The Lakes Planner — Lake District day out planner
England's favourite national park

Things to do in the Lake District

Pick a town. Pick a vibe. We'll build your day — budget, weather and all.

Open the free Lakes Planner Explore by town
Written and walked by Peter A Cumbrian family guide, written in Penrith
12
Lake District town guides
200+
Days of rain per year (plan ahead)
£0
What the walks themselves cost
Free
The Lakes Planner — always
Choose a town Travel styles Budget guide Unusual activities What the Fell FAQ

12 town guides

Explore the Lake District by town

Every hub covers things to do, parking prices with postcodes, walks with route times and difficulty, where to eat, and weather-aware itineraries for every travel style — families, couples, dog walkers, cyclists and solo days. The Lake District has eleven distinct bases worth knowing: the northern fells from Keswick, the central lakes from Ambleside or Grasmere, the Windermere and Bowness waterfront, the quieter southern villages around Coniston and Hawkshead, Helvellyn and Ullswater from Glenridding, and the wildest valley of them all from Wasdale. Pick the right one and the day plans itself.

Keswick, Lake District — Derwentwater and Skiddaw Most popular

Keswick

Derwentwater, Catbells, the Pencil Museum and the gateway to Borrowdale.

Explore Keswick
Windermere, Lake District — England's longest lake

Windermere

England's longest lake, Orrest Head and Brockhole adventure park.

Explore Windermere
Ambleside, Lake District — gateway to the central fells

Ambleside

Waterhead, Stock Ghyll Force and the heart of the central Lakes.

Explore Ambleside
Grasmere, Lake District — Wordsworth country and the lake

Grasmere

Dove Cottage, Helm Crag and the most famous gingerbread in England.

Explore Grasmere
Coniston, Lake District — Coniston Water and the Old Man

Coniston

Donald Campbell, the Old Man, and the quietest lake in the south.

Explore Coniston
Bowness-on-Windermere — Bowness Bay and Lake Windermere

Bowness

Beatrix Potter, lake hire, and the busiest waterfront in the Lakes.

Explore Bowness
Glenridding, Lake District — Ullswater Steamers and Helvellyn

Glenridding

Ullswater Steamers, Aira Force and the best easy Helvellyn route.

Explore Glenridding
The square at Hawkshead, with the Honeypot and the King's Arms in the sunshine, Lake District

Hawkshead

Beatrix Potter's village, Tarn Hows and Grizedale mountain biking.

Explore Hawkshead
Kendal, Lake District — Abbot Hall and Kendal Castle

Kendal

Mint Cake, Brewery Arts, Kendal Castle and the gateway train station.

Explore Kendal
Penrith, Lake District — Rheged and the Eden Valley

Penrith

Rheged, Ullswater, the northern Lakes base and the Eden Valley.

Explore Penrith
Wasdale, Lake District — Scafell Pike and Wast Water

Wasdale

Scafell Pike, England's deepest lake, and absolutely no phone signal.

Explore Wasdale
Buttermere, Lake District — the lake circuit and Honister Pass

Buttermere

The 4.5-mile lake circuit, Honister Pass, Crummock Water and one of the great quiet walks.

Explore Buttermere
Eskdale, Lake District — Stanley Ghyll Force in its fern-hung gorge above Boot

Eskdale

A working water mill, a seven-mile steam railway and a Roman fort at the head of the valley.

Explore Eskdale
The Roman bath house at Ravenglass, Lake District — walls standing almost four metres high

Ravenglass

The only coastal village in the National Park — and a free Roman bath house almost 4 metres high.

Explore Ravenglass

Travel styles

Plan your Lake District day your way

Tap a travel style to see ideas hand-picked for the group you're with.

Things to do in the Lake District with kids

Brockhole on Windermere

A free adventure playground on the shore of Windermere, with paid activities on site. The single most-complete family day in the Lakes.

Free playground · paid activitiesWindermere
Explore Windermere

Muncaster Castle

Birds of prey and a lived-in castle, near Ravenglass on the west coast.

Castle, gardens and hawksRavenglass
Muncaster Castle guide

Whinlatter Forest

Gruffalo trail, Go Ape, play areas and mountain bike hire — England's only true mountain forest, ten minutes from Keswick.

Paid parking · paid activitiesNear Keswick
Explore Keswick

Tarn Hows circular

1.7 miles flat, prams welcome — the most-visited family walk in the national park. Pair with an ice cream from Hawkshead.

Free walk · car park £7–£10Near Hawkshead
Explore Hawkshead

Example prices, checked October 2026. Check with the operator before you go.

Not sure which style fits your group?

Tell the planner who's coming and it'll sort the day for you.

