Explore the Lake District by public transport and walking

There are plenty of ways to experience the joys of the Lake District without a car, including bus, boat, train and walking. This page contains links to different tours and itineraries which explore the best bits of the Lakes, either on foot or by public transport.

The different tours and itineraries are listed below and are split into Lake District towns audio walking tours and Lake District public transport itineraries and adventures. Select your favourite to discover more….

Lake District towns - audio walking tours

Bowness-on-Windermere

These self-guided audio walks haven been carefully written and presented, allowing you to discover the highlights of the three main Lake District towns, Bowness-on-Windermere, Ambleside and Keswick. Each town has plenty of attractions, history and stories which these tours will guide you through. Each one starts in the town and ends up at the nearby lake shore. You might be surprised just how much history there is in this area, going back many centuries to medieval times. Even before that, the Romans had a considerable presence here.

The tours are available through the fabulous VoiceMap app which uses GPS to trigger audio exactly when it is needed, so it tells you about an attraction when you get there and describes every turn to ensure you stick to the route. You can do the tour at your own pace and pause it if you want to stop off somewhere along the way. You can download the tour to your mobile device and play it as you walk along, even if there is no phone signal.

The tours are around 1 to 1.5 hours in length, just enough time to discover all the best bits of each town.

The Bowness-on-Windermere and the Ambleside & Waterhead walking tours are now available through the links below. The Keswick walking tour is still in production but will be ready in the near future.

Bus, boat & train itineraries and adventures across the Lake District

Hawkshead bus

These itineraries are based on the best transport routes across the area and where possible will allow you to experience the different modes of transport along the way. Buses can go many more places than boats and trains but they often all link up allowing you to experience the special joys of each mode.

Also, to make the most of the scenery and fresh air, itineraries include short walking sections which utilise some of the best easy walks in the Lake District. Walking sections can always be avoided by taking public transport.

Details for a few of the best attractions are included but other attractions along the way are linked and you can decide which ones are most appealing to you. Also included are further details for each transport service plus example schedules and prices. Interactive maps for each itinerary are included on the webpage.

Itineraries are available for download using the links below. They are carefully presented PDF documents that you can save to your device in case of no WiFi or phone signal.

Further itineraries will be added in the future.

**As part of a Government initiative, a maximum £2 Single fare will apply on many bus services across Cumbria until end of December 2024**