The Lake District Round
- Discover the dramatic landscapes of the English Lake District
- View the unfolding vistas through the eyes of Wordsworth and Ruskin
- Relax in cosy and friendly Lakeland country inns
- Wander ‘as lonely as a cloud’ as you traverse dramatic mountain passes.
- Gaze up at Skafell Pike, England’s highest mountain
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive AmblesideAmbleside is a bustling lakeside town and a great location for your starting point on your adventure through the Lake District.
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 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.
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.
Leaving Ambleside the first day’s walk is an exhilarating climb up Loughrigg Fell affording panoramic views north to Grasmere Lake
Passing through the woods of Tarns Hows with the Langdale Pikes rising in the distance you will be walking in the footsteps of revered one time resident writer Beatrix Potter. Take some time out to look out over Coniston Water to Arthur Ransome’s ‘Wild Cat Island’, made famous in his adventurous ‘Swallows and Amazons’. The lake has inspired many writers and artists including John Ruskin whose final resting place is in the St Andrew’s churchyard in the village.
Ascent: 550m / Descent: 550m
The Crown Inn has 12 en-suite bedrooms, all rooms are centrally heated and have high quality mattresses, televisions, coffee and tea making facilities, hair dryers and direct dial telephones. Whilst staying at The Crown Inn all guests receive complimentary usage of Langdale Leisure Club, which has a swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi and gymnasium and is just a 15 minute taxi drive away.
The Bluebird Lodge Guest House is in a quiet corner of the English Lakes and offers comfortable rooms, a warm welcome and some of the best views in the area. Situated within 15 minute stroll from the village centre of Coniston, one of Lakeland''s more typical villages, and only a short stroll to the North end of Coniston Water.
The Black Bull Inn and Hotel was built around 400 years ago as a coaching Inn providing accommodation for travellers, coachmen and horses. The Inn is situated beside the beck and in the shadow of the ‘Old Man’ mountain. They have 15 comfortable bedrooms each with bath/shower ensuite, colour TV, tea/coffee making facilities, hair-dryer, full central heating and double glazing. The character of the rooms and inn has however still been retained.
From Coniston the route initially follows the Walna Scar packhorse drove road in the shadow of the Old Man Of Coniston, the highest point in the Furness Fells at 2,634ft (803m). The trail then drops into the wide peaceful Duddon Valley, home to soaring buzzards and decorated by violets and bluebells in spring.
Moving into valley of Eskdale beneath the rocky tors of Harter Fell you come to the village of Boot, it’s name deriving from the old English for ‘bend in the valley’.
Ascent: 910m / Descent: 890m
The Woolpack Inn is one of Cumbria’s most famous inns. All the rooms have TVs with digital channels, a hot drinks tray, hairdryer and gorgeous Arran Aromatics bathroom goodies. They serve brilliant breakfasts with plenty of choice, using the best local produce.
Please check in at Stanley House’s sister property the Woolpack Inn Once you are checked in the lovely owners will drive you down to Stanley House which is a 2 minute drive away. The Woolpack Inn lies a mile or so along the road towards the Hardknott Pass and is noted in your guidebook.
Brook House Inn has 8 en-suite bedrooms, tastefully furnished and recently decorated to a high standard, all rooms have a bath with shower over, colour TV, DVD player, tea making facilities and wonderful views of Eskdale. Wifi is available in some areas of the Inn. A drying room is provided for boots and waterproofs.
Moving north with the peak of Skafell Pike, England’s highest mountain at 3,209ft (978m) , on your right hand side, the trail takes you to past the pure waters of Wastwater, England’s deepest lake.
The route then takes you up the dramatic Black Sail Pass affording views of Haystacks, Wainwright’s favourite mountain, and through the Scarth Gap Pass The village of Buttermere is a delight, situated in verdant meadows between Crummock Water and Buttermere Lake.
Ascent: 965m / Descent: 915m
The Bridge Hotel has been owned and managed by the McGuire family for over 30 years and is renowned for warm hospitality, comfort and personal service, which is complimented by excellent local and international cuisine. The hotel has 21 individually designed bedrooms, all of which have superb en-suite facilities, are well furnished and constantly upgraded. Televisions and radios are not provided because of poor local reception due to the surrounding fells - the majority of guests consider this a distinct advantage!
You will be guaranteed a warm welcome when you check in at Wood House B&B. Rooms are individually furnished and have all the amenities required for a relaxing overnight stay and the rooms also have panoramic views over the lake.
Dalesgarth is a beautiful 9 bedroom Alpine style guesthouse set in stunning grounds on the edge of Buttermere Lake. The owners will offer you a warm welcome and they have a large comfortable living room with open fire to relax in with a selection of complimentary tea, coffee, hot chocolates and snacks.
Today’s starts with a walk along the lapping shores of Crummock Water with the crags of Mellbreak to your left and then marvel at the Force Crag waterfalls before heading down into the deep Coledale Valley toward the traditional Cumberland village of Braithwaite.
Follow the narrow winding streets out of the village through the pastoral Newlands Valley to the market town of Keswick. Literary connections include Coleridge who moved here in 1800 and collaborated with Wordsworth.
Ascent: 590m / Descent: 620m
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.
The Keswick Park was built in 1880 as a traditional Lakeland/Cumbrian slate house near the centre of Keswick. In the 1970's it was converted to a comfortable Guest House. It is conveniently located for bed and breakfast only 200 metres level walk from Keswick town centre, the "Queen of the northern Lake District".
This guest house has been completed refurbished since Andy & Mandy took it over in 2012, all bedrooms are en-suite with new bathrooms, complimentary toiletries, flat screen TV’s and they have WIFI throughout. There is the use of the guest lounge with free drinks, snacks and access to newspapers and magazines. They also have drying facilities for those rainy days.
