Best family hotels in the Peak District for a scenic adventure

The Peak District is one of the UK’s most popular national parks. It's an area in England at the southern end of the Pennies. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.

It's home to stunning scenery including moorland and dales, picturesque villages, and tourist favourites like Bakewell, home of the notorious Bakewell Tart! Famous attractions include Chatsworth House, Heights of Abraham, Matlock Bath Aquariumium, Gulliver's Kingdom, Peak Rail, and Crich Tramway. With all this to offer, the Peaks make an idyllic holiday and destination for all families.

With hiking boots on and a picnic in your rucksack, there is nothing better than a long family walk in the Peak District. Besides scenic walks, children of all ages will enjoy exploring underground caverns, wild swimming, canoeing, riding old trams, meeting farm animals, and visiting some adrenaline-filled theme parks.

Places to stay are plentiful and cover a whole range of accommodation options, from upscale country houses, cosy B&Bs, and boutique hotels to caravan and camping resorts. These are all situated in the most spectacular location, which is ideal for exploring the countryside.

We've rounded up some of the best family hotels in the Peak District for an unforgettable family holiday.

What are the best Peak District hotels for families?

• Best for a unique family stay: Callow Hall 

• Best for a budget break: Callow Top Holiday Park  

• Best for babies, toddlers and children of all ages: Landal Darwin Forest Lodges 

• Best for large families or extended family groups: Twitchill Farm Holiday Cottages

• Best for families to escape from it all: Hall Farm Holiday Cottages

1. Best for a unique family stay: Callow Hall

Callow Hall, Derbyshire | Check availability

"Really recommend staying in one of the hives / tree houses at Callow Hall in Ashbourne (Derbeyshire Dales)." Mumsnet user twoforwardoneback

If you are looking for an exciting family adventure in a woodland hideaway, Callow Hall is the perfect place to retreat after a hard day of exploring. You'll find everything you could need for a cosy escape in the woods.

We recommend a treehouse stay, which has two bedrooms, an open-plan living area, a well-equipped kitchen, and a wraparound deck with an outdoor bathtub. Ideally situated in Derbyshire, you’ll have access to everything the Peaks has to offer on your doorstep.

2. Best family friendly Holiday Park: Ashbourne Heights Holiday Park

Ashbourne Heights, Ashbourne | Check availability

Ashbourne Heights is situated high in the countryside, so you’ll enjoy breath-taking views of the national park. In addition, you'll have direct access to the famous Tissington Trail, which is perfect for walking or cycling.

The holiday park has a family-friendly range of accommodation including lodges, caravans and glamping pods. There's plenty to keep the little ones occupied, with a heated indoor pool and children's play area. Outside the park, it's only a short drive to Alton Towers and Gulliver's Kingdom.

3. Best for a budget break: Callow Top Holiday Park

Callow Top Holiday Park, Ashbourne | Check availability

Callow Top is an award-winning, family-owned caravan and camping site. The site is surrounded by picturesque countryside yet within walking distance of the market town of Ashbourne and near to Bakewell, Matlock and Buxton.

With a children's play area, indoor pool, fishing lake and games area all on-site there is plenty to keep the kids occupied. The site is very child friendly with surfaced paths throughout which are ideal for buggies and the campsite has a quiet time from 10.30pm. For those who love nature, real fires are also allowed!

4. Best for a rural stay: Crich Lane Farm

Crich Lane Farm,  Alfreton | Check availability

Crich Lane Farm is a 17th Century farmhouse set on 30 acres of scenic Derbyshire countryside. The farm offers the perfect escape to relax from it all, but still have access to lots of attractions on your doorstep. Guests are well catered for by the owners and set up for the day with a locally-sourced English breakfast.

Crich Lane Farm offers a safe environment for children to explore the farm's various animals including sheep, ponies, and chickens.

5. Best for babies, toddlers and children of all ages: Landal Darwin Forest Lodges

Landal Darwin Forest Lodges, Derbyshire | Check availability

Darwin Forest Lodges holiday is a multiple award-winning resort 5* park set in a forest on 44 acres situated between Matlock and Bakewell. Spend quality time with your family in one of the 137 Scandinavian lodges that come with a hot tub.

To keep older children entertained there is the Trim Trak obstacle course, orienteering, tennis, mini-golf, body zorbing, archery, water walkers and snorkelling. The activity den hosts pool tables, air hockey and an arcade games room. Plus there is bike hire available to explore the endless trails.

To occupy the babies and toddlers there’s a great size indoor swimming pool, an outdoor adventure playground and the Little Monkey’s indoor children’s soft play centre.

For the parents, there is a health and fitness centre, a heated indoor pool, a luxury spa area, a gym and beauty treatments.

At Darwin Forest, there is something that all ages can enjoy and we’re sure a stay here will be a huge hit with the whole family.

6. Best for a luxury stay: Wheeldon Trees Cottages

Wheeldon Trees Cottages, Buxton | Check availability

Wheeldon Trees Cottages is a luxury retreat of 10 highly equipped cottages, including a newly renovated farmhouse sleeping six with a wood-burning hot tub in one of the Peak District’s most stunning valleys. With a focus on wellness, you can truly escape from it all and simply enjoy the great outdoors.

