Best Hotels in the Lake District for Christmas

Christmas in the Lake District is small-scale and cosy rather than big-market. Towns switch on their lights in November, there are Victorian-style fayres and village Christmas markets in early December, and pubs light their fires. December is the wettest month, with snow on the fells more often than in the valleys.

What's on

• Keswick Victorian Fayre — Market Place and Packhorse Court, Keswick. 7 December in 2025; listed for 6 December in 2026. Usually the first weekend of December.
• Ulverston Dickensian Festival — Ulverston town centre. Listed for 28 to 29 November in 2026. Usually the last weekend of November.
• Yew Tree Barn Christmas Festival — Low Newton, near Cartmel. 5 to 7 December in 2025; listed for 5 to 6 December in 2026. Usually the first weekend of December.
• Taste Cumbria Christmas — Cockermouth. Listed for 5 to 6 December in 2026. Usually the first weekend of December.

Dates and times change from year to year, so check the organiser's listing before you travel.

Where to stay

• Keswick: A walkable town with pubs, shops and the Victorian Fayre, on the shore of Derwentwater.
• Ambleside: Stays lively in winter, with restaurants and walking routes straight from town.
• Bowness-on-Windermere: Lake cruises run daily in winter, and Windermere station is a short journey away for car-free trips.

December weather

December is cold, damp and often windy, with valley highs of about 6 to 7°C (43 to 45°F) and lows around 2 to 3°C (36 to 37°F). Rainfall is heavy, and snow falls more often on the fells than in the towns.

How we picked: the 7 hotels in this guide are 4- and 5-star hotels and resorts in the Lake District with the strongest Booking.com guest scores, weighted by how many reviews they have. Scores and review counts were checked in October 2026.