# Keswick or Windermere for a Family Holiday? An Honest Comparison *Two lakes, two towns, one holiday. Here's which one suits your family, with the boats, walks, rainy days and car park prices side by side.* By Dan Fitzpatrick, Fell & Family. Updated Monday 5 October 2026. Canonical: https://fellandfamily.co.uk/guides/keswick-or-windermere-for-families.html **The short answer:** For most families with young children, Keswick is the better base: the town, Derwentwater, the Keswick Launch (family round trip £41.50) and walks like Friar's Crag and Castlerigg are all on foot. Windermere and Bowness are better if you're arriving by train, expect a lot of rain, or want attractions like the World of Beatrix Potter, Lakes Aquarium and Windermere Lake Cruises. Council parking is £12.20 a day in Keswick and £10.60 in Windermere and Bowness. Keswick or Windermere? For most families with children under ten, Keswick wins: it's one compact town with the lake at the bottom of the street, a boat that goes round in a loop, and fells you can actually see from the car park. Windermere (really Windermere village plus Bowness down the hill) wins if you're coming by train, if it's going to rain all week, or if your children rank Peter Rabbit above mountains. Both are lovely. Both are busy in August. Neither has ever had a car park that was cheap. Friends from down south ask us this every year, usually after booking the time off but not the place. Here's the honest comparison from a Carlisle family with a six and a seven year old who hold strong views on boats and how far is too far to walk for a cake. Checked 5 October 2026; prices and timetables change, so the venue link is the one to trust. ## Keswick or Windermere: the short version - Getting there by train: Windermere, easily. It has its own station with Northern trains roughly hourly to Oxenholme, and some run through to Manchester Airport. Keswick has no station, so it's Penrith and then the X4 or X5 bus. - Getting there by car: about even. Keswick is off the A66 from junction 40, Windermere up the A591 from junction 36. - Walking from the door: Keswick. Derwentwater, Friar's Crag and Castlerigg Stone Circle are all on foot from town. - Boats: Windermere has more of them and a bigger lake. Keswick has the simpler, cheaper loop. - Rainy days: Windermere, for sheer number of indoor things within a short drive. - Crowds: both are busy in summer, but Bowness on a sunny Saturday is a contact sport. - Parking: council car parks are £12.20 all day in Keswick and £10.60 in Windermere and Bowness. > Windermere is the bigger lake with more to do. Keswick is the better town to be in. Pick the one that matches the children you actually have, not the ones in the brochure. ## What's actually different about the two places The bit that trips people up is that "Windermere" means three things: the lake (England's largest, about 11 miles long), the village of Windermere up by the railway station, and Bowness-on-Windermere, which is the bit actually on the water. Windermere village didn't exist before the railway arrived in 1847, and it's about 20 minutes' walk down to the shore. So if you book in Windermere expecting to roll out of bed onto a pier, check the map. You may be rolling onto a long hill. Keswick is simpler. It's a proper market town with a market square, the Moot Hall in the middle, and Derwentwater a ten minute stroll from the shops. The lake is much smaller (about 2.9 miles long) and it's ringed by fells, which is why the views from the lakeshore look like someone has turned the scenery up a notch. You can walk to the lake, round a bit of it and back for chips without touching the car, which with small children matters more than almost anything else here. Windermere's big family attractions are strung along the lake instead (Brockhole, the Lakes Aquarium, the Motor Museum), which is great on a wet day and more driving on a dry one. ## Boats: Windermere has more, Keswick is simpler Both towns are built around getting children onto a boat, which is the one activity that has never once been met with "do we have to?" in our house. ### Keswick Launch on Derwentwater (Keswick) The Keswick Launch goes round Derwentwater calling at seven jetties: Keswick, Ashness Gate, Lodore, High Brandelhow, Low Brandelhow, Hawes End and Nichol End. You can stay on for the whole loop or hop off, walk a bit of the shore, and catch the next one back, which is the single best way to make a short walk feel like an expedition. A round trip is £16 for adults, £9 for children aged 5 to 15 and £41.50 for a family of two adults and three children, with under 5s free (up to three per adult). The summer timetable runs until 8 November 2026, then the winter timetable takes over, so check the times page before you promise anyone a boat in late November. - Price: Round trip £16 adult, £9 child (5 to 15), £41.50 family, under 5s free - Parking: Lakeside long stay car park, £12.20 