Interested to know what the daily 2026 schedule looks like? Here's the guide book sent to all participants

The Lake District  is one of the most stunning places on earth. Breathtaking might well be a cliché, but it is advisable to remind yourself to breathe as you stand in-front of one of those incredible, awe inspiring peaks. It's also relatively close to where I was born, so It's going to be a personal pleasure to put on a retreat in this radiant gem of the North in a place where time will stand still just for you, allowing you to linger, think, and of course, pack in some guitar playing. 

See you there. Bring your boots. And a flat cap.

We limit attendance to about 15. This is a far cry from a guitar retreat in a conference room in a hotel on the motorway. This is small scale, boutique, bespoke but in big houses.

We welcome all levels of players onto our retreats. The Guitar Social is a specialist in making mixed groups work; there isn’t an advanced song that can’t be made simple, and there isn’t a simple song that can’t be made complex. Every player has a place in a Guitar Social jam.

Furthermore, once you have booked, your retreat tutor will be in touch to get an understanding of where you are with your progress, and the workshops will be designed around your, and the wider group’s, needs.

We pride ourselves on being non-elitist, inclusive, and creative in the way we approach our workshops.

On a Guitar Social retreat, all the action happens in our communal spaces — the kitchen, the lounge, and, if you’re joining us in France, the castle grounds. Your room is simply a place to store your clothes and get ready for your next musical adventure.

Room shares are allocated with age, gender, and identification in mind. We also consider people’s personal interests and do our very best to match guests well. For example, on one retreat, we organised a room share for three women — those three still holiday together, and two of them even lived together in London for a year. You never know who you’re going to meet on a Guitar Social retreat!

If you prefer your own room, we’re totally here for that. All of our accommodation options include private rooms, and if single rooms are sold out, just send us an email — we’ll explore alternatives, like buying out a twin room.

Most of all, we want you to trust that we take the care and wellbeing of everyone who books a retreat with us very seriously. That’s why we take more than 150 people on holiday each year and why, no matter where you are in the world, if you type “guitar retreats” into Google, it’s The Guitar Social you’ll find.

Understandably, many people feel anxious about trusting their precious instrument to baggage handlers. That anxiety isn’t helped by the endless Reddit threads and online discussions on this hot potato of a subject.

The first thing you need to know is that almost everything you read online isn’t based on reality. We travel with hundreds of guitars every year, and they always arrive safely and undamaged. The process for ensuring your guitar reaches its destination safely is actually very simple:

1. Check it in as baggage. You can do this by selecting ‘musical instruments’ or ‘sports equipment’ when booking your flight.

2. Use a hard case or a well-padded gig bag. This provides essential protection for your guitar.

Other options include:

3. Buying a seat for your guitar. Some airlines allow you to purchase an extra seat for your instrument to keep it safe in the cabin.

4. Buying a guitar at your destination. You might want to treat yourself or pick up a cheap guitar from a pawn shop, which you can then sell back when you leave.

5. Hiring a guitar from The Guitar Social. On some retreats, we can provide a guitar for you to use during your stay.

If you have any questions or need support in this area, please don’t hesitate to get in touch — we’re here to help.

Afternoon

After meeting at Penrith station at 1pm, we will head to the accommodation to drop our bags, settle in and enjoy some lunch.

Late afternoon

Folk Jam featuring classic folk songs and music with a pastoral theme to quicken our acclimatisation into our new surroundings

Evening

Dinner, featuring local produce cooked to traditional Northern recipes

until late  Candle Light Live  Our much loved London based event,  in the Lakes.  This is an opportunity for everyone to share a song, in a private, non judgemental setting. Performances are optional, but encouraged. As the week develops, collaborations will form through daily practice meaning that we can look forward to duos and trios forming. You will see this event listed every night. 

Workshops

1. Optional Poetry workshop.  We are in the Lakes, home of the great poets. In this session we will be studying one piece by William Wordsworth and taking a view of his life in the Lakes

2. Open tunings as found in folk music

3. Technical studies

Afternoon

A moderate five kilometre with with pit stops and a country pub as the final destination.

Evening

Evening jam,  songs brought forward by the group and suggested by The Guitar Social

As it get lates, candle light live

Morning

Breakfast in Cockermouth followed by a trip to The William Wordsworth House and Museum

Midday

A 7 kilometre circular on the Scale Force trail in search of a waterfall, starting and ending in Buttermere.

Evening

Workshops

1. Easy Acoustic songs with killer riffs

2. When Poetry meets music- a workshop exploring the difference between lyrics and poetry and examples of when pop music and poetry have crossed paths

3. Evening Jam

Dinner, cooked in the house followed by Candle light Live.

Workshops

1. Songs inspired by the Lake District 

2. Songwriting workshop-finding inspiration from your surroundings

3. Technical studies

Afternoon

A stunning walk which starts on the edge of Lake Buttermere before heading uphill to a series of natural infinite pools where you can take a cold plunge while looking back on your footsteps downhill.

Evening

An extended evening jam, revisiting songs we have learnt so far with some new additions as recommended by the group.

Workshops

1. The Folk Music of Britain; An exploration of what traditional music is in Ireland

2. Finger style workshop; exploring contemporary British music

Afternoon

The big one-a hike up Scaffell Pike. This 6 hour trail takes us up Englands highest mountain and one of the peaks from the famous three peaks challenge and although this sounds intimidating, you can rest assured that you'll be passing people of all ages and sizes on your way up as you follow a well word path.

For those looking for something a little less intense, we have a second three hour hike option departing from the same start point.

Evening

Candle Light Live

After a breakfast well deserved, one last jam, it's time to say good bye (for now) to your new friends and head to the strain station.

Phone numbers are swapped, memories are made forever.