Derwentwater and Keswick seen from Walla Crag, with the Skiddaw fells beyond

Cumbria, England · A world apart

The Lake
District.

Take the long way.
Find your favourite place.

Explore the Lake District
A little further, a lot to discover Derwentwater, from Walla Crag
Welcome to the Lakes

Fresh air.
Room to wander.

Big views, quiet shores and villages you’ll want to linger in. There’s more than one way to fall for the Lake District.

We’re your independent guide to finding yours. Pick a place to stay, find a walk that suits you, and leave time for a proper pub afterwards.

First visit? Start here
Where to base yourself

Find a place to call your own.

Lakeside mornings or a village tucked beneath the fells. Choose your base and take it from there.

Bowness-on-Windermere promenade on the shore of Lake Windermere

Boats, cafés & lakeside days

Bowness-on-Windermere

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Keswick beside Derwentwater, surrounded by Lake District fells

A base for the northern fells

Keswick

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Traditional stone buildings in Ambleside village, Lake District

Walks from the doorstep

Ambleside

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Grasmere village and Rydal Water in the Lake District

Village lanes & quieter moments

Grasmere

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View all towns & villages
Life by the water

Slow down. You’re by the water.

A cruise across Windermere. A quiet moment beside Wastwater. Find your kind of lakeside day.

Lake Windermere viewed from Orrest Head

Windermere

England’s largest lake at 10.5 miles long. Cruise on historic steamers or explore its 18 islands.

View Windermere
Wastwater and the Wasdale screes, England's deepest lake

Wastwater

England’s deepest lake (74m), voted Britain’s Favourite View. Wild, dramatic, unforgettable.

View Wastwater
Discover all 16 lakes
Fells & footpaths

Views worth walking for.

Two big mountain days for experienced walkers. For gentler routes, explore the full walks guide.

The rocky summit plateau of Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain at 978 metres

Scafell Pike

Climb England’s highest mountain (978m) for 360° views across four nations on a clear day.

View the route
Bowfell in the Lake District

Explore the high fells

Discover mountain routes across the Lake District. Compare difficulty and check conditions before setting out.

Explore walks
Explore all walks & fells
Browse by interest

What do you want to do?

Every path, peak and lake leads somewhere worth going. Pick a starting point.

Walks & fells

View walks

Lakes

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Pubs

View pubs

Boat cruises

View cruises

Attractions

View attractions
The shortlist

Ten ways to make it memorable.

From a first fell to a lakeside cruise: a little inspiration for your next day out.

  1. 01 Climb Scafell Pike

    View Scafell Pike

  2. 02 Cruise on Lake Windermere

    View Windermere cruises

  3. 03 Visit Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top

    View Beatrix Potter

  4. 04 Explore Wordsworth’s Grasmere

    View Grasmere

  5. 05 Tackle Striding Edge on Helvellyn

    View Striding Edge

  6. 06 Walk up Catbells

    View Catbells

  7. 07 Dine at L’Enclume

    View L’Enclume

  8. 08 Wonder at Castlerigg Stone Circle

    View Castlerigg

  9. 09 Sail on Ullswater Steamers

    View Ullswater

  10. 10 Discover Coniston & the Old Man

    View Coniston
See every attraction
Before you book

A good trip starts here.

Everything you need for a Lake District getaway, in three steps.

Accommodation

From cosy B&Bs and luxury hotels to holiday cottages and camping pods.

View places to stay

Getting here

Travel to and around the Lake District by train, bus, boat or car.

View travel guide

Weather & best time

May to September for the best weather, autumn for colour. Always pack waterproofs.

View weather guide
Plan your trip in full Free walking tools

Daylight & season · Tue 8 Sep 2026Tuesday 8 September 2026 54.46°N 3.09°W · Calculated daily

Sunrise
6:32am
Sunset
7:47pm
Daylight
13h 15m
Season
Autumn

Spectacular colours, but days shorten fast – plan to be off the high fells before dusk. Check the Lake District weather guide and our free walking tools before you set out.

Four ways in

Getting to & around the Lake District

Leave the car at home if you can — train, bus and boat are often the better experience.

By train

West Coast Main Line to Oxenholme Lake District (2.5 hours from London), then the branch line to Windermere. Penrith serves Keswick and the northern Lakes.

By bus

Stagecoach 555 connects all the major towns, with tickets and timetables available from the operator. Open-top tourist buses run in summer from Bowness and Keswick.

By boat

Windermere Lake Cruises links popular stops around the lake. Also Ullswater Steamers and Keswick Launch on Derwentwater.

By car

The M6 runs along the eastern edge. Exit J36 for Windermere, J40 for Penrith and Keswick. Expect narrow roads and limited parking in peak season.

Know before you go

Lake District visitor information

The practical detail: where it is, how to reach it, what to climb and where to eat.

Visitor essentials: location, travel, food & walking

Location & area

Region: Cumbria, North West England.

The National Park covers 2,362 km² (912 sq mi), making it England’s largest. It contains 16 main lakes, over 150 high peaks and around 40,000 residents.

Main towns: Windermere, Keswick, Ambleside, Grasmere, Bowness-on-Windermere, Coniston, Kendal.

