Lake District boat trips: Windermere, Ullswater, Derwentwater and Coniston

The best way to understand the Lake District is from the water. A boat trip puts the fells in proportion, gets you to walks that start at a jetty rather than a car park, and saves a lot of time in traffic on a busy day. Four lakes have regular public boat services, and Windermere also has a car ferry. Here is how each one works, when it runs and which walks to pair with it. Timetables change through the year, so check the operator's own site before you travel.

Windermere: Windermere Lake Cruises

England's largest lake has the biggest fleet. Windermere Lake Cruises links Ambleside (Waterhead), Bowness and Lakeside at the southern tip, with calls at Brockhole, Wray and the Windermere Jetty Museum on some routes. The company says it operates throughout the year, with reduced timetables in winter. Pre-booking is not required for cruises, and well-behaved dogs travel free.

The main routes, as listed on the operator's site:

• Red Cruise, Bowness to Ambleside. About 35 minutes each way, or 75 minutes non-stop return. You can hop off at Ambleside, Brockhole or the Jetty Museum and catch a later boat back.
• Yellow Cruise, Bowness to Lakeside. Sold with a ride on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite steam railway or with entry to the Lakes Aquarium at Lakeside.
• Islands Cruise. A 45-minute circular trip from Bowness among the islands in the middle of the lake.
• Green Cruise. About 50 minutes linking Ambleside, Wray and Brockhole at the northern end of the lake.

Timetables for the off-peak winter season run from 2 November 2026 to 23 March 2027. For the full length of the lake, Ambleside to Lakeside, combine the Red and Yellow routes at Bowness.

Walks to pair: From Bowness, the short climb up Brant Fell gives a view over the whole middle of the lake. From Ambleside, Wansfell Pike and Loughrigg Fell both start in town, a short walk from Waterhead pier. If you arrive by train at Windermere, Orrest Head is a quick warm-up before you head down to Bowness for a boat.

The Windermere Jetty Museum, with its collection of historic boats on the shore north of Bowness, is a good add-on and runs its own short heritage boat trips until 1 November.

Windermere: the car ferry

The council-run Windermere ferry, the Mallard, crosses from Ferry Nab, just south of Bowness, to Far Sawrey on the western shore, carrying vehicles, bicycles and foot passengers. The crossing takes around 10 minutes and runs throughout the day. There is no fixed timetable and you cannot book; if you miss a crossing, the next is usually about 20 minutes later. A pedestrian single was £1.50 from April 2026, payable by card only (checked October 2026).

It is the quickest way from Bowness to Hawkshead and the western shore, and for walkers and cyclists it is a cheap, satisfying crossing in its own right. The ferry is taken out of service from time to time for maintenance, as it was in February and March 2026; the council's diversion is via Ambleside on the A591 and B5286.

Ullswater: Ullswater 'Steamers'

Ullswater's boats have the most history. The company was formed in 1855, and its first steamer, Enterprise, was launched in 1859. Today the fleet includes Lady of the Lake, launched in 1877, and Raven, launched in 1889 and converted from steam to diesel in 1934, alongside the modern Western Belle and Lady Wakefield. The company says it operates 363 days a year.

Boats link Glenridding at the head of the lake with Howtown on the eastern shore and Pooley Bridge at the northern end. Aira Force also has a pier on the company's map; check whether it is in use before you plan around it.

Walks to pair: The classic Lakeland boat-and-walk is to take the boat from Glenridding to Howtown and walk back along the eastern shore. The Ullswater Way puts this section at 6.5 miles (10.5 km), and Countryfile allows about four hours. It is a long, remote section, rough in places, so carry waterproofs and food and check the last boat if you plan to walk the other way. From Glenridding itself, the Helvellyn Pony Path starts in the village. Aira Force is a short drive along the western shore, and Hallin Fell, above Howtown, has one of the best lake views for the least effort.

See our guides to Ullswater, Glenridding and Pooley Bridge.

Derwentwater: Keswick Launch

The Keswick Launch circles Derwentwater, calling at seven jetties: Keswick, Ashness Gate, Lodore, High Brandelhow, Low Brandelhow, Hawes End and Nichol End. A full circuit takes around 50 minutes, and you can hop on and off. Well-behaved dogs are welcome and travel free. The launch runs all year, on a summer timetable from 21 March to 8 November 2026 and a winter timetable from 9 November 2026 to 19 March 2027, and the operator posts a service status notice when sailings are limited. Self-drive boat hire runs from Easter until October, or into November if the weather is kind.

Walks to pair: Hawes End is the jetty for Catbells; take the boat out and walk the ridge, and you avoid relying on the small car park at Gutherscale. From the Keswick landing stages, the level path to Friar's Crag takes ten minutes, and Walla Crag starts from the same lakeside car park. See Keswick and Derwentwater.

Coniston Water: Coniston Launch

Coniston Launch runs from Coniston jetty to Brantwood, Sunny Bank and Torver. The routes on its site are the Red (Northern) cruise of about 45 minutes, the Green (Southern) cruise of about 80 minutes, and the Yellow Wild Cat Island cruise of about 60 minutes, which covers nearly the whole lake.

The question we get most is whether it runs all year. The answer, from the operator's own timetable, is: mostly, but not every day. The summer timetable ran from 7 March to 1 November 2026. The winter timetable, from 2 November 2026 to 5 March 2027, runs the Yellow route only, with four sailings a day on set dates: daily from 2 to 22 November, then mainly weekends plus the days between Christmas and New Year, and daily again from 1 February. The boats have heated cabins and dogs are welcome.

Coniston Water: Steam Yacht Gondola

The Gondola is a Victorian steam yacht, first launched in 1859, now owned and run by the National Trust. It is a separate operation from Coniston Launch. Sailing from Coniston Pier, it calls at the jetty for Brantwood, and the Trust offers several cruise options; on our check date the timetable listed a Mountain Cruise, a Heart of the Lake Cruise and a Full Lake Cruise of about 1 hour 40 minutes. The Gondola sails seasonally rather than all year, so check the National Trust page for this year's dates. Bookings open online for the next 28 days every Thursday, and you can book until 10am on the day; after that, tickets are sold on board if there is space.

Walks and visits to pair: Get off at Brantwood, John Ruskin's house on the eastern shore, where a Gondola or Coniston Launch ticket earns £1 off admission (checked October 2026). The Brantwood visit is a good wet-day plan too. From the village, the Old Man of Coniston is the big fell day, and Tarn Hows is a gentle loop a short drive away. See Coniston and Coniston Water.

Before you go

• Parking. Car parks near the piers can fill early on busy days. Our parking guide lists the main car parks near the piers, including Lakeside car park in Keswick and Glenridding.
• Leave the car. Windermere station is on the Lakes Line, and buses link it with Bowness and Ambleside, so a Windermere boat day can be done entirely without a car. See car-free Cumbria.
• Weather. Sailings can be cancelled in bad weather. Most operators post service updates on their own sites on the day.
• Accessibility. Not every boat or jetty is step-free. Windermere Lake Cruises marks its Red and Yellow routes as accessible; check with other operators before you travel.
• Dogs. Windermere Lake Cruises, Keswick Launch and Coniston Launch all welcome well-behaved dogs. See dog-friendly Cumbria.