Things To Do In Ambleside & Around + Nearby Walks

Ambleside is a great base for exploring the Lake District with a central location and good transport links. This guide covers all the best things to do in Ambleside, plus great attractions and hikes in the nearby area. 

Ambleside was once a quiet market town, but thanks to its central location at the head of Windermere, it’s now a popular tourist destination in the Lake District.

There are plenty of facilities in town, plus a few good rainy-day activities, and it’s easy to get to many other things to do in the Lake District.

First up in this guide, we have the top things to do in Ambleside which includes a museum, cinema, pretty gardens and lakefront cruises.

Secondly, we will cover all the best places to visit nearby. This includes some of our favourite foodie towns, literary excursions, and family-friendly adventure activities.

Finally, we share all our favourite walks in the area.

Almost all the destinations in this guide can be reached by bus (or car) making Ambleside one of the three best destinations for visiting the Lake District by public transport.

MAP / AMBLESIDE, LAKE DISTRICT

Below is our map of all the best things to do in Ambleside. The attractions in red are in town, orange are the activities nearby, and purple are the hikes in the area.

THINGS TO DO IN AMBLESIDE

Ambleside town centre has plenty of shops and restaurants, but it’s best used as a base to explore the surrounding mountain scenery (more about that later in this guide). However, there are a few attractions worth exploring.

ARMITT MUSEUM

Dedicated to preserving the story of Ambleside, this little museum has an eclectic mix of Roman artefacts, local photography and Beatrix Potter’s watercolours. It’s a good place for a potter around on a wet day.

BRIDGE HOUSE

This quaint 17th-century building is perched over the river in the centre of Ambleside. It’s a cute photo and you can’t miss it. The National Trust offers walk-and-talk tours of the Bridge House and Armitt Museum every Thursday at 11:30 am or 1:30 pm costing £9.50.

ZEFFIRELLIS

This independent cinema and live music venue is a great way to spend an evening resting weary legs.

It has a café and restaurant with an excellent range of vegetarian and vegan dishes. They show a wide range of films, musicals and classical concerts. Check what’s on while you are there.  

AMBLESIDE CLIMBING WALL

When the rain comes down, the Ambleside Indoor Climbing Wall is one of the best ways to keep the family entertained. Beginners can try a climbing tasting session, and they offer more experienced courses as well as unsupervised bouldering.

STOCK GHYLL FORCE

This 70-foot waterfall is a nice little walk from Ambleside. The round-trip hike only takes about 30 minutes, but the final section is on a rough track. In spring, the waterfall is surrounded by a carpet of daffodils.

WATERHEAD PIER

The southern edge of Ambleside is called Waterhead, and it sits on the shores of Lake Windermere.

From the pier, cruises and steamers head down the lake offering magnificent views.

There are a few different routes to choose from.

• The Red Cruise connects Ambleside with Bowness (35 minutes each way).
• The Green Cruise makes a circular route (50 minutes) connecting Ambleside with Wray Castle and Brockhole (Lake District Visitors Centre).

Most cruises allow you to hop on and hop off at any stop and continue your journey later. It’s a very relaxing half or full day out.

STAGSHAW GARDENS

This eight-acre woodland garden is owned by the National Trust and is free to enter. It’s not a manicured garden, instead rhododendrons, camelias and azaleas have been spread amongst the woodland scene.

The paths are rugged and not well marked, but it’s a quiet place to come and get lost and it’s particularly colourful in spring.

Take a photo of the map on the information board when you enter, otherwise you may be wandering around longer than intended.

There is a small car park (4-5 cars) next to the gardens, otherwise park at Waterhead and it’s a 12-minute walk from Ambleside. 

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THINGS TO DO NEAR AMBLESIDE

The best thing about Ambleside is how close it is to so many diverse attractions. Being at the centre of a good bus network, you can get to many of them without a car. Here’s our pick of things to do near Ambleside.

WRAY CASTLE

This striking Gothic revival castle (only built in 1840) perches above the western shore of Windermere. Run by the National Trust it has rotating exhibitions, a second-hand bookshop, an independent café and waymarked trails that head along the lakeshore and through an arboretum.

You can drive (15 minutes from Ambleside) and park in the grounds. But it’s much more fun to take the Green cruise from Waterhead Pier and enter through the imposing gatehouse.

