by Anna Hann
posted on 5 November 2024
The Lake District National Park covers over 900 square miles, and with so many famous lakes like Windermere, Derwent Water, Buttermere Lake, Coniston Water, and Bassenthwaite Lake to visit, it can be hard to know where to start when planning a road trip to make sure you see the best of the region.
A recommended route is a clockwise circular trip starting from Windermere, one of the most famous locations in the Lake District. This trip gives you the chance to visit some of the most beautiful parts of the Lake District, take some scenic drives, and access some under-the-radar spots, too.
It’s a road trip split across four days, a wonderful way to see the best of the Lake District, but if you’ve got more or less time, you can tweak it to fit your timings. You can also extend your Lake District road trip by taking some detours and tailor this trip to suit you.
The ideal Lake District road trip itinerary
This four-day Lake District road trip takes a scenic route around some of the region’s most beautiful parts, giving you easy access to popular sights and hiking trails.
Day 1: Bowness-on-Windermere to Broughton-in-Furness
Bowness-on-Windermere on Lake Windermere is a great place to start your Lake District road trip. It’s a large town with Victorian influences at every turn and plenty of opportunities to try some watersports on England’s largest lake.
You’ll want to allow yourself enough time to get to know the town and get your bearings. But once you leave Bowness, take the Ragrigg Road north towards Brockhole, where there’s a visitor centre to pick up guides and chat with in-the-know locals about what to see and do on your road trip.
Continue on the lake-hugging road to the northernmost part of Lake Windermere and the pretty town of Ambleside. It’s an excellent place to park and head out on foot, with many beautiful walks from Waterhead Pier, including a five-hour circular walk from Ambleside to Troutbeck village that passes through woodland and fields with lovely views.
From Ambleside, keen drivers may want to detour to navigate two of the Lake District’s most famous stretches of road – the Hardknott and Wrynose Passes. After leaving Ambleside, set your route to Little Langdale, where the Wrynose Pass begins. It’s just a single-track lane and one of the steepest and most challenging roads to drive in England.
The Wrynose Pass leads to the Hardknott Pass — another precariously high and narrow Roman-built road with tight hairpin bends. Beware: the final cliff is a 33% gradient, not for the faint-hearted, although you’ll get some fantastic views. Once you start on this narrow road, there’s no turning back, and weather conditions can make the route impassable.
If you skip the Hardknott and Wrynose Passes from Ambleside, you can head south towards Coniston Water. Take time to stop at Coniston village and see the Monk Coniston Estate, owned by Beatrix Potter, before she handed it to the National Trust when she died. You can walk from Monk Coniston to the famous beauty spot, Tarn Hows.
It’s just a nine-mile drive from Coniston village to Broughton-in-Furness, a quiet Lake District town that’s the day’s final stop to pause your road trip for the night. There are B&Bs and pubs with rooms in the area, and plenty of options for camping, too.
What to do on day one
With so many walking routes to try, you might find that exploring on foot takes up all your time today. For Beatrix Potter fans and families, there are some unmissable attractions in the area to plan into your trip.
The World of Beatrix Potter
If you’re taking a Lake District road trip with young children, The World of Beatrix Potter in Bowness-on-Windermere should be on your radar. You can walk through the stories created with life-size characters and scenery, and there are interactive displays to explore to get to know more about the author behind the tales.
Cathedral Cave
Just outside of Little Langdale is a network of explorable quarries. You’ll enter through a tunnel into a magnificent 40-foot-high cave known as Cathedral Cave.
Historic Steam Yacht Gondola
Explore Coniston Water on the Historic Steam Yacht Gondola, once used by wealthy Victorians to travel across the lake. A couple of itineraries, lasting between an hour and 90 minutes, are available to book.
Visit Hill Top
From Bowness Nab, take the car ferry across Windermere Lake to access Hill Top, Beatrix Potter’s holiday home. Once you reach the lake’s western side, it’s just a short drive to Hill Top. It’s worth knowing that if you want to visit Hill Top house and gardens, you’ll need to book in advance.
Day 2: Broughton-in-Furness to Ennerdale Water
Before continuing your road trip, you could start your day by walking from the town, such as the Broughton Mills Circular, which follows an old railway line. If not, you can just hit the road and head north towards Eskdale. The Duddon Valley is one of the Lake District’s hidden gems, where you can ride on the quaint Ravenglass Railway for a seven-mile journey through some beautiful scenery.
