A 5-day Lake District itinerary without a car
I’ve visited the Lakes lots of times in the last few years now and my first two trips were without a car so it’s definitely achievable. There are lots of places you can access without a car but the downside is that it requires a bit more planning as you need to work around the bus timetables, particularly during off-peak periods. But overall, it’s very doable so if it’s you’ve ever been sceptical, keep reading!
This guide is an example 5-day Lake District itinerary for those without a car and it covers accommodation options and restaurant recommendations. You could also shorten the trip but I’d recommend staying for at least 2-3 nights to make the most of it (especially if you’re travelling from London as the journey is approx. 3.5 hours).
Day 1 - Arrive in Grasmere
Grasmere is the perfect spot to base yourself if you’re travelling by public transport only. There are frequent trains to Windermere and from there, it’s a 35 min. bus journey to Grasmere. Single bus tickets cost £2.50 or you can pay more for a day ticket. On my first ever trip to the Lakes, I stayed at the beautiful Daffodil Hotel and Spa — it’s situated right on the lake so is a perfect option for a special occasion.
Alternatively, you could stay in nearby Windermere or Ambleside. Hotels in Windermere in peak-season can be really expensive and lots of them are SO overpriced with poor facilities so have a look at airbnb options too for a more affordable stay. The best hotel I’ve stayed at in Windermere is Hillthwaite Hotel.
Once you’ve dropped your bags off, you can spend your first day exploring locally. A few things you can do here:
Circular walks around Grasmere and Rydal Water - these two lakes are next to each other and you can easily complete both in a few hours. The walks around both Grasmere and Rydal are easy/mostly flat and don’t miss Rydal Cave
Explore Grasmere village including a stop at the infamous Grasmere gingerbread shop
Dove Cottage & Wordsworth Museum for any William Wordsworth fans or Rydal Mount & Gardens in England (his historic family home). Both spots have a cafe or tearoom too.
FIND HOTELS IN GRASMERE
Day 2 - Keswick and Derwentwater
Derwentwater is such a beautiful spot in the Lake District and it’s easily accessible by bus from Windermere or Grasmere. Bus 555 from Grasmere goes every 30 mins (if you stay at The Daffodil, there’s a bus stop right outside!) and it takes about 35 mins to get there. Once you’re in Keswick, there are lots of cafes and restaurants you can eat at. There’s also a big Booth’s supermarket if you’d like to pick up food to-go for your walk.
From Keswick, I’d recommend walking to Derwentwater which only takes 15 mins. You can put in directions to either “Crow Park” or “Keswick Launch Ticket Office”. Once you’re at Derwentwater, you have lots of options such as:
Catbells walk - find all the information here. You’ll need to buy a ticket for the Hawes End Jetty to get to the best starting point for the walk. This is a really popular walk and is very clear, easy to follow. There will likely be lots of other walkers around.
Walk to Friar’s Crag - it’s such a beautiful view of the water
Do a circular walk around Derwentwater
Hire a boat to explore the waters or go paddleboarding
Go for a cruise on the Keswick Launches
Tip - you may lose signal in some areas so remember to download any walking routes or bus timetables on your phone (or just take screenshots!). You could also go to Booth’s supermarket or another shop to connect to wifi to download anything you need if you forget. Also remember to allow yourself enough time to walk back to the bus stop and arrive at least 10 mins before the scheduled time.
Day 3 - Easedale Tarn and other walks from Grasmere
From Grasmere, you can do lots of beautiful walks (no buses required!). One of my favourites is the Easedale Tarn walk. It starts in the village opposite Sam Read’s bookseller and is clearly signposted all the way so it’s another good one for beginners. I recommend using this helpful guide and taking lunch with you so you can enjoy it by the tarn. You’ll also walk past a small waterfall and wild swimming spot which makes the perfect pit stop if you’re walking on a hot day. In the evening, enjoy dinner in Grasmere or nearby Ambleside. I’d recommend Sourdough Pizza Co for takeaway or Zefirelli’s (vegetarian restaurant) for a sit-down meal.
If you have time, some other walks that start from Grasmere include Silver Howe (c. 2 hours with beautiful views of Grasmere) or Helm Crag (c. 2 hours but quite a steep route).
Day 4 - Mountain Goat Tour
If you love to walk, this might not be the best option for you. However, if you’re short on time and you’d like to cover lots of beautiful spots in one day, such as Ullswater, Castlerigg Stone Circle and Buttermere, the Mountain Goat Tour 10-lakes trip is a great option. The guides are knowledgeable and the drives are really scenic. The downside is that you don’t get a lot of time in each location apart from when you stop off for lunch. You could also book the shorter 4-hour option if you don’t want it to take up your whole day.
Day 5 - Ambleside and Windermere
On your last day, I’d recommend exploring or completing walks near Windermere so you can easily jump back on the train home. From Grasmere, you can get the bus to Ambleside and stop for a coffee at Esquires Coffee. From here, you could walk to Windermere and I’d highly recommend stopping at Stagshaw Gardens on your way (see photo below of my favourite reading spot from here).
Alternatively, you could get the bus to Windermere, store your luggage and then explore bag-free. If you’d like some short walks before catching your train home, a couple of spots I’d recommend from Windermere are Orrest Head and Cockshott Point. There are lots of restaurants and cafes in Windermere too - a couple that I’d recommend include Urban Food House and Homeground Cafe.
The Lake District is a really beautiful part of England and there is SO much to do. To summarise, my suggested 5-day itinerary for the Lake District without a car (assuming you’re staying in Grasmere) is as follows:
Day 1 - Arrive in Grasmere and explore Rydal Water including Rydal Mount and Gardens
Day 2 - Keswick and Derwentwater
Day 3 - Easedale Tarn
Day 4 - Mountain Goat Tour
Day 5 - Ambleside and Windermere
Useful things to know before you go to the Lake District
Take appropriate walking shoes
The terrain on a lot of the walks can be rough, rocky and muddy so you need to make sure you have a decent pair of walking shoes.
Be prepared for unpredictable weather
The weather in the UK is unpredictable but especially in the Lakes so you need to make sure you’re prepared for all types of weather i.e. pack a raincoat. As an example, on my first trips in winter/spring, I experienced sun, rain and even snow! And in September, it was mostly sunny with some cloudy, rainy days.
Download any driving or walking routes offline
There are a lot of remote spots in the Lakes where you might find yourself without signal or wifi. So before any trip, it’s best to make sure you’ve downloaded everything you might need so you can access it offline e.g. walking routes and bus timetables. This Stagecoach timetable is a useful one to keep downloaded.
