Top Windermere Full-day Tours

We were initially unsure about going on a guided tour as we usually prefer exploring ourselves, but this trip was absolutely wonderful! We had Steve as our guide and he did an exceptional job educating us along the way about all sorts of stories from the history and folklore of the Lake District to his own life growing up and living here. Highly recommend doing this trip!

Elliot is an excellent tour guide and is very knowledgeable about the area. He also had a great recommendation for the stop for lunch in Keswick. We thoroughly enjoyed the Ten Lakes Tour!

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.

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.

David was a very informative tour guide and would recommend him for discovering the Lake District. Very knowledgeable and took us to places we would had never discovered on our own. Thanks for the experience!

If your a Bronte fan this tour is a must do! Gillian was a wealth of knowledge on the Bronte family and Sandra was an exceptional driver as we toured many Bronte related sights in Yorkshire. A magical day where the Bronte family truly came alive for is. Thank you ladies for such a memorable day.

As a coach driver, three times I have had a group go out with Mountain Goat and each time was faultless. Excellent, knowledgeable drivers, in clean, new, minibuses. Tony and Elliott this week cannot be recommended enough. Tours are not cheap but worth every penny.

Best tour ever with our tour guide and driver Steve. Great day spent with really relaxed atmosphere and nice people. We went to the best photo spots and Steve was full of great facts and information throughout our journey. Having someone who was truly passionate about the region as well as being an excellent driver was fabulous. The longest stop was Muncaster Castle, where we arrived in time for lunch and the bird of prey show, followed by axe throwing and a walk around the castle, all included in the price. Thank you for a wonderful day.

Jillian and Tom gave us the best Brontë tour ever. Each stop was personalized as Lisa talked us through all the sites. While on the van, she told us stories and answered all questions, which personalized the whole trip. I enjoyed the whole experience and learned far more than I ever thought I would. As an English professor, I found the trip to be exemplary. Thank you!

It was an amazing tour, and Andy is really knowledgeable about the area. He made the tour really fun.

Fabulous day. Not to be missed

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.

Guided Tour - May 2026Getting started We had used the opportunity for a pick-up at the hotel. The coach came in on time. We were also the last pick-up. So the tour literally started from our door step. Derek was the driver-cum-guide for this tour. He was very knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor. He was happy to take questions on the bus. I don't think the volume control in the coach worked well enough - so we would miss a few things he was commenting about, especially in the last leg of our trip back to Windermere.The tour Thanks to a lot of road blocks, the trip had to take a different route, and even re-organize the way it went. Derek was fully aware of all the back roads so that made it easy. We actually started with the Wensleydale creamery. We got a great opportunity to taste the various types of cheese. They were definitely yum! We saw them actually cutting and packing the cheese in the cold room - where we did the tasting. Unfortunately, all of us in the tour came from different parts of the world - so we could not buy any cheese to take home - as it needed refrigeration.It was interesting to hear how castles were built and left to ruin due to lack of funds - Bolton castle was a wonderful example of that.There was an interesting story about how the farmers would manage to keep the sheep that were unsold in a small shaft like place (i forget the term Derek used) to retrieve it safely the following day.Some very good views of the valleys. Beyond sheep you could see cows here and hence the creamery I guess!Some nice views of the water falls.The weather was a bit of hit and miss. The wind gusts were severe at a couple of places we stopped. That was an experience too...Our final stop at Grassington - we had an opportunity to see the filming of the British TV serial - All Creatures Great and Small! This happened - as if it would help complete our experience of England!!Overall This is definitely a tour worth doing to complete your experience of the various landscapes and nature of England. We were fine with the duration, however this trip had the most time on the coach rather than on your feet. However if I had limited time I would choose Lake District tour and South Downs & Seven Cliffs over this. Also this trip operates only one day a week. So, it does take a bit of planning. I would have loved to give 4.5 Star rating... no fractions possible.Thank you Derek for a great job and managing the road blockage challenges very well.

Our private All Creatures Great and Small tour was a ten out of ten! Our driver/guide Tim was fantastic and we had an amazing time. We were so looking forward to this tour and it well exceeded our expectations! Would highly recommend it to anyone who has watched the series and fallen in love with the people and the scenery.

David was knowledgeable and friendly, and he put me at ease from the moment I entered his spacious, clean and comfortable car. There were a number of different options available for doing the Beatrix Potter tour, Dave offers a private tour. There was no minimum number requirement for booking. Ok; it may have cost me more - but, I got to see what I was interested in. He stopped if I requested a photo stop. I didn't have to hang about waiting for my fellow travellers to idle back to the car. At the various locations we visited; he pointed out things of interest; he also had a collection of photos that he could show comparisons from previous times (I found this most interesting and helpful). It added another dimencion to the tour. David had an easy manner and I felt really relaxed in his company. I would 100% recommend David. He's been taking ppl around this area for over 20 years. He puts life into what came before. The scenery is spectacular. Well worth investing your time and ££ on his tour. Thanks David. It was a fantastic day.