The Lake District is composed of waaay more than just Windermere and Bowness-on-Windermere. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a car (like me), it would be quite difficult to check out those other spots. The solution? I joined Mountain Goat’s Ten Lakes Spectacular Tour – unfortunately not free, but definitely worth every penny (it cost me GBP 46). The tour starts at 10:00AM, and ends at 5:30PM. You can choose where to be picked up – my hostel was really close to the station, so I opted to be picked up at the Windermere train station

 

Tips to maximize?

• Sit on the left hand side of the coaster! I feel like you get much better views. Of course, closer to the front is best – that way, you can hear the guide more clearly. To do so though, you HAVE to come early

 

• Buy Sarah Nelson’s gingerbread cookies! They’re simply phenomenal – great for snacking or for desserts! I bought myself a small pack for just half a pound (GBP 0.5)

 

• Pack your own lunch so you can spend the lunch time (1 hour allotted) wandering around this beautiful lakeside village instead of queuing up at the pubs

 

• Charge your phone and bring a powerbank – because you’ll use up your phone’s battery as you snap photos left, right and center!

 

• Listen carefully to your guide, as he/she explains the grand history of the Lake District. What you see here is the Castlerigg Stone Circle, said to be 4,000 years old. It’s like the older sister of Stonehenge!

 

• Buy some souvenirs from the Honister Slate Mine – if you’ve got the money that is (which I didn’t) – so I just snapped some photos for my souvenir

 

• Bring a light windbreaker jacket / raincoat. It’s the United Kingdom, where the weather can change and rain can start pouring at any moment. Likewise, if you take this tour during the summer – there’s a lake cruise included in the ticket, and it can get pretty windy Brrr

 

Was it worth the GBP 46 cost?

For me, it was absolutely worth it! There was no way I would’ve managed to go to all the Lake District towns if I wasn’t part of this tour. In fact, even if I had a car – I don’t think I’d have been brave enough to go to some of the picture-taking spots (the roads are REALLY steep and narrow in some places – do note that I’m a noob driver though).

Having said that, if you have a car and you love exploring and taking your own sweet time going around – best for you to explore on your own (cheaper too!). But for solo travelers who want to see a lot of areas in a short time – then this tour is pretty great (albeit I do wish it was a bit cheaper)

 

If you’re interested to read about my 9 day cross-country trip around the United Kingdom, please see below blogs!! 🙂

• Europe: A logistics and travel guide for first-time travelers
• Day 1: What to see and do in Bristol
• Day 2: What to see and do in Stratford-upon-Avon
• Day 3: What to see and do in Windermere
• Day 4: Enjoying the Lake District Tour
• Day 5: Enjoying the Loch Ness and Scottish Highlands tour
• Day 6: What to see and do in Edinburgh
• ++ A Pottertrail walking tour review
• Day 7: A musicals-filled London day
• Day 8: London day trip to Brighton and Seven Sisters
• Day 9: What to see and do in Shoreditch
• ++ Shoreditch Street Art and Graffiti Tour