Ten Lakes in One Day — the Lake District, all of it
Ten lakes · Four mountain passes · Ullswater Steamers cruise · Honister Slate Mine · Moss Force · Grasmere Gingerbread
10 Lakes
4 Mountain passes
Ullswater cruise included
Honister Slate Mine
Moss Force Waterfall
Grasmere Gingerbread
Lunch hour in Keswick
Duration
Full Day9:00am – 6:00pm
Lakes
10Including cruise
Price
£169Per person
Cruise
IncludedUllswater Steamers
Group
Max 7guests
Pickup
9:00am4 locations
The 10 Lakes Full-day Tour is a full-day small-group guided tour — maximum seven guests — running 9:00am to 6:00pm from Windermere. It visits ten Lake District lakes and the Kirkstone Pass and includes an Ullswater Steamers cruise — the most comprehensive one-day Lake District experience available. £169 per person, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour.
Most visitors see a small part of the Lake District. This day covers all of it.
Our 10 lakes tour covers ten lakes and four mountain passes in a single day. An hour on the water at Ullswater with the Helvellyn range rising around you. England's last working slate mine. A waterfall that drops a hundred metres from the open fell. The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop, where the secret recipe has been baked since 1854. A guide talking throughout every mile — not just at stops — so everything you see has a name, a story and a reason for looking the way it does.
By the end of the day you will understand the Lake District in a way that no amount of independent exploring can replicate. People who have visited the Lakes for years take this tour and tell us they finally understand what they have been looking at. That is the point of having an expert storyteller. Not just to tell you the names — but to make the landscape make sense.
Between the morning and afternoon sections there is a full hour for lunch in Keswick — the market town at the northern end of Derwentwater, with good cafés, a market square and the Pencil Museum. Your expert storyteller will recommend where to eat and be there when you return.
The lakes — in the order you see them
01
Windermere
England's largest
02
Brothers Water
Kirkstone descent
03
Ullswater
One-hour cruise
04
Bassenthwaite Lake
Surprise View
05
Derwentwater
Ashness Bridge
06
Buttermere
Honister descent
07
Crummock Water
Newlands Hause
08
Thirlmere
Drowned valley
09
Grasmere
Gingerbread Shop
10
Rydal Water
Final lake home
The Four Mountain Passes
Pass 01
Kirkstone Pass
The highest driveable pass in the Lake District · 1,489ft · The Struggle descent to Ambleside
Pass 02
The highest and steepest pass in the Lakes · England's last working slate mine at the summit · dramatic views to Buttermere
Honister Pass
Pass 03
Newlands Hause
Above Crummock Water · views over the Newlands Valley · Moss Force waterfall on the descent
Pass 04
Dunmail Raise
The legendary cairn burial place of King Dunmail · gateway between the northern and southern Lakes
Ullswater Steamers — included in price
One hour on the second largest lake in England
The Ullswater Steamers have been operating on Ullswater since 1859 — some of the oldest working passenger vessels in the world. The cruise covers the full length of the lake — 7.5 miles of the most beautiful water in England, with Place Fell rising directly from the eastern shore and the High Street ridge visible to the south. The boat ticket is included in your tour price and pre-booked by us. You simply board. This is also the lake where Wordsworth and Dorothy walked in April 1802 and saw the daffodils that inspired I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud — your expert storyteller will point out exactly where on the northern shore.
Honister Slate Mine
England's last working slate mine
At the summit of Honister Pass, 1,167 feet above sea level, Honister Slate Mine has been producing green Westmorland slate since the 17th century. It is the last working slate mine in England. We make a ten-minute stop for photographs at the mine entrance — you will see the dramatic slate spoil heaps on the pass above, the Victorian tramway inclines and the mine buildings clinging to the cliff face. Your expert storyteller will explain the geology of the slate and its significance to the Lake District landscape — Honister slate is on the roof of many of the farmhouses and field walls you will have seen throughout the day.
Moss Force Waterfall
A hundred metres of falling water — and almost nobody knows it
On the descent from Newlands Hause towards Buttermere, Moss Force cascades approximately 100 metres down the fellside — one of the highest waterfalls in the Lake District and one of the least visited. It is visible from the road and the view is extraordinary, particularly after rain. Wordsworth wrote about Moss Force and it has been known to walkers and travellers for two centuries, but it receives a tiny fraction of the attention given to more accessible waterfalls. Your expert storyteller will tell its story as you pass.