all day, or Keswick Rugby Club at £5 to £6 - Toilets: Town centre toilets, check at the pier - Check first: Timetable, especially after 8 November - Website: https://keswick-launch.co.uk/cruises/fares/ ### Windermere Lake Cruises (Bowness, Ambleside and Lakeside) The big one. The Islands Blue Cruise is a 45 minute loop from Bowness from £14.80, the Green Cruise links Ambleside, Wray and Brockhole in 50 minutes from £14.80, the Red Cruise runs Bowness to Ambleside in 75 minutes from £19.20, and the Yellow Cruise goes down to Lakeside with the steam train from £29. You can also hire electric motor boats from £46 and rowing boats from £28. The range is the point. You can turn a boat trip into a whole day (boat to Lakeside, aquarium, boat back) in a way you simply can't on Derwentwater. The catch: those are per person prices, so do the maths before the kiosk, not at it. - Price: Cruises from £14.80 per person, boat hire from £28 - Parking: Glebe Road, Bowness, £10.60 all day (124 spaces) - Toilets: Check at the pier - Check first: Winter timetable and family prices - Website: https://www.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk Verdict on boats: Windermere for a whole day on the water, Keswick for one simple trip that gets you to a walk. ## Walks from the door: Keswick, by a distance From Keswick town centre you can walk to Friar's Crag on the lakeshore (the National Trust lists an accessible path) and be back for lunch, and Catbells, the classic first fell for children, is a launch ride away at Hawes End. Windermere does have one walk every family should do, though. ### Orrest Head (Windermere) Windermere's own little summit starts across the road from Windermere station, by the lower entrance of the Windermere Hotel (LA23 1AW). The National Park has made it a Miles without Stiles route: about 3.5 km there and back, on a restored Victorian carriageway with an accessible gravel surface, following blue signs for the accessible route. The honest warning is the first bit. The tarmac lane at the start goes up to 1 in 4, which is steep enough that you'll find out exactly how much your buggy weighs. After that it eases, and the view from the top over the whole length of Windermere to the fells is the best reward-for-effort ratio in the south Lakes. Bring a snack for the top. You'll need it more than the children. - Price: Free - Parking: Broad Street car park, Windermere, £10.60 all day, or £1.40 early bird before 9am in marked bays - Toilets: Public toilets at Broad Street - Buggy access: Accessible route, but a 1 in 4 lane at the start - Check first: Weather, the top is exposed - Website: https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/walking/mileswithoutstiles/mws50 ### Whinlatter Forest (Braithwaite, near Keswick) Forestry England's mountain forest above Braithwaite, a short drive west of Keswick, with adventure play, a Room on the Broom family trail, gravel roads and surfaced paths that work with a buggy, bike hire and Go Ape. Cafe Ambio does food from 9.30am. It's Keswick's answer to Brockhole. The parking adds up if you stay (first 20 minutes free, £2.90 for the first hour, then 70p per 15 minutes, up to £14 all day), so a long day here costs more than the Keswick car parks. Forestry England members park free. - Price: Free to walk, Go Ape and bike hire extra - Parking: Up to £14 all day, first 20 minutes free - Toilets: At the visitor centre - Buggy access: Gravel roads and surfaced paths - Check first: Go Ape seasonal hours - Website: https://www.forestryengland.uk/whinlatter-forest ## Rainy days: Windermere has more under a roof This is the honest bit where Keswick has to sit down. If the forecast for your week is a solid wall of blue raindrops (the Lake District does commit to a theme), the Windermere side has more indoor places within a 20 minute drive. Keswick has fewer, but they're closer together and odder, which children tend to prefer. ### The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction (Bowness-on-Windermere) Indoor scenes from the Peter Rabbit stories, a garden and a Peter Rabbit themed cafe, on Crag Brow in Bowness (LA23 3BX). It's open 10am to 4.30pm, and they suggest allowing 45 to 60 minutes. Adults are £12.60, children aged 3 to 16 are £7.80, under 3s are free, and a family of two adults and two children is £38. It's not cheap per minute, but it's spot on for three to seven year olds on a wet morning, with ramp access for prams. Pair it with a cruise and nobody gets soggy for long. - Price: Adult £12.60, child (3 to 16) £7.80, family of four £38 - Parking: Bowness car parks, sat nav LA23 3BZ - Buggy access: Sloping ramps from Crag Brow and Rayrigg Road - Check first: Holiday opening and events - Website: https://www.worldofbeatrixpotter.com ### Lakes Aquarium (Lakeside, Newby Bridge) At the southern tip of Windermere by Lakeside pier (LA12 8AS), with otters (talk and feed at 11.45am and 2.30pm daily) and freshwater