Travellers on an open top bus with Ullswater lake and fells in the distance

Ullswater bus

Special summer fares

In July and August 2022 your group can buy a Penrith and Ullswater DayRider ticket for just £17 (normally £24). Your ticket lets up to 5 people travel all day on the bus through the Ullswater valley, from Penrith to Pooley Bridge down to Glenridding and Patterdale and a stop at the stunning Aira Force waterfalls. You can buy your ticket on the bus with contactless payment available.

Day tickets for just one person are also available, with the explorer ticket giving you travel through the whole of Cumbria.

Ullswater bus 508 timetable summer 2022

Bus timetable from Penrith to Pooley Bridge, Aira Force, Glenridding, Patterdale and Windermere:

Penrith Rail Station Pooley Bridge Aira ForceGlenriddingPatterdale Windermere Rail StationDays
06:45 07:09 07:23 07:30 07:35 - Mon-Fri
09:20 09:50 10:04 10:11 10:16 11:09 Mon-Sun
10:20 10:50 11:04 11:11 11:16 - Sat, Sun, BH
11:20 11:50 12:04 12:11 12:16 13:09 Mon-Sun
12:20 12:50 13:04 13:11 13:16 - Sat, Sun, BH
13:20 13:50 14:04 14:11 14:16 15:09 Mon-Sun
14:20 14:50 15:04 15:11 15:16 - Sat, Sun, BH
15:20 15:50 16:04 16:11 16:16 17:09 Mon-Sun
16:20 16:50 17:04 17:11 17:16 - Sat, Sun, BH
17:20 17:50 18:04 18:11 18:16 19:09 Mon-Sun
19:20 19:50 20:04 20:11 20:16 21:10 Mon-Sun

Bus timetable from Windermere to Patterdale, Glenridding, Aira Force, Pooley Bridge and Penrith:

Windermere Rail Station PatterdaleGlenriddingAira ForcePooley Bridge Penrith Rail StationDays
- 07:35 07:40 07:47 08:01 08:24 Mon-Fri
09:25 10:20 10:25 10:32 10:46 11:09 Mon-Sun
- 11:20 11:25 11:32 11:46 12:09 Sat, Sun, BH
11:25 12:20 12:2512:32 12:46 13:09 Mon-Sun
- 13:20 13:25 13:32 13:46 14:09 Sat, Sun, BH
13:25 14:2014:2514:32 14:36 15:09 Mon-Sun
- 15:20 15:25 15:32 15:36 16:09 Sat, Sun, BH
15:25 16:20 16:25 16:32 16:36 17:09 Mon-Sun
- 17:20 17:25 17:32 17:36 18:09 Sat, Sun, BH
17:25 18:20 18:25 18:32 18:36 19:09 Mon-Sun
19:25 20:20 20:25 20:32 20:36 21:09 Mon-Sun

Bus and boat combo ticket

Take a cruise on the Ullswater Steamer, and combine it with bus travel anywhere in Cumbria for the day, for just £17.50 per adult. You can buy your ticket on the bus, A great way to get to the Ullswater Valley, and combine a cruise on the lake with a walk and some sightseeing, with an easy way back to your starting point.

Stagecoachbus.com for timetables

Download summer 2022 bus routes and timetables pdf

Ullswater steamer boat on the lake

Park and ride from Penrith or Lowther

You can park in Penrith and get the 508 bus into the Ullswater Valley, some buses will be open top to really soak the views of the lake and fells. If you park at Lowther, you can hire a bike and take the off-road bridleways into Ullswater. There's also bike hire at Glenridding at the southern end of the lake, so catch the bus down and then explore!

Bike hire