Nostalgic Lakes & Mountains Explorer 2026

Duration

8 Days

Departure Dates

22nd June 2026, 21st September 2026

Prices from

£1,579 Per person

Experience nostalgic railway journeys through spectacular scenery and along stunning coastlines in the Lake District including the world-famous Settle & Carlisle line across the fabulous Ribblehead Viaduct. Visit fascinating railway museums, relax on leisurely cruises across beautiful lakes, indulge in afternoon tea at the stately Leighton Hall, and enjoy a distillery tour and tasting plus free time to explore the beautiful market town of Kendal.

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Bowness Pier ©Shutterstock

8 days from £1,579

DEPARTS

Monday 22 June 2026

Monday 21 September 2026

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Relax on a leisurely cruise on Lake Windermere
Visit the fascinating Lakeland Motor Museum
Enjoy a vintage train journey through the picturesque Leven Valley
Indulge in afternoon tea at the historic Leighton Hall plus the opportunity to see the Birds of Prey Display
Steam on the "Owd Ratty" at Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway
Enjoy a guided tour at Ravenglass Railway Museum
Journey over the world-famous ‘Settle & Carlisle’ line
Cross the fabulous Ribblehead Viaduct
Cruise on a heritage ‘steamer’ across the stunning Ullswater Lake
Experience a tour and tasting at Lakes Distillery
Enjoy free time to explore the beautiful market town of Kendal

Also included in your Tour Fare:

7 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal plus 1 afternoon tea
Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Kendal and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Riverside Hotel, our hotel for the next seven nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings before meeting for our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

Today, our private coach takes us on the short journey to Bowness on Windermere and, after enjoying a little sightseeing, we take a leisurely cruise to the southern tip of Lake Windemere. Following our scenic cruise, we take a trip down memory lane with a visit to the Lakeland Motor Museum complete with a 1920's garage, 1950's café, and over 140 classic cars and motorbikes plus the fascinating Campbell Bluebird Exhibition. We then board our vintage steam train to journey through the picturesque Leven Valley to the village of Haverthwaite before returning aboard our private coach to Kendal.

B, D

DAY 3

This morning, we journey to the traditional seaside resort of Morecambe where we have free time to relax and take a walk along the seafront promenade. In the afternoon, we travel to the historic yet homely Leighton Hall for a guided tour of this ancestral home plus a stroll through the gardens and we may have the opportunity (weather permitting) to watch the fantastic Birds of Prey Flying Display. We will also be treated to a traditional afternoon tea before returning to our hotel in time for our evening meal together.

B, LR, D

DAY 4

After breakfast this morning, we journey high over the hills to Dalegarth Station for a steam train ride on the 'Owd Ratty' through to the coast at Ravenglass. Here we enjoy a guided museum tour telling the 150-year history of the railway, affectionally known as the 'Ratty', which houses a collection of artefacts ranging from steam locomotives down to tickets and uniforms. We can sit back, relax, and enjoy more wonderful coastal vistas from the comfort of our seats as we return to our hotel by train for our evening meal.

B, D

DAY 5

Today, we take to the rails for a wonderful circular train journey down the West Coast Mainline to Lancaster then through beautiful pasturelands to the historic market town of Skipton where we commence our journey over the world-famous 'Settle & Carlisle' line. This great journey climbs up through the Yorkshire Dales, crossing the fabulous Ribblehead Viaduct, the engineering marvel spanning Batty Moss, and passing Dent, the highest mainline station in England at 1,150ft. We enjoy some free time to explore the charming walled city of Carlisle before making our way back to Kendal.

B, D

DAY 6

Today is spent at leisure to explore and discover the beautiful market town of Kendal. You can relax in the hotel, visit the fantastic Kendal Castle, discover the vibrant and inspiring arts and culture scene, browse the unique shops, indulge in the café culture, or take a walk through the picturesque countryside.

B, D

DAY 7

After breakfast, we travel by private coach and tour the beautiful 'North Lakes' area beginning with a trip on one of England's most beautiful lakes, Ullswater, cruising across the lake on a heritage 'steamer' as we take in the stunning scenery of the Ullswater Valley. We enjoy time in the popular market town of Keswick on the northern shores of Derwentwater before continuing alongside Bassenthwaite Lake to the Lakes Distillery. Here, we go behind the scenes on a guided tour learning about flavour creation and sampling their fantastic spirits before returning to our hotel for our farewell evening meal.

B, D

DAY 8

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Kendal and make our way to the station for our homeward journeys.

*Important Note: Whilst the arrangements for all described steam train travel are in place, we do reserve the right to make substitutions should it be deemed necessary for whatever reason.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

HOTEL

Riverside Hotel, Kendal

Nestled on the banks of the River Kent close to the centre of the bustling market town and Kendal railway station, the charming Riverside Hotel offers a restaurant with wonderful river views, a relaxing lounge bar, and leisure facilities including an indoor swimming pool, gym, sauna, and steam room. The cosy bedrooms provide an en-suite bathroom, a hairdryer, flat-screen TV, ironing facilities, free Wi-Fi, and tea/coffee making facilities.

FARES

Fare Region	First*	Standard
London: Euston	£1,935	£1,759
Greater London	£1,949	£1,775
South of England	£1,999	£1,809
East Anglia	£2,019	£1,809
South West	£1,949	£1,775
Heart of England	£1,829	£1,719
Midlands	£1,805	£1,705
Yorkshire	£1,819	£1,729
North East	£1,865	£1,755
North West	£1,769	£1,679
South Wales	£1,869	£1,739
North Wales	£1,869	£1,725
Scotland	£1,885	£1,745
Join & Leave at Hotel	£1,619
Single Traveller Supplement	£270
Deposit	£160

*Please Note: Some local and regional train services are Standard Class seating only and First Class ticket holders will travel in standard class accommodation for these sections of their journey.

£40 tour discount for holders of National Railcards

7 nights’ bed, breakfast & evening meal plus 1 afternoon tea

Rail travel & seat reservations from your Home Station to Tour Base (Standard or First Class)

Rail & coach travel, with transfers as described

All excursions & admissions as detailed

Services of experienced Railtrail Tour Manager

Important – Please select the number of passengers before proceeding to ‘Book Now’

Number of passengers:

Date	From Price	Book Now	Callback
22nd June 2026	£1,579 Per person	Book Now	Callback
21st September 2026	£1,579 Per person	Book Now	Callback

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Riverside Hotel, Kendal

Lakeland Motor Museum

Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway

Leighton Hall

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Museum

Settle-Carlisle Railway

Visit Kendal

Ullswater Steamers

Lakes Distillery

Lake Windermere 1 ©Shutterstock

Lake Windermere 2 ©Shutterstock

Lakeland Motor Museum 1 ©Lakeland Motor Museum

Lakeland Motor Museum 2 ©Lakeland Motor Museum

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway ©Mark Fielding

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Nostalgic Lakes & Mountains Explorer 2026

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What our customers say

Sounds like the holiday for you?

Why Book with Railtrail

Unique Experiences

Financial Protection

Loyalty Rewards

Award Winning Team