Lake District Audio Drives
Lake District Drives in audio format
New! Your favourite Lake District drives in an audio format! In partnership with VoiceMap, the drives are voice recorded by the author so you can listen to them on your mobile device as you travel, rather than trying to read and navigate.
VoiceMap works by using GPS to trigger audio exactly when you need it as you travel, both for attraction commentary and also driving directions. So you can concentrate on the beautiful scenery and attractions whilst the audio plays and you can be sure you won’t miss any turns. You can take the tour at your own pace and also stop it at any point if you want to spend more time at a particular place, then resume the tour when you’re ready. The adventure is yours!
The audio drives contain much more information than the website versions, including local history, culture and stories, to enhance your Lake District Drives experience and discover more about this wonderful area.
The main attractions on route also have more detail included. You will need to pull in to each attraction car park to trigger the attraction audio but you don’t need to stay. At the end of this webpage are VoiceMap Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
There are three audio tours currently available; The Ambleside-Keswick-Ullswater drive, The Windermere-Coniston-Hawkshead drive and The Keswick-Borrowdale-Buttermere drive. You can access these via the links below.
The best way to follow the tour is via the free app on your mobile device. The app is available for all Apple and Android devices. Once you have the app you can then purchase and download the tour so you can save it on your device and it will play even without mobile signal or WiFi.
If you want a flavour of the audio you can play the Ambleside-Keswick-Ullswater introduction section using the sound bar below. You can also sample the audio for the first three tour locations for free in the VoiceMap tour.
Audio Drives
Lake District Driving Tour: A Guide to Scenic Ambleside, Keswick and Ullswater
An audio drive which takes you through the heart of the Lake District, from Ambleside to Grasmere and Keswick, then return via Ullswater and Kirkstone Pass. The drive visits a number of attractions and locations associated with the famous poet William Wordsworth who lived in the area for most of his life. Along the way are tranquil lakes, pretty villages and ancient landmarks. Other attractions include; Rydal Mount, Rydal Water, Dove Cottage, Wordsworth Museum, Grasmere, Thirlmere, Castlerigg Stone Circle, Aira Force Waterfall, Glenridding & Brothers Water. 45 miles.
**From 5th June to 2nd July 2023 the A592 is closed at Kirkstone Pass for roadworks. Therefore the Ambleside-Keswick-Ullswater tour will be unavailable for this time**
Tales of the Lake District: A Windermere, Coniston and Hawkshead driving tour
An audio drive around England’s largest lake, Windermere, which also visits Coniston Water, Coniston village, Tarn Hows and Hawkshead. The tour has a Beatrix Potter theme, visiting many locations associated with the famous children’s author who also had many other impressive talents. There are fabulous lake and mountain views throughout the tour and other attractions including; Bowness-on-Windermere, Brockhole, Waterhead Ambleside, Wray Castle, Hill Top, Esthwaite Water, Stott Park Bobbin Mill, Lakeside Windermere, Fell Foot Park & Blackwell. 44 miles.
Lake District Tour: A Drive Through Keswick, Borrowdale & Buttermere
An audio drive through the beautiful Borrowdale and Buttermere valleys where natural scenery and history are in abundance on a loop around the northwest corner of the Lake District National Park. Starting at the popular and attractive town of Keswick which grew from a pencil making industry. There is magnificent lake and mountain scenery with quaint villages throughout as you visit Derwent Water, Surprise View, Ashness Bridge, Lodore Falls, Bowder Stone, Seathwaite, Honister Pass, Buttermere, Crummock Water, Lorton Vale and Whinlatter Forest. 34 miles.
Audio Tour reviews
The Ambleside-Keswick-Ullswater audio tour reviews. The tours are also available through TripAdvisor.
Voicemap User FAQ
How do VoiceMap tours work?
VoiceMap’s audio tour app for iOS and Android uses your device’s GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place. Just install the app and download your tour, then go to the starting point and begin your walk, drive, cycle, train trip or even boat ride.
Do I need to follow a route, or can I start the tour anywhere I like?
Tours have a fixed starting point and follow a route to a fixed end location. This allows us to provide turn-by-turn-directions and improves the accuracy of automatic playback. It also helps tour publishers tell a better story, greater than the sum of its parts. But the VoiceMap app does have a Resume option, and this allows you to pick up a tour from the closest location and carry on with it whenever you like.
Can I use tours more than once?
You can listen to your tours as often as you like using both the VoiceMap app and the VoiceMap website. Your access to tours doesn’t expire.
Can I listen to tours at home?
Yes! You don’t need to travel to a tour’s starting point to listen to it. In the VoiceMap app, just select Virtual mode on the screen that displays after you download the tour. You can also listen to the whole tour at voicemap.me.
How do I access a tour using the VoiceMap app if I purchase it through the VoiceMap website?
Once you’ve purchased a tour, it’s added to your VoiceMap library. If you sign into the app using the same method you used at voicemap.me, you’ll have access to your full library of tours. This works the other way too: if you make in-app purchases using the VoiceMap app, you can access these on the VoiceMap website.
Can I give friends and family access to a tour I have purchased?
Tours are intended for a single person. If you’re doing a tour with other people, each of them needs to purchase a copy, unless it’s a driving tour and you’re playing the tour through the car’s soundsystem.
Do I need mobile data to do a VoiceMap tour?
No, VoiceMap works entirely offline if there’s no data connection, so you don’t have to pay roaming fees. Just download the tour over WiFi before you get started.