Find your perfect stay with our guide to the best places to stay in the Lake District by region. Hardy hikers, landscape photographers, or tea shop goers, get your bearings in England’s most scenic area.
LAST UPDATE: 21 Nov 2023
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The Lake District is a popular national park in northern England covering an area of 2,300 square kilometres.
It’s known for stunning ribbon lakes, rugged mountains, and charming villages.
Getting the most out of this beautiful UNESCO World Heritage location means finding the right base. The different regions of the lakes each offer a very specific experience.
Some have plenty of facilities (and plenty of tourists). Others are remote landscapes abundant with natural beauty and rugged outdoor experiences.
We’ve been visiting this beautiful corner of England for many years. We know each of the areas, most of the hiking trails, and we have our favourite things to do in the Lake District.
This guide includes a review of each region to help you decide where to stay in the Lake District. We have hotel recommendations for each area, plus some of the best stays in the Lake District.
IN THIS GUIDE
WHERE TO STAY IN THE LAKE DISTRICT (BY REGION)
KESWICK | BORROWDALE | WINDERMERE | GRASMERE | LANGDALE | WASDALE | CARTMEL | ULLSWATER
BEST OF THE LAKES
Here are our overall picks for the best Lake District accommodation. Further down in the guide we breakdown each region in the Lake District and why you should stay there.
| BEST FOR | PLACE | WHERE |
|---|---|---|
| Best old-world pub | Pheasant Inn (££) | Keswick area |
| Best boutique B&B | Raise View House (££) | Grasmere |
| Best spa & wellness hotel | The Langdale (££) | Elterwater |
| Best self-catering family stay | Scafell View (£) | Wasdale |
| Best hot tub stay | Applegarth Villa (££) | Windermere |
| Best cool quirky stay | Hinterlandes (££) | Not knowing is half the fun |
| Best glamping | Hobbit Holes (£) | Ullswater |
| Best dog-friendly stay | Buttermere Court Hotel (££) | Buttermere |
| Best for a special occasion | Rothay Manor Hotel (£££) | Ambleside |
| Best with a Michelin star restaurant | Gilpin Hotel & Lake House (£££) | Windermere |
LAKE DISTRICT REGION MAP
All the properties we’ve listed in this guide are on the map below.
Before you decide where to stay, read our guide to the best things to do in the Lake District. This will help you find the activities that interest you, so you’ll have a good idea of where to base yourself.
How to use this map / Click on the top left of the map to display the list of locations, then click on the locations to display further information. Click on the top right corner of the map to open a larger version in a new tab or the star to save to your Google Maps.
1 – KESWICK & AROUND
Best place to stay in the Lake District for adventurous activities centred around a market town.
Nestled on the edge of Derwentwater in the north of the Lake District, Keswick is a lively market town. It has lots of facilities, great nightlife and cafes.
The pedestrianised main street has an excellent fresh-food market and there are museums for rainy days.
The waterfront at Keswick is a lovely spot to stroll. Surrounded by an amphitheatre of mountains, it’s one of the classic walks in the Lake District.
Plenty of activities are based around Keswick. You can try canyoning, paragliding, rock climbing, and mountain biking. Keswick Adventures has a great selection of outdoor activities.
If you are a walker, many of the most craggy mountains are only a short drive away. In particular, hiking Sharp Edge on Blencathra is a thoroughly adventurous experience.
There’s a wide selection of hotels in and around Keswick catering to all budgets.
HOTELS NEAR KESWICK
Here are a few hotels we recommend in the Keswick area. This is a very popular area, so it’s a good idea to book well in advance.
THRELKELD
BUNGALOWS GUEST HOUSE | £
Just a few miles out of Keswick in Threlkeld, The Bungalows Guesthouse is an excellent budget option in the area. The location at the foot of Blencathra is superb.
KESWICK
KESWICK COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL | £££
This beautiful old hotel situated on a large, well-maintained garden is located 5 minutes from the centre of town. Most rooms have excellent views.
KESWICK
LAKESIDE HOUSE | ££
Set in the centre of Keswick, Lakeside House is contemporary luxury accommodation with all the modern amenities you could ask for. Breakfast is served in front of a stunning view.
OUR PICK
KESWICK
ROYAL OAK | ££
Located in the centre of town, the Royal Oak has a country house feel with stylish modern amenities. The food is excellent and dogs are cared for as well as regular human guests.