We collect from Windermere station ticket office, Bowness Pier 1 and Ambleside library. The day begins immediately — the expert storyteller starts the story of the Lake District on the drive out of Ambleside as we head east towards Kirkstone.
Windermere Station · Bowness Pier 1 · Ambleside Library
9:25
The Struggle & Kirkstone Pass
Straight up The Struggle from Ambleside — one of the steepest public roads in England, climbing 900 feet in under two miles. From the summit at the Kirkstone Inn — the highest inhabited building in the Lake District at 1,489 feet — the views back down the valley to Windermere are extraordinary. Your expert storyteller explains the geology of the pass and the history of the coaching inn that has stood here since the 17th century.
Pass 1 · 1,489ft · steepest road ascent
9:45
Brothers Water
The descent through the Kirkstone valley to Brothers Water — the quiet, hidden lake at the foot of the pass, named in Dorothy Wordsworth's journals. Peaceful, reed-fringed, overlooked by almost every visitor who drives this road.
Lake 1 · Dorothy Wordsworth's lake
10:00
Ullswater — Board Ullswater Steamers
North along the western shore of Ullswater to the pier. We board an Ullswater Steamers vessel for a one-hour cruise on the second largest lake in the Lake District. The boat covers the full length of the lake with Place Fell rising directly from the eastern shore and the High Street ridge visible to the south. Your expert storyteller will identify the key features as you cruise and tell the story of Wordsworth's daffodil walk along the northern shore. The cruise ticket is included in your tour price — you simply board.
Lake 2 · Ullswater Steamers · 1 hour · included
11:00
Past Blencathra
Leaving Ullswater and driving west towards Keswick, Blencathra dominates the northern skyline — one of the most distinctive mountains in the Lake District, its southern face riven with deep gullies and the famous Sharp Edge ridge visible against the sky. Your expert storyteller will explain the geology of Blencathra, its relationship to the surrounding landscape and the difference between the ancient rounded summits of the north and the more dramatic volcanic ridges of the central fells.
11:20
Castlerigg Stone Circle
A stop at Castlerigg — 38 standing stones on a plateau ringed by mountain ridges, built around 3000 BC, older than Stonehenge. Tim's geological background gives this stop a depth most visitors never encounter. The views from the circle encompass Skiddaw, Blencathra, the Helvellyn range and the Borrowdale fells.
Prehistoric · 3000 BC · older than Stonehenge
11:45
Keswick — Lunch (1 hour)
We arrive in Keswick for a full hour's free time for lunch. Your expert storyteller will recommend where to eat and point you towards the market square, the pencil museum if you have children with you, and the Moot Hall at the centre of town. Keswick is a proper market town — not a tourist village — with good cafés, a bakery and several restaurants all within five minutes' walk of where we park.
1 hour free · lunch at your choice · Keswick town centre
12:45pm — We reassemble at the vehicle for the afternoon section. Please be back on time — the afternoon route is full and we need to make the most of the light.
West into the wildest Lakes — then home through Grasmere
12:45
Borrowdale Valley
South from Keswick into the Borrowdale Valley — one of the most beautiful valleys in England. The road narrows as the fells press in on both sides. We pass the Jaws of Borrowdale — the dramatic gorge where the valley narrows to almost nothing — and continue south towards Seatoller and Honister Pass. Your expert storyteller will explain the geology of Borrowdale, the farming history of the valley and its role in the early conservation movement.
Jaws of Borrowdale · ancient valley · press-close fells
1:05
Surprise View — Bassenthwaite Lake & Derwentwater
The viewpoint above Derwentwater where the lake appears suddenly and completely as you crest the rise — the whole basin spread below, the Borrowdale valley running south, Bassenthwaite Lake visible to the north. Your expert storyteller will identify both lakes, explain the famous fact that Bassenthwaite Lake is England's only true lake, and describe the geology of the view.
Lakes 3 & 4 · Bassenthwaite Lake & Derwentwater · England's only lake
1:20
Ashness Bridge
Down through Ashness Wood to the ancient packhorse bridge over Barrow Beck — with Derwentwater and Skiddaw spread out in the afternoon light behind it. The most photographed bridge in the Lake District. The expert storyteller will explain the composition, the history of the Watendlath pack road and the geology of the volcanic stone from which the bridge is built.
Lake 5 · Most photographed bridge · Watendlath pack road
1:40
Honister Slate Mine — Photo Stop
A ten-minute stop at the entrance to Honister Slate Mine at the summit of Honister Pass — England's last working slate mine, at 1,167 feet above sea level. The Victorian tramway inclines, the slate spoil heaps and the mine buildings clinging to the cliff face make one of the most dramatic industrial landscapes in England. Your expert storyteller will explain the history and geology of the Honister slate while you photograph the pass.