BROCKHOLE

Brockhole is home to the Lake District Visitor Centre and it’s a great spot for entertaining the family.

Set around the 19^th century Brockhole House and Gardens, you can hire a motorboat, kayak or paddleboard and head onto Windermere.

Alternatively, test your abilities with archery, laser clay shooting and mini golf.

Next door is ZipWorld with a zip line, high rope course set in the trees and a climbing wall. It’s a 7-minute drive or bus ride (599 or 555) from Ambleside, or a stop on the Green Cruise from Waterhead Pier.

RYDAL

Just north of Ambleside is the town of Rydal with a few interesting things to do.

Rydal Mount & Gardens was William Wordsworth’s best-loved family home where he lived from 1813 to his death in 1850.

The house is packed with Wordsworth’s books, letters and pictures and the place is still run by his descendants.

Just across the main road is Rydal Water. This lovely lake is one of our favourite spots for wild swimming in the Lake District.

A short walk behind the lake is Rydal Caves, one of the best and most easily accessed caves in the Lakes.

Rydal is a pretty 45-minute walk from Ambleside, or a 5-minute drive or bus ride.

GRASMERE

Grasmere is one of the prettiest villages in the Lake District and there are a few interesting things to do.

Try the homemade gingerbread, pop into Wordsworth’s cottage, or take a boat onto the lake of Grasmere.

To get the heart pumping try the wonderful hike up Helm Crag, one of the best walks easily done from Ambleside (see below).

Grasmere makes a lovely day out and it’s only a 10-minute drive from Ambleside or 15 minutes on the 599 or 555 bus.

HAWKSHEAD

Hawkshead is a pretty market village of whitewashed houses set around cobbled streets and little courtyards.

It has developed a bit of a foodie reputation with cosy pubs, independent stores, and artisan delis.   

Some of these include Honeypot (the pies are great), The Little Ice Cream Shop, the Chocolate Factory, and the craft ales from KITTcHEN.

Hawkshead is a 15-minute drive from Ambleside or 20 minutes on the 505 bus.

GRIZEDALE FOREST

Grizedale Forest is one of the best places for mountain biking in the Lake District.

A series of MTB trails have been cut through the forest floor, catering to all levels of experience. Beginners can try the 17-kilometre Hawkshead Moor Trail while experts will want to try the jumps on the 1-kilometre-long, but very steep, Black Trail.

Bikes can be hired from Bike Treks located right next to the visitors centre.

Grizedale Forest also has some great walking trails and a Go-Ape Adventure Centre. The visitor centre was upgraded a couple of years ago and Cafe Ambio is a nice spot.

The forest is only a 25-minute drive from Ambleside, but rather tricky to reach by public transport.

HILLTOP

Beatrix Potter purchased Hill Top Farm with the proceeds from her Peter Rabbit books.

As a scientist, artist, farmer, and conservationist she took a keen interest in the unique hilly landscape of the area.

Hill Top is still full of her personal belongings and original artwork and the house and rambling garden is a delightful nod to the characters of her books.

Kids will love the cute signs that bring to life the stories of Jemima Puddle-Duck and Tom Kitten. 

Hill Top is only a 20-minute drive from Ambleside, but rather tricky to reach by public transport.

WALKS NEAR AMBLESIDE

We have chosen seven walks to highlight near Ambleside. The first three are walks that leave from the town centre, the other four require a short drive or bus ride. All are excellent.

LOUGHRIGG

Loughrigg is a little mountain with big views. It sits at the centre of several attractive valleys and although only a little more than 1,000 feet high (335 metres), it has surprisingly wide-ranging views.

But the real highlights are the slopes of Loughrigg themselves. Bobbling mounds of grass strewn with sheep, heather-covered hillocks split by zigzagging dry stone walls, and paths leading over wooden stiles down to shimmering lakes.

It’s the best medium-length walk from Ambleside. Allow about 2 hours to complete the loop, taking in Rydal Caves and Rydal Water en route.

Map – Details on our favourite hikes in the Lake District.

FAIRFIELD HORSESHOE

The Fairfield Horseshoe is a great ridge walk that can be started in the heart of Ambleside.

It begins by gradually climbing to Rydal before the hard work starts: a steady slog up a grass flank to Heron Pike. Once there, however, the rest of the way is along the top of an excellent ridge.

The highest point is Fairfield (2,864 ft) roughly halfway around the loop.

