The Lake District: A 2 Day Windermere Itinerary

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The Lake District is a truly incredible part of England. Everywhere you look are beautiful mountains, lakes and stunning scenery. Wherever you choose to visit in the area, you can’t really go wrong – but one of the most popular parts is Windermere.


  1. Contents
  2. About Lake Windermere
  3. Windermere Itinerary
    1. Windermere Itinerary Day 1: Bowness and Wray Castle
      1. Climb Brant Fell for Views of the Lake
      2. Windermere Boat Cruise
      3. Windermere Lake Walk
      4. Hill Top
      5. Wray Castle
      6. Enjoy a nice Dinner
    2. Itinerary Day 2: Ambleside and Grasmere
      1. Discover Ambleside
      2. Explore the incredible Views on Loughrigg Fell (or alternative hike)
      3. Grasmere Village and gingerbread
      4. Wordsworth’s House
      5. A special Meal at Linthwaite House
  4. Have a little longer?

Windermere lake, at 10.5 miles long, one mile wide and 220 feet deep, is the largest natural lake in both the Lake District and in England. It’s surrounded by mountain peaks and villages, including Bowness-on-Windermere, lots of walking trails and viewing points and multiple options for getting out on the water. It makes a perfect base for exploring more of the Lake District, and is also home to some stunning hotels.

We chose to stay in Linthwaite House hotel (review HERE), which was absolutely beautiful and a real treat. We spent 2 days in Windermere exploring, and then branched out to do other day trips, such as Ullswater and Coniston to see more of the region and make a week of it.


There are a lot of walks in and around Windermere, but one of my favourites if you’re limited on time and don’t want to spend your whole day hiking, but still want the beautiful views, is Brant Fell.

This walk starts from Bowness on Windermere, where there are lots of car parks, and the route we followed can be found HERE. Alternatively you could pick the slightly easier (and half the distance) Orrest Head, the route for which can be found HERE, but I personally preferred the views from Brant Fell. Start this walk early to have it to yourselves, and in total the walk should take around 1-1.5hrs depending on fitness.

After viewing the lake from above, it’s time to take to the water. From Bowness you can do a number of boat tours of varying lengths, or even take boats to surrounding areas such as Ambleside, but we have that planned for day 2 in more depth! We therefore chose a 1 hour Windermere islands cruise to take in the lake but not take up the whole day.

After the boat cruise, head by foot to the lake shore to take it all in. I think the best area, a short distance from Bowness, is Cockshott Point. In total you can walk there, stroll to the shore and be back in Bowness in around an hour. Finish off in Bowness with a late lunch or ice-cream (or both) and then head back to your car ready for a couple more sites in the afternoon.

From Bowness, it’s time to get in to the car and head on the trail of Beatrix Potter to visit her 17th century farmhouse – now a National Trust site which is effectively a time capsule of her life. I grew up reading Peter Rabbit, Mrs Tiggywinkle and Jeremy Fisher so it was lovely to visit. In total we spent an hour here.

Hill Top

From Hill Top, it’s a short drive to Wray Castle. Now, this isn’t actually a castle, it’s a private home built in the 1800s, which until 1929 was rented out as someone’s home!! You can still go in the castle, though it’s not furnished so is just empty rooms. There are a few nice walks around the castle and grounds too, but you don’t really need longer than an hour here.

After visiting Wray Castle, if you have time you could visit Claife viewing station for sunset – otherwise it’s time to head back to wherever your base is for dinner. We were staying in Bowness so visited some lovely restaurants in the town, including Asian street food at Baha, yummy Thai at Jintana, delicious Indian at Shahib’s, Mexican at Bandito Burrito or Italian at Trattoria (the best pesto gnocchi I’ve ever had).


Ambleside is one of the most picturesque villages in the area, though it does get really busy so arrive early to guarantee a parking space. We arrived at 10am and had to drive round the one way system for 45 minutes until we found a space! So get there for 9am if you can. Whilst there, make sure you check out Stockghyll Force waterfalls, a short walk from the centre.

Full post: HERE.

If you’re not into long(ish) distance hiking, then this part of the itinerary isn’t for you. If you want a walk but not a hike, you could instead do a lovely walk at Lily Tarn or at just cover the waterfalls mentioned above. If you want the stunning views out over Windermere and beyond though, then Loughrigg Fell is a manageable walk that starts and ends in Ambleside and gives absolutely stunning reward for the effort required. We chose to walk the 11km route, taking us 3 hours.

At the summit

After our walk we were exhausted so drove the 10 minutes or so to Grasmere and had a well earned drink to rest our legs. We’d taken a packed lunch on the walk, but you could also have a nice lunch at one of the many pubs in Grasmere.

Then on to the star of the show – quite simply, Grasmere Gingerbread is the BEST in the world. Invented in 1854 in this little village, still made and sold in the tiny cottage it started from – this gingerbread is mouth wateringly, wonderfully amazing. Be prepared though, you’ll probably have to queue for about 30-60 minutes to get in the shop. It’s so worth it though.

A final stop in Grasmere is Wordsworth’s House, Allan Bank. William Wordsworth is a famous poet and visiting his house amongst the stunning scenery just on the edge of Grasmere is well worth it if you’re interested. The estate is also home to red squirrels galore which were lovely to watch scampering around.

