What to Expect

Real experiences, rooted in untamed beauty

Everything you need to know before you turn up

Person rock climbing on a beige and moss-covered cliff face wearing an orange helmet, orange safety harness, and orange vest, holding a climbing rope while looking upward with an expression of concentration and determination.

The Honister experience

Here's what's coming your way

Every adventure at Honister is rooted in real rock, real challenge, and real reward. Whether you're scaling the mine face, crossing an exposed ridge, or stepping out over the valley on the Infinity Bridge, our expert guides are with you from first step to last.

No scripts. No theatre. Just genuine adventures that make real memories.

Person wearing a gray and orange helmet with hornister.com branding and dark sunglasses, smiling at the camera while adjusting their helmet strap. They are wearing a maroon Patagonia shirt and a smartwatch, with rocky terrain and mountains visible in the background under a clear blue sky.

Step 1

Arrive & kit up

Check in, meet your guide and get fitted with everything you need. We take care of the equipment; you bring the sense of adventure.

Multiple rock climbers ascending a steep rocky cliff face using ropes and safety equipment in a mountainous landscape with clear blue sky and distant peaks visible.

Step 2

Take on the challenge

Whatever you've chosen, your guide leads you through it, pushing you just enough, keeping you safe, and making sure every moment counts.

Person wearing a blue and yellow helmet climbing on a wooden beam or bridge structure, smiling while secured with a rope against a clear blue sky, with moss-covered stone visible in the foreground.

Step 3

Leave with a story

The views, the adrenaline, the moment you surprised yourself, that's what Honister is about. Real memories, made in the Lake District.

Mountain landscape with a Land Rover vehicle parked at a high-altitude visitor center, surrounded by green hillsides, rocky peaks, winding roads, and parked cars under a clear blue sky.

Home of Adventure

Person holding an orange safety helmet branded with honister.com text, with shelves of oranges blurred in the background in an industrial or warehouse setting.

Go deep, climb high and surrender to gravity

Group of people wearing mining helmets with headlamps inside a vehicle, including two children in orange helmets and adults in white and cream-colored helmets, all smiling at the camera.

Adventure for all.

Group of six people wearing orange helmets and safety gear walking on a gravel mountain path with an orange adventure tour bus in the background, surrounded by steep rocky terrain and sparse vegetation.

Reach new heights

Person rock climbing or rappelling on a steep rocky cliff face while wearing an orange safety helmet, red shirt, and climbing harness with rope and equipment, smiling at the camera with a mountainous landscape visible below.

Leave comfort zones behind and feel your spine tingle as you scale the UK's original Via Ferrata

Group of six mountain climbers wearing orange safety helmets and colorful winter climbing gear posing together on a snowy slope, with snow-covered peaks and a valley visible in the background behind them.

Action-packed adventures for the whole family, whatever the weather.

Person in orange jacket and yellow helmet climbing a metal ladder in a cave, secured with ropes and safety equipment, surrounded by rocky cave walls with moss and water features visible in the background.

A high-adrenaline journey deep into the heart of Honister's slate mine.

Multiple people zip-lining across a cable strung between two mountainous cliffs in a remote canyon landscape under a clear blue sky.

Get in the zone to make a daring traverse of Europe’s longest high wire bridge, suspended hundreds of feet above the valley below

Two people zip-lining through a narrow rocky canyon with steep stone walls and moss-covered surfaces, suspended by a red cable harness system.

One small step. One epic freefall.

Two rock climbers in bright neon climbing gear embrace on a rocky hillside, both wearing safety helmets and harnesses, smiling at the camera with mountainous terrain in the background.

A proper day out for proper thrill-seekers

Group of people wearing orange safety helmets celebrating on a rocky mountain summit with arms raised, surrounded by expansive valley landscape and blue sky

Mind-blowing views

Everything you should know

Honister sits high in the heart of the Lake District. Getting here is part of the adventure, but a little preparation goes a long way. Here's everything you need before you set off.

Getting here

We're at the top of the Honister Pass in Borrowdale, Keswick – CA12 5XN. The roads are narrow and dramatic, so take your time. Sat nav works but allow extra time from the valley.

We're open 7 days a week, 8:30am – 5:00pm.

Parking

Free parking is available for the first hour. After that, parking is £5 per vehicle for the day. You can pay online or at the shop on arrival. Overnight parking is also available – perfect if you're making a full weekend of it.

When to arrive

Arrive at least 30 minutes before your activity starts. You'll need time to check in, get kitted up and meet your guide. Late arrivals may miss their slot.

What to wear

Wear comfortable layers and sturdy boots or strong walking shoes. Waterproof clothing is highly recommended. All specialist equipment, including your harness, helmet and head torch, is provided. Don't wear your best clothes – it's a mountain, not a catwalk.

Food & drink

The Bait Cabin Café is open on-site daily, serving hot food, homemade cakes, teas and coffees. Fuel up before your adventure or celebrate after. Or try our family-run pub, The Yew Tree, is tucked into the beautiful Borrowdale Valley. We try our best to cater for all dietary needs.

Accessibility

We want adventure to be possible for everyone. Each activity has its own age, height and fitness requirements, check the individual adventure pages or get in touch and we'll help find the right fit.

Real people. Real memories.

Stories from the summit

"It's the scariest, but best thing I've ever done."

Andrea C via TripAdvisor · ★★★★★

We spontaneously decided to visit Honister Slate Mine on a very rainy day whilst on holiday in the lakes. Well - we absolutely loved it!

Will

From TripAdvisor

Got questions?

Can't find the answer you're looking for? Check in touch and we'll get you sorted.

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Yes, we have WiFi available for our customers.

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Because we're up a mountain, mains drinking water isn't available. Bottled water is.

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Parking costs £5 per vehicle, per day. You can add parking when booking online or pay at the visitor centre on arrival. If you're booking two or more different activities as part of your visit, day parking is free and the £5 parking charge will be automatically discounted at checkout.

The main entrance is at the front of our visitor centre. Turn immediately right for our main car park and left for the overflow car park.

Coaches are welcome to park for free. We have lots of space, but please phone ahead and we can help with traffic flow.

Overnight parking is available for £15 a night. This can be purchased on our website or at our visitor centre.

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The closest public phone is in Seatoller (at the bottom of Honister Pass).

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Keswick is 8 miles, Cockermouth 13 miles.

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The bus operates to take activity customers to the mine entrance only.

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Many of our activities are child-friendly, particularly if adults are present too. You’ll find minimum age requirements on our individual adventure activity pages, as well as guidance on adult supervision.

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