Spend 4 days in the Lake District exploring charming villages, going on long, leisurely walk, and eating at delightful village pubs! This is a car-free Lake District itinerary which means there’s no need to drive for this itinerary is totally doable using public transport.
Lake District | England
Lake District was everything I had imagined from years of reading Wordsworth and Coleridge. Soaring fells swathed in swirling mists, lakes and tarns reflecting the frivolous moods of the sky overhead, rolling hills, colours of autumn leaves… it is ecstatic, it is beautiful, it is acres and acres of solitude and peace as I have never known before.
Located in northwest England, Lake District is the most-visited National Park in the UK. Here, sixteen major lakes glisten between the country’s highest mountains, in dramatic ghylls and secret dales, and the landscape is dotted with charming, chocolate-box villages with their whitewashed houses and jaunty pubs. The beauty of the Lake District has serenaded poets and painters since time immemorial and the moment you set foot here, you will know why. It is inspirational! This region is best savoured slowly, so unless you have a month or more to spend here, we recommend returning and returning again to explore this gorgeous corner of the world.
This car-free 4 days in the Lake District itinerary covers the central lakes: Windermere, Grasmere, Ambleside, and Hawkshead.
“The fleeting hour of life of those who love the hills is quickly spent, but the hills are eternal. Always there will be the lonely ridge, the dancing beck, the silent forest; always there will be the exhilaration of the summits. These are for the seeking, and those who seek and find while there is still time will be blessed both in mind and body.”
Alfred Wainwright
4 Days in the Lake District: Itinerary
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TIP: In the Lake District, you will come across a host of new words such as fell, howe, tarn, pike, etc. For a quick lesson on such place names, see Cumbria Toponymy.
Public Transport in the Lake District
First things first. This car-free 4 days in the Lake District itinerary would not have been possible without the excellent public transport in the Lake District.
Railways: Can I take the train to the Lake District?
Yes, you can take the train to the Lake District! The northwest mainline runs along the western edge of the Lake District from Carlisle in the north to Oxenholme in the south. Roughly halfway between Carlisle and Oxenholme is Penrith. Avanti West Coast and Transpennine serve this route.
There are two other railway lines in the Lake District:
- Oxenholme to Windermere served by Northern
- The scenic Cumbria coastal rail route served by Northern
The train station you pick will depend on the areas you want to explore. For example:
- For the northern lakes, pick either Carlisle or Penrith.
- For the central lakes, pick either Penrith, Oxenholme, or Windermere.
- For the southern lakes, pick Oxenholme.
- For coastal Cumbria, pick a station on the Cumbria coast.
Also read: Craving more car-free holidays in the UK? Spend a weekend on the shores of Loch Ness with our Exploring Loch Ness (North) by Public Transport: Long Weekend Guide.
Buses: How to explore the Lake District on buses?
Though there are a few local bus companies in the region, Stagecoach pretty much has a monopoly in the Lake District. They have divided Cumbria into zones. Besides the usual single and return tickets, they have two main types of tickets:
- Day Rider: £9 (adults, 2022) for unlimited rides within a single zone.
- Explorer: £12 (adults, 2022) for unlimited rides in multiple zones. These tickets also include Newcastle and Lancaster.
If you are travelling by train, you will have to ride a Stagecoach bus to your final destination in the Lake District. Pick up a timetable at the station or see the Stagecoach website for the latest information. Some of the important connections (Summer, 2022) are as follows:
- From Carlisle:
- 554 to Keswick (only four buses a day)
- 79 to Keswick (Saturdays only)
- From Penrith
- X4, X5 to Keswick
- 508 to Windermere via Patterdale (once every two hours to Windermere)
- From Oxenholme:
- 41 to Kendal
- From Windermere:
- 555 between Keswick and Kendal via Ambleside and Grasmere. Some services continue to Lancaster.
- 599 between Bowness and Grasmere via Ambleside
- 505 between Windermere and Coniston via Ambleside and Hawkshead
Central Lake District Itinerary
NOTE: We travelled from and to Edinburgh but you can use this 4 days in the Lake District itinerary if you are travelling from any other city in the UK.
Day 1: Travel to the Lake District via Penrith
Plan to reach Penrith by noon, then take the 508 bus from Penrith to Windermere. The bus stop is right outside the station.
A scenic road trip but car-free? Sign us on! Stagecoach route 508 covers a very scenic route and is a treat in itself! It runs along the northern shores of Ullswater, the second-largest lake in the region, then ascends towards the Kirkliston Pass. It was misty the day we travelled and it felt like we were back in the Scottish Highlands! We highly recommend this route!
Spend some time exploring the marina at Bowness. The little town is dotted with pretty shops and cafes where you can spend hours sipping a hot chocolate and gazing at Windermere.
From Bowness, take the 599 to Grasmere, your destination for the day.
TIP: For an extra £5.5 (adults, 2022), you would add a Windermere lake cruise to your bus ticket and then cruise from Bowness to Ambleside.