If you plan to hike Scafell Pike – England’s highest mountain – you’ll want to skip Eskdale and head straight to the Wasdale Lake Head National Trust car park. It’s a good place to park and take the Wasdale route – a popular beginner route that’s also the shortest and most direct route to the top of Scafell Pike. You’ll want to allow at least three hours for the climb.
If you don’t want to climb the mountain, you won’t regret spending time around Wast Water. It can be tricky to park nearby, so take advantage of the free shuttle from Ravenglass during the summer.
You could also set your sat nav to The Strands Inn, a microbrewery and pub near the River Irt, not far from Wast Water, and a popular stop for hikers, bikers, and campers.
Enjoy the perfect drive through the Lake District by hiring a car on Turo. Choose a vehicle tailored to the region’s winding roads and steep gradients—like an automatic for smooth handling, a 4WD for rugged terrain, or an electric car to minimise emissions while cruising scenic routes. Families can opt for spacious SUVs with room for luggage and pets, while cyclists can find rentals equipped with bike racks.
The last leg of today’s journey continues north to Ennerdale Water, the most remote lake in the Lake District and is the only one in the Lake District without a road running along its edge, so to see it, you’ll have to park at Bleach Green Car Park and walk.
Plan to stop overnight in a village around Ennerdale Water, such as Ennerdale Bridge or Cleator Moor. There are also plenty of campsites in the area.
What to do on day two
This section of the road trip is more remote, but there are plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventures, such as hiking, biking, swimming, or climbing.
Go wild swimming in England’s deepest lake
Wast Water is considered to have some of the best views in the Lake District National Park. It’s a superb spot for wild swimming if you can brave the cold.
Hike Scafell Pike
Many keen hikers want to tick scaling England’s highest mountain off their bucket list. Summiting Scafell Pike is a long hike rewarded with incredible views of mountains, hills, lakes, and rivers.
Ravenglass Railway
The charming Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is nothing like modern-day public transport. This narrow gauge steam railway travels through the Lake District National Park on a two-hour round trip.
Go OrienteeRing around Ennerdale Water
If you’re new to orienteering, try the Bowness Knott Short Easy Course from Forestry England. Experienced orienteerers can try the two technical courses that venture into forests and felled areas.
Day 3: Ennerdale Water to Keswick
From Ennerdale Bridge, head north on Kirkland Road and through the namesake village. Make Loweswater your first stop, a peaceful lake that’s often overlooked. You can walk the circumference of the lake on the Loweswater Circular (it’ll take a couple of hours), then get back in the car to continue your road trip.
If you’re travelling with children or a keen biker, you should head to Whinlatter Forest next. There are lots of family activities and adventure play opportunities here, as well as exciting biking trails with sensational views.
Otherwise, continue the drive to Crummock Water. There’s also a circular walk around this lake, which includes passing Scale Force, the highest waterfall in the Lake District.
Take time to visit Buttermere, a village north of Buttermere Lake. From Buttermere, drive the Honister Pass, a mountain pass that’s incredibly steep in places, for a scenic drive and spectacular views.
Next, head north up the eastern edge of Derwent Water, known as ‘Queen of the Lakes’. Be sure to stop at Surprise View for a fantastic panorama of Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake. It’s just a short detour from the B5289. Known as a ‘scenic drive for the brave’, you can follow a narrow road from the lakeside that crosses Ashness Bridge (a popular viewpoint) and passes Surprise View before continuing on a single-rack road to Watendlath, where you can stop for a coffee in a farmhouse cafe.
From Watendlath, you’ll retrace your route back to the B5289 and head north to Keswick, the most northerly town in the Lake District. The best hotel in the area is Armathawaite Hall Hotel & Spa, where you can try some activities, such as forest bathing and alpaca walking.
What to do on day three
For adventurers, the chance to drive the Honister Pass and stop to try some exhilarating activities will make this day really stand out. But it can be just as easily spent admiring distant views of Bassenthwaite Lake from scenic vantage points.
Honister Slate Mine
On the iconic Honister Pass, stop at the working slate mine, Honister. It’s an adventure centre where you can try outdoor activities, take a guided mine tour deep underground, or try extreme sports like a 30-foot free fall jump or canyoning.