Open the free Lakes Planner
On a budget

An example budget day for a family of four

Example budget day for a family of four: parking, a forest trail and a boat hop for about £20, with food and fuel on top. Here is the sum, and what we would allow for food:

  • Parking at Whinlatter is pay on exit (Forestry England): £2.90 for the first hour, then 70p for every 15 minutes. Three hours comes to £8.50.
  • Pack a picnic. Lake-edge benches at Friar's Crag (Keswick) and Crow Park are free. What a picnic costs depends on where you shop and who is eating, and bringing your own is the cheapest way to do the day.
  • Walks that cost nothing to walk: Tarn Hows (1.7mi), Aira Force (1.5mi), Buttermere full circuit (4.5mi). Parking is extra.
  • A boat hop. One stage on Derwentwater with Keswick Launch Co. is £3.75 an adult and £1.90 a child, so £11.30 for two adults and two children. The Gruffalo trail at Whinlatter costs nothing.
  • Food is on top (our estimates, not operator prices). A pub lunch is about £20 to £25 a head for a main and one drink, so £80 to £100 for four. Ice creams are about £4 to £5 each, so £16 to £20 for four. Fuel is on top too.
Plan your day on a budget

Example budget · family of four

  • Whinlatter parking, 3 hours£8.50
  • Forest play trail (Gruffalo)£0.00
  • Keswick Launch Co., one stage (2 adults, 2 children)£11.30
Total £19.80

Example prices, checked October 2026. Check with the operator before you go. Food and fuel are on top.

Beyond the fells

Unusual things to do in the Lake District

The Lakes aren't just walking. These are the experiences most visitors never find — underground mines, Via Ferratas, wild swimming spots and things you won't see on any tourist board leaflet.

If you're looking for unusual things to do in the Lake District that don't involve walking, you're in the right place.

Via Ferrata at Honister Slate Mine

Via Ferrata at Honister

Clipped to the cliff face above the mine. Xtreme version crosses a Burma bridge.

★ Adrenaline
Wild swimming in a Lake District tarn

Wild swimming guide

Our guide to 20 wild swimming spots in the Lake District, with directions, postcodes and photos.

★ Adventurous
599 open-top bus, Lake District

The 599 open-top bus

Windermere to Grasmere on an open-top double decker. Cheapest sightseeing tour in the Lakes — single fares are capped (currently £3); check Stagecoach for current fares.

★ Cheap thrill
Electric self-drive boat on Windermere

Electric boat hire

Self-drive on Windermere or Coniston. At Coniston Boating Centre a motor boat for three or four people is £45 for the hour.

★ Hidden gem
See all unusual Lake District activities

More than 20 places and activities in one guide

Example prices, checked October 2026. Check with the operator before you go.

Who's behind it

A Cumbrian family, not a faceless website

The Lakes Planner is built by Peter, his partner Ellie and Peter's three daughters — Jorja, Aimee and Maddie — a Penrith family, with plenty of help from Cass, our seven-year-old Staffy who hogs most of the photos. These are our own trips: the best way up, where to park, and which pub does the best food when you're done.

Meet the family behind it
What the Fell?

The Lake District's daily briefing

Weather. Traffic. Local news. Hidden gems. Events. Five days a week, free, before you've finished your morning brew.

Free forever 5 days a week Unsubscribe any time

No spam. Lake District news only.

Common questions

Lake District questions, properly answered

What is there to do in the Lake District for a day?
A typical Lake District day out blends one lake, one walk and one village. Pick a base town (Keswick, Ambleside, Windermere or Coniston), choose a walk to match your group's fitness, factor in a parking spot before lunch, and leave the afternoon for a cruise, café or museum. The Lakes Planner builds a full timed itinerary based on your group size, budget and the day's weather.
What can you do in the Lake District when it rains?
Plenty. Head indoors to Rheged near Penrith, the Pencil Museum and Keswick Museum in Keswick, Lakeland Arts venues (Abbot Hall, Blackwell, Windermere Jetty), or go underground at Honister Slate Mine. Lake cruises on Windermere and Ullswater run rain or shine, and most towns have soft play and swimming pools for families.
Is the Lake District good for families with young children?
Yes — it's one of the best UK regions for family days out. The World of Beatrix Potter, Brockhole on Windermere, the Lakeland Maze Farm Park, Whinlatter Forest play trails and short walks like Tarn Hows or Aira Force are all easy with kids. Stick to lake-edge bases like Bowness or Ambleside if you want short walking distances between activities.
What unusual things can you do in the Lake District?
Go under a mountain on the Honister Slate Mine tour, ride a Via Ferrata in the Honister crags, swim a wild tarn, hire an electric self-drive boat in Bowness or take the open-top 599 bus from Windermere to Grasmere.
Can I visit the Lake District with a dog?
Yes — the Lake District is one of the most dog-friendly destinations in the UK. Most low-level walks, lake cruises (Ullswater Steamers and many Windermere services), pubs and cafés in Keswick, Ambleside and Hawkshead welcome dogs. Avoid open-access fells during lambing (April–June) and keep dogs on leads near livestock.
How do I plan a day out in the Lake District on a budget?
As an example, parking at Whinlatter, a forest trail and a one-stage boat hop on Derwentwater come to about £20 for a family of four (example prices, checked October 2026), with food and fuel on top. Bringing your own picnic is the cheapest way to do the day, and walks like Tarn Hows or Aira Force cost nothing to walk. The Lakes Planner takes your total budget, the number of people, the transport and the weather, then builds an itinerary that fits — including parking costs and food estimates.