2 – BORROWDALE & BUTTERMERE
Best Lake District area for rugged scenery and dramatic craggy mountains
Borrowdale and Buttermere are a short 30-minute drive from Keswick.
With two dark and moody valleys overlooked by high craggy mountains, this remote region has some of the most stunning views in the Lake District.
There are no towns here, just a splattering of villages and the odd rustic, hiker’s hotel.
Borrowdale and Buttermere are the heart of hiking country. Many of the best walks in the Lake District leave from here. One of our favourites in the area is Haystacks. It’s also a great base to try one of the different routes up Scafell Pike.
This is the perfect Lake District region for getting away from it all. Head into the highest mountains and finish in a rustic pub.
ACCOMMODATION NEAR BORROWDALE & BUTTERMERE
Borrowdale and Buttermere are less busy with tourists. However, as one of the starting points for the Scafell Pike walk, it can get busy over the peak hiking period from June to August.
ROSTHWAITE
YHA BORROWDALE | £
This clean and spacious hostel is right on the coast-to-coast trail, making it an excellent choice for hikers. The communal areas are warm and comfy.
STONETHWAITE
LANGSTRATH COUNTRY INN | ££
The Langstrath Inn has 8 bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms in a cosy old pub. The location in a secluded valley is an ideal way to get away from it all.
OUR PICK
SEATOLLER
GLARAMARA | ££
If you would like all the facilities of a business hotel in an excellent location, Glaramara is a good choice. The hearty breakfast is great.
ROSTHWAITE
HAZEL BANK COUNTRY HOUSE | £££
This family-run guesthouse is in a perfect location in the Lake District to enjoy the remote spectacular scenery. Service is warm and welcoming.
3 – WINDERMERE & BOWNESS
Best Lake District stays for fancy hotels, lakeside strolls, tea shops & boat rides
Windermere has a gentler landscape than the craggy area around Keswick.
Less steep rock has paved the way for larger towns with more facilities. Tourist boats provide cruises of the lake and a steam train chugs along the shore. The town is bursting with quaint tea shops.
There are also plenty of short walks with great views including Orest Head and Gummer’s How.
Beatrix Potter’s cottage is only a short ferry ride away.
Many of the best hotels in the Lake District are perched along the banks of Windermere offering luxury stays.
The easy accessibility and good facilities means that Windermere and Bowness can get very busy in summer. Additionally, traffic on the lake’s east side can be oppressive.
As a result, Windermere/Bowness is great for enjoying the towns, but it’s not the best base for exploring the rugged side of the Lake District.
HOTELS NEAR WINDERMERE/BOWNESS
Windermere has many of the high-end stays in the Lake District, however, it’s possible to find a good deal. This is a very popular area so book well ahead.
WINDERMERE
HOLLY LODGE GUEST HOUSE | £
For an affordable stay bang in the centre of Windermere, The Holly Lodge is a great choice. The individually styled rooms give it a boutique hotel feel.
OUR PICK
WINDERMERE
CRAGWOOD COUNTRY HOUSE | ££
This imposing manor house on the banks of the lake set among landscaped gardens is full of guest-friendly facilities. It’s a 5-minute drive from the centre of town.
WINDERMERE
THE SAMLING HOTEL | ££££
If you love the idea of being looked after in luxury, the Sampling Hotel is for you. The beautifully appointed rooms have lake or mountain views.
WINDERMERE
WHEATLANDS LODGE | ££
This classic Victorian property just a few minutes from the centre of Windermere is an adults-only stay with all the right attention to detail.
4 – CONISTON, AMBLESIDE & GRASMERE
Best places to stay in the Lake District for beautifully set villages in a central location
These three charming small towns in the centre of the Lake District are the perfect base to explore the whole area.
Within a 40-minute drive, you can be hiking Helvellyn, canyoning in Coniston, mountain biking in Keswick, or driving Wrynose Pass.
Grasmere is a small town set back from the main road. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, it’s one of the most beautiful villages in the Lake District. It has good hotels and independent restaurants.
Coniston is little more than a village, but it retains a local and lived-in feel with pubs spilling onto the street and handy village stores.
Ambleside is a larger town. It’s busier and has a wider selection of restaurants and independent shops. Despite its facilities and location, it has maintained a charm that Windermere and Bowness have lost.
