So you’d love to visit The Lakes? Let’s take a look at what the place looks like and feels like, and explore some of the many wonderful experiences you’ll have there.
Lake District UK Day tours to the mountains
The 360 degree views from the summit of Helvellyn, more than 900m above sea level, are so stunning they’ll make your eyes water. This is landscape on a grand scale. On steaming hot days the wind is often as sharp as a sharp thing up here, other times there isn’t a breath of a breeze and the views are masked by a faint blue-grey haze. The name Helvellyn translates as ‘pale yellow moorland’ and vast tracts of it still are covered with tough, pale yellow grass. Underneath that it’s all rock, with fascinating geology to discover.
Striding Edge and Swirrall Edge are narrow, dizzying paths down the spines of the peaks, with scary sweeping 45 degree drops either side. Almost literally a knife edge, they’re lethal in a high wind and a terrible idea if you’re afraid of heights. Monuments to the dead dot the paths and vast dark cliffs tower on either side of the valleys. The scree starts moving at the slightest provocation. The weather can turn nasty in minutes. Considering this is England, it’s a properly dangerous place.
Helvellyn and its accompanying line of mountains marches from north of Ambleside onwards between Thirlmere and Ullswater. But Helvellyn is just one of many mountains in the Lake District to climb. You can just as easily relax at the foot of them and fall in love with the soaring craggy peaks. Whatever you enjoy most, there’ll be a day tour for that!
The lakes themselves
You can water ski, sail, canoe, kayak, paddleboard and more on some of Cumbria’s awe-inspiring lakes. Wild swimming is a big thing, there are ferries to hop onto and powerboats zoom around. This gives popular tourist lakes like Windermere and Coniston their own unique character. On a gorgeous day it feels like the Italian Lakes.
These tourist havens where most of the action takes place couldn’t be more different from wild, remote, empty Wastwater, for example. It, like many others, is dedicated to the peace, the birdsong, the flowers, grasses, sheep calls and capricious winds. Whatever floats your boat, there’s a lake for you.
Water-wise there’s more to the Lakes than lakes. The mountains are home to thousands of rushing brooks and tumbling streams. Tilberthwaite Gyhll, a favourite watery climb to the top for adventurous types and ghyll scramblers, takes you high up to enjoy exceptionally lovely mountain scenery. Hole Rake, an old mining track, leads to another epic view, this time of the Copper Mines valley.
Down in the flat-bottomed glacial valleys there’s nothing much nicer on a hot day than finding a peaceful spot next to a burbling stream for a picnic, with your feet in the water and your face in the sunshine.
The Lake District’s towns
The small, bustling towns on the edges of the bigger lakes are visitor hot-spots crammed with great cafes, pubs, art galleries and souvenir shops. Once hard-working farming towns where rural people came to shop and sell their wares, these days artisan foods are a big deal. Look out for beautiful local cheeses, preserves, pickles, pies and baked goods.
Coniston village is at the foot of The Old Man of Coniston, a brilliant place for walkers to start their hikes and giving visitors splendid views. You’ll find both Grasmere – famed for its marvellous gingerbread – and Rydal sheltered by the enormous Fairfield mountains. Then there’s Beatrix Potter’s haunt, Hawkshead, with the author’s house to visit close by in Sawrey.
Keswick sits to the north of Derwentwater surrounded by huge fells, again popular with walkers. For sheer unspoiled beauty it’s hard to beat the Langdale Valley, where tiny hamlets lie in the shadows of the towering Langdale Pikes. Sunset and sunrise take the valley to new levels of beauty.
Ambleside is at the north end of Windermere, a smart market town with a great central location in the national park. Bassenthwaite sits on the shore of the lake of the same name, a quaint little place, and the lake itself is a national nature reserve.
Ullswater offers Pooley Bridge to the north and Glenridding to the South, both popular with walkers and scenery-seekers. Don’t miss the dramatic Aira Force waterfall. And last but far from least Windermere and Bowness make fabulous destinations for a Lakeland day out: the water, the shops, the architecture, the scenery and the relaxed vibe. Both offer plenty of waterside, fell, and lake leisure activities.
Day tours at the Lake District UNESCO World Heritage Site
Climb on board a chunky, comfy minibus and spend six hours taking in a ten lakes tour. It’s a fantastic way to breathe this magical place in, covering the most beautiful places all in one with no map reading or getting lost.
A Windermere lake cruise is a gorgeous thing to do, seeing that unique scenery from the water. This is the ultimate in Instagrammable landscapes, or should we say lake-scapes? The colours of the trees, the sparkling water and the ancient mountains, the super-fresh air and the fragrant winds full of peaty, grassy scents make it unforgettable.
You can book a day tour of the Lakes from big northern cities like Manchester, Newcastle and Liverpool, all close enough to make a day trip possible and hugely enjoyable. It’s great knowing you’ll be driven there and back, no fuss and bother, given the chance to gaze at the views instead of driving. A narrated day tour is such fun. You don’t just see the place. You find out about it as well, adding richness and texture to the experience.
If you’re short on time take a four hour tour of some serous eye candy: six of the most beautiful lakes in one go, all from the comfort of a coach. Adrenaline monkeys adore the ghyll scrambling adventures available to pre-book, where you’re fully kitted out with the right gear and accompanied by an expert on a thrill-fest you won’t forget.
Beatrix Potter is one of Lakeland’s best-loved celebs. You’ll find references to her everywhere and there’s a special day tour to reveal all to Potter fans. A half day tour taking in Hill Top Farm will delight your little ones. And, for tech savvy drivers, there’s an excellent self-guided audio tour to enjoy in your car.
When romance is in the air you can’t beat a private scenic tour complete with afternoon tea in Windermere. Couples love it, along with a real treat in the shape of a private sailing experience on the same lake. Then, at the other end of the scale, there’s crazy-fast white water rafting, an adventurous day out packed with thrills.
There’s even something for winter. You might enjoy a private full-day winter tour of the lakes in all its chilly glory, weather permitting.
And finally, talking about the weather… you can easily arrive in blazing sunshine and leave under lowering black clouds. That’s what happens in the mountains. Go hiking and the temperature falls dramatically the higher you get, making shorts and T shirt a chilly choice as well as silly. If you’re heading upwards, wear the right shoes and take something warm to wear just in case. Then you’ll be able to get the full Lake District experience without the shivers – and there’ll no need to call Mountain Rescue!
Treat yourself to one of these!
The lakes await you, and they’re magnificent. Our tours help you enjoy it more. What do you want to do most of all?
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