The Perfect Weekend in Keswick: Your Complete Getaway Guide
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Nestled in the heart of the Lake District, Keswick is a charming town that promises an unforgettable weekend getaway. Keswick is the perfect place to stay when visiting the Lake District. It is surrounded by mountains, woodlands and amazing countryside views.
Keswick is one of the best places to visit in the Lake District, and it’s easy to see why people tend to stay here.
From breath-taking hikes and serene lakes to cosy cafes and vibrant local culture, this picturesque destination offers the perfect blend of adventure and relaxation.
How to get to Keswick?
As we live in Manchester, Kewsick is around 2-hour drive for us with no traffic.
You can get to Kewsick by public transport. By getting the train into Penrith and then getting on the local bus to the town centre.
Book your trains here.
Where to Stay in Keswick?
Please click on hotel icon below to see some of the hotels in Keswick.
We did a weekend housesitting with Trusted Housesitters in Keswick. This was perfect as it was a free weekend away whilst looking after someone’s lovely pets. It’s the perfect way for us to get a weekend away escaping our 9-5s and getting our pet fix.
Read my blog on Trusted Housesitters.
Day 1 – Keswick
Arrive into Keswick, you can wonder around the charming town centre.
The town centre is a 5-10 minute from Derwent water lake. We walked down to the lake and took in the scenic mountain and lake views. We walked down to Friars Crag and watched the sunset by the lake.
After sunset we wondered into the town and went to Dog & Gun which serves good beers and its famous for its homemade Hungarian Goulash. It is a must visit pub whilst here in Kewsick. The food was reasonably priced as the lake district can be pricey for eating out.
Day 2 – Keswick
The best thing to do in the Lake District is hiking. We love hiking, we decided to wake up early and hike up Blencartha. Before you go up to Blencartha – make sure you get snacks and water for the hike.
A must visit café in Keswick is Yonder – the coffee here is amazing, and the brownies & blondies were the best. Perfect for a hiking snack!
Blencathra, also known as Saddleback due to its distinctive shape, is one of the most iconic peaks in the Lake District. Standing at 868 meters (2,848 feet) above sea level, it offers a variety of routes that cater to different levels, making it a favourite amongst hikers!
Getting to Blencartha
We drove and parked at Threlkeld Cricket club which is £3 for the day, you can also park in the town on Threlkeld. Although, please be respectful as it is a local village.
You can also get the bus here from Kewsick, which is £3 for one way. The bus will take around 12 minutes and the bus you need to get is X5. The bus stop is the Keswick Park hotel stop.
The Hike
There is lots of different routes to follow for Blencartha, we followed the route via blease fell on all trails which was a 12km hike. The route is here.
We did this hike anti clockwise as lots of people advised this on the reviews. The views were simply stunning. I would highly recommend this hike.
As we did the 12km route, we were hiking for around 4 to 5 hours including stops for snacks and for photos on the viewpoint, it is a challenging hike with a lot some hard inclines and steep descents. It was a leg burner!
The hike starts in Threlkeld and going anti clockwise will be a more gradual descent, The views are stunning, as you can see the vast mountain range. It features a steep ascent up Blease Fell, leading to the summit of Blencathra, where hikers are rewarded with stunning panoramic views.
You then go to a small lake and then go to the summit. You will then finish in Threlkeld, and you can finish with a rewarding pint at the horse and farrier.
After we finished this hike, we were both so tired and opted for an early dinner, we actually stayed in and cooked.
We went to Basecamp North Lakes which is a farm shop, it is expensive but it offers a charming countryside shopping experience with fresh produce, homemade goods, and artisanal items.
Day 3 – Keswick
Our last day in Keswick, we were very lucky that we didn’t get any rain whilst here for the weekend. We decided to do a local hike called Walla Crag.
Walla Crag is a stunning fell located near Keswick. It offers breathtaking views of Derwentwater. The elevation gain is 302m and it is around a 2 hour hike. The walk to the summit takes you through the beautiful Great Wood, with a gradual uphill climb leading to panoramic vistas.
The walk is 5.5km, we followed the trail on All Trails called Walla Crag Circular. You can also follow the signs in the woodlands which are marked Walla Crag.
Parking is at National Trust Great Wood car park. The postcode is CA12 5UP, the parking is around £5-6.
To finish off our weekend, we went back into Keswick for food at the Square Orange Café for pizza’s and tapas. Perfect way to round off the weekend.