A week in the Lakes, done properly. This assumes you are based in Ambleside or Grasmere, have a car, and are here for the walking as well as the villages and food.
Day 1: Arrival and Ambleside acclimatisation
Arrive, check in, walk Stock Ghyll Force (20 minutes from the town centre, good waterfall). Explore Ambleside. Dinner at Zeffirellis or the Unicorn pub. Early night.
Day 2: Catbells and Derwentwater
Drive to Keswick (30 minutes). Take the Keswick Launch to Hawes End. Walk up Catbells, along the ridge to Hause Gate, and back to Hawes End for the boat back. 3 to 4 hours. Explore Keswick. Lunch at the Dog and Gun or Bryson's. Return to base.
Day 3: Langdale and the Pikes
Drive to Great Langdale (20 minutes). Walk up Pike of Blisco or, if you want the full day, the Langdale Pikes via Stickle Ghyll. Return via Pavey Ark if you are taking the longer circuit. A serious walk day. Dinner at the Old Dungeon Ghyll hikers' bar. Worth the drive back after.
Day 4: Grasmere and the village circuit
Slower day. Walk the Grasmere lake circuit (3.5 miles, flat). Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum. Grasmere Gingerbread Shop. Easedale Tarn if you have the energy (adds 3 miles and 190m). Lunch in Grasmere. Afternoon in Rydal if the weather is good.
Day 5: Helvellyn
The big day. Start at Glenridding by 7:30am. Up via Striding Edge in good weather, or the Grisedale path in uncertain conditions. Summit. Return via Swirral Edge. Post-walk at the Travellers Rest at Glenridding. Allow a full day — 5 to 6 hours walking plus travel.
Day 6: Coniston and Tarn Hows
Drive to Coniston (25 minutes). Walk Coniston Old Man if you want another summit (5 miles, 750m, 4 hours). Or take a lower day: Tarn Hows circular (1.5 miles, flat), Coniston village, the Ruskin Museum, lunch at the Black Bull in Coniston. Take the Coniston Launch for an afternoon on the water.
Day 7: Ullswater and departure
Drive to Glenridding (30 minutes). Take the Ullswater Steamer to Howtown. Walk back along the lakeshore (6 miles, 3 to 4 hours). The best end-of-week walk in the Lakes for most people. Scenic, not too hard, and the boat adds the right note to finish on. Aira Force waterfall is 10 minutes from the Glenridding car park as a final stop before heading home.
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Damian Roche
Founder, Churchtown Media. Builder of TheLakesGuide.co.uk, TheLakesWildlife.co.uk, and HikeTheLakes.com. Southport-based. Regular Lakes visitor for decades.
