Mountains • Historic Walking Areas
Things to Do in Ambleside with Kids
THE 10 BEST Family & Kid Activities in Ambleside
Things to Do in Ambleside with Kids
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What travellers are saying
- Fredbear_HullKingston-upon-Hull, UK1,050 contributionsDid the 11 mile circular from Ambleside. Making it 12 total. Regularly walk 12 miles no problem so thought wld be ok.
Didn’t account for the 3000ft climb! Was really hard work but so rewarding! Left the hotel at 10 and returned at 1630!
The path is step in parts and on the way down the track has been eroded and is boulders and climbing. Wld say 14+ in age and no mobility issues to do it safely!
The planes flying through the valley was class. The views are unreal. Wrap up and take water proofs. We had shades on one minute and rain jackets the next!Written 21 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - 414alliDarlington, UK3 contributionsKids took part in Sundown Treetop challenge for Halloween. Thoroughly enjoyed the challenges in the dark. Only issue was no lighting back to a pitch dark car park. As a result one of our party tripped on an uneven path, fell over and cracked their head, and twisted ankle. Surely some low level lighting to the car park is a must from health and safety perspective as people could get seriously hurtWritten 3 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- GillianW31Cumbernauld, UK47 contributionsLove this place! Lovely walks, perfect for kids. Great park and we really enjoyed the gruffalo birthday trail for £4. Will always visit when in the lakes.Written 19 October 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- jan cShrewsbury, UK557 contributionsThe gallery was very good and well worth a visit if in the area and a National Trust member but feel it is rather expensive if not. Gentlemen on door very informative so could get best out of experience. Authentic dressing of rooms. Very small areas so glad we went while quiet. Upstairs would be inaccessible to some as very narrow steep stairs. Pity had to pay for car parking too as not NT and toilets 50p to enter which isn’t visitor friendly. Classic tourist trap. Good selection shops to wander around to make visit worth the parking fee!Written 16 October 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- MrMrsHappyRLiverpool, UK1,471 contributionsBeautiful old building from 17th Century that is fascinating to see and very picturesque for photographs. Come early if you want good photos as it gets busy. There is a nice cafe/pub behind it that is nice to sit on a warm day.Written 12 July 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Chris USunderland, UK173 contributionsWhen I visited Wtay Castle they had an exhibition about Everest. The exhibition was located in several rooms of the castle and was interesting. I'd recommend visiting if it's still on. Other than the exhibition there was little to see. You can only access the ground floor and there are only a lldmall number of rooms. I didn't get the chance to see the grounds but they did look sizable. Going by the number of cyclists and walkers it seems popular. The 3 stars are due to limited access to the castle.Written 17 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- CJ M19 contributionsWe were lucky with the weather for late October that made the walk to the falls so much more pleasant. To get there we walked up some steep steps and a footpath behind some private gardens. The paths around the falls were unsurprisingly muddy with the recent rains and foot traffic but this didn’t take away from the views. There are areas with safety fencing, some seating and one or two picnic benches. There is also an area where you can paddle safely. We are in our 60’s and my husband generally does not like walking but he managed the circular trip around the upper and lower bridges - we had a very enjoyable time and there are plenty of photo opportunities. Walking shoes highly recommend. There is a very good cafe with a sheltered outdoor seating area with fantastic hillside views which gave a welcome pit-stop. The decent back into town was a doddle. A great experience all round.Written 5 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- James PCambridge, UK2,793 contributionsImpressive Caves!
If you arrive from the west, White Moss car parks, you find the main cave first. If you arrive from the eastern end of the lake, you come across a smaller cave first and then need to continue the climb up to the main one.Written 29 August 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - cleevusHue, Vietnam12 contributionsThis museum is a rarity in that it captures authentic school life over the past few hundred years. It also has managed to keep its library intact, rather than lose it to a university library. For those interested in schools and schooling from a historic perspective, it is a brilliant museum - one of the best I've seen. The fact that William Wordsworth attended the school along with his brothers gives it added importance. We really learnt a great deal about the school, its reputation, Wordsworth and Hawkshead from our visit. The museum organisers/curators have done a great job. The fact that the school and Wordsworth have historic connections with St John's College, Cambridge gave us an added interest as we also have connections with that College.Written 17 September 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- James PCambridge, UK2,793 contributionsWe walked the southern bank of the lake, nice view across the still water, on the way back from the caves. On the second day we tried to walk part of the route again to also walk around Grasmere but the path to the bridge was completely flooded.Written 29 August 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- MalcolmManchester, UK81 contributionsBe warned, if aiming for garden world by Lakes steamer..... you'll have quite a walk!
Just as Windermere town is a mile from the lake at Bowness, so Ambleside is a mile from the ferry terminal - quite a walk, in bad weather.
Yes, there's a bus service, but not much else to see or do, when you alight from the boat.Written 6 November 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Lucy H5 contributionsWe had a brilliant session at Ambleside Climbing Wall on a really wet day! We booked for 6 people (4 older teens and 2 adults). We had an instructor led session with Elliott, who was fantastic! He put up with our shenanigans and was lots of fun! T We would highly recommend the session - our group had very limited climbing experience and found the session really enjoyable and left saying they would happily book on again. We would also say that it was worth spending 2 additional pounds and using their climbing shoes.
The only thing that could be improved upon would be the fact that the cafe closed at 3pm. That was our fault for not checking cafe times! So either book an earlier slot so you get cafe and drinks or be organised and take your own drinks!Written 25 August 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Nailah AljasmiRas Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates607 contributionsWe stopped over to see the manor/hall and gardens. Little afternoon walk, we didn’t realize that the parking was open as the sign said no parking, we actually stopped at the tea rooms outside, parked, ate, used washrooms and then entered the grounds. Parking is available inside the groups behind the gates. The coffee shop wasn’t busy, there were a few tables available but we’d already eaten beforehand next door. It’s a lovely spot to go for tea/ cake and a small wall afterwards. We noticed there’s campers there too, not sure about the camping arrangements but looks like a great spot! Very green and lush. The grounds were well kept and clean.Written 27 September 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Lyndsey BMerseyside, UK1,350 contributionsWe completed the Elterwater to Skelwith bridge, lovely walk, lovely views. There is a little rope swing half way through the walk. We stopped at Chester’s by the river, great little place with a terrace overlooking the Skelwith force. We used the all trails map but the route is pretty easy to follow without it.Written 31 March 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Claire RKinmel Bay, UK300 contributionsVery informative information boards dotted around the site which helped to visualise where parts of the fort would have stood.
Fairly flat ground to walk around, although it was very wet when we went so good footwear is a must if it’s raining.
Great views surrounding the site, right next to Ambleside Waterhead so worth stopping to see.Written 21 April 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