After Fairfield, you’ll pass four more summits. Although the ups and downs add up, you have great views the whole time.

The descent is tough on the toes as it descends steeply into Ambleside.

The hike is just over 10 miles and takes 6-7 hours.

Map – Fairfield Horseshoe Walk

WANSFELL PIKE

If I were to choose 2 hikes to walk from Ambleside, I would go with Loughrigg and the Fairfield Horseshoe.

But Wansfell Pike makes a simple alternative. The path begins in woods before rising to grassy flanks. There’s a total of 1,500 metres of ascent and it’s 2.5 miles to the top.

The summit has nice views over Windermere and across Troutbeck to the Kentmere Round.

Unfortunately, the best way back is along a similar path to the one you came. Allow about 3 hours round trip.

Map – Wansfell Pike Walk

TARN HOWS

Tarn Hows is a dog and family-friendly walk that only takes one hour to complete.

The hike circumnavigates the tarn on easy-to-follow paths. Grassy slopes on the banks provide plenty of space for a picnic with views stretching up to the rugged Langdale Pikes in the distance.

The National Trust runs the area, so there are toilets, a van selling snacks and basic supplies and guides offering advice on the different routes.

It can get very busy in peak summer making parking difficult, but if you come later in the day, it’s a great evening picnic spot. 

Tarn Hows Car Park is a 17-minute drive from Ambleside and it’s open from dawn to dusk. There is no easy access by public transport.

Map – Tarn Hows Circular Walk

HELM CRAG

The summit of Helm Crag is an odd-shaped mountain with a finger of rock reaching upwards from the summit.

The path feels like the trail to Mordor, with a track of rock and stone winding its way through narrow cracks and around rocky towers.

The views from the summit are wonderful.

The hike starts in Grasmere, a 10-minute drive from Ambleside or 15 minutes on the 599 or 555 bus. Allow just over 2 hours to hike from Grasmere to the top and back again.

Map – Helm Crag Walk

LANGDALE PIKES

The Langdale Pikes are some of the most recognisable peaks in the Lake District.

There are numerous ways to explore the Langdale Pikes but the best walking route leaves from New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel.

The path rises steeply for an hour up to Stickle Tarn, a beautifully positioned lake sitting under the towering craggy face of Pavey Ark.

The walk continues over the other four summits, which despite their rugged look from below, seem little more than tiny hillocks from the top.

It is then another steep descent back to the New Dungeon Ghyll, a great spot for a hearty pint.

The path begins at the Old Dungeon Ghyll pub which is a 20-minute drive from Ambleside or 30 minutes on the 516 bus. The hike is between medium and challenging, taking just over 4 hours and ascending 870 metres.

Map – Details on our favourite hikes in the Lake District.

SCAFELL PIKE

There are several great walking routes up Scafell Pike. The longest and most challenging heads up from stunning Great Langdale.

The first mile and a half is easy, level walking through a patchwork of fields.

It then steepens and in just under a mile ascends over 1,000 ft up rocky Rossett Gill. The next section is over a grass shelf (with two descents and ascents) to Esk Hause, where it joins a very rocky path (requiring a bit of easy scrambling/boulder hopping) up and down over Broad Crag to the summit.

Come back the way you came or make a substantial detour over Esk Pike and Bowfell. Taking at least 8 hours and ascending 1,100 m it is a challenging but very rewarding hike.

Map – Map and details on best routes up Scafell Pike

WHERE TO STAY

Choosing where to stay in Ambleside? Here are a few good options at decent prices.

• Ambleside Townhouse – A popular townhouse on the main road in Ambleside. It has good value, clean rooms and a decent breakfast.
• Lakehouse at Waterhead Inn – Perched on the northern end of Windermere with views of the lake, it’s a 12-minute walk into town and the same to Stagshaw Gardens.
• Rothay Manor – Luxury Country House just a 10-minute walk from the centre of Ambleside

MORE LAKE DISTRICT GUIDES

• Find your perfect area with our guide to the best places to stay in the Lake District.
• Use our detailed guide to see the Lake District without a car.
• Enjoy a scenic swim in Black Moss Pot.
• Tackle one of our favourite hikes in the Lake District.
• Try one of these amazing wild swimming locations in the Lake District.
• There’s more than hiking, find more great things to do in the Lake District.
• Find one of our top photography spots in the Lake District