The Lake District is a mecca for hiking in England. From delightful wooded glades and sparkling tarns, to waterfalls and glacier-carved valleys towered over by craggy mountains, this region offers walkers and hikers everything one could ask for. The natural beauty has attracted many artists and writers through the centuries. For many, this is the finest area in England for hiking.
Our itinerary for 7 days and 6 nights includes two nights in each of Grange (Keswick), Grasmere and Langdale, three ideal locations in which to base to access the best hikes and boasting superb hotels, restaurants and cultural attractions.
Grange, Keswick, UK
Day 1+2
Brandelhow, Keswick, UK
Derwentwater, Keswick, UK
Keswick, England, UK
Grasmere, Ambleside, UK
Day 3+4
Skelwith Bridge, Ambleside, UK
Elterwater, Ambleside, UK
Chapel Stile, Ambleside, UK
Little Langdale, Ambleside, UK
B5343, Ambleside LA22 9JD, UK
Day 5+6+7
| Start any date between May 1 and Oct 31. |
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| Custom trips are also available and can start any date, call or email for details. |
Total Days
Arrive/Depart
Activity LevelModerate with options for more challenging hikes if desired
TerrainVaried
CostLuxe Accommodation: US $2,250
Single Supplement: US $550
Getting There
We recommend to fly into Manchester and transfer to Keswick by bus (3h30) or fly into London and train to Windermere and bus to Keswick. Additional information will be provided in the Tour Details you receive when booking.
Grange (Keswick)
Stay at the Borrowdale Gates Hotel, a country house set in the pretty Borrowdale Valley, just outside of the village of Grange. Alfred Wainwright, the critically acclaimed British fell-walker and guidebook author described this valley as the loveliest square mile in Lakeland. Stroll over to the Grange Café, built in 1859. If time permits, there is an option for an easy-going walk from the hotel into the nearby hills.
Distance: 8.1 km; elevation gain: 530 m
Derwentwater
Choose between several hikes, the most popular of which is a lakeside walk around Derwentwater. Enjoy lunch at one of the many restaurants in Keswick and then walk back to Grange or take a classic wooden boat cruise across the lake to Ashness Gate or Lodore Falls to shorten the day and enjoy time on the water. Lodore Falls has a great café and from here back to the hotel it is just 2.5 km. Another great walk is to the Cat Bells, a local fell walk to a height of 450 m.
Distance: 8.5 km; elevation gain: 375 m or 17.6 km; elevation gain: 185 m
The Stonethwaite Beck River
Leaving Grange, the suggested route today is along the Cumbria Way, following the Stonethwaite Beck river south through lush back-country of Lake District National Park. Stop for tea at the Flock-Inn Tearoom in Rosthwaite mid-morning and as you descend to Grasmere, pause at a local café & bar for a lunch or a rewarding drink. Grasmere is a charming village that resident and poet William Wordsworth called it as “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.”
Distance: 16.9 km; elevation gain: 600 m
A favourite of Wordsworth
Today we recommend a gentle lakeshore walk, a favourite of Wordsworth who was inspired by the natural beauty here; visit his former home, now a museum and then travel part of the coffin route when St. Oswald’s was the only parish church with a graveyard. Other options (or add-on) include a route to Easedale Tarn, a mountain lake that is surrounded by towering fells that rise steeply from the valley.
Distance: 9.9 km; elevation gain: 160 m or 7.5 km; elevation gain: 230 m
Grasmere Lake
Hike from Grasmere to Langdale with views above Grasmere Lake on a direct route (with an add-on riverside walk option to the village of Skelwith Bridge), or take a more circuitous route via Tarn Crag and Blea Rigg with more distance and elevation (and views). Add-on options along the Cumbria Way trail are possible. Finish with a craft brew at Wainwright’s Inn with a roaring fire before arriving at your hotel.
Distance: 4.3 km; elevation gain: 140 m; Add on: 6.1 km; elevation gain: 75 m or 14 km; elevation gain: 600 m
Great and Little Langdale
Choose from several hikes today. Lingmoor Fell is a pleasant walk that provides views of both Great and Little Langdale and includes beautiful mixed woodland and lower valley slopes. A longer route reaches Blea Tarn which is surrounded by rhododendrons and grassland. Enjoy lunch in the village of Little Langdale. It’s a moderate hike in elevation and boasts stunning views and a crossing of a slater bridge, built in the 16th century when this was a pack-horse route.
Distance: 11.3 km; elevation gain: 400 m or 15.7 km; elevation gain: 350 m
Depart
After breakfast, depart at your leisure.
Set on 2 woodland acres on the edge of Grange-in-Borrowdale, this upscale Victorian country hotel features rooms with fireplaces many with exposed beams. There is an upscale restaurant on site with classic British and modern French fare and hiking trails depart from the hotel.
This 4-star property with extensive gardens boasts comfortable guest rooms, a riverside spa and award-winning restaurant. The location on the edge of postcard pretty Grasmere is ideal.
This 4-star luxury hotel has the feel of a country resort and is comprised of a series of low-lying traditional-slate buildings dotted around a forested 35 acre estate, surrounded by great walking. There is a superb spa on site with large pool.
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