Pass 2 · England's last slate mine · 10 min photo stop
2:00
Buttermere
The descent from Honister Pass to Buttermere — the lake that many who have seen them all consider the most perfectly proportioned in the Lake District. The combination of lake, wooded shoreline and encircling fells has been celebrated since the earliest days of Lake District tourism. Your expert storyteller will tell the story of Mary Robinson — the Beauty of Buttermere — and the remarkable 18th century scandal that made this valley famous across England.
Lake 6 · Mary Robinson · Beauty of Buttermere
2:20
Crummock Water
North of Buttermere, Crummock Water stretches for two and a half miles — larger than Buttermere but less visited, wilder, with the great fell of Grasmoor rising steeply from its western shore. The two lakes were once a single body of water — the river delta that separates them has built up over thousands of years. Your expert storyteller will explain the glacial history of this valley and why the two lakes look and feel so different from one another.
Lake 7 · Once joined to Buttermere · glacial history
2:40
Newlands Hause & Moss Force Waterfall
The climb up Newlands Hause — a steep, dramatic pass above Crummock Water with views back across the lake to the surrounding fells. On the descent, Moss Force appears on the fellside to the left — a waterfall of approximately 100 metres that Wordsworth wrote about and that remains largely unknown to casual visitors. It is most spectacular after rain. Your expert storyteller will tell its story and explain the hydrology of the open fell that feeds it.
Pass 3 · Moss Force Waterfall · ~100m · Wordsworth knew this
3:05
Newlands Valley
The descent through the Newlands Valley — one of the quietest and most beautiful valleys in the Lake District, almost entirely unvisited by tourists. The valley runs north to south between the Newlands Fells and the Derwent Fells, with a scattering of whitewashed farms and a small chapel at the foot. Beatrix Potter set one of her less-known stories — The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle — in this valley. Your expert storyteller will point out the specific landscape features she described.
Hidden valley · Beatrix Potter's Mrs Tiggy-Winkle country
3:30
Thirlmere
South from Keswick along Thirlmere — the Victorian reservoir that drowned two villages and a valley in 1894 to supply water to Manchester. The expert storyteller will tell the full story of the parliamentary battle, the landscape that was lost and the legacy that shaped the conservation movement in the Lakes.
Lake 8 · Drowned villages · Victorian engineering
3:50
Dunmail Raise
Through Dunmail Raise — the low mountain pass with its cairn said to mark the burial place of the last King of Cumberland. The expert storyteller will tell the story of Dunmail and the significance of this pass as the historic boundary between the northern and southern Lakes.
Pass 4 · Last King of Cumberland · historic boundary
4:10
Grasmere Gingerbread Shop
The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop — in the cottage next to St Oswald's Church, baking to Sarah Nelson's secret recipe since 1854. In the late afternoon the village is quietening after the day's visitors. Your expert storyteller will tell the story of Sarah Nelson and her remarkable enterprise while you buy gingerbread. Wordsworth's grave is in the adjacent churchyard — there is time to visit if you wish.
Lake 9 · Grasmere Gingerbread since 1854 · Wordsworth's grave
4:40
Rydal Water
The final lake — Rydal Water in the evening light, its famous reflections of Loughrigg Fell on the southern shore. The expert storyteller will describe Wordsworth's daily walks along this path and point out Rydal Mount — his home for the last 37 years of his life — visible through the trees on the hillside above.
Lake 10 · Final lake · Wordsworth's daily walk
5:00
Return via Ambleside
Through Ambleside and back to the pickup points — Ambleside library first, then Bowness Pier 1, then Windermere station, with Oxenholme last. There is always more to say on the return journey than time allows.
6:00
Return — Windermere & Oxenholme
Windermere station, then the final drop-off at Oxenholme. Approximate — times may vary slightly. A long day, well spent.
What we take care of so you don't have to
Included
Pickup from Windermere, Bowness, Ambleside & Oxenholme
Expert guide throughout
Comfortable licensed minibus
All ten lakes on the route
Ullswater Steamers cruise ticket
Castlerigg Stone Circle stop
Surprise View & Ashness Bridge
Honister Slate Mine photo stop
Moss Force Waterfall
All four mountain passes
Grasmere Gingerbread Shop stop
One hour lunch break in Keswick
All parking and vehicle costs
A few things worth knowing before the day
The pace
The pace is relaxed — there is lunch, a cruise and regular stops — but you will cover a significant amount of ground. Most guests find it exactly the right length for the content.