Getting here

By train: West Coast Main Line to Oxenholme Lake District (2.5 hours from London), then the branch line to Windermere. Penrith serves the northern Lakes.

By bus: The Stagecoach 555 connects Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere and Keswick. All fares capped at £3 per journey.

Tip: direct trains run from Manchester Airport to Windermere — ideal for international visitors.

The lakes

Despite the name, there’s technically only one official ‘lake’ — Bassenthwaite Lake. The others are ‘meres’ (like Windermere) or ‘waters’ (like Derwentwater).

Largest: Windermere, 10.5 miles long. Deepest: Wastwater, 74m.

Lake cruises operate on Windermere, Ullswater, Derwentwater and Coniston Water year-round.

Mountains & walks

Home to England’s highest peak, Scafell Pike (978m), and over 200 fells documented by Alfred Wainwright in his guidebooks.

Popular walks: Helvellyn via Striding Edge, Catbells, Haystacks, Loughrigg Fell and the Old Man of Coniston.

Easy walks: Buttermere circular, Tarn Hows, Grasmere to Rydal Water.

Food & dining

Cumbria has the most Michelin stars outside London. L’Enclume in Cartmel holds three — the only three-star restaurant in northern England.

Local specialities: Cumberland sausage, Herdwick lamb, Grasmere Gingerbread and sticky toffee pudding (invented here).

Don’t miss the country pubs — perfect after a day on the fells.

Literary heritage

William Wordsworth: Dove Cottage in Grasmere, where he wrote ‘Daffodils’, and Rydal Mount, his family home.

Beatrix Potter: Hill Top farm in Near Sawrey inspired Peter Rabbit. The World of Beatrix Potter is in Bowness.

John Ruskin: Brantwood on Coniston Water, home of the influential Victorian thinker.

From people who go often

A few things worth knowing.

Practical advice that saves time and money, plus straight answers to the questions visitors ask most.

Beat the crowds

Arrive before 10am for parking at popular fells and honeypot villages. Bowness and Windermere are busiest — for a quieter Lake District, head to the western valleys like Wasdale, Eskdale and Ennerdale, or visit midweek outside school holidays.

Weather changes fast

Conditions on the fells can be completely different from the valleys — sunshine below can be cloud, wind and rain on the tops. Always check the fell-top forecast before a mountain day, and pack waterproofs whatever the forecast says.

The Lakes on a budget

Many fell walks are free to enjoy, and gems like Castlerigg Stone Circle, Orrest Head and the lakeshores cost nothing. Pack a picnic, ride the 555 through the heart of the Lakes, and you have a world-class day out for pounds.

Can I visit the Lake District without a car?
Yes — and it’s often the better way. Take the train to Windermere (via Oxenholme) or Penrith, then use the Stagecoach 555 bus, which links Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere and Keswick — check current fares before travelling. Lake cruises and seasonal open-top buses fill in the gaps, and many classic walks start right from town centres.
How many days do I need in the Lake District?
A long weekend is enough to enjoy one area well — say Windermere and Ambleside, or Keswick and Derwentwater. To combine lakes, fells, literary sites and quieter valleys, allow four to seven days. Most visitors base themselves in one town and explore from there rather than moving around.
When is the best time to visit the Lake District?
May, June and September offer the best balance of decent weather and manageable crowds. July and August are warmest but busiest. Autumn brings spectacular colours, and winter is beautifully quiet — though days are short and the high fells need proper experience and equipment. Whenever you come, pack waterproofs.
Is the Lake District dog-friendly?
Very — it’s one of the UK’s best destinations for dogs. Most fells and lakeshore paths welcome them, as do many pubs, cafes and some lake cruises. Keep dogs on leads around livestock (especially during spring lambing) and follow local signage on farmland.
Can beginners climb Scafell Pike?
It’s achievable for fit walkers, but it’s a serious mountain day — typically five to seven hours with rough, rocky terrain and rapidly changing weather. Start early, check the fell-top forecast, and carry a map, food and waterproofs. If it’s your first fell, Catbells, Orrest Head or Loughrigg Fell are far better introductions with superb views for much less effort.
How many lakes are there in the Lake District?
There are 16 main lakes, plus dozens of smaller tarns. Only one is officially called a ‘lake’ — Bassenthwaite Lake. The rest are ‘meres’ such as Windermere, or ‘waters’ such as Derwentwater and Wastwater. Windermere is the largest at 10.5 miles long; Wastwater is the deepest at 74 metres.
Read the full planning guide
Inscribed July 2017

A cultural landscape of global significance

In July 2017 the Lake District joined the ranks of the Taj Mahal and the Grand Canyon as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The inscription recognises not just its natural beauty, but the cultural landscape shaped by over 1,000 years of agro-pastoral farming. Herdwick sheep, stone-walled fields and traditional farmsteads combine with the scenery that sparked the Romantic movement and the birth of global conservation.

Read about the heritage listing
54.46°N 3.09°W

Where is the Lake District?

In Cumbria, North West England — around 4 to 5 hours from London by car, or 2.5 hours by train to Oxenholme.

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