite 5.5 miles / 9km

Day 4 Seathwaite to Eskdale 5.5 miles / 9km

Day 5 Eskdale to Nether Wasdale 6.5 miles / 10.5km

Day 6 Nether Wasdale to Wasdale Head 5.5 miles / 9km

Day 7 Wasdale Head to Buttermere 7.5 miles / 12km

Day 8 Buttermere to Keswick 10 miles / 16km

Day 9 Keswick to Rosthwaite 9.5 miles / 15.5km

Day 10 Rosthwaite to Grasmere 8 miles / 14km

Day 11 Grasmere to Patterdale 8 miles / 13km

Day 12 Patterdale to Ambleside 9.5 miles / 15km

Depart Onward travel from Ambleside

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £2850 per person

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £1965 per person

Enquire Now

TOLD4

4 Days / 5 Nights (Highlights in 4 Days)

12 miles per day

Moderate

From £715

Average miles : 12 miles per day

Tour code: TOLD4

Difficulty : Moderate

4 Days / 5 Nights (TOLD4)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is also a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Keswick for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Keswick to Rosthwaite 9.5 miles / 15.5km

Day 2 Rosthwaite to Patterdale 16.5 miles / 26.5km

Day 3 Patterdale to Ambleside 9.5 miles / 15km

Day 4 Ambleside to Coniston 12.5 miles / 20km

Depart Onward travel from Coniston

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £1020 per person

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £715 per person

Enquire Now

TOLD5

6 Days / 7 Nights (Highlights in 6 Days)

8 miles per day

Easy

From £985

Average miles : 8 miles per day

Tour code: TOLD5

Difficulty : Easy

6 Days / 7 Nights (TOLD5)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is also a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Keswick for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Keswick to Rosthwaite 9.5 miles / 15.5km

Day 2 Rosthwaite to Grasmere 8 miles / 14km

Day 3 Grasmere to Patterdale 9.5 miles / 15km

Day 4 Patterdale to Ambleside 9.5 miles / 15km

Day 5 Ambleside to Elterwater 5.5 miles / 9km

Day 6 Elterwater to Coniston 7 miles / 11km

Depart Onward travel from Coniston

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £1420 per person

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £985 per person

Enquire Now

Tour of the Lake District Accommodation

All of the accommodation that we reserve for you has been personally selected by our expert team to ensure it meets our exacting standards. We regularly review our extensive database.

We will always prioritise accommodation as close to the walking trail as possible. Occasionally, your accommodation may be located a short distance from the trail, or you may need to spend more than one night in the same place, in which case we will provide return transfers.

Travel Information

As an environmentally conscious tour operator, we actively encourage the use of public transport by providing clients with a detailed breakdown of travel options in their information packs. The following information may help with your pre-trip planning.

Getting to and departing from Ambleside

By Air

Nearest International Airports: Manchester Airport, Glasgow Airport and Edinburgh Airport

There is a regular train service direct from Manchester Airport to Oxenholme Railway Station in the Lake District (journey time 1 hour 29 minutes).

By Public Transport

The nearest mainline train station to Ambleside is Oxenholme Railway station. You can travel directly to here from most major UK stations, including London Euston (journey time 3 hours 20 minutes), Birmingham New Street (2 hours 30 minutes), Manchester Piccadilly (1 hour 30 minutes) Glasgow Central (1 hour 40 minutes) or Edinburgh Waverley (1 hour 50 minutes).

From Oxenholme Railway Station, you can take a 20-minute train to Windermere Railway Station, from which there are regular buses to Ambleside which take about 15 minutes.

Train Tickets

Great savings can be made by buying your train tickets in advance through the Trainline website at www.thetrainline.com. Although tickets can only be mailed to a UK address, overseas customers can still order tickets in advance and collect them from a Fast Ticket machine in the UK. Fast Ticket machines are located in most mainline railway stations.

By Car

If you plan to travel by car, it may be possible to leave it in Ambleside for the duration of your holiday. We can check this for you when your booking is confirmed.

Getting to & departing from Keswick

By Air

Nearest International Airports: Manchester Airport, Glasgow Airport and Edinburgh Airport

There is a regular train service from Manchester Airport to Oxenholme Railway Station in the Lake District (journey time 1 hours 29 min). From both Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports, there are regular express buses into the city centre, where you can connect with train services to Oxenholme or Penrith.

By Public Transport

Keswick is connected to Penrith by direct bus, which takes about 40 minutes. Penrith train station has many national connections: including London Euston (journey time 3 hours 30 minutes), Birmingham New Street (2 hours 40 minutes), Manchester Piccadilly (1 hour 40 minutes) Glasgow Central (1 hour 30 minutes) or Edinburgh Waverley (1 hour 40 minutes).

Train Tickets

By Car

If you plan to travel by car, it may be possible to leave it in Keswick for the duration of your holiday. We can check this for you when your booking is confirmed.

Getting to & departing from Coniston

By Air

Nearest International Airports: Manchester Airport, Glasgow Airport and Edinburgh Airport

From Oxenholme Railway Station, you can take a connecting train to Windermere Railway Station, and the journey time is approximately 20 minutes. Coniston is connected to Windermere train station by direct bus, which takes about 1 hour.

By Public Transport

Nearest Railway Station: Windermere Railway Station

Windermere Railway Station is served by regular services from Oxenholme Railway Station on the West Coast Main Line. The journey takes just 20 minutes. From Oxenholme, there are regular services direct from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Coniston is connected to Windermere train station by direct bus, which takes about 1 hour. From Windermere, it is a 20-minute train to Oxenholme Lake District train station, which has many national connections as described above.

Train Tickets

By Car

If you plan to travel by car, it may be possible to leave it in Coniston for the duration of your holiday. We can check this for you when your booking is confirmed.

Additional Days

We would be delighted to arrange additional accommodation for you along the Tour of the Lake District.

You may wish to plan a rest day or have an additional night at any of the locations along the route which offer activities or sightseeing opportunities – we’ve made some suggestions below. Please request this when you make an enquiry.

Grasmere

Visit Dove Cottage – the best-known home of poet William Wordsworth
Treat yourself at the famous Gingerbread Shop – formerly the school where Wordsworth once taught
Explore St. Oswald’s church – the final resting place of the Wordsworth family

Coniston

Walk to the 803m high summit of the Old Man of Coniston
Enjoy a boat trip on Coniston Water on the elegant Victorian steam yacht ‘Gondola’
Visit the little 17th century cottage Hill Top, where Beatrix Potter wrote many of her books
Explore the picturesque village of Hawkshead

Keswick

Relax in this bustling little town full of shops, inns and cafes
Take a boat trip on Derwentwater
Climb Skiddaw, the fourth highest mountain in England

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