Borrowdale, Lake District

Cumbria Way

View Photos

View Map

On this page:

Overview

Route

What's Included?

Itineraries & Prices

Accommodation

Travel Info

Additional Days

Overview

Walking Holidays

6 - 9 Nights

73 miles / 118 km

Prices from: £805 per person
Start: Ulverston, Cumbria
Finish: Carlisle, Cumbria
Availability: Any start date from April to October
Grading: Moderate
Way-marked: No

Cumbria Way Highlights

Heart of the Lakes

Enjoy the stunning scenery of the English Lake District – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cumbria Way leads you straight through the heart of the Lakes.

Heavenly valleys

The route takes you through some of Cumbria’s most famous valleys – Langdale and Borrowdale.

Majestic views

The Lake District is full of some of the most beautiful lakes in the world. You can revel in the majestic views across Lake Coniston and Derwentwater on your walk.

Cumbrian hospitality

Explore quintessential English towns and villages with wonderful pubs, shops and art galleries and take the time to enjoy the Cumbrian hospitality.

Breathtaking mountains

Making your way through the Lake District you won’t ever be far from some of the most breathtaking mountain ranges.

Journey to the historic border

Travel from the Lakeland market town of Ulverston through to the historic town of Carlisle, close to the Scottish border.

A Classic Route Through the Heart of the Lakes

The Cumbria Way is an exhilarating walk which traverses the stunning Lake District National Park and provides an excellent introduction to the charms of England’s most mountainous area. Stretching from Ulverston on the shores of Morecambe Bay, to the historic border city of Carlisle.

This walk is essentially a low-level walk where you can enjoy the breathtaking mountains views from the valley floors, where the views are just as beautiful as being in the high fells. This way you can discover the stunning Lakes without the strenuous hills and summits to climb.

You will find many charming villages and towns dotted along the path, filled with delightful shops, galleries and the warmest of Cumbrian welcomes. On route, you can also admire Lake Coniston and Derwentwater – two of the most serene lakes that the Lake District has to offer.

The Cumbria Way offers 70 miles of walking through some of the most scenic and inspiring landscapes in Britain. Most people complete the trail in 6 days but we recommend you add additional days for sightseeing and relaxation in this enchanting landscape.

Cumbria Way Route Map

Recommended Itinerary

Our most popular itinerary is CUMW2 which covers the route in 6 days / 7 nights.

Travel to Ulverston for your first night’s accommodation

Arrive in Ulverston, a pretty market town on the southern edge of the Lake District and spend the evening at your first night’s accommodation.

Day 1: Ulverston to Coniston (15 miles / 24 km)

The Cumbria Way leaves Ulverston, on the shores of Morecambe Bay and heads towards the hills. The scenery becomes more dramatic with every step to Coniston, a pretty village on the shores of the lake dominated by the 2,650 ft Old Man of Coniston.

The latter part of the walk is truly delightful as you follow the shores of Coniston Water. Coniston is a lovely town and is famous for being the site of Donald Campbell’s ill-fated world record water speed attempt.

Day 2: Coniston to Great Langdale (12 miles / 19 km)

An absolutely delightful day of Lakeland walking as today’s section includes Tarn Hows – one of Lakeland’s most famous beauty spots. Beginning in Coniston you pass through a wonderful mix of rolling farmland, fells and becks.

Continuing on from Tarn Hows you pass the pretty lake of Elterwater with glorious views up the valley to the towering peaks of the Langdale Pikes. This is perhaps the most famous place in the Lakes.

Day 3: Great Langdale to Rosthwaite (9 miles / 14 km)

Today you experience the rugged splendour of the lakes. After walking along the spectacular valley of Mickleden you head up to Stake Pass, at 480m the highest point on the Cumbria Way until you are north of Keswick. Enjoy the splendid views of the peaks of the Langdale Pikes and Crinkle Crags.

From Stake Pass, it is a steep descent following the tumbling waters of Langstrath Beck as you head down to the River Derwent and into sleepy Borrowdale and your overnight stop in the lovely old village of Rosthwaite.

Day 4: Rosthwaite to Keswick (8 miles / 13 km)

This is a short stage which many walkers will combine with the previous one. Today is an easy but delightful day in the Borrowdale valley following the shores of Derwentwater.

You will have plenty of time to look around the bustling tourist town of Keswick, and perhaps take a boat trip on Derwentwater.

Day 5: Keswick to Caldbeck (15 miles / 24 km)

There is a choice today of either a high level or low-level route. Experienced walkers may like to take the high route over High Pike (the highest point on the Cumbria Way at 658m, with great views as far as the Scottish hills), whilst others may prefer the slightly longer low-level route that keeps to the valley. The low-level route is easier and safer if the weather is bad.

Day 6: Caldbeck to Carlisle (14 miles / 23 km)

The final day is a contrast to all that has gone before. Leaving the Lake District, your route takes you through more gentle, rolling countryside as the path follows the meandering River Caldew downstream to the historic border city of Carlisle.

Carlisle has plenty of places to visit and welcoming pubs and restaurants to celebrate the end of your walk on the Cumbria Way.

Onward travel

After breakfast, you will start your journey home after a wonderful walking holiday on the Cumbria Way.

What's Included?

Your Cumbria Way 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 3 suggested itineraries for walking the Cumbria Way.

