Lake District Circular Walks

Lake District Circular Walks

A collection of circular walking holidays visiting the lakes and mountains of the Lake District National Park.

3 to 13 nights
12-74 miles
Easy / Moderate to Easy

From £360 per person

Find your holiday

About the trail

Book your self-guided walking holiday in the Lake District. This UNESCO World Heritage site is England's only true mountain region and contains some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. It provides an enchanting mix of rugged mountains, deep valleys, shimmering lakes, powerful waterfalls and attractive stone-built villages.

Our selection of circular walking holidays in the Lake District National Park provide an enticing mixture of scenery, terrain and challenge. Whether you are looking for fabulous views, picturesque settlements, fascinating history or literary inspiration, each of these walks offers something different, and are ideal for an active but tranquil retreat into the Great British countryside.

Choose your route

  • Lakeland Three Passes Walk
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options Lakeland Round
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options South Lakes Short Break
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options North Lakes Short Break
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options Derwentwater Round

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

6 to 13 nights
74 miles
Moderate to Demanding
2nd January to 24th December
Includes Dog-Friendly Tours

From £855 per person

Lakeland Round

The Lake District National Park is a magical mix of rocky mountains, tumbling waterfalls, lush valleys, shimmering lakes, tranquil woodland, sturdy stone-built villages and dry-stone walls. This delightful circular walk explores the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Lake District, following ancient tracks and taking in all of the major valleys in the Lake District.

Along the way, the trail crosses eight mountain passes, visits twelve lakes and explores several attractive Lakeland villages and towns. This is an ideal walk for first time visitors to the Lake District, as it visits many of the most famous beauty-spots as well as a few little-known gems.

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
LAKR1 A circular trail beginning at Ambleside 6 nights, 5 days walking Demanding £855
LAKR2 A circular trail beginning at Ambleside 7 nights, 6 days walking Moderate / Demanding £980
LAKR3 A circular trail beginning at Ambleside 13 nights, 12 days walking Moderate £1805

Short breaks

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
SLSB1 A circular trail beginning at Windermere 4 nights, 3 days walking Moderate / Demanding £505
SLSB2 A circular trail beginning at Windermere 5 nights, 4 days walking Moderate £630
SLSB3 A circular trail beginning at Windermere 7 nights, 6 days walking Easy / Moderate £880
"Murphy at the Lakeside" by Liz Scowcroft (2022) "Murphy at the Lakeside" by Liz Scowcroft (2022)
"Exploring the Lake District" by Liz Scowcroft (2022) "Exploring the Lake District" by Liz Scowcroft (2022)
"Murphy Ready for the Pub" by Liz Scowcroft (2022) "Murphy Ready for the Pub" by Liz Scowcroft (2022)
"Along the Trail" by Liz Scowcroft (2022) "Along the Trail" by Liz Scowcroft (2022)
"Slater Bridge in Little Langdale" by Jackie Mersich (2019) "Slater Bridge in Little Langdale" by Jackie Mersich (2019)
"Leaving Wastwater" by Jackie Mersich (2019) "Leaving Wastwater" by Jackie Mersich (2019)
"Eskdale Valley" by Jackie Mersich (2019) "Eskdale Valley" by Jackie Mersich (2019)
"Between Buttermere and Keswick" by Jackie Mersich (2019) "Between Buttermere and Keswick" by Jackie Mersich (2019)
"Between Boot and Buttermere" by Jackie Mersich (2019) "Between Boot and Buttermere" by Jackie Mersich (2019)
"Approaching Buttermere" by Jackie Mersich (2019) "Approaching Buttermere" by Jackie Mersich (2019)

Customer reviews from the Lakeland Round

“Very hospitable and comfortable accommodation. Excellent choice of route. Clear instructions.”
Mr Borin, UK
“Excellent walk for dogs with good dog friendly accommodation and very stress free.”
Mr Jackson, Scotland
“Beautiful scenery.”
Mrs Oddsdottir, Iceland
“We were so lucky with the weather. No rain!”
Dr Hollander, Netherlands
“Lake District was beautiful.”
Mr Hamity, USA
“Overall it went very well. Good job Contours! Overall, the accommodation was very good for a walking holiday with a dog in tow. All of the places were warm and everyone was helpful and considerate, very important after a strenuous walking day. No problems anywhere having the dog with us. We enjoyed much of the walk, especially the fantastic views The Lakes have to offer.”
Mr Young, UK
“Overall a good experience. This was our third walking holiday with Contours.”
Mrs Burke, UK
“Yes, it's a challenging but fantastic route.”
Mr Jones, UK
“It was an excellent experience and the route was exceedingly well done. The weather was great as well. Contours did a good job of booking our inns. There were a variety. We especially enjoyed the B&B because of the lovely owner. We were delighted to have a large room at Wasdale Head and the Ambleside Inn was the best. Contours did an amazing job --- information before, route planning, and booking. The Lakeland Route was just perfect for me as I'm 80 and needed a route I could manage.”
Ms Huddleston, USA
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