4-hour Lake District tour: Castlerigg Stone Circle & Aira Force

Four stops across the Lake District's highest mountain pass

A 4-hour private Lake District tour from Windermere takes you to Castlerigg Stone Circle, Aira Force and Ullswater, with stops in Troutbeck and Grasmere. The route crosses Kirkstone Pass at 1,489 feet (the highest mountain pass open to traffic in the region), and includes a knowledgeable driver-guide, pickup within the Lake District, bottled water and anytime photo stops.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Lake District attractions

• Stroll garden overlooking Lake Windermere
• Visit Troutbeck village
• Drive over Kirkstone Pass
• Walk beside Ullswater lake
• See Castlerigg Stone Circle
• Visit Grasmere and gingerbread shop

The Experience

The tour starts with a stroll around a lakeside garden overlooking Windermere, then moves through Troutbeck, an old-fashioned village perched on the narrow, hilly coach road between Windermere and Penrith. From there you climb Kirkstone Pass, where the altitude and the road itself make the drive the experience: 1,489 feet of open moorland with views that stretch across the fells. The pass is the highest motor road in the Lake District, and the exhilaration comes from the route itself, not from stopping to look back.

After the pass, you descend to Ullswater, the second largest lake in the English Lake District, where you walk the shoreline. Then comes Castlerigg Stone Circle, a Bronze Age monument set in a natural amphitheatre of mountains: the source describes it as perhaps the most atmospheric and dramatically sited of all British stone circles. The final stop is Grasmere, where William Wordsworth lived and where the famous Grasmere gingerbread shop still operates if you want to step inside. The whole route is built around the landscape itself: the pass, the lakes, the ancient stones, the villages that sit between them.

Your driver-guide handles all the navigation and knows the timing that keeps the day moving without rushing. The vehicle is air-conditioned, and you get complimentary bottled water, umbrellas in case of rain, and the freedom to ask for photo stops wherever the light or the view catches you. Pickup happens at your Lake District accommodation, and drop-off is at any destination within the region you choose.

What’s included

• A knowledgeable driver-guide in English.
• pickup at your Lake District accommodation and drop-off at any destination within the region.
• complimentary bottled water, umbrellas and hand sanitizer.
• an air-conditioned vehicle.
• anytime photo stops at your request.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Brook tours of Windermere

Is this one for you?The tour runs four hours with a mix of driving and walking stops, so you are in the vehicle for stretches and on your feet at Aira Force, Ullswater and Castlerigg. The pace is set by the landscape and the route, not by a fixed schedule of timed activities.

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Top questions

What is Castlerigg Stone Circle and why is it on this tour?

Castlerigg Stone Circle is a Bronze Age monument set in a natural amphitheatre of mountains in the Lake District, and the source describes it as perhaps the most atmospheric and dramatically sited of all British stone circles. It is one of the two main attractions the tour visits.

How high is Kirkstone Pass and what makes the drive significant?

Kirkstone Pass sits at 1,489 feet and is the highest mountain pass open to motor traffic in the Lake District. The drive itself across the open moorland is the experience, not just a means to reach the next stop.

What happens at Ullswater on this tour?

Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, and you take a stroll next to it as part of the route. It is one of the stops where you can pause and walk the shoreline.

Is this tour private, or will I be sharing with other travelers?

This is a private tour, so you are not sharing the vehicle or the guide with anyone else.

What is included in the price?

The tour includes a knowledgeable driver-guide, pickup at your Lake District accommodation, drop-off at a destination of your choice within the region, complimentary bottled water, umbrellas, hand sanitizer, an air-conditioned vehicle and anytime photo stops at your request.