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National Park Experiences
Experience the extraordinary outdoors and discover the wide range of unique, hands-on experiences available in Britain's original National Park.
This isn’t the usual tourist trail, this is experiencing the destination like a local. So let’s get exploring, check out the experiences below by clicking on the links to book and find out more.
From feeling the wind in your hair as you get to grips with climbing on the area's gritstone crags, to foraging for ingredients to create your own bespoke gin, these experiences are all part of the English National Park Experience Collection, which allows you to connect with the people at the heart of the Peak District. Get caught up in their stories, follow in their footsteps and be inspired by their passion for timeless rural life and the great outdoors.
This is your chance to journey through history, culture and countryside, discover precious wildlife and get to know the true England. Even better, you're in the driving seat. We’ll show you the possibilities, then you can book the experiences directly - making your trip to the Peak District truly unforgettable.
Find out more, including how to book, by clicking on the links below:
Behind the Scenes of a Stately Home
Experience real life in a medieval house. Meet the team behind the scenes of the impressive Haddon Hall, a 900-year-old fortified manor house. Hear tales of famous visitors and disocver the filming that has taken place at Haddon Hall over the years, including Hollywood blockbusters. Turn your hand to baking using the 500-year-old oven and create your own gin cocktail using ingredients from the Tudor walled garden. Click here to find out more and book.
The Blue John Stone Experience
Journey underground to discover Blue John Stone, a rare, semi-precious mineral found at only one location in the world – in the caves of Castleton. Work with the Treak Cliff Cavern family and staff to get hands-on with this unique stone. Discover its history before producing three items to take away; an item of silver jewellery, a window hanger/decoration, and a polished slice or chunk (which can be found by searching in the mines). Click here to find out more and book.
Climbing Through History
The history of the Peak District National Park is etched in the unique gritstone crags that line the valley edges. This world-famous rock, besides being an integral part of the area’s industrial heritage, has formed the favoured vertical playground for generations of climbers and scramblers. Follow in their footsteps by climbing, scrambling and abseiling under the expert guidance of a local instructor. Suitable for all abilities to discover a different view of the Peak District. Click here to find out more and book.
Fight Climate Change in the Peak District
Do your bit to help combat climate change by heading off the beaten track and getting hands-on in the Peak District moors. On an exclusive guided walk, learn about the benefits of moors and enjoy stunning scenery whilst looking for unique moorland animals. Find out why these moors were labelled “the most polluted landscape in Europe” and how restoration work is helping to reverse their fortunes. Then help the restoration work, by planting vital carbon-storing sphagnum moss. In the UK, peatlands store more carbon than any other habitat, so we must look after them! Click here to find out more and book.
Forest in a Bottle
Join a Forest Distillery team member on a foraging walk in Macclesfield Forest, in the quieter south west of the Peak District National Park. Gather wild botanicals (such as bilberry, raspberry, blackberry, gorse flower, pine and moss) to flavour your own bespoke gin. Back at the distillery, learn about the gin making process and enjoy samples of products, including Forest Gin, which is exported around the world and sold in the exclusive Harvey Nicholls department store in London. Forest Distillery is located in a beautifully restored 17th Century stone barn. Click here to find out more and book.
Plague Village & the Peaks
Discover the fascinating history of the Plague Village of Eyam. Roll back to 1665 when the village took the brave step of cutting itself off from the outside world during an outbreak of the Plague in order to prevent the further spreading of the disease. Today you can explore the unique story by delving inside the historic parish church and visiting important locations from this time.
Stop for lunch at either a traditional Peak District pub or at a unique farmhouse kitchen which serves up home-made Afro-Caribbean food then continue the tour in the picturesque village of Hathersage where you can step into the pages of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. The tour finishes with the option of a short walk at one of Derbyshire’s most iconic viewpoints in the ‘Dark Peak’ region of this beautiful National Park. Click here to find out more and book.
A Ranger’s Journey along Stanage Edge
Join the National Park Rangers on a voyage of discovery. Peel back the layers of time and explore the history of the iconic Stanage Edge on the North Lees Estate. Revel in the wild open moorlands and rocky edges, rich in archaeology, industrial history and agriculture that shaped this stunning part of the Peak District and inspired many famous stories. Learn how the Rangers care for this special place. Enjoy a ‘brew with a view’ on Stanage Edge, a traditional British picnic, and finish the day in a fine English pub with open fires and local beers. Click here to find out more and book.
Tissington Tea-Party Retro Bike Tour
Drink tea with an English Aristocrat! Sir Richard Fitzherbert will host a tea-party in the 3,000-volume library of his historic family home, Tissington Hall in Derbyshire, and offer a personal behind the scenes tour of this 17th Century Jacobean Mansion. Cycle to the Hall and back in style from the beautiful village of Thorpe in Dovedale, on the finest British classic steel bicycles. Relish the ride on quiet country lanes and traffic-free trails through the spectacular scenery of the Peak District National Park. Click here to find out more and book.
Walk the Peaks’ Aviation History
Experience the wild side of the Peak District National Park during a walking tour to the mountain-top crash sites of famous 1940s military aircraft. Enjoy a Dambsuters-themed two-course lunch at the Yorkshire Bridge Inn and view an extensive collection of Dambusters memorabilia. Visit the stunning location of Derwent Dam, the famous WW2 training site for the RAF’s 617 Dambusters squadron. Complete the day with some sweeping hilltop views and a chance to reflect on this piece of history and the part played by the Peak District landscape. Click here to find out more and book.
White Peak Trails by e-Bike
Jump on an electric bike and let a National Park Ranger be your guide as you enjoy an easy traffic-free cycle along former railways, passing through the beautiful limestone landscape of the White Peak region. Soak up local history, discover the oldest working winding engine in the world (part of the UNESCO Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site) and pedal to an ancient hilltop burial site where you’ll be greeted by fabulous vistas. Click here to find out more and book.
Looking for places to stay in the Peak District? You’re in the right place, we've got lots of accommodation for you to choose from.
