4-Day Lake District Itinerary: North Lakes
Hello and Happy New Year! I can’t believe I’ve somehow not posted on here since last September - the last few months of the year always seem to fly by. I had a few trips between September and December including two separate trips to the Lake District, a long weekend in Rome and two weeks in India.
As always, I have plenty I’d still love to share, so I’m finally tackling the backlog with a new and updated Lake District long weekend itinerary for 2026. I know my community loves the Lakes just as much as I do, and my previous guides continue to be some of my most-read posts, so this one felt like the perfect place to start!
This itinerary is best completed with a car, but I’ve included alternatives (where possible) if you’re travelling without one.
Getting to Penrith in the Lake District
Parts of the Lake District are really easy to reach by train and bus, so you can definitely plan a long weekend in the Lakes without a car. However, for this particular trip, we took the train from London to Penrith and then hired a car from the local Enterprise branch. I only discovered on this trip that Enterprise can collect and drop you off at the station, which meant we didn’t need to worry about carrying our baggage - a small but very welcome plus! We left London at 8am and were in the car by around 1pm.
If you do hire a car, it’s worth choosing the latest pick-up time possible so you can return it later on your final day without incurring an extra day’s rental fee. For example, if you pick up at 1 pm on Monday and return it at 4 pm on Friday, you’ll be charged for a full extra day just for those few hours.
Alternatively, if you prefer not to drive, Penrith makes a great base. It’s well connected by train and has a local bus network linking it to other parts of the Lakes, including Keswick, so you can still explore plenty of the Lakes without needing a car. If you’re looking for more inspiration, you can read my suggested 5-day guide here. Single bus tickets cost £2.50 or you can pay more for a day ticket.
Where to stay for a long weekend in Penrith in the Lake District
For this trip, I stayed at George and Dragon in Clifton in collaboration with Sawday’s (no obligation for me to post this blog post). The hotel is short drive from Penrith station - it’s a pub with rooms and has tons of character, cosy rooms and seriously good pub food. While there were a few small niggles that meant the stay wasn’t quite perfect, I’d recommend it as an option for a short Lake District break and would definitely recommend for a pub lunch.
On one of my first ever trips to the Lakes, I stayed at Another Place - it’s situated right on the lake and has a dreamy spa so is a perfect option for a special occasion. Their sister hotel The Brackenrigg Inn just down the road is high on my list too! A few more ideas for hotels in or near Penrith that are on my list:
Haweswater House (a bit further away from Penrith but has beautiful views)
Find more accommodation in Penrith and the North Lakes
Day 1 - Hallin Fell and Ullswater
The rest of this itinerary assumes you’re staying in or near Penrith. Depending on where you’re travelling from, you’ll likely spend half a day getting there, so for Day 1, I recommend keeping things relatively gentle. A short but rewarding walk or a stroll by the shores of Ullswater would be perfect for easing into the trip.
As we visited in winter, and the days were short, we wanted to make the most of the afternoon. We headed straight to Booths to pick up a meal deal (£6 for a main, 2 sides and a drink!) and drove to nearby Hallin Fell. The drive takes around 25 mins, and the walk itself is a short 40-min loop.
Despite being a relatively easy hike, the views are genuinely exceptional. The landscape in the northern Lakes feels particularly dramatic, and you’re rewarded with stunning 360-panoramic views at the top.
A note of caution: we visited on a very windy day and the conditions were intense!! Always check the weather forecast before setting off, especially as conditions can change significantly with elevation. Even though it’s a short walk, it can feel surprisingly overwhelming in strong winds.
If you still have energy afterwards, head down to the shores of Ullswater before sunset for a relaxed lakeside stroll. For dinner, we kept things simple and ate at the pub we were staying at, but there are plenty of great dinner spots in Penrith if you’d prefer to head into town.
If you’re travelling without a car
If you’re visiting the Lake District without a car, you can still enjoy a relaxed first afternoon by heading to Pooley Bridge by Ullswater. Take the 508 bus from Penrith (around 30 mins), then spend some time strolling around the village and walking along the lakeside paths nearby. You could also opt for a ride on the Ullswater Steamer. It’s a gentle way to experience Ullswater after a travel day.
Day 2 - Glenridding and Penrith
On the second day (and hopefully after a good night’s sleep!), you should have more energy for a longer walk and this is a great day to head a bit further into the landscape around Ullswater. One of my new favourite gentle hikes in the Lake District is the Glenridding to Lanty’s Tarn walk, which has truly beautiful open valley views and a real sense of being immersed in nature. The route is generally easy, with just a short climb and takes around 1 hour 15 minutes, making it ideal if you want something rewarding but manageable.
