Immerse yourself in the mystical landscapes of England’s Lake District during a week’s stay in a charming village on the shores of Lake Windermere. Venture to family-owned castles and English gardens, prehistoric monuments, and Roman ruins. Sample local whiskeys and cheeses, and set off in the footsteps of William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter on a literary tour.

Starting at: $6,090 * Price includes special offer Make a Reservation Ask Us A Question or Call 855-330-1542
 The beautiful landscape of Lake Windermere
The beautiful landscape of Lake Windermere
 Rowing boats on Lake Windermere, England's Lake District
Rowing boats on Lake Windermere, England's Lake District
 View of the landscape overlooking Grasmere
View of the landscape overlooking Grasmere
 Castlerigg Stone Circle in Cumbria
Castlerigg Stone Circle in Cumbria
 Muncaster Castle
Muncaster Castle
 Rydal Mount, the home of William Wordsworth
Rydal Mount, the home of William Wordsworth
 The town of Hawkshead, known for William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter
The town of Hawkshead, known for William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter
 Typical lane in medieval Hawkshead
Typical lane in medieval Hawkshead
 Landscape of England's Lake District, near Hawkshead
Landscape of England's Lake District, near Hawkshead
 Ruskin's home Brantwood, near Coniston Water
Ruskin's home Brantwood, near Coniston Water
 Holehird Gardens
Holehird Gardens
 Wastwater with Scafell Pike in the distance
Wastwater with Scafell Pike in the distance
 Mist over Hadrian's wall
Mist over Hadrian's wall
 Roman ruins of Vindolanda
Roman ruins of Vindolanda
 Remains of Roman fort at Hardknot Pass
Remains of Roman fort at Hardknot Pass
 Aysgarth Waterfalls
Aysgarth Waterfalls
 Panoramic view of Buttermere Lake
Panoramic view of Buttermere Lake
 Sheep at pasture
Sheep at pasture

England’s Lake District: A One-Week Stay in Historic Cumbria

9 days from $6,090

Immerse yourself in the mystical landscapes of England’s Lake District during a week’s stay in a charming village on the shores of Lake Windermere. Venture to family-owned castles and English gardens, prehistoric monuments, and Roman ruins. Sample local whiskeys and cheeses, and set off in the footsteps of William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter on a literary tour.

or Call 855-330-1542

Accommodations

* Click on hotel name to visit hotel web-site.

Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa

Bowness-on-Windermere, United Kingdom

The Macdonald Old England Hotel & Spa is one of the finest hotels in the Lake District. Set on the shores of Lake Windermere, England’s largest lake, all 106 guest rooms are traditionally furnished and boast a range of modern conveniences with marble baths and sumptuous linens. There is complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and a cozy lounge and restaurant on site. There is also a full-service spa (treatments at an additional cost) with a pool. 

Activity Level

Expectations: Week-long Cultural Stay featuring one town and region—and one hotel. Full-day excursions outside the town with some longer, extensive walking tours of villages, museums, and outdoor historic sites. Excursions can be over uneven terrain (e.g. outdoor sites, cobblestones, city hills, stairs without handrails, absence of elevators). Hotel centrally located for easy access to sites and restaurants during time at leisure, including final day.

Appropriate for: Travelers who are physically fit and comfortable with longer days of touring (both walking tours and coach time).

Special Air Rates/Services

FlexAir is designed to provide you with the flexibility and choice you need to personalize your air travel experience. Explore a wide range of flight options in consultation with our experienced travel professionals to select the flights, routing, class of service, and dates of travel that most fit your needs. Our partner tour operator has negotiated contracts with a wide variety of carriers that allow them to hold flight reservations and then issue your ticket close to departure without additional fees. This protects you from the need to purchase published-fare tickets, which must be ticketed within 24 hours of purchase. FlexAir reservations provide the flexibility to adjust reservations without penalty and to accommodate extensions and upgrades right up until ticketing time, usually around 60 days before departure. We look forward to providing you with more choice and the best possible itinerary for your air travel plans.

Program Includes:

  • Guaranteed transfers between the airport and your overseas accommodations upon arrival and departure (in most cases). We will provide you with all of the details you need to guarantee your transfer.
  • Air schedule change and delay assistance. Book FlexAir to ensure assistance should schedule changes or delays impact your air travel plans.
  • Flight insurance worth up to $250,000, subject to policy terms, is automatically included.
  • Confirmed airline seat assignments at the time of booking (in most cases).
Reading List

Highly Recommended

In Search Of England
By: Morton, H. V., Morris, Jan
A Guide Through the District of the Lakes in the North of England: With a Description of the Scenery, For the Use of Tourists and Residents
By: Wordsworth, William
The Rough Guide to the Lake District (Travel Guide with Free eBook) (Rough Guides)
By: Guides, Rough

Also Recommended

A Traveller's History of England (Interlink Traveller's Histories)
By: Daniell, ?Christopher
Roman Britain: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
By: Salway, Peter
Hadrian's Wall
By: Goldsworthy, Adrian
Home at Grasmere: The Journal of Dorothy Wordsworth and the Poems of William Wordsworth (Penguin Classics)
By: Wordsworth, William, Wordsworth, Dorothy
Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature
By: Lear, Linda
Selected Writings (Oxford World's Classics)
By: Ruskin, John
RSPB Pocket Guide to British Birds
By: Taylor, Marianne
History of the World Map by Map
By: DK

*As an Amazon Associate, Smithsonian Journeys earns from qualifying purchases.

Travel Insurance

For the convenience of our travelers, Smithsonian Journeys includes a basic medical expense and evacuation plan through Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand, at no additional charge. This plan provides post-departure Medical and Dental coverage of $250,000 per person and Emergency Assistance and Transportation coverage of $1,000,000 per person (U.S. Residents Only). Note: For full details regarding these coverages please review the following Plan Documents here.

In addition, we recommend that travelers purchase a travel protection plan to help protect their travel investment from unforeseen events such as cancellation due to illness, flight delays due to adverse weather, baggage loss, and more. For your convenience, Smithsonian Journeys offers an optional Travel Protection Plan administered by Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand. For those interested, optional "Cancel for Any Reason" coverage is available for an additional charge. Note: Certain eligibility requirements apply and Cancel for Any Reason coverage is not available to New York residents. For full details regarding this coverage please review the following Plan Documents here.

To learn more about the Travel Protection Plan, you may visit https://www.generalipartner.com/smithsonianjourneys or call the administrator, Trip Mate, a Generali Global Assistance & Insurance Services brand at (866) 501-3252.

Related Tours