Top Windermere Historical Tours

Visit the Beatrix Potter house and some of the Lake District’s prettiest locations on an afternoon tour from Windermere. After a scenic Lake Windermere cruise, travel through idyllic countryside to Hill Top, the Beatrix Potter home where the beloved children’s author lived during the early 1900s. See the garden and rooms left as she would have known them and learn about her life here. Finish with a visit to the quaint village of Hawkshead, where poet William Wordsworth attended school; and Tarn Hows, one of Lakeland’s most gorgeous spots. Please note Hill Top is an additional £11.80 per adult and £5.90 per child. This must be booked with Mountain Goat at least 24 hours before the tour departs

Witness the grandeur of the Lake District’s central mountains and western fells on this full-day small-group High Mountain Passes tour from Lake Windermere. Travelling in a Mercedes Sprinter minivan, follow a route first traced by the Romans over the Wrynose and Hardknott Passes, two of Britain’s steepest. Ascend the breathtaking Lakeland fells without having to go hiking and visit Roman Hardknott Fort. After a lunch break, admire spectacular views of Wastwater before returning to Windermere via Coniston Water.

Experience some of the highlights of the Lake District National Park on this full-day Ten Lakes Spectacular small-group tour from Windermere. Traveling by air-conditioned minivan with an expert guide, explore the beauty spots and villages of central Lakeland as you learn about its history. Ascend high mountain passes, visit a waterfall and see ten of the most beautiful lakes, including Buttermere and Thirlmere. Discover Borrowdale and quaint villages such as Grasmere; visit Castlerigg Stone Circle; and enjoy free time for lunch in the market town of Keswick.

Discover another side of the beautiful Lake District, and follow in the footsteps of Beatrix Potter, on this immersive, half-day tour. Meet your guide at your local accommodation, and venture first to Wray Castle, a former vacation home where Potter spent time as a teenager. Continue to her home at Hill Top, see the villages she used to frequent, and learn more about her life and works. As you go, you’ll also get to admire the Lake District’s wealth of scenery.

See the worlds of ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Jane Eyer’ brought to life on a 8.5-hour small-group tour around Yorkshire. Departing from Windermere, all-inclusive transportation makes it possible to visit numerous locations, which would otherwise be difficult to reach on your own in one day. Explore the hometown of the Bronte sisters and the sights that inspired their iconic novels, including moorland landscapes and their childhood school.

Discover multiple lakes, mountain passes, villages, and scenic viewpoints with a full-day itinerary that takes you around the Lakes District. Among the gems, visit Lake Windermere, Brothers Water, Grasmere, and Rydal Water, and enjoy a cruise on Ullswater. Throughout the tour a guide provides information on each destination, with a separate driver to maximize safety during transport.

On this in-depth, full-day tour, you’ll follow in the footsteps of Beatrix Potter. Go behind the scenes to get a comprehensive overview of the acclaimed writer, illustrator, and scientist, best known for her “Peter Rabbit” series. Tours include stops where the author lived and worked, plus admission tickets to the Beatrix Potter Gallery and Armitt Museum.

If your time in the Lake District is limited, this tour is the perfect choice for you. You won’t have to worry about navigating, as you’ll have a route organized for you. See six different lakes in one tour, as well as stunning scenery. Highlights included traveling over Kirkstone Pass, and passing through Grasmere.

Without a rental car, rounding up the Lake District spots beloved by Beatrix Potter in a half-day is near-impossible. Ideal for time-crunched visitors, this small-group tour from Windermere, Bowness, and Ambleside visits many such places in a few hours. Explore Beatrix’s Hill Top home, see Esthwaite Lake where she fished, visit Hawkshead, and learn detail about her life and characters via the onboard commentary that you might never otherwise hear.

This is the ideal experience for nature lovers. Take the stress out of navigating and focus solely on the stunning views, by having transport provided. You’ll travel between dispersed sites and see a lot of The Lake District’s beautiful landscapes in a short space of time. Highlights include Blea Tarn, Langdale Pikes, Coniston, Tarn Hows, Hawkshead, and Great and Little Langdale.

Discover the dramatic limestone valleys and emerald countryside of the Yorkshire Dales National Park on an 8-hour tour from Windermere. Travel with ease from the Lake District and visit the quaint towns of Hardraw and Wensleydale, famed for its cheese, and Bolton Castle, in which Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned. See, too, Aysgarth Falls and the lovely English village of Dent.

Spend a day at Hadrian’s Wall, a site that was once the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. With a guide, you’ll travel north from Windermere, through the Lake District towards the region known as the Debateable Lands. After a stop at Lanercost Priory, you’ll spend most of your day at Hadrian’s Wall, discovering the ruins and beauty spots that abound. A stop at the Roman Army Museum and a visit to the Vindolanda fort is also included.

Gain insight into the relationship between the English Romantics and their beloved landscape on a Lake poets tour, ideal for literature lovers, history buffs, and nature enthusiasts alike. Discover landmarks including William Wordsworth’s former school, family home, and church, with insights provided by your guide, and benefit from round-trip transfer from a pickup location of your choice for a hassle-free excursion.