creatures from lakes around the world. Visit Lake District lists it open daily from 10am to 5.30pm with last entry an hour before close, adults £8.95, children 3 to 15 £6.50, under 3s free and family tickets from £20.95. Come by boat on the Yellow Cruise and the journey is half the fun. There's also a combined ticket with the Lakeland Motor Museum two miles away (family £55), bought at either reception. - Price: Adult £8.95, child £6.50, family from £20.95 - Parking: At Lakeside, or arrive by boat - Toilets: Check first - Check first: Prices on the aquarium's own site - Website: https://www.lakesaquarium.co.uk ### Lakeland Motor Museum (Backbarrow) Most people drive straight past Backbarrow on the A590 without knowing there's a museum full of old cars, motorbikes and motoring memorabilia, plus a tribute to Sir Malcolm and Donald Campbell and their Bluebird cars and boats. Open daily from 9.30am, last entry 4.30pm. Adults are £13.25, children 5 to 15 £7.90, under 5s free and a family ticket £36, with free parking all day. The grown-ups will enjoy it at least as much as the children, there are quizzes for small people, and dogs are welcome everywhere. Closed Christmas Day and 11 to 15 January 2027. - Price: Adult £13.25, child £7.90, family £36 (until 1 November 2026) - Parking: Free all day - Toilets: Check first, riverside cafe on site - Check first: Prices after 1 November - Website: https://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/visiting ### Derwent Pencil Museum (Keswick) Keswick's rainy day classic, open 9.30am to 4.30pm, with children under 16 at £3.50 and under 5s free. The free World of Colour coloured pencil exhibition is on until 30 October, and there's a riverside cafe looking towards Catbells and dogs are welcome in the museum and shop. It's an hour, not a day, but you can walk on to the Keswick Museum (its Outside In exhibition, with augmented reality and drone footage of Derwentwater, runs until 1 January 2027). That's Keswick's rainy day strength: short hops, no driving. - Price: Children £3.50, under 5s free, check adult price - Parking: Town centre car parks - Toilets: Check first, cafe on site - Check first: Adult ticket price - Website: https://www.pencilmuseum.co.uk ### Brockhole on Windermere (Between Windermere and Ambleside) The Windermere side's big family base, on the lakeshore off the A591. Brockhole has open grounds with a play area, Minty Land indoor play, Wild Bounce inflatables, food, a Windermere Lake Cruises pier and Zip World right next to the car park. Its own site says BeWilderwood is coming soon. Parking is £5.50 for up to two hours or £9 for the day. Activities are priced separately, so set the budget before the children see the zip wires. - Price: Activities priced separately - Parking: £5.50 up to 2 hours, £9 all day - Toilets: Check first - Check first: What's open that day and activity prices - Website: https://www.brockhole.co.uk ## The lesser-known picks that tip it If you've done the obvious things, here's where I'd look. Keswick's side has the better collection, and two of them close for winter after October half term. ### Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum (Threlkeld) Three miles east of Keswick (CA12 4TT), a museum in an old quarry with a little railway that runs about 25 minutes into the quarry (trains at 11.15am, 1pm and 3pm), mineral panning, old diggers and a shop. Parking is free, which round here is practically an attraction in itself. It's open from the Easter holidays to the end of October half term, daily in the holidays and closed Mondays in term time. Our Almanac lists Half Term Steam Days from 24 to 31 October 2026, with museum admission at £9.50 adults and £5.50 under 16s. After that it closes until Easter, apart from Santa trains in December. - Price: £9.50 adults, £5.50 under 16s (check the museum's site) - Parking: Free - Toilets: Yes - Check first: Closes after October half term, Santa trains in December - Website: https://www.threlkeldquarryandminingmuseum.co.uk/ ### Keswick Climbing Wall and Rookery Woods (Keswick) At Goosewell Farm (CA12 4RN), about 200 m from Castlerigg Stone Circle and five minutes' drive from town. For the under 8s there's Rookery Woods, an outdoor adventure play area listed at £6 per child for the day with adults free. Older children can do a climbing lesson (they advertise £20 a person) or three hour outdoor sessions for ages 8 and up with ghyll scrambling, kayaking and high ropes, which need booking. Parking is free and the Hungry Heifer Cafe is on site. Add the stone circle up the road for a cheap, muddy, very happy morning. - Price: Rookery Woods £6 per child, adults free; climbing lesson £20 - Parking: Free all day - Toilets: Yes, with disabled access - Check first: Opening times and booking for sessions (017687 72000) - Website: https://www.keswickclimbingwall.co.uk/ ### Mirehouse and Gardens (Near Keswick (Bassenthwaite Lake)) A family-run historic