Inn Way to the Lakes
91 mile circular walk around the pubs & hills of Lakeland

There are five routes to choose from within The Inn Way… series, all of which are long distance circular walks via traditional country pubs. These routes are aimed at people who love walking through the dramatic countryside of the North of England as well as its wealth of pubs and can be completed by any reasonably fit person. This one covers 91 miles in 7 days, visiting 44 pubs.

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Holiday Packages

All our Standard Itineraries include:

  • Hand-picked accommodation in B&Bs / guest houses / inns / small hotels
  • En-suite facilities where available
  • Breakfast
  • Daily baggage transfers from our own team of local drivers
  • All booking fees

We will also endeavour to include all these in any custom itinerary you wish to build for this walk.

Itin A:   7D / 8N       £1020 pp *

Day 1: Ambleside to Rosthwaite (13.3m)
Day 2: Rosthwaite to Braithwaite (11.3m)
Day 3: Braithwaite to Buttermere (11.1m)
Day 4: Buttermere to Boot (12m)
Day 5: Boot to Broughton-in-Furness (13.5m)
Day 6: Broughton-in-Furness to Coniston (13.7m)
Day 7: Coniston to Ambleside (16.1m)

 

£1,255 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£1,020 per person (based on two sharing)
£940 per person (based on group of 3)
£900 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

 

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Itin B:   6D / 7N       £890 pp *

Day 1: Ambleside to Rosthwaite (13.3m)
Day 2: Rosthwaite to Loweswater (18.3m)
Day 3: Loweswater to Boot (16.1m)
Day 4: Boot to Broughton in Furness (13.5m)
Day 5: Broughton to Coniston (13.7m)
Day 6: Coniston to Ambleside (16.1m)

 

£1,095 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£890 per person (based on two sharing)
£825 per person (based on group of 3)
£790 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

 

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Itin C:   8D / 9N       £1155 pp *

Day 1: Ambleside to Stonethwaite (12.3m)
Day 2: Stonethwaite to Braithwaite (12.3m)
Day 3: Braithwaite to Buttermere (11.1m)
Day 4: Buttermere to Boot (12m)
Day 5: Boot to Broughton in Furness (13.5m)
Day 6: Broughton to Torver (8.9m)
Day 7: Torver to Great Langdale (14.1m)
Day 8: Great Langdale to Ambleside (6.8m)

 

£1,430 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£1,155 per person (based on two sharing)
£1,065 per person (based on group of 3)
£1,020 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

 

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Itin D:   9D / 10N       £1300 pp *

Day 1: Ambleside to Stonethwaite (12.3m)
Day 2: Stonethwaite to Braithwaite (12.3m)
Day 3: Braithwaite to Buttermere (11.1m)
Day 4: Buttermere to Wasdale Head (6.6m)
Day 5: Wasdale Head to Seathwaite (12m), taxi to Broughton in Furness*
Day 6: Taxi to Seathwaite, walk to Broughton in Furness (6.9m)
Day 7: Broughton to Torver (8.9m)
Day 8: Torver to Great Langdale (14.1m)
Day 9: Great Langdale to Ambleside (6.8m)

 

£1,620 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£1,300 per person (based on two sharing)
£1,195 per person (based on group of 3)
£1,140 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

 

*price includes taxi

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Itin E:   10D / 11N       £1405 pp *

Day 1: Ambleside to Stonethwaite (12.3m)
Day 2: Stonethwaite to Braithwaite (12.3m)
Day 3: Braithwaite to Buttermere (11.1m)
Day 4: Buttermere to Wasdale Head (6.6m)
Day 5: Wasdale Head to Boot (5.4m)
Day 6: Boot to Seathwaite (6.6m), taxi to Broughton in Furness*
Day 7: Taxi to Seathwaite, walk to Broughton in Furness (6.9m)
Day 8: Broughton to Torver (8.9m)
Day 9: Torver to Great Langdale (14.1m)
Day 10: Great Langdale to Ambleside (6.8m)

 

£1,735 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£1,405 per person (based on two sharing)
£1,295 per person (based on group of 3)
£1,240 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

 

*price includes taxi

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Itin F:   11D / 12N       £1520 pp *

Day 1: Ambleside to Grasmere (5.2m)
Day 2: Grasmere to Rosthwaite (8.1m)
Day 3: Rosthwaite to Braithwaite (11.3m)
Day 4: Braithwaite to Loweswater (7m)
Day 5: Loweswater to Wasdale Head (10.7m)
Day 6: Wasdale Head to Boot (5.4m)
Day 7: Boot to Seathwaite (6.6m), taxi to Broughton in Furness*
Day 8: Taxi to Seathwaite, walk to Broughton in Furness (6.9m)
Day 9: Broughton to Torver (8.9m)
Day 10: Torver to Great Langdale (14.1m)
Day 11: Great Langdale to Ambleside (6.8m)

