Everyone has heard of the dramatic and breathtaking Lake District nestled in Northern parts of England right before you enter Scotland. It was Mustafa’s birthday and it perfectly aligned with the August Bank Holiday so we decided to make our last summer getaway to Lake District. The drive up from London seemed quite long, so we decided to stop in the middle of our route which happened to be right in the middle of Peak District.
We left Central London right after 5pm and of course, it took a while to get out of the city itself and with traffic, we reached our destination in Peak District around midnight. It got pretty dark by the time we were driving through the Peak District region, so we were excited to make the drive all the way to the Cumbria, Lake District region the next morning.
The next morning, we drove through the gorgeous landscape of Peak District to a cute little restaurant and had a traditional English breakfast before embarking on the second leg of our journey on to Cumbria.
I think Lake District is a destination that can be done in many different ways and has so many different regions in which you can stay and explore. We had not planned our entire trip too specifically. We knew we just wanted to drive through the mountains, do a hike or two (time permitting) and just enjoy the general serenity of the place.
Lake District is 100% one of those destinations that you cannot truly enjoy unless you have rented a car and you drive around in. Mobility is such a key factor and even though car rentals are generally on the pricier side in the UK, it is 100% worth it.
We also ended up finding a cottage on booking.com which was very close to all of the areas that we wanted to stay in. We were a little stumped for options since we had booked so late, so one thing to keep in mind in the future for us was to make sure everything is booked in advance in the summer months.
On our second day, we tried to hike up to Hellvylyn, but it turned out to be too much a challenge for me (out of shape life sigh) and with the sun beating down on me, I gave up while our friends and Mustafa hiked further on. These were some of the views I enjoyed while I sat atop one of the peaks and just took the views in. If you are planning to go to Lake District, do not go without your hiking or trail boots/shoes! They are an absolute must!
One of the must explore villages in the region is Windermere. You can walk around the cutest shops and also sit waterfront and enjoy a lunch or an evening drink in the sunny weather.
Although this is not a very comprehensive guide, take a look at a few of my blog picks that do an excellent shop of preparing excellent Lake District guides:
- Zanna Vandijk: An ambassador for Visit England, Zanna does a great job of highlighting the best Lake District has to offer.
- Helen In Wonderlust: Another blogger who has done such a cute job of rounding up the Lake District villages of Kendal, Ambleside and my favourite, Windemere.
- Hand Luggage Only: This is such a good 4 day to Lake District Guide.
All opinions are totally and completely my own.