house three miles from Keswick by Bassenthwaite Lake, with adventure playgrounds in the woods by Skill Beck, a walled bee garden, a poetry walk and paths down to the lakeshore. Tickets are bought at the Old Sawmill Tearoom in the Dodd Wood car park, by card or cash, with no need to book. The playgrounds sell it to children and the lakeside walk sells it to adults. It's open April to October only. Dogs are welcome in the grounds on short leads, but not in the playgrounds. - Price: Check the Mirehouse site - Parking: Dodd Wood pay on exit car park - Toilets: At Dodd Wood car park - Check first: Season ends in October - Website: https://www.mirehouse.co.uk/ ### Claife Viewing Station (Far Sawrey, Windermere west shore) A viewing platform built in 1790 for the first Lake District tourists, with coloured glass windows, now a National Trust ruin on Windermere's west shore. The best bit for children is getting there: walk onto the Windermere Ferry from Ferry Nab near Bowness (£1.50 for pedestrians, card only, about 10 minutes across) and it's a short walk from the far side. There are lots of steps up from Ash Landing car park, but a slope from the courtyard and a level lakeshore path. JOEY'S cafe is open 10am to 4.30pm. The National Trust says the toilets at Ferry House are closed, with a portaloo at the cafe, so plan accordingly. - Price: Free to visit, ferry £1.50 per pedestrian - Parking: Ash Landing (National Trust) - Toilets: Portaloo at JOEY'S cafe only - Buggy access: Steps up from Ash Landing, slope from the courtyard - Check first: Ferry running and toilets - Website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/claife-viewing-station-and-windermere-west-shore ## Evenings, shows and this half term Both towns have a theatre doing proper family shows this autumn. ### Theatre by the Lake (Keswick) On the lakeshore next to the Lakeside car park (CA12 5DJ). This half term, Michael Rosen brings his show NICE! on Thursday 29 October at 3pm, aimed at ages 6 to 10 (£16, under 26s £12). Then the Christmas show, a music-filled A Christmas Carol, runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, recommended for ages 6 and up, with tickets from £11 to £42 depending on the performance. A show in the afternoon and a walk to Friar's Crag after is about as good as a winter day gets in Keswick. - Price: A Christmas Carol £11 to £42; Michael Rosen £16 - Parking: Lakeside long stay, £12.20 all day - Toilets: Check with the theatre - Check first: Matinee dates and age guidance - Website: https://www.theatrebythelake.com/event/a-christmas-carol-keswick-lake-district-theatre/ In Bowness, The Victoria Wood Theatre has Top Secret: The Magic of Science on Sunday 25 October at 2pm (adults £15, children £12), which promises lots and lots of mess, so don't wear your good jumper. Windermere Jetty Museum has free Halloween crafting from 26 to 30 October. Our October half term guide has the full list. ## Parking, buses and trains compared - Keswick council car parks (Central, Lakeside and Otley Road): £12.20 for 24 hours, pay and display or the Mi Permit app. - Keswick cheaper options: Keswick Rugby Club £5 to £6 a day (250 spaces, pay on exit), Crosthwaite Road £4, Keswick Football Club £3. - Windermere and Bowness council car parks (Broad Street, Glebe Road): £10.60 all day, chargeable 8am to 8pm, with a £1.40 early bird rate at Broad Street before 9am. The machines are fussy about coins, so use the phone code. - Trains: Windermere station has Northern trains roughly hourly to Oxenholme, with some extended to Manchester Airport about every two hours. Keswick has no station. - Buses: the X4 and X5 run from Penrith station to Keswick, and the 555 links Keswick with Grasmere, Ambleside, Windermere station and Kendal. Keswick's tourism site lists single fares at £3. By train with luggage and small children, Windermere is just easier. By car it's a coin toss, and Keswick's rugby club is the bargain of the two. ## Our verdict by family type - Toddlers and babies: Keswick. Flat lakeshore paths, the launch, short hops between things, and no long drives between naps. - Five to ten year olds who like walking (or can be bribed): Keswick. Catbells by boat, Castlerigg, Whinlatter. - Five to ten year olds who mostly like animals and stories: Windermere. Beatrix Potter, the aquarium, Brockhole. - Coming by train: Windermere, no contest. - A wet week forecast: Windermere, with Keswick's pencils as a day trip on the 555. - October half term specifically: Keswick, while Threlkeld Quarry and Mirehouse are still open. And if you really can't decide, stay in between. Grasmere and Ambleside sit on the 555 between the two, and you can do a boat on each lake in the same week. That's what we'd do with a fortnight, though with a week I'd pick Keswick and not look back. Mostly because the chippy is closer to the lake. ## Questions people ask **Is Keswick or Windermere better for families?