 

£1,865 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£1,520 per person (based on two sharing)
£1,400 per person (based on group of 3)
£1,340 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

 

*price includes taxi

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Itin G:   12D / 13N       £1640 pp *

Day 1: Ambleside to Grasmere (5.2m)
Day 2: Grasmere to Rosthwaite (8.1m)
Day 3: Rosthwaite to Braithwaite (11.3m)
Day 4: Braithwaite to Loweswater (7m)
Day 5: Loweswater to Wasdale Head (10.7m)
Day 6: Wasdale Head to Boot (5.4m)
Day 7: Boot to Seathwaite (6.6m), taxi to Broughton in Furness*
Day 8: Taxi toSeathwaite, walk to Broughton in Furness (6.9m)
Day 9: Broughton to Torver (8.9m)
Day 10: Torver to Coniston (4.8m)
Day 11: Coniston to Great Langdale (9.3m)
Day 12: Great Langdale to Ambleside (6.8m)

 

£2,015 solo walkers (plus single supplements)
£1,640 per person (based on two sharing)
£1,515 per person (based on group of 3)
£1,455 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

 

*price includes taxi

Get a Personal Quote

* All headline holiday prices are shown per person, based on two people sharing.

Baggage Transfer

Baggage Transfer is automatically included in the price of all our Walking Holiday packages.

These prices are for anyone planning their own holiday and just need bags moving from one stop to the next.

Itin A

£475 per person (single)
£240 per person (based on two people)
£160 per person (based on group of 3)
£120 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

 

Max 17kg per bag

Itin B

£410 per person (single)
£205 per person (based on two people)
£140 per person (based on group of 3)
£105 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

 

Max 17kg per bag

Itin C

£550 per person (single)
£275 per person (based on two people)
£185 per person (based on group of 3)
£140 per person (based on group of 4 or more)

 

Max 17kg per bag

Itin D

£645 per person (single)
£325 per person
(based on two people)
£220 per person
(based on group of 3)
£165 per person
(based on group of 4 or more)

 

Max 17kg per bag

Itin E

£665 per person (single)
£335 per person
(based on two people)
£225 per person
(based on group of 3)
£170 per person
(based on group of 4 or more)

 

Max 17kg per bag

Itin F

£695 per person (single)
£350 per person
(based on two people)
£230 per person
(based on group of 3)
£170 per person
(based on group of 4 or more)

 

Max 17kg per bag

Itin G

£750 per person (single)
£375 per person
(based on two people)
£250 per person
(based on group of 3)
£190 per person
(based on group of 4 or more)

 

Max 17kg per bag

Note: If you are booking accommodation in an Airbnb, you must ensure that there will either be someone available to take collection/delivery of your bags or that they have appropriate, secure storage in the event that the proprietor is absent.

Walk Information

Rest Days
Rest days can be incorporated into any walking holiday package at an additional £75.00 per person per night

Solo Travellers
Solo travellers please contact us or use the booking form to send your proposed itinerary including dates, and we will price accordingly. Where possible, we take advantage of existing bookings from other clients to ensure you receive a cost effective service.

Alternative Itineraries
For alternative itineraries to those provided for this route, please contact us, or use the Booking Form to submit your proposed itinerary and number of participants and we will quote accordingly.

Walking Season Dates
Prices are based on the walk starting after 1st April and ending before 30th September.

Walk Information
This tough yet rewarding 90-mile circular tour, for experienced walkers, starts in the attractive town of Ambleside and takes seven days to complete visiting 44 traditional Lakeland inns along the way. Taking in the very best of Lakeland including Grasmere (home of Wordsworth), the Langstrath Valley, Borrowdale, the High Spy ridge, Crummock Water, Buttermere, Scarth Gap and Black Sail passes, Wasdale Head, Boot in Eskdale, the Duddon Valley, Coniston and the summit of Swirl How and a fitting end to the walk along the length of Great Langdale.

OS Explorer Maps
OL4 - English Lakes - North-western area
OL5 - English Lakes - North-eastern area
OL6 - English Lakes - South-western area

Guide Books
"The Inn Way to the Lake District" by Mark Reid - Published by InnWay Publications and now out of print

Mobile Digital Mapping
Digital maps can be viewed on most modern smartphones using an appropriate app, downloaded from the app store associated with your device. Brigantes recommend that whichever app you use, it should support Ordnance Survey 1:25k or 1:50k scale maps. There are many apps to choose from, but the two main providers are Ordnance Survey and Memory Map.

Each provider’s app has its own benefits, but both provide all-important offline navigation, meaning your device does not need a mobile signal to work effectively on the trail.

