Cumbria Way

Cumbria Way

A walk from the shores of Morecambe Bay to the Scottish Border through the Lake District.

3 to 9 nights
16-78 miles
Easy / Moderate to Demanding

From £380 per person

Find your holiday

About the trail

The Cumbria Way enjoys the Lake District’s mountain vistas with none of its strenuous mountain climbs. This low-level walk follows old packhorse tracks along valleys and over passes to provide breath-taking views without ascending to the summits.

Beneath towering peaks and thundering cascades, the route follows the shores of glittering tarns. It visits charming Lake District villages, and enjoys a finale of remote, rolling hills that descend through rich farmland to the historic border town of Carlisle.

We offer multiple holiday options along this trail. If you wish to experience the entire trail, simply select the first option from the list below.

Choose your route

  • Cumbria Way via Bassenthwaite
  • Cumbria Way
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options Cumbria Way Highlights
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options Cumbria Way Short Break

Dog friendly tours available

Dogs are welcome on select routes along this trail. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your holiday.

About this route

3 to 4 nights
28 miles
Moderate to Moderate / Demanding
2nd January to 24th December
Includes Dog-Friendly Tours

From £400 per person

Cumbria Way Highlights

Our highlights holiday through the central section of the Cumbria Way leaves out the farmland stretches of the main route. Instead it delves straight into the rugged mountain scenery at the heart of the Lake District. The Old Man of Coniston looms at the head of the trail, backed by the spectacular expanse of Coniston Water.

From here the trail curves beneath Tarn Hows and through the wild valley of Great Langdale. Keswick provides the perfect conclusion to your Lake District getaway, with a host of independent shops, pubs and cafes nestled in its winding streets.

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
CUMWH1 From Coniston to Keswick 3 nights, 2 days walking Moderate / Demanding £400
CUMWH2 From Coniston to Keswick 4 nights, 3 days walking Moderate £530

Short breaks

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
CUMWSB From Great Langdale/Dungeon Ghyll to Keswick 3 nights, 2 days walking Easy / Moderate £380

Cumbria Way Highlights 3 nights, 2 days walking

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Route profile
  • Travel info
  • Weather
  • Holiday Highlights

Important information

Please note that due to the popularity of the Lake District as a holiday destination, accommodations in some towns have a two night minimum booking policy at weekends.

When planning your holiday dates we would advise to avoid arriving in Keswick, Coniston and Great Langdale/Dungeon Ghyll on a Friday or Saturday night if possible.  If you are unable to avoid arriving on a Friday or Saturday night an additional supplement may be necessary, or alternatively, transfers to and from nearby accommodation may be provided.  Any transfers required are included in the holiday cost. You will be contacted if an additional supplement should arise for your booking. 

Start

Travel to Coniston where your first night's accommodation will be booked

Day 1

Coniston to Great Langdale/Dungeon Ghyll. 12 miles (19km) / 2139 ft (652 m) ascent

Day 2

Great Langdale/Dungeon Ghyll to Keswick. 16 miles (25.5km)

Finish

Depart from Keswick after breakfast

Your Itinerary

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.

Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.

Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Traveller Supplement
£60.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£50.00 per person / per night


You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Great Langdale/Dungeon Ghyll)
Price on request
Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Cumbria Way Highlights map
Coniston to Keswick
28 miles (45 km)
2nd January to 24th December

Holiday highlights

Experiencing the best of the Lake District National Park on the route from Coniston to Keswick.

Visiting some of the Lake District’s iconic lakes, including Coniston Water and Derwentwater.

Arriving in Keswick, featuring the dramatic backdrop of Skiddaw.

What's included?

  • 3 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

There is plenty to see and do around Coniston; a walk to the summit of Coniston Old Man, boat trips on Coniston Water on the elegant Victorian steam yacht 'Gondola', the Ruskin Museum in the village and the home of John Ruskin, the author, critic, artist and philanthropist who lived at Brantwood on the eastern side of the lake. Another possibility would be a trip to Hill Top, the little 17th century cottage where Beatrix Potter wrote many of her books or to the pretty village of Hawkshead. Among the interesting buildings in the village is Hawkshead Courthouse, St. Michael's Church, the solicitors offices of William Heelis, husband of Beatrix Potter, that contain an exhibition of the illustrations from her children's books and the old Grammar school where Wordsworth was educated; the desk on which he carved his name can still be seen.

The old market town of Keswick is another good choice for an extra night. It is a bustling little town with plenty of shops, inns and cafes. There are boat trips on Derwentwater, or you could walk to the mystical Castlerigg Stone Circle, the fine viewpoint of Friar's Crag or climb Skiddaw, the fourth highest mountain in England.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Great Langdale/Dungeon Ghyll)
Price on request

Tour Facts

Total distance: 28 miles (44.5 km)
Duration: 3 nights, 2 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 12 miles (19 km)
Maximum daily distance: 16 miles (25.5 km)
Code: CUMWH1 Grade: Moderate / Demanding
Season: 2nd January - 24th December
Start of holiday: Coniston
End of holiday: Keswick

Route Profile

Cumbria Way Highlights Route Profile

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - The most convenient major city and international airports are Manchester and Leeds-Bradford.

By Rail - The nearest rail stations to the start of the trail (Coniston) are either Windermere (about 12 miles away) or Ulverston (about 15 miles away). The nearest rail station to the end of the trail (Keswick) is at Penrith-North Lakes (about 17 miles away).

By Bus - There is a bus from Windermere to Coniston, but a taxi would be much quicker. There is no regular/direct bus service from Ulverston to Coniston, so a taxi would be required. Buses also run from Keswick to Penrith.

From London - Trains run from London Euston station to Windermere and Ulverston. A bus/taxi will then be required to Coniston.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail, is to take a taxi from Keswick to Coniston.

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.