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
12
Lake District town guides
200+
Days of rain per year (plan ahead)
£0
Min. cost for a great day out
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
Hawkshead village, Lake District — Beatrix Potter Gallery and Grizedale

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

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

Tree Top Trek, adventure playground, mini golf, lake hire and gardens. Free entry, pay per activity. The single most-complete family day in the Lakes.

Free entry · paid activitiesWindermere
Explore Windermere

Whinlatter Forest

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

Free entry · 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 · car park £8Near Hawkshead
Explore Hawkshead

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

A Lake District day for under £50 (family of four)

The Lakes has a reputation for being expensive — most of that's the postcode-price on parking and the £14 tea-and-scone trap. Done sensibly, a family of four can do a proper day out for under £50, all in. Here's the budget breakdown the planner uses behind the scenes:

  • Free forest parking at Whinlatter (Forestry England — usually free outside peak) or Grizedale. Save £8–£12 vs lake-edge town car parks.
  • Pack a picnic. Lake-edge benches at Friar's Crag (Keswick) and Crow Park are free. £10 of supermarket food does four.
  • Free walks that earn their keep: Tarn Hows (1.7mi), Aira Force (1.5mi), Buttermere full circuit (4.5mi). All free, all stunning.
  • One paid treat. Grasmere Gingerbread, a 30-min lake cruise (~£8 adult / £4 child) or one museum entry — pick one, not all three.
Plan your day on a budget

Sample budget · family of 4

  • Forest car park (Whinlatter)£0.00
  • Picnic from local Co-op£12.00
  • Forest play trail (Gruffalo)£0.00
  • Family ice creams x4£10.00
  • 30-min lake cruise (family ticket)£24.00
  • Diesel (50-mile round trip)~£8.00
Total £54.00

Drop the cruise and it's £30. Pick free parking and you're untouchable.

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 guides 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 over a 600ft drop.

★ Adrenaline
Wild swimming in a Lake District tarn

Wild swimming guide

Guided swims at Tarn Hows, Blea Tarn and Devoke Water. Wetsuits supplied, total beginners welcome.

★ 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 — £2 fare cap.

★ Cheap thrill
Electric self-drive boat on Windermere

Electric boat hire

Self-drive on Windermere or Coniston, no licence. A whole boat for £35 an hour — split four ways, it's £9 each.

★ Hidden gem
See all unusual Lake District activities

14 activities · All with prices and booking links

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.

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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 with a guide, hire an electric self-drive boat in Bowness or take the open-top 599 bus from Windermere to Grasmere. The Tree Top Trek high ropes at Brockhole and the Lakes Distillery near Bassenthwaite are popular alternatives to the usual fells.
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?
A family of four can do a full Lake District day under £50 if you choose free parking (forest car parks at Whinlatter or Grizedale), pack a picnic and pick walks like Tarn Hows or Aira Force. 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.