STAY IN GRASMERE: There is no dearth of B&Bs, inns, holiday homes, and self-catering cottages at Grasmere. We stayed at the YHA Grasmere Butharlyp Howe Hostel for £29 a night for a private room for two. See more Grasmere accommodations here.
Short on time? Why not join a Lake District tour led by local experts?
Day 2: Explore Grasmere
Day 2 of this car-free 4 days in the Lake District trip starts bright and early and head towards the scenic Easedale Tarn after breakfast. The Easedale Tarn walk is breathtaking! Head uphill from the YHA, till you reach a wee wooden bridge. Cross it and walk down the stream and suddenly you are treated to towering crags split by a roaring waterfall. Press on along the well-marked path, past Sourmilk Ghyll and the sparkling waterfall, and before you know it, there’s Easedale Tarn. It doesn’t tease you at all; it just startles you with all its glory. Besides a couple and a small group of swimmers at the far end of the tarn, there was no one else and we sat in the sun, on the shore, and marvelled at this beautiful blue tarn set amidst this amphitheatre of slate-grey mountains.
The walk back can be boggy and we had to hop over stones most of the way. Wear good walking shoes, preferably waterproof ones.
Later in the day, we walked the circumference of Grasmere. The woodland was quiet and the leaves had just begun to turn. It was a gorgeous day and there were families on the small, sandy beach and children playing and it made for very lovely scenery.
It was a day dripping with natural beauty but it wasn’t over. After dinner at the YHA, we were exploring the grounds, admiring the woodlands and the beautiful property that housed the YHA when a pair of deers appeared out of nowhere. They stopped awhile and looked at us and we looked at them, still as statues as if bewitched, till they turned and galloped away gracefully.
Day 3: Visit Ambleside and Rydal | Continue to Hawkshead
We started day 3 of our 4 days in the Lake District trip with a short, early morning ramble to Allan Bank, the former home of William Wordsworth. It doesn’t open that early, so we just sat on a bench and admired the towering fells and a distant waterfall. The light in the Lake District is magical at all hours but in the early hours of the day, it has an indescribable quality.
The original plan was to visit Rydal Mount, the home of William Wordsworth, and enjoy a walk around Rydal Waters and White Moss but we were exhausted after the walks on the previous day and decided to skip Rydal on this trip. Instead, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the Grasmere Tea Room, then took the 555/599 to Ambleside. Don’t forget to pick up some famous gingerbread from the Grasmere Gingerbread Shop!
At Ambleside, treat yourself to a snack– we enjoyed an excellent sausage roll and pastries from the Cornish Bakery–, then go on the Stock Ghyll Force Walk. The woodlands are glorious and the waterfall is a must-see! Fall colours were just showing and we could guess how brilliant they get in autumn. The walk was muddy in parts but the woodlands were really, really lovely.
Ambleside is really pretty but bursting with tourists. If you don’t mind the crowds, spend some time exploring the charming lanes and popping in and out to giftshops and bookshops.
After lunch, take the 505 to Hawkshead, one of the area’s prettiest villages.
Also read: Visit the pretty village of Luss on the shores of Loch Lomond on a weekend. See Things to do in Luss to know more.
Are you a Beatrix Potter fan? Join a curated tour that takes you on a Beatrix Potter pilgrimage in the Lake District.
Day 4: Explore Hawkshead | Return via Keswick
On the last day of our 4 days in the Lake District, we travelled to one of the Lake District’s prettiest villages. The crowds were thinning when we reached Hawkshead and we spent some time ambling around the chocolate-box village. If you are a Beatrix Potter fan, pop into the exhibition gallery to see her works. We spent way too long popping in and out of shops, picking up chocolates and relishes and pates and chutneys. The Hawkshead Relish Co. is a must-visit and so is the Chocolate Factory. Hawkshead is also a destination on the William Wordsworth trail. The famous poet went to the Hawkshead Grammer School.
We were really tired by then, so dragged our feet to the YHA Hawkshead Hostel for the night where we spent a lazy evening drinking beers and watching the sunset from the glamourous picture windows.
The next morning of our car-free Lake District trip started with a wee walk up a hill for a view of Elterwater which whetted our appetite and we had a filling vegan breakfast at Ginny’s Teapot. We wanted to do the 40-minute walk to Beatrix Potter’s home at Hill Top but decided to give it a miss and wandered around the village. Lunch at the King’s Arm or the Queen’s head (we chose the latter and it was fantastic!) before heading back to Windermere for a bus/train back home.
We really wanted to go on the Tarn Hows walk but had to skip it due to logistics. Instead, we travelled all the way to Keswick to see the Thursday Market and try some of the famous Hungarian goulash at the Dog and Gun before taking the bus to Carlisle and then the train home to Edinburgh.
So that is how we spent a memorable 4 days in the Lake District. Have you been to the Lake District? What did you think of our car-free Lake District itinerary?
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