If you’re feeling keen and the weather is on your side, you can extend this into the Glenridding, Patterdale and Rooking Round walk, which takes around 2.5 - 3 hours in total. This longer route adds more varied scenery while still being accessible for most fitness levels.
Both options work well if you’re planning a slower afternoon afterwards. Once you’re back, you should still have plenty of time to return to Penrith to explore the town, wander around the shops, grab a coffee or enjoy an early dinner. In Penrith, I stopped at Moon on the Hill shop and NEAUM coffee shop.
If you’re travelling without a car
If you’re travelling without a car, Glenridding is easy to reach by public transport. You can take the 508 bus from Penrith to Glenridding, making this walk a great option for a car-free Lake District itinerary. The walk starts and ends directly from the village!
Day 3 - Raven Crag and Grasmere
On Day 3, we headed south to complete another short but very rewarding Lake District walk (which seems to have become the theme of this whole trip) and one that had been on my list for a long time - Raven Crag. The drive from Penrith to Raven Crag takes around 30 mins. There is a lay-by that offers parking for a few cars directly opposite the start of this walk but it fills up quickly. We got lucky as we visited off-season so you may need to find alternative parking spots.
The walk itself is quite steep in places and mostly uphill, but it’s relatively short and very manageable if you take your time. The view at the top is more than worth the effort - you get views over Thirlmere and the surrounding fells, and on a cloudy day the landscape feels SO atmospheric.
The total walking time is roughly 1 hour, depending on how long you spend at the top soaking up the views (I’d highly recommend allowing extra time for this!). Because it’s a shorter route, it works really well if you’re travelling home later in the afternoon and don’t want to feel rushed. It’s also a great option for your final day if you want a short but dramatic walk before catching a train home.
If you’re not heading home, you could spend the afternoon in Grasmere, which is a short drive away. There are so many lovely spots to explore in Grasmere including Heaton Cooper Studio (highly recommend!), Freda + Ray Cafe, Grasmere Gingerbread shop and many more.
If you’re travelling without a car
If you’re travelling without a car, you can technically reach Raven Crag by taking the bus from Penrith towards Keswick, getting off near Thirlmere. From there, it’s a short walk to the start of the trail. However, it may be difficult to time your walk to complete with the bus timetable. Instead, you could take the bus straight to Grasmere (about 1 hour from Grasmere). From here you can do lots of walks such as Easedale Tarn or Rydal Water or a Grasmere loop. As always, it’s worth checking bus timetables in advance, especially outside of peak season.
Day 4 - Keswick and Derwentwater
For our final day in the Lake District, we originally had ambitions to fit in one last short walk. However, due to very windy conditions (and our experience of the wind on the first day!), we decided to slow things down and opt for a gentle afternoon in town. It’s also easily accessible by bus as you can get a bus from Penrith to Keswick.
We drove to Keswick, a vibrant town in the Lakes, perfect for mooching around. Keswick is packed with great coffee shops, outdoorsy stores and relaxed places to eat, so it’s ideal if you want a low-effort morning before heading home. It’s also a brilliant base if the weather isn’t on your side, as there’s plenty to enjoy without committing to a big hike.
From the town centre, it’s around a 15-min walk to Derwentwater, one of the most picturesque lakes in the Lake District - and one of my favourites. There are lots of options here so you can choose how much energy you want to spend here - e.g. you could do a short section of the Derwentwater lakeshore walk, stroll to Friar’s Crag or opt for water-based activities. Even on a cold and windy day, it’s such a scenic spot and doesn’t require much time or planning.
If you’re lucky with conditions and have a bit more time, I highly recommend completing the Catbells walk (old photo below). It’s one of my favourite walks in the Lake District and a brill final hike if you want to end your trip on a high. The route has incredible views over Derwentwater.
To summarise, my recommended 4-day Lake District itinerary in the northern Lakes is:
Day 1 - Hallin Fell and Ullswater
Day 2 - Glenridding and Penrith
Day 3 - Raven Crag and Grasmere
Day 4 - Keswick and Derwentwater
This long weekend itinerary is perfect if you want to experience the Lakes at a slightly slower pace by focusing on short but rewarding walks, scenic views and cosy pubs. It felt like an ideal way to spend a long weekend in the Lakes in winter and we made the most of shorter days.
The northern Lakes around Penrith, Ullswater and Keswick feel a lot less busy too so are great options for when you want to explore somewhere a little quieter. As always, the weather will often determine your plans so remember to be flexible with your plans! If you have more time, you could easily extend this itinerary by adding another night in Keswick, heading further south towards Windermere, or swapping in longer hikes on the days you have more time.
If you are looking to plan a trip to the Lake District in 2026, I hope you found this guide helpful. If you are looking for more UK travel inspiration, follow along on Instagram and TikTok where I share more regularly.
Thanks for reading,
T.
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