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Buttermere bus driving through the Lake District

Five great Lake District walks from £2 buses

22 August 2023

Staff Blogger

Updated 28 June 2024

Catching the bus to the start of your walk is a great way to go!

You can do walks that start and end at different places
You don’t have to worry about car parking
You get a great view from the bus
Fantastic value with the £2 maximum bus fares on single journeys
You are helping look after the Lake District and the global environment by reducing carbon emissions

There are lots of great ways to do this, get out a map and have a try! Here are just a few walks that I enjoy:

Penrith to Pooley via the Eamont Way

The 5.5 mile long Eamont Way takes you through fields, woods, rivers lane and moor to Ullswater. It is waymarked throughout and is easy to follow. Once you reach Pooley Bridge you can wander down to the Lake, enjoy refreshments in the village’s many cafés and pubs or browse the shops which sell everything from books to gin! Catch the 508 Stagecoach bus back to Penrith. More details here.

From Pooley Bridge this summer the Ullswater Hopper bus will take you to Howtown and other locations great for walking.

Mum and her boys looking at the view from the bus

Borrowdale and Derwentwater from Keswick

The Borrowdale Bus, number 78 is a fantastic way to enjoy a day out from Keswick. It runs every half hour in the summer and is an open top vehicle for the most superb views of the lake and valley.

There are loads of options for walks, from fells to gentler lakeside strolls on the Derwentwater Walk, or the riverside or Castle Crag route from Seatoller to Grange. Grab a map and plan your own route.

Around Buttermere from the Buttermere Shuttle or Honister Rambler

The Buttermere valley is very popular, which means that parking and traffic is a problem at peak times, so it is much better if you catch the bus.

There are two buses to Buttermere, the 77/77A Honister Rambler from Keswick and the Buttermere Shuttle which runs from Cockermouth. Once in Buttermere there are lots of walks to enjoy, but a popular one is along the lake shore on our Miles without Stiles route or continue all the way around the lake, a route that even includes a tunnel!

Bus driving through the Lake District

The Langdale Trail

Hop on the Langdale bus 515 from Ambleside to explore Langdale. There are footpaths all along the valley on the Langdale Trail, giving you the chance to catch the bus up the valley and walk back down.

More details of buses and walking routes here.