Top Windermere Outdoor Activities

The experience was amazing! Our hosts were absolutely lovely and full of knowledge, they had character and kept us laughing through out. Both me and partner went to the lake district for our first time and done this tour so we could see the amazing views. We havent stopped talking about it since. It was our holidays main event. If anyone is thinking about it, just book it! You won't be disappointed. I believe our hosts were Gillian and Sandra (sorry if I got it wrong) the photos I have added are only very little of what we saw. We couldn't of been happier and are so pleased we booked this amazing opportunity. Thank you 😊

Fantastic half day tour of 8 Lakes. Brilliant guide and lovely small group. Great way to see some stunning views without the hassle of driving up some very narrow roads.

Ian was so friend and laid back - made our sailing experience on lake Windermere really nice. We lucked out with a break in the weather and even with the occasional gust of strong wind we felt safe and had a great time. Ian was also patient with us in teaching us different bits and we came away learning a lot more about sailing. I would really recommend!

Great walking tour taking in some outstanding scenery. Jamie was an excellent guide providing lots of interesting information. We even got to see a red squirrel. Will definitely return.

This was the highlight of our trip to the Lakes District and exceeded all of our expectations. We were collected from the Langdale Chase hotel by our two fabulous ladies Gillian and Sandra who were the Dream Team! From beginning to end, this was a very enjoyable tour and certainly worth every cent. The ladies were extremely attentive, knowledgeable, engaging and fun with expert driving abilities along the way. I cannot believe how beautiful this place actually is, photos just don't do it justice. Everywhere we went we saw spectacular scenery with plenty of stops to soak up the atmosphere. We went on a boat down Ulswater which was so serene and relaxing. The weather was sunny and rain but, as Gillian said, the change made everything feel more atmospheric, drawing us into nature and the real lake district experience. Thank you English Lakes Tours (Phil you were tremendous in helping us chose a hotel), and of course, the two lovely ladies we spent the day with. Would thoroughly recommend this company and the tour.

We enjoyed an amazing journey through the Lakes District. The peaceful drive through dense green forests, bleak (but breathtakingly beautiful) mountains, blue lakes, and quaint small towns and villages was just what we needed after the busyness of London. Our gracious guide Gillian was very knowledgeable and informative of the natural and cultural history of this region. Our driver Sandra expertly managed the steep, narrow, and winding roads, deftly maneuvering around less experienced drivers. Both ladies’ love of the region was clearly evident. It all made for an experience we will not forget.

The morning 8-Lakes minibus tour was a relaxed, interactive delight, enhanced by Gillian's depth of knowledge and Sandra's expert driving around narrow lanes (and hosts of cyclists !). In four hours we gained not just knowledge, but a sense of the distinctive lifestyle that the terrain imposes on its inhabitants, not least the compromise between the tourism essential for local employment and the area's magnificent nature, which pleads for our constant respect. Brian N.Yorks

Great to have the opportunity to learn some basic sailing skills whilst having exclusive use - lovely couple of hours and free parking available at the hotel, we stopped after for a coffee - lovely views from the garden

Excellent tour! Great guide. Very professional, entertaining and informed guiding, with the right balance of information, without overkill! Tour covered some beautiful spots which we would not have found on our own! Bus was comfortable despite being full. Thoroughly recommend the tour!

Gillian and Sandra were exceptional guides—knowledgeable, friendly, and fantastic storytellers. They happily answered all our questions and made the tour a wonderful experience. Highly recommended!

Very Enjoyable. Jamie was very accommodating and knowledgeable about the area. Highly recommend this tour.

We had a brilliant full day tour of the Lakes with guide Gillian and driver/guide Sandra. We saw places in the Lakes that we would not have got to under our own steam. The tour was well paced, the guides very knowledgeable, and the van very comfortable. Easy pickup from the Ambleside library. The scenery was "food for the soul". Well worth the price for the tour. We spent our lunch break in Keswick visiting the Pencil Museum - worth the visit. Ample stops for photos and bio breaks (the size of the Honister Slate Mine ladies toilet is about equivalent to a studio apartment in New York! Sandra is an excellent driver. How she's able to navigate the narrow roads, reverse around steep hills and bends is impressive. Highly recommend this tour for visitors both new to the Lake District and returning.

Had fantastic trip to Yorkshire Dale's a dream come true for me. Met some lovely people and had some great laughs. Will travel with them again

Our tour guide was Lee and he was perfect. He was super friendly, interesting and funny and knew all about All Creatures Great and Small - the new and the old TV series. We spent time in Grassington (Darrowby) and had a fun time tasting many of the cheese samples made there. We hit a perfect, mostly sunny day and saw all our favorite sites from the series. An added bonus was Bolton Castle. It is a huge partially crumbled down castle but with one tower still intact. You could choose a falconry show or go inside the castle. For the castle you didn’t need a guide and you could wander at will. There were some really fun places to climb up into. Several of the rooms in one of the towers were still intact and were decorated as to the period but it was mostly the castle as it is. My husband and I loved this part of the tour and felt like it was a double bonus day! We were only sad that we wanted to give Lee a tip and only had American dollars and didn’t know if that was . I wish there was a way to go back and get a tip to him. Thanks Lee for our favorite day in York!

Booking was straightforward and customer support was on point (I asked how the tour will be with a forecast of rain). Pickup was on time (early even) and at a convenient spot. The van is also very clean and spacious. Photo stops and breaks are well spaced. Gillian is very knowledgeable and readily adapts to our interests (namely sheep, cattle, and gingerbread). She'll make sure you don't leave without fun and useful tidbits (my favorite would be word origins). You're also in very good hands with Sandra on the wheel. She manuevers the roads effortlessly. Be prepared to go on tour, rain or/and shine. The valleys and lakes are to be appreciated in person-the photos just don't do them justice, and this is the best way to see most of them in a day wihout the hassle and with a personal touch.

Absolutely brilliant experience - a lovely boat to sail up and down the lake with a delightful skipper to help as much or as little as you want