Paddleboard on Derwent Water
You don’t need a permit to paddleboard on Derwent Water (different rules apply on different lakes), and you can hire a board locally to give it a go. There are other activities to try on Derwent Water, or if you don’t want to get there under your own steam, you can hop aboard a cruise with Keswick Launch.
Visit Keswick Market
If you find yourself in Keswick on a Thursday or Saturday, visit the local market and peruse the stalls for local food and homeware.
Day 4: Keswick to Windermere
On the final day of your road trip, you can return to Windermere via Thirlmere Lake and Rydal Water or via Ullswater Lake.
The first takes you south on the A591, driving along the eastern edge of Thirlmere Lake. Stop in Grasmere to try the famous local gingerbread or take one of the popular walks (one of the most popular is following the Red Bank Road and the footpath towards Rydal Water), then continue on the A591, which hugs the edge of Grasmere Lake, before tracking eastward to Rydal Water.
An alternative route back to Windermere is via Ullswater Lake. This route takes you on the Kirkstone Pass, the highest mountain pass in the Lake District. Nicknamed The Struggle, Kirkstone Pass is one of the most scenic drives in the Lake District and a fantastic way to appreciate the region’s outstanding natural beauty.
Whichever route you choose to return to Windermere, consider booking a stay at Gilpin Hotel, one of the best hotels in the Lake District with a fantastic spa. It’s the perfect place to end your road trip in style.
What to do on day four
Shape your day around your interests, whether you want to spend more time getting to know an idyllic Lake District town or prefer to take a scenic journey into the wilderness.
Buy some Grasmere Gingerbread
You can’t visit Grasmere without trying Sarah Nelson’s Grasmere Gingerbread. It’s been made here since Victorian times. There’s also a Grasmere Gingerbread outpost in Hawkshead village, close to Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top.
visit aira force waterfall
This incredible 65-foot waterfall is reached via woodland trails. There are different routes to try to reach the waterfall, and they all take around an hour.
Visit Allan Bank
Once home to William Wordsworth, this National Trust property at Allan Bank has lovely views over Grasmere. For nature lovers, it’s an excellent opportunity to try and spot red squirrels.
The best time of year for a Lake District road trip
The best time to visit the Lake District depends on what you want to do when you’re there. Keen hikers – particularly those looking to take on some of the more challenging mountain routes – will want to plan around good weather conditions for optimum visibility. Likewise, if you take the scenic drives that cross mountain passes in the Lake District, you’ll want to drive the routes when the weather is good.
If you plan a cosy escape hopping from B&Bs to hotels on a Lake District road trip, you might find a winter trip wonderfully atmospheric, spending evenings around a roaring fire and driving some of the most scenic roads when they’re quieter.
Driving tips in the Lake District
Road trips in the Lake District are wonderfully scenic, but you’ll need to have your wits about you, too. While the main roads are smooth, well-marked, and easy to drive, if you tackle some of the higher mountain passes and roads away from the beaten track, these can prove challenging to even the most experienced drivers. Before setting off, check the conditions, remembering that the weather can change quickly at altitude.
On single-track roads, you may need to be prepared to give way to oncoming traffic by pulling into passing places or a lay-by, which can sometimes involve careful reversing.
The best cars for driving in the Lake District
However beautiful the scenery, a Lake District road trip is better behind the wheel of a car that’s well-matched to the roads. Book a rental car on Turo to explore the Lake District in a vehicle capable of the steep gradients that handles well on the winding roads.
Automatic cars
Many drivers feel more confident driving an automatic transmission car, particularly on steep sections where driving in a low gear and on narrow roads is vital.
Family SUVs and dog-friendly cars
The Lake District is a lovely location for a family holiday, so if there are lots of you travelling, consider booking an SUV or a people carrier with plenty of room for everyone and your luggage. If you’re bringing a dog, you can filter your search on Turo to find a pet-friendly car.
Cars with bike racks
Keen cyclists can filter their search to find a car equipped with a bike rack, although there are plenty of places to hire bikes in the Lake District, too.
Electric vehicles
Electric cars are brilliant for road trips around the Lake District. No emissions help protect the environment visitors come here to enjoy, and there are plenty of places to charge along the way. Many public car parks and National Trust locations in the Lake District have charging points, although your in-car map can direct you to the best places when you need a boost.
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