Whilst you relax in the surroundings, the kids will be occupied with the adventure playground, and there’s a games room with a pool table, air hockey and ping pong. There is also a range of electric bikes for you to borrow to explore the local area.

7. Best stay at a B&B: Dannah Farm Country House

Dannah Farm Country House, Shottle  | Check availability

The award-winning Dannah Farm Country House on Chatsworth working farm is situated in the heart of the Derbyshire Dales. It is the perfect location to enjoy the varied attractions the area has to offer.

For families, it offers a self-contained split-level suite with two bedrooms, a living room and an en-suite. Upstairs you'll find a spacious room with a super-king four-poster bed. Downstairs is a dining area leading on to a twin room ideal for up to two children, a snug with a sofa and en-suite.

Downstairs is even doggie friendly so the whole family can enjoy your getaway to the Peak District!

8. Best for large families or extended family groups: Twitchill Farm

Twitchill Farm, Hope | Check availability

Grab your friends with kids and set off on an adventure for some non-stop fun and laughter at the peaks. Set in a rural location in Hope Valley, Twitchell Farm is two charming self catering holiday cottages with enough space to accommodate up to 16 guests when hiring the two cottages.

The cottages have a private indoor heated pool, a terrace and panoramic views over the Hope Valley and Castleton. Situated right in the heart of The Peak District National Park, the cottages are a fantastic base to explore the huge array of activities and places that are offered by the area.

9. Best for families to escape from it all: Hall Farm Holiday Cottages

Hall Farm Holiday Cottages, Wetton | Check availability

Hall Farm is situated in the beautiful White Peak area of the Peak District. Here you’ll find a collection of family-friendly cottages that have all the key ingredients for an amazing holiday. There are loads for babies and toddlers at Hall Farm, including a brand new play barn, outdoor play area, plenty of wide-open space and friendly chickens to meet! All the cottages are well-equipped and sleep between three to five people. Individual bookings or group stays across the three cottages can also be arranged.

The cottages are located in the quaint village of Wetton, which has a friendly, traditional pub. Cavern Thor’s Cave is a 15 minute picturesque walk, and the popular villages of Alstonefield, Hartington and Ilam are all within a 10 minute drive.

10. Best for a convenient stay for Chatsworth: Devonshire Arms in Beeley, Chatsworth Estate

Hall Farm Holiday Cottages, Wetton | Check availability

The Devonshire Arms at Beeley is located on the Chatsworth Estate. Dating from 1747, this upscale village pub has elegant guest rooms, a cosy bar and is ideal for exploring the Chatsworth estate and area.

Three family suites feature sofa beds for children and the restaurant serves produce that is locally sourced from the Chatsworth Estate and has a children's menu.

Beeley is an attractive village, with a stream running through it. You can walk through the park to Chatsworth House, a couple of miles away, or hike up to Hob Hurst's House on Beeley Moor. Other Peak District attractions such as Castleton's caverns, Haddon Hall, and the market town of Bakewell are all within easy reach.

Is the Peak District suitable for families?

If you and your family love the great outdoors, walking and biking, then the Peak District is an idyllic place to visit.

There are endless attractions to suit children of all ages and it is well set up for toddlers and babies too. You’ll find disused railway lines which have been turned into traffic-free cycle trails with bike hire shops and cafes along the way, as well as plenty of walks which are suitable for little legs.

The caverns and caves of the Peak District are fascinating and are unique places to visit, with their amazing rock formations, rare stones and atmospheres. They are one of the most enjoyable things to do in the Peak District when it rains as you are underground and the weather doesn’t matter.

Heights of Abraham is one of the best days out for kids, as Mumsnetters confirm. A cable car takes you up to the Heights of Abraham for some stunning views. Or for the thrill-seekers, you can take a day trip to Gulliver’s Kingdom, a theme park for children aged 3 to 13 just outside Matlock.

Chatsworth House is set in expansive parkland where wild deer roam and has been chosen as Britain’s favourite country house several times. Your little ones will be entertained by the farmyard and adventure playground.

A family holiday in the Peak District is guaranteed to be full of fun, which is why visitors return time and time again.

Where is the best town to stay in the Peak District?

The Peak District is relatively small so you can get around it quite easily. You can plan to visit all it has to offer from most locations, especially if you stay somewhere central, then you can be anywhere in the Peak District in less than an hour. Each town and village is diverse and has something unique to offer.

Buxton is the largest town in the Peak District, making it the most popular destination. Looking for something a bit more authentic? Castleton is a quaint little village right in the heart of the Peaks. It's ideal for families, as it offers an easy-going alternative to the bigger towns. Alternatively, Edale has the same village atmosphere but doesn’t get the same tourist numbers. This makes it the perfect choice for those that want to get away from it all!

How we chose our recommendations

Our recommendations are based on feedback from real parents, Mumsnet forums, customer testimonials, and review sites. Being parents ourselves helps us to understand what families need when booking a holiday, and we always offer unbiased, independent advice you can trust.

After we’ve collated our hotel picks, we then turn to the experts and consult the likes of TripAdvisor, Booking.com, and Expedia to see what their recommendations include for family holidays in the Peak District.

Here we’ll also check what travellers are saying on these sites, taking into consideration both the positive and negative points of their trip to bring you a well-rounded and honest guide.

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.