Windermere Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Windermere showing café scenes, heritage architecture and street scenes
Lake District National Park which includes rainforest and a river or creek
Windermere
Windermere showing street scenes, signage and heritage architecture
Lake District Visitor Centre at Brockhole which includes forests and a lake or waterhole

Windermere is the perfect lakeside destination all year round.

With the water’s shores so close, the scenery is always fantastic and the leisure activities plentiful. The village of Windermere itself has plenty of shops and nice restaurants to enjoy where you can eat outside and enjoy the fantastic scenery. Several local viewpoints offer visitors panoramic views of both the lake and the more distant Pennines.

Windermere and wider Cumbria have a wide selection of accommodation types to choose from, including some local hotels and bed & breakfasts. Why not spoil yourself and stay in a luxurious spa, perfect to relax in and receive some pampering.

Windermere, originally a small hamlet called Birthwaite, came to prominence with the completion of the railway link from Kendal. The railway terminated at Windermere to avoid the steep descent into the lakeside at Bowness.

Bowness-on-Windermere is one of the most popular holiday locations in the Lake District. With immediate access to the waters of Windermere, it is an excellent location for water activities, such as boating.

Bring the family to Grizedale Forest, which offers tree top adventure activities and much more for the whole family to enjoy. It makes for a perfect location for a great day out. There are different levels of park walking trails to suit all needs. Take a picnic and make a day of it.

While staying in Windermere take the opportunity to explore the rest of Cumbria. The North Pennines, Eden Valley and a section of the Yorkshire Dales are all located within Cumbria.

Cumbria itself is a real treasure trove of historic sites including some of the earliest stone circles in the UK. Hadrian’s Wall runs along its border making for a real interesting place to delve further into Britain’s historic and famous past.

Explore Cartmel Priory a simple beautiful priory with some great examples of Norman architecture. This large Priory in the small village of Cartmel does not disappoint in terms of structure with beautiful carved effigy of a knight and his lady, coupled with interesting wall plaques and floor tomb stones.

Designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the North Pennines is one of England’s most picturesque places. Made up of expansive countryside of heather moors and peatlands, with lush green dales as far as the eye can see, along with its welcoming communities and intriguing remains of a mining and industrial past, make it a top place to visit when in Cumbria.

Lakes Hotel and Spa
Lakes Hotel and Spa
5 out of 5
Kendal Road, Bowness, Windermere, England
The price is £149 per night from 21 May to 22 May
£149
includes taxes & fees
21 May - 22 May
Stay at this 5-star luxury hotel in Windermere. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, a full-service spa and 15 hot tubs. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (1,018 reviews)
"What an amazing hotel,staff very friendly and polite and hotel in great location"

Reviewed on 20 May 2025

Lakes Hotel and Spa
Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa
Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa
4 out of 5
23 Church Street, Windermere, England
The price is £195 per night from 2 Jun to 3 Jun
£195
includes taxes & fees
2 Jun - 3 Jun
Stay at this 4-star spa hotel in Windermere. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, a full-service spa and breakfast (surcharge). Our guests praise the pool and the helpful staff ...
8/10 Very Good! (1,002 reviews)
Lovely stay but avoid breakfast
"We stayed in a family suite. The room was great as were the grounds of the hotel. The only thing that let down our stay was breakfast. Even though we had to book our time slot we stood in a long queue to gain access and waited for quite a while before a staff member came to assist. Once seated we ..."

Reviewed on 11 May 2025

Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa
The Windermere Hotel
The Windermere Hotel
3.5 out of 5
LAKE DISTRICT NATIONAL PARK, KENDAL RD,, Windermere, England
The price is £66 per night from 21 May to 22 May
£66
includes taxes & fees
21 May - 22 May
Stay at this 3.5-star hotel in Windermere. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and a 24-hour front desk. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful ...
7.2/10 Good! (616 reviews)
Don’t get there til 3 pm.
"Lovely hotel. Just don’t arrive before 3 pm. Room not ready at 2.10 pm (which we had been aware might happen). Cup of coffee while we wait? Unavailable before 3 pm. Drink? Bar not open til 3 pm."

Reviewed on 16 May 2025

The Windermere Hotel
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Kotel Windermere
Kotel Windermere
4.5 out of 5
Lake road, Windermere, England
Stay at this 4.5-star luxury aparthotel in Windermere. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and a garden. Popular attractions World of Beatrix Potter and Lake Windermere ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (215 reviews)
"Brilliant property and would definitely come back. Thank you"

Reviewed on 11 May 2025

Kotel Windermere
Rayrigg Villa Windermere
Rayrigg Villa Windermere
4 out of 5
Ellerthwaite Square, Windermere, England
Stay at this 4-star villa in Windermere. Enjoy laundry facilities. Popular attractions World of Beatrix Potter and Lake Windermere are located nearby.
"Amazing. Thank you."

Reviewed on 25 Apr 2025

Rayrigg Villa Windermere
Hapimag Burnside Park Apartments
Hapimag Burnside Park Apartments
4 out of 5
The Lodge, Kendal Road, Windermere, England
Stay at this 4-star golf aparthotel in Windermere. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and a health club. Popular attractions World of Beatrix Potter and Lake Windermere ...
"My family and I had a lovely stay here. We will definitely be back as we enjoyed the location and facilities. Staff was also very helpful"

Reviewed on 5 Jan 2025

Hapimag Burnside Park Apartments
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Things to do

Reviews of Windermere

4.7
Top destination
5 - Excellent
400
5 - Excellent 71%
4 - Good
151
4 - Good 27%
3 - Okay
9
3 - Okay 2%
2 - Disappointing
0
2 - Disappointing 0%
1 - Terrible
3
1 - Terrible 1%

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller

Great location to base from to explore the Lakes

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Beautiful

4/5 - Good

Brandon

Lovely place to visit i can imagine it would be alot better with nicer weather but it didnt spoil our trip just disappointed with the room considering the price we paid

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Nice and quiet this time of year. Superb place for relaxing and walking the dogs.

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller

It’s a beautiful place

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Perfect for a weekend break

Cities near Windermere