Top Windermere How to Get Around

Visit the Beatrix Potter house and some of the Lake District’s prettiest locations on an afternoon tour from Windermere. After a scenic Lake Windermere cruise, travel through idyllic countryside to Hill Top, the Beatrix Potter home where the beloved children’s author lived during the early 1900s. See the garden and rooms left as she would have known them and learn about her life here. Finish with a visit to the quaint village of Hawkshead, where poet William Wordsworth attended school; and Tarn Hows, one of Lakeland’s most gorgeous spots.

With this half-day tour, enjoy getting a shortcut to places in the Lake District linked to the world-renowned author and illustrator, Beatrix Potter. Instead of doing your own research, a guide takes you to Potter’s former home—Hill Top–with admission included to save you time waiting in ticket lines. The trip also visits a selection of other top locations linked the author’s stories and characters.

When you’re in the Lake District, skip the tour group, and opt for a self-drive, self-guided tour instead. This well-priced option allows you to explore at your own pace, following an audio guide that’s downloaded to a smartphone app. After booking, you’ll receive instructions, and then set off on a preplanned route that showcases Ambleside, Keswick, Ullswater, and more.

Avoid narrow roads, tricky navigation, and trying to fit the Lake District’s vast scenery into a short visit on this full-day small-group tour from Windermere. Travel by comfortable minivan with a guide who handles the driving and storytelling as you explore mountain passes, waterfalls, stone circles, and up to ten of the region’s most scenic lakes, including Buttermere. The route also takes in villages such as Grasmere and includes free time in Keswick.

Enjoy a seamless introduction to the Lake District and discover its scenic highlights on this half-day driving tour. Over the course of your tour, see numerous lakes (including Lake Windermere—the largest in the area); visit the Neolithic Castlerigg Stone Circle; discover the photogenic Ashness Bridge; chart the Kirkstone Pass; and much more. As you go, learn all about the region and its history from your guide’s commentary.

Soak up the splendour of England’s largest lake, Windermere, on a scenic self-guided audio tour of the Lake District. • Find out how Beatrix Potter and William Wordsworth are connected to the area and take it some of its famous sites • Hear from producer Martin Wilson, the owner and producer of Lake District Drives • Do it all in 3 hour or linger at stops along the way with complete control over when you start and finish • Get unlimited use before your booking date and after it • Use the virtual tour option at home Once you’ve booked, you’ll receive a ticket with instructions and a unique code listed under “Before You Go”. Then simply install the VoiceMap app and enter your code. The app displays directions to the starting point, and when you’re in the right place, just tap start. The app has automatic GPS playback, with turn-by-turn directions. It also works offline.

This tour gives you the opportunity to see some of the Lake District's most beautiful viewpoints. Avoid the potential stress of being stuck on busy public transport, and ride between sights with ease in a private vehicle. Discover a variety of Lake District highlights such as Grasmere, Keswick, Ashness Bridge, Surprise View, Buttermere, and Newlands Valley.

On this tour you get to see: • Wray Castle where Beatrix spent her 16th birthday and first discovered the Lake District where she was to later make her home. • Near Sawrey village which Beatrix visited often, used as inspiration for her illustrations and where she happily settled and married. • Hill Top, the house which Beatrix bought from the money she made from the publication of Peter Rabbit. • Esthwaite Water where Beatrix fished from her boat. • Hawkshead village • Tarn Hows bought by Beatrix  and regarded as one of the most beautiful places in the Lake District. • Coniston Water with spectacular views of the lake and Coniston Old Man • Yewdale Valley where Beatrix owned farms and land including Yew Tree Farm used in the film Miss Potter.

See some of the Lake District's most beautiful lakes on this half-day tour around Windermere. Settle into an air-conditioned minivan as your guide takes you through the stunning scenery, passing Derwentwater and England's second-longest lake along the way. You'll also stop to sample delicious gingerbread from the famous Grasmere bakery and discover scenic spots you might struggle to reach alone. Choose departures from Ambleside, Bowness, or Windermere.

Picture this: you're standing in the doorway of a 17th-century farmhouse, the same low beams and fireside chair Beatrix Potter left exactly as she wanted them, and your guide is right beside you — not shouting over sixteen strangers from the front of a coach. That's the difference here. Your storyteller walks you through the village on foot, pointing out the lanes and farmhouses straight from her little books, then on to a hushed, golden viewpoint over Tarn Hows that made Potter buy the land rather than risk losing it. Along the way you'll discover a woman far richer than the storybooks suggest: a shrewd businesswoman who fought for her own royalties decades before it was common, a self-taught mycologist whose fungi paintings scientists still consult today, and a farmer who gave fifteen working farms to the nation. With only seven guests, every question gets a proper answer. Go before midday and step straight inside Hill Top rather than queue for it.

Close your eyes and picture it: standing inside a 4,500-year-old circle of stones, mountains rising on every side, the wind the only sound for miles. That's Castlerigg, one moment in an afternoon built around views most visitors never find. While sixteen-seater minibuses queue along the main road, you gently ascend in comfort along the steep, narrow lane out of Ambleside instead — a quieter, wilder approach to the Kirkstone Inn, the highest inhabited building in the National Park, before the legendary descent unfolds beneath you. You'll see eight lakes, not the usual six, plus Ashness Bridge framed against the fells, Surprise View's sudden reveal of Derwentwater, and Dunmail Raise, where a king is said to sleep beneath the stones. With only seven guests aboard, your guide shows you exactly where Wordsworth saw the daffodils that inspired his most famous poem, pointing out the sheep grazing the fells, brings geology and legend to life, mile after spectacular mile.

