The Cotswolds are defined by rolling hills with magical views, idyllic scarp foot villages and lush valleys dotted with honey coloured stone farms and pretty market towns. This tour has been designed by us to embrace many of the Cotswold's highlights. Your route includes a few well worn Cotswold walks and numerous lesser known footpaths we have discovered - our speciality. Coupled with gorgeous luxury hotels or unique and cosy Cotswold inns, the tour is one of our favourites.
You'll love the innumerable hidden hamlets as well as Broadway, Moreton in Marsh, Stow on the Wold, the Slaughters, Bourton on the Water, Winchcombe and Chipping Campden. Enjoy royal connections at Sudeley Castle, the world famous and wonderful garden at Hidcote Manor and the quirky side of British aristocrats at Chastleton House. Yes history and wildlife abound, cosy inns beckon and timeless, glorious landscapes will refresh. The itinerary is relaxed with several optional days off and we have chosen a characterful mix of hotels, some with 2 night stays, for you to enjoy and relax in at the end of each day.
As Stratford on Avon is so close, we have included a stay here at the start of the tour for those wanting to take a close look at the town and houses where Shakespeare spent so much time.
Holiday details
Price
- Classic
-
from £1,785 per person
for 8 nights. - Luxury
-
from £2,975 per person
for 8 nights.
Based on two people sharing a room
Duration
7 or 8 nights
Start & Finish
8 night tour starts Stratford on Avon on Sundays for the classic tour and Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays for the luxury tour. Ends Chipping Campden.
Hotels
- Classic
-
Small hand picked hotels and inns a restaurant with rooms
- Luxury
-
Characterful and historic 4 star hotels, a boutique hotel and a 15th Century inn
Holiday type
Self-guided so you are free to explore at your own pace. More info...
Activity level
Gentle walking (5) More info...
Mileage
4 days of walking 4 - 12 miles (6 - 19 km) per day and 3 days of optional walking
Terrain
Rolling
What’s included?
Ensuite accommodation every night with breakfast. The services of our friendly local Hosts. Luggage transfers between hotels. 24/7 phone contact number. Adventure Handbook with our local tips. GPS Routes on an App with waterproof phone holder. Guidebook or OS maps. Protection of your funds. Advice, help and guidance planning your trip.
Transfer to Moreton-in-Marsh train station at the end of your holiday. Read About Our Trips for further details
Options
- Additional nights in Chipping Campden or Stratford
- Fly fishing with an additional night in Bourton
- Can be shortened
Itinerary day-by-day
Classic
-
1. Day one
(Optional) - Stratford on Avon
The 8 night tour starts Tuesday with your arrival in Stratford on Avon. Check into your hotel located in the heart of the town. The day is yours to explore the Stratford that Shakespeare knew including the houses where he and his family lived. You may also wish to enjoy a Shakespeare play in the evening at the Stratford Theatre.
-
2. Day two
Chipping Campden
Take time to further explore Stratford this morning before we transfer you mid-afternoon to Chipping Campden. The 7 night tour starts here in Chipping Campden where a warm welcome awaits at your hotel in the village. Often described as the jewel of the Cotswolds, this honey-coloured stone village has quite a history to unravel. For those keen to get walking there is a short circular route through shaded woodlands to breathtaking views atop the Cotswold scarp
Optional 3 miles (5 km)
-
3. Day three
Chipping Campden to Hidcote and back
Your host will meet you after breakfast to welcome you and run through your itinerary. The magical walk today is circular taking you up and down dale across fields to the gem of Hidcote Manor gardens, one of England’s most famous and best loved gardens. Enjoy lunch in the café there before sauntering back to your hotel. On most occasions you will also be able to visit another highly acclaimed garden at Kiftsgate, just across the road but not open every day of the week. Of contrasting style and nurtured by 3 generations of women from the same family, this makes for a scintillating day.
Optional 7 miles (11 km)
-
4. Day four
Chipping Campden to Moreton-in-Marsh
Today's walk takes you through several charming villages as you wend your way up and then down to the market town of Moreton in Marsh where you stay 2 nights. Follow a charming brook through a steep sided valley to enter hilly grazing land. Flank woodlands, ancient parks and take in Batsford Arboretum if that appeals. Several cosy pubs mark the route and some stunning views.
8 miles (13 km)
-
5. Day five
Kingham to Moreton-in-Marsh
After a leisurely breakfast we transfer you the short distance to the lovely village of Kingham where you start your walk. Footpaths and bridleways lead first to Daylesford, the Harrods of the Cotswolds, where you can enjoy choosing a picnic from their sumptuous food displays and eclectic mix of products. Take in medieval wall paintings in a tiny church, the Jacobean mansion of Chastleton House and a string of hamlets as you wend your way back to Moreton for a second night there.
Optional 11 miles (18 km)
-
6. Day six
Moreton in Marsh to Bourton on Water
Full of interest, this walk takes you over the high wolds and through some idyllic villages to Stow on the Wold with its characterful market square and antique shops. Its then a downhill walk through picturesque water meadows and a mill on the river Dickler to charming Lower Slaughter. A little further on lies Bourton on Water, nestled in a valley with the River Windrush flowing through its heart. Sometimes described as the Venice of the Cotswolds, the village has your overnight stop located at its centre.
