The Peak District is a beautiful part of the UK to explore. It’s a great place to visit in the winter, with fewer crowds and beautiful views in the winter sunlight. Here’s my perfect itinerary for 6 days in the Peak District, UK in the winter.
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How to get to and around the Peak District, UK in the winter
To fully enjoy 6 days in the Peak District, UK in the winter I’d definitely recommend having your own car. Public transport in the Peak District is very limited, so you’ll be restricted as to how much you can do if you’re relying on public transport. You’ll also miss out on some of the best viewpoint walks in the Peak District, as many of these are only accessible by car. Having a car will give you the freedom to explore as much as you want without limitations.
If you’d rather not drive, you can take a small group day tour which will show you the highlights of the Peak District without needing to drive. This small group tour from Manchester will take you to Chatsworth House and some of the best spots in the Peak District (affiliate). Or this small group tour from Manchester includes a visit to the famous caves as well (affiliate). And this private tour takes you to Hardwick Hall and more (affiliate).
Where to stay in the Peak District, UK in the winter
There are plenty of pretty villages and small towns in the Peak District, and many of these will make a great base for your 6 days in the Peak District in the winter. I’d recommend staying in, or at least, near to a village or town in the winter. That way, if the weather is bad, you won’t be isolated somewhere and can enjoy the shops and pubs nearby. Bakewell is a really pretty small town, and close to many of the top attractions in the Peak District. Castleton is one of the most popular villages and makes a great base as well.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, the town of Matlock is just outside the Peak District National Park so it’s a bit cheaper but still only a short distance from many of the top things to do. I stayed in Matlock, and found it was a great balance of a good price but also easy to get to everything we wanted.
Book your accommodation in advance for the best prices on Booking.com (affiliate).
What to take to the Peak District in the winter
The weather in the UK in the winter can be very changeable. If you’re lucky, you might get some beautiful sunny days. But clear, sunny days can often be cold. And in the winter, you definitely need to be prepared for some rainy days, and possibly some snow as well.
Make sure you take a warm, waterproof coat. Good walking boots are essential as well if you plan to do any walking in the Peak District in the winter. Layers of clothes are best to keep warm – that way, you can take layers off if you get too warm but you’ve still got the option to be warm. Remember you hat, scarf and gloves as well for the colder days. And of course, remember to take your camera and plenty of memory cards so you can take hundreds of photos of all the amazing scenery!
Keep reading for my day-by-day itinerary for 6 days in the Peak District, UK in the winter.
The perfect itinerary for 6 days in the Peak District, UK in the winter
Here’s my itinerary for 6 days in the Peak District UK in the winter. It takes in some of the top easily-accessible viewpoints in the region, as well as some historic houses and cute towns and villages.
If you’re looking for something more active during your stay in the Peak District, check out this small group guided e-bike tour (affiliate). And this rock climbing experience in the Peak District (affiliate) will give you the best memories. Or for something a bit more relaxed, this full-day pub tour in the Peak District is great fun (affiliate).
Day 1: Haddon Hall and Bakewell Pudding
I started my adventures in the Peak District with a trip to Haddon Hall. It’s just outside the town of Bakewell, and just off the main road so it’s easily accessible.
Haddon Hall
Haddon Hall felt instantly recognisable to me, as it has been used in several period drama films and TV adaptations. One of my favourite books is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and Haddon Hall has been used as a filming location for several films and TV adaptations of Jane Eyre. It’s used as Thornfield Hall, the home of Mr Rochester.
I loved walking around Haddon Hall and recognising parts of it from the Jane Eyre films. It really felt like stepping back in time, into the world of Charlotte Bronte in the 1800s. The inside of the Hall was dark and mysterious, with beautifully decorated rooms. I visited at Christmas, so there were some Christmas decorations in the house as well.
I also enjoyed walking around the outside of Haddon Hall. The gardens were nice – although it was cold and raining, so I didn’t spend too long in the gardens! But I enjoyed seeing the house from the outside, and looking up to the towers.