Mountain roads
The tour crosses four mountain passes including Honister — the steepest in the area. We give a continuous running commentary throughout every journey. Guests prone to motion sickness may wish to take precautions.
The cruise
The Ullswater Steamers ticket is pre-booked and included in your price. Boarding is straightforward — your expert storyteller will lead you to the pier. The cruise takes one hour and runs the full length of the lake.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before for a full refund. The Ullswater Steamers element may have its own cancellation terms — contact us for details.
What people say when they get home
★★★★★
"The best day we have ever spent anywhere. Ten lakes, four mountain passes, an hour on Ullswater, the slate mine, Moss Force — I had no idea any of it existed. The expert storyteller talked the whole way, explained everything, and made nine hours feel like three. We will be back."
James & Catherine R.
Birmingham · Ultimate Lake District Tour
★★★★★
"Honister Pass alone was worth the price. The drive up through the Borrowdale valley, the mine at the summit, the descent to Buttermere — it was completely unlike anything I had seen in the Lakes before. And then the gingerbread at the end. A perfect day."
Margaret T.
Edinburgh · Ultimate Lake District Tour
★★★★★
"We have been to the Lake District seven times. We thought we knew it. This tour showed us that we had been seeing the surface of it. The Newlands Valley, Crummock Water, Moss Force — none of it was on our map. The expert storyteller's knowledge was simply outstanding. Book this tour."
David & Susan H.
London · Ultimate Lake District Tour
Questions people ask before they book
Yes — and we name all ten, in the order you meet them: Windermere, Brothers Water, Ullswater, Bassenthwaite Lake, Derwentwater, Buttermere, Crummock Water, Thirlmere, Grasmere and Rydal Water. It works because the route is built around the geography rather than doubling back: four mountain passes link the valleys, so each lake leads naturally to the next. This is not a drive-past either — there is an hour on the water at Ullswater, a full lunch hour in Keswick, and stops at Ashness Bridge, Surprise View, Honister and Grasmere along the way.
The Ultimate Tour is a full day (9am–6pm) versus the 8 Lakes half day (9am–1pm or 2pm–6pm). The Ultimate adds the Ullswater Steamers cruise, the Borrowdale Valley, Honister Pass, Honister Slate Mine, Buttermere, Crummock Water, Newlands Hause, Moss Force Waterfall, and the Newlands Valley — all the western Lakes that the 8 Lakes tour does not reach. It also includes a one-hour lunch break in Keswick. The price reflects the additional content and the included cruise ticket.
Yes — the Ullswater Steamers cruise ticket is included in your tour price of £169 and pre-booked by us. You do not need to book separately or pay at the pier. The cruise takes one hour and covers the full length of the lake.
Honister Slate Mine at the summit of Honister Pass is England's last working slate mine, producing green Westmorland slate since the 17th century. We make a ten-minute photo stop at the mine entrance — you see the Victorian tramway inclines, the slate spoil heaps and the mine buildings on the cliff face. We do not go inside the mine on this tour, but the exterior and the pass setting are extraordinary. The mine also offers its own tours independently if you wish to return.
Moss Force is a waterfall on the descent from Newlands Hause, falling approximately 100 metres down the open fellside. Wordsworth wrote about it and it has been known to travellers for two centuries, but it receives a tiny fraction of the attention given to more easily accessible waterfalls. It is most impressive after rain. We see it from the road as we descend from Newlands Hause — it is dramatic and, in good conditions, spectacular.
Yes, for children aged around 8 and above. The day is long (9am–6pm) and the mountain passes require comfort with winding, steep roads. The cruise is excellent for children, Castlerigg is fascinating for curious young visitors, and the gingerbread stop is universally appreciated. For families with younger children, one of our half-day tours may be more manageable — please contact us and we will advise.
You have a full hour free in Keswick and can eat wherever you choose. Your expert storyteller will recommend options ranging from quick cafés to sit-down restaurants, all within five minutes' walk. Keswick has good options at every price point. Lunch is not included in the tour price — the hour is entirely your own.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours · Secure payment · Instant confirmation
Fully insured & licensed
Maximum 7 guests
All included in £169
Ten lakes in one day
Ullswater Steamers cruise
Four mountain passes
Honister Slate Mine stop
Moss Force Waterfall
Castlerigg Stone Circle
Grasmere Gingerbread stop
One hour lunch in Keswick
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