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’.
Entering the wide glacial valley of St John’s in the Vale a steep ascent follows the remote Sticks Pass with the peak of Helvellyn to the south. You are rewarded with views ahead to Ullswater as you follow the path down Glenridding to the village of the same name. A little further along is the charming village of Patterdale. Situated on the shores of peaceful Ullswater you may catch sight of England’s last golden eagle soaring along the ridges of the Angletarn Pikes.
Ascent: 940m / Descent: 885m
Situated in the delightful village of Patterdale, and surrounded by some of Lakeland’s most magnificent scenery, The Old Water View has been welcoming visitors for over 100 years. All guest bedrooms are tastefully decorated and furnished to a high standard. They offer comfortable, central heated accommodation, with all modern conveniences, including TV, USB sockets, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi and tea/coffee making facilities.
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.
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.
Leaving Patterdale you have an exhilarating walk as you ascend the Grisedale Pass with views back to Ullswater and the impressive craggy heights of Helvellyn fill the skyline to your right. At Grisedale Tarn you descend toward Grasmere and the famous Dove Cottage, once home to Wordsworth.
The trail continues on to the north end of Rydal Water and White Moss Common. Moving on past Rydal Mount, a further home of Wordsworth, you walk through woods before arriving in Ambleside, your final resting place for the day and the end of your Lake District Round walk.
Ascent: 525m / Descent: 605m
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 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.
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.
Your holiday finishes after breakfast although if you feel energetic you may wish to tackle the climb to Orrest Head to enjoy view across Windermere and the fells beyond.
This trip has a carbon score of 4kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 4kg is equivalent to 2.5 avocados. 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.
Other Information
Is it for me?If you are looking to explore and experience pristine lakes and tarns, traverse mountain passes and hidden valleys amidst the soaring peaks of this rugged corner of England then this is the walk for you. Experience the wonderful Cumbrian hospitality in a region steeped in literary legacies.
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!
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
National Parks
The minimum age for this tour is: 16 Years
This holiday is graded from moderate to strenuous and includes daily walks of between 19–22 km. You will cover a variety of terrain including rocky mountainous terrain, some boggy sections and lakeside and woodland paths. Most days will involve a couple of steep ascents and descents.
We specifically choose each nights’ inn, guesthouse and B&B to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay. They all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food. They range from remote inns with a history dating back hundreds of years to charming family run B&B’s. We aim to use three star accommodation as a minimum but some remote inns are either not graded or only two star. Each night offers something different.
Single Rooms
This self guided active walking holiday is not available to solo walkers but if you require single rooms within your party we will of course try to accommodate your request subject to a single supplement payable to cover the additional costs we incur.
Meals
A hearty breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Your accommodations are more than happy to provide a packed lunch - this can be booked on arrival. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or nearby pubs or restaurants.
The Lake District Round is not waymarked. However we provide you with detailed turn-by-turn route notes and maps and you will also have access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone's GPS so you should have no problems finding the way. However as some of the areas on the tour are quite remote it is advisable that you do have the ability to read a map.
- 7 nights hand picked B&B, guesthouse and small hotel accommodation.
- Door to door baggage transfer as per itinerary.
- Information Pack, route notes & maps, GPX tracks.
- Access to the Macs Adventure smartphone app.
- Emergency telephone support from our office in the event of a problem.
- Travel to the start or from the finish of the walk.
- Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks.
- Travel Insurance - prerequisite for all bookings.
- Personal Equipment.
- Transport when you need to skip a stage.
- Extra nights
You can start your Lake District Round walking holiday on Mondays, Tuesdays and Sundays between April and September subject to availability. Please note that dependent on availability we may have to accommodate you for 2 nights in one location, in which case there will be an additional cost for extra transfers which will be advised to you at the time of booking.
By Air - The closest regional airport to Ambleside is Manchester (approx 3h by train and bus).
By Rail/Bus - Ambleside is easily reached by train via Windermere (approx 3hrs from London, 2hr from Manchester or 2hr from Glasgow).
By Car - Parking is very limited in Ambleside but if you need to you may be able to park your car at your first night's accommodation.
You can find information for travelling to and from the Lake District by visiting the Traveline Website.
By Air - The closest regional airport to Ambleside is Manchester (approx 3h by train and bus).
By Rail/Bus - Departing Ambleside is easily done so by train via Windermere (approx 3hrs from London, 2hr from Manchester or 2hr from Glasgow).
By Car - Parking is very limited in Ambleside but if you have been able to make arrangements for parking, please retrieve your car for onward travel.
You can find information for travelling to and from the Lake District by visiting the Traveline Website.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 17kg per person.
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.
Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes and a day pack.
If you currently don’t enjoy an active lifestyle we suggest regular walking in hilly terrain supplemented by cardiovascular exercise for at least six months before your walk. A good gym or personal trainer will be able to draw up a personalised training programme.
As far in advance as possible! We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as The Lakes are extremely popular. If booking at short notice, we will always try and accommodate your plans.
Yes, some navigation skills are necessary as the route is not way-marked. You follow route notes and a map that are provided.
You will cover a variety of terrain including rocky, mountainous terrain, some boggy sections and lakeside and woodland paths. Most days will involve a couple of steep ascents and descents.
You will need good walking shoes/boots (ideally waterproof), comfortable walking clothes, waterproof jacket and trousers, a daypack and hats/gloves etc. You can download a full equipment list from the downloads page of our website.
The Lake District Round is very enjoyable at any time between April and beginning of October although our favourite time of year is late spring and early Autumn.
We recommend you travel by train. If you are driving, we recommend leaving your car in Ambleside where on street parking is available.
Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate walkers with dogs as many of the accommodation providers we use do not accept pets.
You can use local bus services or local taxis to continue to your next overnight stop.
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