I spent a few hours at Haddon Hall and really enjoyed immersing myself in Jane Eyre’s world.
Bakewell
The small town of Bakewell is less than 10 minutes’ drive from Haddon Hall. So it’s a great place to stop off next. It’s a pretty town, with a river and lots of ducks.
The highlight of my trip to Bakewell was Bakewell Pudding. This famous pudding got its name from being produced in this town, and it’s still made here today. There are several places here selling original Bakewell Pudding. You can get it warm with custard – which is perfect on a cold winter’s day.
You can also get Bakewell Tart as well – and the icing on it is delicious. No trip to the Peak District is complete without trying Bakewell Pudding and Bakewell Tart is its home town in Bakewell!
Day 2: Stanage Edge and other viewpoints
On my second day in the Peak District, I was really lucky to have a beautiful sunny day. So I decided to make the most of the great weather and spend the day walking up to some of the Peak District’s best viewpoints.
Owler Tor and Surprise View
My first stop today was Owler Tor and Surprise View. There’s a small car park on the side of the road. Cross over the road to see some amazing views across rolling hills, with the orange-brown ferns and bracken in the foreground.
Owler Tor is just a few minutes’ walk along a well-marked path. It’s a really impressive rock structure, and makes a great focal point for photos. You can climb the rock too, for even better views. It was incredibly windy on the day I visited, so standing up on top of the rock was challenging! But it was definitely worth it for the sunny views.
Stanage Edge
My next stop today was my favourite place in the whole Peak District. Stanage Edge had the most incredible views.
The car park at the bottom was fairly easy to get to, although it looked like it could easily get full so you might want to plan to get there fairly early so you can get a space. The walk up to the top of Stanage Edge is very clear from the car park – you can see the path that leads up to the top.
Stanage Edge is another location in the Peak District that was used in a period film. In the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film, this is where Elizabeth Bennet stands when she visits the Peak District. It’s an amazing scene in the film, with the wind blowing her dress and beautiful music playing. Although I wasn’t wearing a flowing dress that day, I still loved standing at the top and looking out over the scenery, just like Elizabeth Bennet had done.
You can walk along the top of Stanage Edge, for more great views. I spent a few hours here walking around and taking in the scenery. On a warm summer’s day I easily could have spent all day here. However, on the winter’s day that I visited, the cold wind meant I was glad to get back down to the car after a few hours!
Mam Tor
The weather was clouding over slightly by the afternoon, but still dry so I decided to visit another viewpoint walk. Mam Tor is just outside the village of Castleton. It’s a popular walk in the Peak District so the car park can get very busy, but if you’re patient you should be able to find a space when someone leaves.
The path up to Mam Tor is mostly steps. It’s a bit hard going, but only takes around 20 minutes to get up to the top. The views on the way up are beautiful, so you can have many breaks to stop to take photos – and pretend you’re just taking photos and not needing to catch your breath!
The views from the top are lovely as well. Again, on a summer’s day, I could imagine sitting up here with a picnic and also extending the walk as well. But with the limited daylight hours in the UK in the winter, I decided to head back down to the car to make sure I wasn’t still up here when it got dark.
Monsal Head
The daylight held out just long enough for me to make a 5 minute stop at a final viewpoint. Monsal Head viewpoint gives a stunning view down to the Monsal Valley and viaduct below. There’s a car park right next to the viewpoint, so you really can see this view in about 5 minutes. There are walks you can do here as well, which I’d like to come back to explore one day.
Keep reading on the next page for day 3 onwards of your ultimate Peak District itinerary, with a visit to Chatsworth House on Day 3.
I have recently been to Bakewell and Monsal trail (on a not-so-pleasant, in fact very rainy, summer day) and can second that it is definitely doable if you are properly prepared. What I didn’t know however was that there was so much more to do nearby, so thank you so much for introducing me – I need to go back!
What a great itinerary! Some beautiful landscapes to see also!
I wouldn’t really think about visiting this area in the winter. Clearly, if you’re properly prepared, it is possible though!