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Walkers' Testimonials

Have you walked this route? Please leave a review and let others know what you think.

Use the comments form below to submit your testimonial for this walk. Rest assured, we won’t display or disclose your email address! It is only required to prevent spam – and to enable you to receive notifications of any responses to your review should you select the option to do so.

7 Replies to “Inn Way to the Lakes”

  1. We just returned from our Inn Way to the Lakes walk. We customized our trip, based on our experience from previous long distance visits to the Lake District and ended up walking about 110 miles. Annette and her Brigantes team were completely on board with our changes, and they booked inns and B&Bs, many of which we had requested, which is no small task in this popular holiday region. Our bags were always at our destination, when we arrived. During our planning, we had a number of questions, and Annette responded immediately, with compensation for an 8-hour time zone difference between Pacific and Greenwich. We applaud Brigantes and highly recommend them.

  2. I was one of a group of four friends who only used Brigantes bag carrying service for our Inn Way to the English Lakes walk 23-29 June 2022. Annette’s communication was excellent from my original enquiry in November 2021 right up to the start of our walk. The baggage carrying service was faultless – bags always delivered to the right destination, before we arrived, and seemingly well looked after in transit.
    As for the walk itself, it’s a great route. We had a mix of weather from a very hot first day, several mixed days and one decidedly wet and windy, but overall I loved it.
    You can see my photos at:
    https://youtu.be/z8g6JrmCF1o

  3. Just to say thank you to Brigantes and the amazing service they provided of booking hotels and baggage transfer.
    We have just finished 91 miles of the “Inn Way to The Lakes”
    All hotels were great and baggage always arrived with no problems.
    We have used Brigantes before and will definitely use them again.
    We had the best time ever.
    All 91 miles were amazing.

    The Cumbrian Way is next on our list

    Dave & Wilhelmina

  4. My first “Inn Way” around the Lake District which was done over 7 days walking including 6 nights in accommodation. Brigantes organized all the accommodation and the baggage handling all of which were first class without any problems what so ever, I cant praise them enough for the service and I have found Annette very prompt with any communication I needed to do in a very friendly manner.

    The walk itself is simply stunning but be prepared for some grueling days. I was lucky with the weather especially when crossing the mountains and passes between the valleys which should only be attempted in reasonable weather. The fourth day from Buttermere to Boot is exceptional passing through four valleys including Wasdale and Ennerdale. The scenery is absolutely stunning that only one can see on foot in some of the remote places. It goes without saying one needs good strong walking boots as the paths are nearly all rocky/stoney. If I had to pick any fault with the walk it would be that many of the paths were covered in over grown bracken as well as not been obvious. I would recommend a good gps as well but even with one of them its still tricky finding the right path.The path does follow some sections off the Coast to Coast route and The Cumbrian Way. The Inn Way so called because it takes in 44 pubs along the way during a 90 mile circular route starting and finishing in Ambleside, however I’m no great beer drinker but by the time I finished this walk I had developed quite the thirst and would recommend The Kirkstal Inn near Loweswater for a few pints of Loweswater Gold.

  5. I walked the Inn Way to the Lake District with a friend in May. I would like to thank Brigantes for arranging my holiday. All of the B&B accommodation was either of a good, or great, standard and in picturesque locations. The proprietors and staff were friendly and helpful and the service great. Our bags were always at our destination when we arrived and twice we met the Brigantes man collecting our luggage promptly at 09:30. Thanks for helping to make it such an enjoyable holiday.

  6. Paul and Jane Read – July 2018

    We have just completed the Lake District Inn Way and the whole experience was idyllic. This was the 5th time we have hiked the Inn Ways (Mark Reid) and, for anyone who is not familiar with them, they can’t be recommended too highly. They have been mapped as circular routes for varied scenery, marvellous landscapes and the best of Inns and pubs for overnight accommodation. The information provided in Mark Reid’s guide books adds enormously to interest and pleasure.

    We have always used Brigantes to help with planning; accommodation selection and reservation; and baggage transfer for our hiking holidays. They provide a service which is nothing less than superb in all respects. – we couldn’t recommend them more strongly. For the Lake District Inn Way, we needed some modifications to Mark Reid’s hiking schedule in order to suit our age and stamina; Brigantes knowledge and experience of the route facilitated this. Their selection of Inns, Pubs and Guest Houses for overnight accommodation was spot on and their baggage transfer ran like clockwork. One really couldn’t ask for better.

    We are already in discussion with Brigantes about our Inn Way hike for 2019 – what more can we say?

  7. A big thank you to all the Brigantes Team for organising our ‘holiday’, the Inn Way to the Lake District. Our baggage was always waiting for us at each destination and the accommodation was good, especially the Orchard Cottage and Brathay Lodge. This is the third time we have used your services and it won’t be the last.

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