ACCOMMODATION IN THE AREA
Here are some of our recommendations in the area. It’s a good destination for self-catering properties and rustic farm stays.
OUR PICK
AMBLESIDE
LAKE HOUSE AT THE WATERHEAD INN | ££
The freshly cooked breakfast is just what you need after enjoying the hiking trails near the Ambleside Lake House. There’s free parking and it’s just a 10-minute walk to the town centre.
CONISTON
SELF-CONTAINED HOME | ££
This 3-bedroom home in the centre of Coniston has been renovated to a high standard, making it a great self-contained stay in the lakes. The view from the garden is lovely.
GRASMERE
FOREST SIDE HOTEL | £££
This traditional home in a wooded estate in Grasmere still exudes the elegant style of its heyday. The restaurant is quality fine dining and the staff are extremely attentive.
CONISTON
LUXURY PROPERTY | £££
This 6 bedroom, 5 bathroom house near Coniston has everything you need for a quality family stay, complete with a games room and panoramic views.
5 – ELTERWATER & LANGDALE
Best Lake District getaway for dramatic and atmospheric landscapes
Elterwater and Langdale are the best areas for photographers with some of our favourite photo spots in the Lake District.
Snap the mountain reflections on Coniston Water. Visit the striking and under-visited Langdale Valley. Capture the misty waters of the River Brathay as it meanders along the valley.
The Langdale Valley has excellent short walks, several longer ones, and some of the most memorable drives in the Lake District.
Elterwater village itself is a charming hamlet with a couple of great pubs.
This is a great place to stay in the Lake District to feel like you’re getting away from it all in lovely surroundings.
HOTELS NEAR ELTERWATER & LANGDALE
The Elterwater and Langdale region has a great mix of traditional pubs and luxury spa accommodation. Here are some recommendations from us.
ELTERWATER
THE BRITANNIA INN | £
This traditional Inn has all the right trimmings: oak beams, open fires, real ales and home-cooked food. Guests also get access to the pool and spa next door.
OUR PICK
ELTERWATER
ELTERMERE INN | £
With views over Lake Eltermere, this property has elegant rooms in bold designs. Quality food is the icing on the cake.
GREAT LANGDALE
LANGDALE HOTEL & SPA | ££
Indulge in luxury at the Langdale Hotel & Spa, set in 4 acres of lovely woodland. With top service inside and stunning surroundings outside, it’s a perfect stay.
ELTERWATER
TOWNFOOT COTTAGE | ££££
This great value cottage sleeps 4 in the heart of the Langdale Valley. It has all the amenities you need for a Lakeland stay and it’s very dog-friendly.
6 – WASDALE & ESKDALE
Best area to stay in the Lake District for great walks in remote valleys
Wasdale and Eskdale are the most remote valleys in the Lake District. Yet, they offer some of the most magnificent scenery in the area.
Apart from a stream of day-trippers hiking up Scafell Pike, it’s the perfect spot for getting away from it all. You’ll also find some of the best wild swimming in the Lake District.
There are no towns, just the odd village, a few country pubs, and some of the finest scenery in the area.
And getting to these valleys is half the fun. Most routes involve driving over the high passes of Wrynose, Hardknott, and Whinlatter.
Hardknott is the most challenging with 30% gradients and a series of hairpins.
ACCOMMODATION NEAR WASDALE & ESKDALE
As the most remote region in the Lake District, accommodation around Wasdale and Eskdale is often more affordable. Here are our recommendations in the area.
HOLMROOK
YHA ESKDALE | £
The Eskdale hostel is located in a picturesque setting, ideal for exploring the valley. The shared kitchen is well set up for self-catering.
NETHER WASDALE
WINDSOR COTTAGES SCAFELL | ££
With a private garden, excellent views and access to a fully equipped kitchen, Windsor Cottages Scafell is a great option in Wasdale.
OUR PICK
SEASCALE
1692 WASDALE | ££
The stylish contemporary design of the 1692 Wasdale, blends in with the rugged remote surroundings. A number of great walks leave from the hotel.
WASDALE
SCAFELL VIEW APARTMENT | £
A recently renovated property overlooking the Scafell Range, this 2-bedroom apartment sleeps 4. It’s perfectly located for great walks and great pubs.
7 – CARTMEL & HAWKSHEAD
Best place to stay in the Lake District for great food and craft beer
Wedged between the sea and the Lake District National Park, Cartmel and Hawkshead are home to the finer things in the Lake District life.
