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Private Tours
The starting point for every occasion on this page — your party only, your pace, a route built around what the day is for.
Enquire about a private daySome days need more than a seat on a scheduled tour. An anniversary, a milestone birthday, a family reunion that only happens once in a while, or a quiet morning set aside to remember someone — these are the days worth shaping properly, at your own pace, with nobody else's plans to work around. This guide covers how a private day out can mark each of these occasions, and how to get in touch if what you have in mind isn't quite covered below.
Quick Facts
For an anniversary, the appeal of a private day is simply having nobody else's schedule to fit around — linger over lunch, take the long way round a lake, stop wherever the light looks right. For proposals, we're glad to help: tell us the moment you have in mind and we can shape the route around a particular viewpoint or a quieter stretch of a lake, timed so you're not sharing the spot with a coach party. We can't promise privacy at every famous viewpoint — the Lakes are, after all, a national park — but we know which places tend to be quiet at which times of day, and we'll use that.
An 18th, a 40th, a 70th — round-number birthdays tend to bring people together in a way ordinary weekends don't, and a private day gives the whole party something to do together rather than splitting off in different directions. We're happy to build a day around a particular interest the birthday guest has always had — wildlife, history, a favourite book or film — or simply the classic sweep of lakes and passes that never fails to impress a first-time visitor.
When a family is together in the same place for the first time in years, a shared day out is often the thing everyone remembers afterwards. A private tour means the day moves at a pace that suits everyone in the party — no one left waiting at the bus stop, no fixed itinerary that doesn't suit a grandparent or a toddler. We'll talk through your group before the day and suggest a route that genuinely works for the mix of ages and interests involved.
Some families choose to mark a loved one's memory with a quiet day in a place that mattered to them, and we're glad to help arrange that — an unhurried private day, timed and routed to give your family the privacy the occasion deserves. A few honest, practical points worth knowing in advance: permission from the actual landowner is always required before scattering ashes anywhere in the Lake District, whether that's the National Trust, a private landowner, or elsewhere — there's no single blanket policy covering the whole national park, and the Lake District National Park Authority itself owns very little of the land. For water, the advice is to avoid spots where people might be swimming, fishing or boating, and to check with the Environment Agency for inland rivers or lakes. Most landowners ask that any ceremony be kept discreet, with no permanent markers left behind. We're happy to help you think through logistics and timing once you've identified the right place and secured permission — but the permission itself needs to come from the landowner, not from us.
For an anniversary dinner drive, a proposal, or simply a quieter kind of celebration, limited private evening dates are available in season, subject to availability. These tend to be requested well ahead, so it's worth asking as early as you can if the timing matters to your plans.
Every occasion above is built on a private tour — here are a few of our regular routes that make a good starting point, though every one of them can be adjusted to suit.
The starting point for every occasion on this page — your party only, your pace, a route built around what the day is for.
Enquire about a private dayThe grand-day-out option — ten lakes and an exclusive Ullswater cruise, a natural fit for a big birthday or a family reunion.
See dates & bookA gentler, reflective day among the daffodil valleys and Dove Cottage — well suited to a quieter commemoration or anniversary.
See dates & bookNot every occasion fits neatly into a category, and that's fine — this page is a starting point, not a menu. Tell us what you're marking, who's coming, and anything that matters to you about the day, and we'll help design something around it. Get in touch or enquire about a private day to start the conversation.
Booking: the earlier the better, particularly for evening dates or a specific date that matters (an actual anniversary, for instance) — private dates in season can book up two to three weeks ahead.
Dogs: well-behaved dogs are welcome on private tours, travelling safely in the crates our vehicles carry.
Ages: our tours suit adults and older children, about seven and up.
Group size: our vehicles seat up to seven in comfort; for a larger family gathering, do ask us what's possible.
Yes — private tours are ideal for this. Your party only, no fixed timetable, and a route we can shape entirely around the occasion. Just let us know when you book and we'll help plan the day.
We're very happy to help time a route around a particular viewpoint or quiet spot — just tell us what you have in mind when you enquire, and we'll do what we can to help it go smoothly.
We can arrange a quiet, unhurried private day to a place that mattered to your family. Permission from the actual landowner is always required first — we're happy to point you toward the right contact, but the decision and permission sit with them, not with us.
Limited evening dates are available in season on a private basis, subject to availability — worth asking as early as possible if timing matters to you.
Landowner permission for scattering ashes is a decision for the landowner concerned, not for Lake District Tours. This guide offers general information only and isn't a substitute for checking directly with the relevant landowner or authority.