Our most popular itinerary is CUMW2 which covers the route in 6 days.

Tour code

Itinerary

Average miles

Difficulty

Price per person

CUMW1

5 Days / 6 Nights

14.5 miles per day

Moderate

From £805

Average miles : 14.5 miles per day

Tour code: CUMW1

Difficulty : Moderate

5 Days / 6 Nights (CUMW1)

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 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.

Arrive Travel to Ulverston for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Ulverston to Coniston 15 miles / 24 km

Day 2 Coniston to Great Langdale 12 miles / 19 km

Day 3 Great Langdale to Keswick 17 miles / 27 km

Day 4 Keswick to Caldbeck 15 miles / 24 km

Day 5 Caldbeck to Carlisle 14 miles / 23 km

Depart Onward travel from Carlisle

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £1035 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 £805 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

CUMW2

6 Days / 7 Nights

12 miles per day

Moderate

From £935

Average miles : 12 miles per day

Tour code: CUMW2

Difficulty : Moderate

6 Days / 7 Nights (CUMW2)

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 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.

Arrive Travel to Ulverston for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Ulverston to Coniston 15 miles / 24 km

Day 2 Coniston to Great Langdale 12 miles / 19 km

Day 3 Great Langdale to Rosthwaite 9 miles / 14 km

Day 4 Rosthwaite to Keswick 8 miles / 13 km

Day 5 Keswick to Caldbeck 15 miles / 24 km

Day 6 Caldbeck to Carlisle 14 miles / 23 km

Depart Onward travel from Carlisle

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £1205 per person

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £935 per person

Enquire Now

CUMW3

8 Days / 9 Nights

9.5 miles per day

Moderate

From £1215

Average miles : 9.5 miles per day

Tour code: CUMW3

Difficulty : Moderate

8 Days / 9 Nights (CUMW3)

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 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.

Arrive Travel to Ulverston for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Ulverston to Lowick 8 miles / 13 km

Day 2 Lowick to Coniston 7 miles / 11 km

Day 3 Coniston to Great Langdale 12 miles / 19 km

Day 4 Great Langdale to Rosthwaite 9 miles / 14 km

Day 5 Rosthwaite to Keswick 8 miles / 13 km

Day 6 Keswick to Bassenthwaite 10.5 miles / 17 km

Day 7 Bassenthwaite to Caldbeck 10 miles / 16 km

Day 8 Caldbeck to Carlisle 14 miles / 23 km

Depart Onward travel from Carlisle

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £1560 per person

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £1215 per person

Enquire Now

Cumbria Way 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 Ulverston

By Air

Nearest international airport: Manchester International Airport

There is a direct train service from the airport to Ulverston (journey time 2 hours 15 min).

By Public Transport

Nearest railway station: Ulverston

There are regular train services North from London Euston to Lancaster or Preston, and South from Glasgow. From here you can change trains for Ulverston.

National Express coaches serve Lancaster, Preston and Windermere. From Windermere, local buses run to Ulverston six times per day.

By Car

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

Departing from Carlisle

By Air

Nearest international airport: Newcastle International Airport

There are regular train services from Carlisle to Newcastle (journey time 1 hour 30 min) where you can then catch the metro train to Newcastle Airport.

Train services also depart from Carlisle to Manchester Airport via Preston (journey time 2 hours 30 min).

By Public Transport

Nearest railway station: Carlisle

Regular train services operate to London Kings Cross (journey time 3 hours 30 min) and north to Scotland on the West Coast line.

As the train services can be very busy, we recommend booking a ticket in advance.

National Express coach services also serve Carlisle.

By Car

If you have left a car in Ulverston, take a train from Carlisle to Lancaster and connect with a service to Ulverston.

Additional Days

We would be delighted to arrange additional accommodation for you along the Cumbria Way.

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.

Coniston

The Lakes are really magical and we would recommend an additional night in Coniston to explore the history and beautiful landscapes of the area
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 or the picturesque village of Hawkshead

Great Langdale

Enjoy Great Langdale, a quiet corner of the lakes
Complete the fabulous circuit of the Langdale Fells, which includes eight of Wainright’s fells

Rosthwaite

Rosthwaite is a good choice for a rest day as there are many lovely walks in the hills around Borrowdale
Climb Scafell Pike which, at 978m, is England’s highest peak

Keswick

The old market town of Keswick is another good choice for an additional night. It’s a bustling little town with plenty of shops, inns and cafes
Take a boat trip on Derwentwater
Climb Skiddaw, the fourth highest mountain in England

Bassenthwaite

Walk to the little church of St. Bega on the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake. This is reputed to be the most romantic spot in the Lake District!
Visit the Lakes Distillery, located to the north of Bassenthwaite Lake. There is a visitor centre, artisan bar, and bistro for you to enjoy

Carlisle

Visit the award-winning Tullie House Museum
Explore 12th century Carlisle Cathedral
Visit the half-timbered Guildhall that houses a local history museum
Visit Carlisle’s medieval castle, with its ancient chambers, stairways and dungeons that contain the ‘licking stones’. Here, parched Jacobite prisoners found enough moisture to stay alive, only to be brutally executed on Gallows Hill

How do our Walking Holidays Work?

For more than 20 years, we’ve been weaving together unforgettable walking holidays amidst the enchanting landscapes of the British Isles. Dive deeper into how they work in our comprehensive guide. Read more