Cartmel is a small village with a big foodie reputation. It has 2 Michelin-starred restaurants, L’Enclume and Rogan & Company, whose accommodation we mentioned at the top of this guide.
It’s also a contender for inventing the sticky toffee pudding, which you can find in the tiny village store.
Hawkshead is a beautiful little village that has retained its local charm. It’s often overlooked by tourists, making it great for a quiet stay in the Lake District.
A short drive brings you to the grand country houses of Holker Hall or Levens Hall and a plethora of easy walks spread out from the waters of Coniston.
HOTELS NEAR CARTMEL & HAWKSHEAD
With a reputation for quality living, Cartmel & Hawkshead have a selection of high-end accommodation. However, you’ll also find some traditional pubs.
CARTMEL
THE CAVENDISH ARMS | £
The rooms at the Cavendish Arms with their oak beans retain the charm of its 450-year history. Enjoy home-cooked food by the open fire.
OUR PICK
HAWKSHEAD
QUEEN’S HEAD INN | ££
Despite the 17th century beginning, the Queen’s Head has contemporary fittings with a retro touch. The wine and beer list is impressive.
NEWBY BRIDGE
SWAN HOTEL & SPA | £££
The quirky colourful interiors of the Swan Hotel will brighten up any gloomy Lake District weekend. Their self-contained cottages, The Nests, are like mini resorts.
CARTMEL
WEAVER’S COTTAGE | £££
Luxury accommodation in the heart of Cartmel with 4 good-sized bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a well-appointed kitchen for entertaining.
8 – ULLSWATER & PATTERDALE
Best area to stay in the Lake District for adventurous ridge walks and lakeside activities
The northwest of the Lake District is a craggy towers of rocks. The south is lower-lying green hills punctuated with lakes. Ullswater and Patterdale are a mix of the two.
High mountains combine with grassy hills to form the finest ridge walks in the lakes.
Some are razor-sharp and only for the adventurous like Sharp Edge Blencathra and Striding Edge Helvellyn. Others are rounded tops upon which you could stroll for days.
Besides excellent walking, there are also family-focused activities on the lakes.
Rent a canoe or motorboat, take a ride on a steamer, enjoy a long swim from the shore, or leap into chilly waters from Kailpot Crag.
The best waterfall in the region, Aira Force, is here making it a microcosm of all that’s good about the Lake District.
HOTELS NEAR ULLSWATER & PATTERDALE
The area around Ullswater and Patterdale has a mix of classic pubs, quirky stays, and resort-style accommodation. Here are some suggestions from us.
PATTERDALE
OLD WATER VIEWS | ££
The Old Water View is a comfy, basic guesthouse with charm & character. The continental breakfast will put you in good stead for hiking Hellvelyn.
OUR PICK
WATERMILLOCK
ULLSWATER VIEW GUESTHOUSE | ££
If you like all the modern stylings with superb views, then the Ullswater View Guesthouse is for you. The staff are helpful and attentive.
POOLEY BRIDGE
DUKE OF PORTLAND BOAT HOUSE | ££££
For a stay with a difference, hire the Duke of Portland Boathouse. Perched on Ullswater it’s ideal for a romantic getaway.
POOLEY BRIDGE
THE CROWN INN | ££
Well-appointed pub on the shores of Ullswater with a well-positioned deck. The hearty breakfast will set you up for the day.
MORE LAKE DISTRICT READING
- For some excellent hiking options, read our guide to the best walks in the Lake District.
- Black Moss Pot is an excellent wild swimming spot in a remote valley.
- Try one of our favourite outdoor activities in the Lake District.
- If you’re feeling adventurous, there are several Grade 1 scrambles in the Lake District.
- Photographers should check out the best views in the Lake District.
- Read up on all the best things to do in the Lake District.
Great looking website. I could lose hours here…
I would say Elderwater and Langdale are the best out of the 5 that you’ve mentioned for me. Great view! and for an artist like me it’s a good spot to sit and paint while enjoying the fresh air and stare at the very relaxing scenery of it. Great post thank you!
Thanks, Hannah. They’re both great areas. Must be a great spot to sit and paint if you have that talent! Thanks for stopping by.
What a truly fantastic website. Desperate to visit the Lakes, but had no idea where to start. Thank you for this wonderful insight!
Thank you very much, glad you found us. Have a great time in the Lake District.