** Keswick suits families who want to walk from the door, with Derwentwater and the Keswick Launch ten minutes from the town centre. Windermere suits families arriving by train or wanting more indoor attractions, such as the World of Beatrix Potter and the Lakes Aquarium. **Is Keswick or Windermere busier?** Both are busy in school holidays. Bowness, on the shore of Windermere, tends to be the more crowded of the two on sunny weekends, so go early or use the boats. **Can you get to Keswick by train?** No, Keswick has no railway station. The nearest is Penrith, and the X4 and X5 buses run from Penrith station to Keswick. **How do you get from Keswick to Windermere without a car?** The 555 bus runs between Keswick and Windermere station via Grasmere and Ambleside, continuing to Kendal and Lancaster. **How much is parking in Keswick?** Cumberland Council's long stay car parks in Keswick are £12.20 for 24 hours. Keswick Rugby Club charges £5 to £6 a day and Crosthwaite Road £4. **How much is parking in Bowness and Windermere?** Glebe Road in Bowness and Broad Street in Windermere are £10.60 all day, chargeable 8am to 8pm. Broad Street has a £1.40 early bird rate before 9am in marked bays. **Is Bowness the same as Windermere?** No. Bowness-on-Windermere is the town on the lakeshore, while Windermere village grew up around the railway station after 1847 and is about 20 minutes' walk from the lake. **Which is better on a rainy day, Keswick or Windermere?** Windermere has more indoor attractions within a short drive, including the World of Beatrix Potter, Lakes Aquarium, Windermere Jetty Museum and Lakeland Motor Museum. Keswick has the Derwent Pencil Museum and Keswick Museum within walking distance of each other. ## Sources - Keswick Launch: fares: https://keswick-launch.co.uk/cruises/fares/ - Keswick Launch: times: https://keswick-launch.co.uk/cruises/times/ - Windermere Lake Cruises: https://www.windermere-lakecruises.co.uk - Lake District National Park: Orrest Head Miles without Stiles: https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/walking/mileswithoutstiles/mws50 - Forestry England: Whinlatter Forest: https://www.forestryengland.uk/whinlatter-forest - The World of Beatrix Potter: prices: https://www.worldofbeatrixpotter.com/prices - Visit Lake District: Lakes Aquarium: https://visitlakedistrict.com/things-to-do/lakes-aquarium-p1211421 - Lakeland Motor Museum: visiting: https://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/visiting - Lakeland Motor Museum: combined tickets: https://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/getting-here/combined-tickets - Derwent Pencil Museum: https://www.pencilmuseum.co.uk - Keswick Museum: Outside In: https://keswickmuseum.org.uk/outside-in/ - Brockhole on Windermere: parking: https://www.brockhole.co.uk/parking - Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum: https://www.threlkeldquarryandminingmuseum.co.uk/ - Visit Lake District: Rookery Woods at Keswick Climbing Wall: https://www.visitlakedistrict.com/things-to-do/rookery-woods-at-keswick-climbing-wall-p2661831 - Keswick tourism: Keswick Climbing Wall: https://keswick.org/what-to-do/attractions/keswick-climbing-wall - Mirehouse and Gardens: https://www.mirehouse.co.uk/ - National Trust: Claife Viewing Station and Windermere West Shore: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/claife-viewing-station-and-windermere-west-shore - Westmorland and Furness Council: Windermere ferry: https://www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/parking-streets-and-transport/windermere-ferry - Theatre by the Lake: A Christmas Carol: https://www.theatrebythelake.com/event/a-christmas-carol-keswick-lake-district-theatre/ - Theatre by the Lake: Michael Rosen NICE!: https://www.theatrebythelake.com/event/michael-rosen-nice/ - The Victoria Wood Theatre: Top Secret, The Magic of Science: https://victoriawoodtheatre.com/whats-on/top-secret-the-magic-of-science - Keswick tourism: car parks: https://www.keswick.org/visitor-information/car-parks - Keswick tourism: getting around and buses: https://keswick.org/visitor-information/gettingaroundkeswick - Westmorland and Furness Council: Glebe Road car park: https://www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/parking-streets-and-transport/parking/find-car-park-near-you/glebe-road-car-park - Westmorland and Furness Council: Broad Street car park: https://www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/parking-streets-and-transport/parking/find-car-park-near-you/broad-street-car-park - Wikipedia: Windermere railway station: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windermere_railway_station - Wikipedia: Windermere: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windermere - Wikipedia: Derwentwater: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derwentwater - National Trust: Borrowdale and Derwent Water: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/borrowdale-and-derwent-water