See the Lake District in one day without missing a thing! Visit 10 of the National Park’s famous lakes and learn about their geological past and historic importance in culture, art and literature. Enjoy scenic drives through valleys and dales, spot waterfalls and explore ancient landmarks, like the stone circle at Askrigg. Take memorable photos at specially-chosen look-out points and hear tales about the local folklore of the fells and villages you pass by.

Most Brontë tours show you the parsonage and call it a day. This one walks you through the village, the church, and the graveyard, putting you back in Haworth as it actually was in the 1840s — over 40,000 burials in a few acres, a contaminated water supply, an average age of death of 25. Once you understand that, the novels stop reading like vague Gothic atmosphere and start reading as the stark reality of the lives the sisters lived. Few other tours go this deep. You’ll stop to look out across the valley the sisters walked, the same sweeping moorland that fed directly into everything they wrote, not just somewhere pretty to take a photo. And because it’s just you, your driver, and your own storyteller for the whole day, the conversation runs the entire way out and the entire way back: the landscape, the family, literature in general, and whichever novel means the most to you. It’s less a tour with stops bolted together than a genuinely shared day spent talking about books you love.

William Wordsworth was born and bred in the Lake District, and penned his poems using local landscapes for inspiration. But, finding those local landscapes isn’t easy without research and planning. With this small-group tour, that hard work’s already done, resulting in a carefully planned itinerary that visits Wordsworth’s important landmarks. Round-trip transportation from Windermere makes it easy, and stops at Dove Cottage and St. Oswald’s Church are among the highlights.

Beatrix Potter's characters and illustrations have shaped childhood for generations. Discover the places and landscapes that inspired them on this private tour with a knowledgeable driver/guide. You'll see Wray Castle where she stayed as a young adult, her gallery in Hawkshead, Hill Top, the house she bought with the money from her first few books, and more. Entrance fees are at your own expense.

Climbing from Windermere into the high fells where the road rises through Kirkstone Pass and the landscape opens far beyond. From these heights the way descends towards the quiet waters of Brothers Water, before carrying on to Ullswater and its long mountain shores, with time to pause and simply enjoy the beauty around you. The Lakes are yours to discover in your own way. As the road carries you onward, a clear commentary tells of the places passing by, their history and the mountains, waters and valleys that have shaped them. Your driver remains close at hand should you need assistance, while leaving you free to enjoy each stop and the journey through the Lakes at your own pace.

The Perfect Introduction to the Lake District Unlike large coach tours, this private 4-hour experience is designed exclusively for your group, allowing you to explore the Lake District at a relaxed pace. Travel in comfort in an executive Mercedes vehicle with a knowledgeable local guide, following a scenic circular route that showcases a variety of lakes, valleys, viewpoints and historic villages without retracing the same roads. Visit highlights such as Grasmere, Little Langdale, Skelwith Force, Tarn Hows, Hawkshead and Wray Castle, while enjoying personalised commentary and flexible photo stops throughout. • Private 4-hour tour tailored to your interests • Executive Mercedes vehicle • Knowledgeable local driver-guide • Scenic viewpoints, waterfalls and historic villages • Complimentary hotel and Oxenholme Station pickup

Sit back in comfort, while we drive you through the beautiful Lake District. We’ll collect you from your designated place and drop you back safely. Our first stop is Forest Side, where you can delight in a Michelin Star four course lunch in beautiful Lake District surroundings. We will then head to the scenic village of Grasmere, where you can enjoy a Distillery Taste and Tour experience, including award winning Gin, Whisky, Rum and Vodka.

This is a great pick for first-time visitors to the Lake District. Save hours researching and planning your own itinerary, and enjoy the luxury of a private tour where the full schedule is planned out for you. Visit quaint villages, nature spots, and rural locations such as Grasmere, Hawkshead, Tarn Hows, and Blea Tarn with a chance to stop off for photos whenever you like.

Explore the stunning landscapes of the Lake District on a cycling adventure tailored just for you. Whether it’s a half-day ride or a full-day experience, every route is designed around your preferences and starting location. With a local guide leading the way, you’ll navigate through quiet roads and scenic trails, ensuring a fluid and enjoyable ride. Perfect for all skill levels, each journey emphasizes the beauty of the area, with well-timed stops to soak in the views and enjoy the experience. This isn’t just riding; it’s about crafting the perfect day on two wheels.

A fun experience and a valuable investment - capturing memories for lifetime! How does it work: Following booking, I will contact you to suggest some locations depending on the season and the time of day. I'll also send clothing guidelines. On the day: We'll meet at our agreed location and explore the local scenery in a relaxed and fun way, taking candid images as we explore. Following the shoot: I'll send you a gallery of edited images and you'll be able to choose 5 to download and keep for ever, with further images available to purchase if desired. I can't wait to work with you to create a tapestry of joyful moments frozen forever in time! Bringing young children, fantastic, there is no expectation for them to pose or behave in a certain way, our photoshoots are relaxed and we let the kids lead the way to ensure they are comfortable and leave the day with happy memories.

Discover the Lake District spots beloved by Beatrix Potter in just half a day on this small-group afternoon tour. Ideal for time-crunched visitors, this tour from Windermere and Bowness visits many such places in a few hours. Explore Beatrix’s Hill Top home, see Esthwaite Lake where she fished, visit Hawkshead, enjoy a cruise on Lake Windermere, and learn detail about her life and characters via the onboard commentary that you might never otherwise hear.

Explore the natural beauty of the Windermere area without having to worry about organizing car hire with this private tour. Travel with ease between scenic nature spots such as Lake Windermere, Kirkstone Pass, Ullswater Lake, and Castlerigg Stone Circle. As you travel, the guide provides commentary about the local area, and Wi-Fi access and charging points are available in the vehicle.