The Lake District is a mountainous national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cumbria, North West England, famous for its glacial lakes, rugged fells, and literary history. It makes for a fabulous getaway or add on to a England trip!

PRO TIPS:

• Food was delicious in Ambleside so carve out the time to try some of the restaurants! On the contrary, food in Grasmere left a lot to be desired. It felt overpriced and not as good quality.
• We had glorious weather, but I think we got lucky. Bring clothes that are prepared for wet & cold
• Bring your hiking boots for the wet hiking
• You don’t need a car! You can get the train to Windermere and then a bus to Ambleside. Also there’s plenty of hiking from the town of Ambleside

CITY: AMBLESIDE

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at the Ferndale Lodge and it was great! The location was about a 5 min walk away from the dowtown area of Ambleside, but was very quiet. The room was cozy, but had everything I needed. The only downside was there wasn’t any communal space where we could hang out or play a board game, but we just went to pubs to play cards then. This place also offered free parking, which was a nice perk.

Where to eat:

We were shocked at how good the restaurants were in Ambleside! Like we couldn’t stop talking about them. Don’t miss these spots:

• Copper Pot – great for breakfast or lunch. We ate lunch and had hoped to go back for breakfast but it was sadly closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (take a peak at their hours before you go). My caprese salad + crispy chicken so fresh & yummy
• Dodds Restaurant – If there is one restaurant not to skip, it’s this one. This Italian spot is SO GOOD. They don’t take reservation so go early or be prepared for a bit of a wait. But truly it’s worth it. We celebrated Steve’s birthday here and we still are talking about how we must go back at some point. My pasta with chicken was unreal.
• Ambleside Yard – Delicious pizza in a nice brewery style space. We played cards here and spotted others doing the same. They take reservations, which is nice.
• Stiles Coffee Bar – Great spot for a reasonably priced breakfast. Dog-friendly and the food portions were generous.
• Force Cafe & Terrace – cafe with incredible views. Great for a snack or hot chocolate after walking to the Stock Ghyll Waterfall

What to do:

The main thing to do here is enjoy the nature! We focused on hikes with our limited time here, but there’s also options to go swimming, try stand up paddle boarding, take a ferry, and more.

Here are the hikes we did:

• Stock Ghyll Waterfall – this is an easy 1.8 km out/back hike (but if it’s rained it can be muddy/slippery) to some pretty waterfalls. Pro Tip: stop at Force Cafe & Terrace for a hot chocolate & snack on the way back.
• Hike to Grasmere (and back)- we did a version of this hike. You can hike the whole thing round trip from Ambleside or catch a bus back from Grasmere. The downside of taking the bus back is you’ll miss the Rydal cave. This is a big hike. By the end of the day I think I had logged 35k steps! We grabbed a light breakfast in Ambleside before setting off for the day. We carried plenty of water, sunscreen and some snacks. We didn’t rush and made it to Grasmere in time for lunch & an ice cream. As mentioned, we struggled to find a good option for lunch, but finally found a pub for a burger and Fish & Chips (for $25+ which is def overpriced). Grasmere is very cute though and we enjoyed some window shopping. The weather was stunning and the views on this hike were gorgeous! The cave is worth stopping at also.

• Orrest Head Circular – On our drive out on our final day, we did this hike in Windermere. Pretty easy and not too long. Views at the top were stunning over the whole region. Highly recommend!

The other spot that is a can’t miss is National Parks Print Shop. This gorgeous print shop in Ambleside (they also have a location in Windermere, which we obviously also stopped at) has tons of cute prints of all sizes as well as tote bags, postcards, and more. We each bought some prints and I can’t wait to have them framed when I get home. You can check out their website here.

Overall Thoughts:

This getaway was so dreamy!! I loved our little adventure here. I’d recommend staying a day or two longer than we did. We would’ve loved a day to go swimming, but we just had to prioritize hiking since we were short on time. I had the best time with Steve & Gemma. Lots of laughs, playing cards, and forcing Steve to wear a birthday sash. I also somehow convinced Steve to do a pub quiz on his birthday (such a good sport!). There is a ton to explore in this region and I can’t wait to go back!

BUDGET FOR 3 DAYS/2 NIGHTS IN THE LAKE DISTRICT:

What a cute getaway in the UK!

• Accommodation: $207 ($103.50 per night) This felt very reasonable for a cute inn in town
• Food: $248 (food wasn’t cheap, but this also includes me treating Gemma & Steve for his birthday dinner)
• Activities: $0
• Local Transportation: $20 (gas money)
• Miscellaneous: $80 (I bought some gifts for friends at home)

Total: $555 (Daily average: $185)