• Lake Windermere, views of the largest lake in the lake district. • Kirkstone Pass • Brothers Water • Patterdale • Glenridding • Ullswater • Glencoyne • Scenic drive along the shores of Ullswater. • Castlerigg Stone Circle • Ashness Bridge • Surprise View looking out over Derwent Water with spectacular views towards Bassenthwaite Lake • Thirlmere • Dunmail Raise the low-level mountain pass and legendary burial place of King Dunmail. • Grasmere one of the smaller lakes of the English Lake District. • Rydal Water

Discover Yorkshire’s wiley, windy moors and learn about their influence on the famous Brontë family on a winter tour of Haworth, the Brontë Parsonage, and beyond. Round-trip transfer from Windermere or Oxenholme allows seamless exploration of the dramatic landscape, while the small-group size ensures more personalized interaction with your knowledgeable guide.

Discover the life of William Wordsworth in the English Lake District on a half-day tour of Grasmere village from Windermere. Visit landmarks that were important to Wordsworth and his family, including St Oswald's Church, Dove Cottage, Dora's Field, Rydal Church, and the poet’s former home at Rydal Mount. This small-group tour explores this scenic destination through the lens of Wordsworth’s life and work.

During this 3-hour tour, admirers of the poet William Wordsworth will have the pleasure of visiting some of the Lake District sites where he lived. With the benefit of a guide’s specialized knowledge you'll gain insight about the environment that influenced Wordsworth’s poetry. Explore the villages of Grasmere and Rydal, with admission to Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum included for your convenience. 

This tour is a beautiful tour day, full of beauty and natural wonder, out but is rough guide to your days travel, as customers may amend the tour to suite there needs or wish list. Please contact Simon to alter your tour. Thank you.

You get to see: • Hawkshead Grammar School where Wordsworth went to school and carved his name on his desk (only on a friday) • Grasmere Gingerbread Shop where the Victorian cook Sarah Nelson invented Grasmere Gingerbread in 1854 • St Oswald's Church where the Wordsworth family worshiped and whose interior William was so fond of • Wordsworth Family Graves nestled beneath the yew tree that Wordsworth planted himself • Dove Cottage the first family home of Wordsworth and where he wrote some of his best poetry • The Wordsworth House where William Wordsworth was born (not on fridays) • Rydal Mount & Garden was Wordsworth's best loved family home for the greater part of his life from 1813 to his death in 1850 at the age of 80

This tour provides you with the opportunity to enjoy the best of both the top and bottom of The Lakes and everything in between. We pride ourselves on customising all our tours to suit your requirements. We can spend more time, or less, at places so please use the itinerary as a framework for us to create the perfect day for you. Each tour includes one paid for experience highlighted * As this tour takes in some of the highest roads of the Lakes we know inclement weather may stop you from getting the full benefit of the wonderful views and stunning scenery. Although some guests actually want to see the Lakes at its wildest others may prefer an alternative date or a refund. "Pleasure first, Business second" is our mantra so, unlike most operators, if we think the weather may be an issue we will let you know in advance to allow you to make an informed decision as to continue with your trip, arrange an alternative date or a refund.

The Northern Sights Tour is very popular as it affords the opportunity to see the beauty of the Skiddaw range of mountains whilst passing through the stunning scenery of the Central Lakes. You will see Neolithic structures dating back over 2000 years and what are considered the most beautiful of the lakes all in one day. We pride ourselves on customising all our tours to suit your personal requirements. We can spend more time, or less, at places so please use the itinerary as a framework for us to create the perfect day for you. Each tour includes one paid for experience as highlighted* Although some guests actually want to see the Lakes at its wildest it can spoil it for others so, as "Pleasure first, Business second" is our mantra we, unlike most operators, will let you know in advance if we think the weather may be an issue to allow you to make an informed decision as to continue with your trip, arrange an alternative date or request a refund.

Take a trip to Scotland into the beautiful county of Dumfries and Galloway famous for "Scotland's poet" Robert Burns, home to magnificent castles and the destination for runaway lovers. This tour will depart the Lake District and make its way north, passing through incredible scenery into the Scottish Borders to enjoy a tour and whisky tasting experience at Annandale Distillery. Enjoy an engaging lesson in whisky production and taste the single malts distilled at Annandale. Visit Caerlaverock Castle, a medieval stronghold which played a large role in several border conflicts between England and Scotland in the middle ages. Enjoy a stroll around Dumfries, the market town and former royal burgh, home to Robert Burns' House and the mausoleum, his final resting place. You will also visit the famous Blacksmith's House at Gretna Green, where starstruck lovers would elope to be married after the passing of the Marage Act in England in 1754.

• Tarn Hows surrounded by mountains with birdsong in the trees, regarded as one of the most beautiful places in the Lake District. • Coniston Water with spectacular views of the lake and Coniston Old Man. • Brantwood, the famous house once owned by John Ruskin with spectacular views over Coniston Water to the Old Man. • Coniston village, a bustling Lake District gem nestling between the tranquil lake and the looming fells. • Great Langdale the spectacular U-shaped valley surrounded by breathtaking scenery. • Little Langdale the secluded valley with Neolithic, Viking, Medieval and smuggling connections.

Enjoy a day with one of the Lake District's most famous and beloved characters, Beatrix Potter. This memorable tour will allow you to walk in the footsteps of Beatrix Potter, and see the places that inspired her children's books and work. On this tour you will get to see the beauty spots and delightful landscape that Beatrix Potter once treasured.