11 miles (18 km)
-
7. Day seven
Bourton on Water to Winchcombe
Perhaps the tour's most idyllic day of walking, you follow the Windrush Valley this morning and discover yet more classic Cotswold villages. The footpath leads through sheltered woods before you take a very pretty descent down the Cotswold scarp with amazing views. Stop at Sudeley Castle if you wish, where many Royal tales can be told before relaxing in Winchcombe - an unspoilt small Cotswold town. As the last entry to Sudeley is 3pm we can shorten the walk with a transfer, if you wish to visit this special place.
6 or 12 miles (9 or 19 km)
-
8. Day eight
Winchcombe to Broadway
Walking for much of the time below the scarp face of the Cotswolds, this is a gentle day - a lowland treasure of long views and tiny villages, of superb specimen trees and individual buildings that make you pause and wonder. There's splendour, peace and finally the bustle of Broadway where you will spend your last night.
11 miles (18 km)
-
9. Day nine
Broadway to Chipping Campden
This is a dramatic end to the tour with a short but steep ascent up the Cotswold scarp to the Broadway Tower with its stunning panoramic view. This is not the only big view of the day before you slip quietly into elegant Chipping Campden, a market town without equal and a fitting finish to the highlights of the Cotswolds. We will meet you after lunch and if you wish, transfer you to Moreton-in-Marsh station.
6 miles (9 km)
Luxury
-
1. Day one
(Optional) - Stratford on Avon
The 8 night tour starts Sunday, Monday or Tuesday with your arrival in Stratford on Avon. Check into your hotel located in the heart of the town. The day is yours to explore the Stratford that Shakespeare knew including the houses where he and his family lived. You may also wish to enjoy a Shakespeare play in the evening at the Stratford Theatre.
-
2. Day two
Chipping Campden
Take time to further explore Stratford this morning before we transfer you mid-afternoon to Chipping Campden. The 7 night tour starts here in Chipping Campden where a warm welcome awaits at your hotel in the village. Often described as the jewel of the Cotswolds, this honey-coloured stone village has quite a history to unravel. For those keen to get walking there is a short circular route through shaded woodlands to breathtaking views atop the Cotswold scarp
Optional 3 miles (5 km)
-
3. Day three
Chipping Campden to Hidcote and back
Your host will meet you after breakfast to welcome you and run through your itinerary. The magical walk today is circular taking you up and down dale across fields to the gem of Hidcote Manor gardens, one of England’s most famous and best loved gardens. Enjoy lunch in the café there before sauntering back to your hotel. On most occasions you will also be able to visit another highly acclaimed garden at Kiftsgate, just across the road but not open every day of the week. Of contrasting style and nurtured by 3 generations of women from the same family, this makes for a scintillating day.
Optional 7 miles (11 km)
-
4. Day four
Chipping Campden to Moreton-in-Marsh
Today's walk takes you through several charming villages as you wend your way up and then down to the market town of Moreton in Marsh where you stay 2 nights. Follow a charming brook through a steep sided valley to enter hilly grazing land. Flank woodlands, ancient parks and take in Batsford Arboretum if that appeals. Several cosy pubs mark the route and some stunning views.
8 miles (13 km)
-
5. Day five
Kingham to Moreton-in-Marsh
After a leisurely breakfast we transfer you the short distance to the lovely village of Kingham where you start your walk. Footpaths and bridleways lead first to Daylesford, the Harrods of the Cotswolds, where you can enjoy choosing a picnic from their sumptuous food displays and eclectic mix of products. Take in medieval wall paintings in a tiny church, the Jacobean mansion of Chastleton House and a string of hamlets as you wend your way back to Moreton for a second night there.
Optional 11 miles (18 km)
-
6. Day six
Moreton in Marsh to Lower Slaughter
Full of interest, this walk takes you over the high Wolds and through some idyllic villages to Stow on the Wold with its characterful market square and antique shops. Its then a downhill walk through picturesque water meadows and a mill on the River Dickler to the charming hamlet of Lower Slaughter nestled around the river.
9.6 miles (15 km)
-
7. Day seven
Bourton On Water to Winchcombe and Broadway
After breakfast we transfer you to Bourton on Water, the ‘Venice’ of the Cotswolds’ with the River Windrush flowing through its heart. Then begins perhaps the tour's most idyllic day of walking as you follow the Windrush Valley this morning and discover yet more classic Cotswold villages. The footpath leads through sheltered woods before you take a very pretty descent down the Cotswold scarp with amazing views. Stop at Sudeley Castle if you wish, where many Royal tales can be told before we meet you in Winchcombe - an unspoilt small Cotswold town and transfer you to Broadway where you stay 2 nights. As the last entry to Sudeley is 3pm we can shorten the walk with a longer transfer, if you wish to visit this special place.
6 or 12 miles (9 or 19 km)
-
8. Day eight
Winchcombe to Broadway
With a transfer back to Winchcombe, you are walking for much of the time below the scarp face of the Cotswolds. This is a gentle day - a lowland treasure of long views and tiny villages, of superb specimen trees and individual buildings that make you pause and wonder. There's splendour, peace and finally the bustle of Broadway where you will spend your last night.
11 miles (18 km)
-
9. Day nine
Broadway to Chipping Campden
This is a dramatic end to the tour with a short but steep ascent up the Cotswold scarp to the Broadway Tower with its stunning panoramic view. This is not the only big view of the day before you slip quietly into elegant Chipping Campden, a market town without equal and a fitting finish to the highlights of the Cotswolds. We will meet you after lunch and if you wish, transfer you to Moreton-in-Marsh station.
6 miles (9 km)