Lake District boat trips: Your complete guide to getting out on the water

A Lake District boat trip is one of the best ways to experience the National Park’s dramatic scenery. From sightseeing cruises and historic steamers to practical ferry crossings, the region’s lakes offer a unique perspective on the fells, woodlands, and shoreline villages.

Here’s a roundup of the best Lake District boat tours and what makes each one worth exploring.

Boat Trips on Lake Windermere

Windermere Lake Cruises runs daily services between Ambleside, Bowness, Brockhole or Lakeside piers. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of the best Lake District Windermere boat trips with Windermere Lake Cruises: 

• Red Cruise. The main route between Bowness and Ambleside, with stops at Brockhole and Windermere Jetty Museum. Best for sightseeing and hopping on/off.

• Yellow Cruise. Southern route between Bowness and Lakeside, with stops including Fell Foot. Connects with the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway (a great family friendly activity) for onward travel.

• Green Cruise. A beautiful route along the western shore between Ambleside, Brockhole, and Wray Castle.

These boats work as both sightseeing cruises and public transport. You can use them to see the epic scenery around Lake Windermere, or simply get from place to place. 

• Windermere boat trip tickets: The Freedom of the Lake ticket lets you hop on and off all day so you can explore multiple stops without planning each journey separately. You can also book individual routes if you want to go on a specific trip.

• Windermere boat trip prices: Adult fares range from £8–£35, with day tickets costing more but offering better flexibility. Prices change seasonally, so it’s best to check the website for up-to-date prices.

• Windermere boat tour journey times: Windermere boat trips vary from around 20 to 90 minutes, depending on the route. Here’s a full timetable that shows when the ferries depart and arrive from the different ports.

Boat trips on Coniston Water

There are two main Lake District boat tour providers on Coniston Water: The National Trust Steam Yacht Gondola (known as the Coniston Gondola) or the Coniston Launch. 

Here’s a breakdown of each. 

National Trust Steam Yacht Gondola

The Coniston Gondola is a restored Victorian steam yacht run by the National Trust. The boat offers scenic cruises on Coniston Water, with views of the surrounding fells and shoreline.

There are three routes you can take on the Coniston Gondola:

• Mountain Cruise (45 minutes). A short scenic sail along Coniston Water with standout views of the Old Man of Coniston and Brantwood.

• Heart of Coniston (1 hour). The main mid-length cruise covers the central lake, including views of key landmarks like Peel Island (famous as the inspiration for Wild Cat Island in Swallows and Amazons). 

• Full Lake Cruise (1 hour 45 minutes). The longest route, sailing the full length of Coniston Water with commentary on history, scenery, and figures like Donald Campbell and John Ruskin.

Here’s a map of these routes*:

Coniston Gondola boat trip prices range from £13 to £26.50 for adults taking the full lake cruise. Read the official opening times to see when the cruises are running!

*Route images are correct at the time of publishing, but please check official websites for the most up-to-date information. 

Coniston Launch 

The Coniston Launch is a hop-on-hop-off boat service running regular circular routes on Coniston Water, departing from Coniston boat landings. 

There are three Lake District boat ride routes to choose from with Coniston Launch (plus a direct 10-minute crossing to Brantwood): 

• Red Route (45 minutes). The northern service, calling at Coniston Inn, Torver, and Brantwood. Passes the base of Donald Campbell’s Bluebird and Holly Howe farm, a good all-rounder for a first trip on the lake.

• Yellow Route (60 minutes). Covers most of the lake, stopping at Torver, Sunny Bank, Brantwood, and Wild Cat Island. A Yellow Route ticket also covers the Red Route, giving you the most flexibility for a full day on the water.

• Green Route (80 minutes). This cruise explores the southern end of the lake, running once a day in summer. Available as a Swallows and Amazons cruise (Mondays and Wednesdays) or a Campbells on Coniston speed record cruise (Tuesdays and Thursdays).

Coniston Launch boat trip prices start from £17.50 for adults on the Red Route day ticket and go up to £22 for the Green route.

Fun fact: You can get 15% off when you book online!

Boat trips on Ullswater

Ullswater Steamers run from Glenridding Pier to Pooley Bridge, with a fleet of five heritage boats (including two converted Victorian vessels).

Here’s an overview of the main route and stops available:

The classic move for walkers is to take the steamer from Glenridding to Howtown, then follow the Ullswater Way footpath back along the shore (around 6 miles) with the lake beside you the whole way. 

• Ullswater boat tour duration. The route from Glenridding to Pooley Bridge takes around an hour, with Howtown sitting roughly halfway. Cruise times from Howton are roughly 35 minutes from Glenridding and 25 minutes from Pooley Bridge.

• Ullswater boat trip prices. Adult fares are between £10–£26 depending on the route and distance. 

These boat tours run 363 days a year – check the Ullswater Steamers website for current fares and timetables.

Boat Trips on Derwentwater

The Keswick Launch runs a circular service from Keswick around Derwentwater, with eight stops around the lake:

• Keswick, the start and end point (buy tickets here)

• Ashness Gate for Ashness Bridge, Surprise View, and Watendlath

• Lodore for Lodore Falls, Borrowdale Valley, Grange, and Seatoller.

• High Brandelhow for National Trust woodland and routes up Catbells and Maiden Moor.

• Low Brandelhow for Brandelhow wood and the ‘Entrust’ hand sculpture.

• Hawes End the main starting point for the walk up Catbells.

• Nichol End, for Nichol End Marine, watersports, and Portinscale village.

Each stop has walking trails that begin right at the jetty, making it easy to do small hikes  while the boat transports you between locations.

• Derwentwater boat tour duration. Boats depart roughly every 30 minutes in summer for a 50-minute circuit, where you can hop on and off different stops as you please. Check the Keswick Launch website for the most up-to-date schedules. 

• Derwentwater boat trip prices. Adult prices range from £3.50 for a single part-way journey and £16 for a round trip. 

Can you take dogs on Lake District boat trips?

Yes, there are plenty of dog friendly boat trips in the Lake District! Dogs usually travel for free or for a small fee:

For somewhere to stay with your dog, take a look at our dog friendly Lake District cottages. 

Stay in a Coppermines Cottage to make the most of Lake District Boat trips

If you want to make the most of the lakes, staying close to Coniston, Windermere, or Ullswater makes things easy. You’re never far from a jetty, and most boat services are within a short drive.

Coppermines & Lakes Cottages has cottages in Coniston and the surrounding valleys, putting you close to Coniston Water and within reach of Windermere and Ullswater too.

Explore our Lake District Cottages to book your stay.