Allan Bank

After finishing in Grasmere, we headed back to our hotel for a special meal at its in house restaurant Henrock, from Michelin starred chef Simon Rogan. Even if you’re not a resident, visiting for dinner is so worthwhile. The food was absolutely delicious, the restaurant elegant but informal, and just the perfect place for a special holiday celebration. If that’s not your thing there are plenty of amazing restaurants back in Bowness to choose from.

Linthwaite House


That rounds off a perfect 2 days in Windermere. If you have longer in the area, then why not visit another area of the Lake District such as:


Thanks so much for reading. I hope you’ve enjoyed my virtual tour of the Lake District, as I loved every minute visiting this wonderful and special place. Stay safe and happy travelling all.

31 responses to “The Lake District: A 2 Day Windermere Itinerary”

  1. I just love how pretty and quaint and green everything is! Lovely photos!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ahh thanks Diana, it really is a beautiful part of the country 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. The main reason why I’ve wanted to visit the Lake District for so long is because of Wordsworth, whose poems I discovered in university and fell in love with. Given the fact that his home’s in this part of England, I’d love to check it out. The lakes themselves are so mesmerizingly blue that they look unreal! Thanks for taking us along your Lake District journey.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I always find it so interesting that in England very few would know who Wordsworth is now; his poems aren’t really taught in schools any more. They feel much more widely studied abroad. I really do think it’s just a serene part of England, and for sure one of the most beautiful so I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the journey 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  3. What a beautiful part of the UK. So much to see and do in a small space. I particularly like your photos that included the gorgeous clouds. You were obviously blessed with some nice weather.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much! Yes we were definitely blessed with good weather especially as it rained the week before and after we visited! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the little tour of the Lake District 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  4. How beautiful Hannah. I’m looking forward to your review of Linthwaite House too. Hope you have a good weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much Marion for reading and commenting. I hope you have a lovely weekend too 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Wow that ice cream looks great! What a great reward after going for a walk. Windermere Lake and the surrounding area looks so incredibly scenic. How neat to see William Wordsworth’s house. I remember reading some of his poems while in school.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The ice cream was much needed after all the walking! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the little tour of Windermere and this beautiful part of England 🙂 Have a great weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Love!! It looks so quiet and serene there and that ice cream has me drooling!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It really is such a beautiful part of the country. Hehe, yeyyy because it’s normally me drooling and hungry at your amazing food adventures 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  7. I love following your adventures around the Lake District! Not only are the Lakes a beautiful and romantic setting, but they are perfect for outdoor activities. I would love to experience a wonderful day out in Lake District and get a glimpse of England’s popular vacation destination famous for its glacial ribbon lakes, rugged fell mountains, and historic literary associations. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much Aiva, and I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the Lake District tour 🙂 It really is such a great destination for a trip, and even better in the sunshine on an early summer’s day 🙂 Have a lovely weekend, xx

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  8. Beautiful views!! The Wray Castle looks pretty 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much, it’s such a lovely part of England 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  9. The Lake District of England looks incredible!!! From the expansive, elevated views at Brant Fell & Loughrigg Fell, to waterfront scenery and Wray Castle – an amazing historic structure – thanks for sharing your experiences from your visit to this lovely area 😍 Have a wonderful weekend, Hannah 🙏😊

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much Phil, that’s so kind of you to say. It really is a beautiful part of England which I really enjoyed exploring 🙂 Have a lovely weekend too!

      Liked by 1 person

  10. What an amazing site to see and be.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks so much 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Stunning pictures! I would love to visit the Lake District. Don’t mind me while I go back through and enjoy all your previous posts about your travels. I hope you have a great rest of your week 🙂 –Meg

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Aw thanks so much Meg for reading lots of my posts – I’ve really enjoyed yours too, especially your incredible Israel trip! 🙂 Look forward to following your adventures and thanks for reading!

      Liked by 2 people

  12. British castles and cottages are so picturesque! I liked best the lake photos that mirrored the clouds.

    Liked by 2 people

  13. […] The Lake District, in the north east of England, is an incredibly special place. I think it’s the most beautiful part of the country, and is full of amazing views and walks which will leave you in awe. One such walk that left its mark on me was hiking up Loughrigg Fell, which we did while staying in the wonderful town of Windermere. […]

    Liked by 1 person

  14. […] Linthwaite House is close to Lake Windermere in the southern lakes. It is within easy driving access of all attractions around Windermere, including Bowness, boat tours, Hill Top (Beatrix Potter’s house), Wray Castle and many of the famous classic Lake District walks such as Old Man Coniston, Helm Cragg, Loughrigg Fell and Helvellyn. It’s also close enough to some of the other well known Lakes, such as Ullswater and Coniston. You can read my post on what to do in Windermere HERE. […]

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  15. Fairy Queen

    Wonderful pictures 😍😍😍

    Liked by 1 person

  16. […] are many ‘lakes’ in the Lake District – we stayed at one of the most popular, Windermere, but did day trips throughout the region to discover further afield. One such day trip was to […]

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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