Standard Tour

Luxury Tour

Cotswolds Guided Walking Tours in Luxury

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DISTANCE

6 – 7 miles (9 – 11 km) per day

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DIFFICULTY

Moderate

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DURATION

5 nights

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Accommodation

B&B Accommodation, Village Inns & Luxury Accomodation

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Travel Information

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Price

From £1275

Walking Tour Overview

We understand the importance of a personalised experience on our group tours, keeping numbers small so that all members of the group can interact with each other and with the guide. Typically our groups are numbered between 6 – 12 people.

An area of outstanding natural beauty, the Cotswolds are widely renowned as the walking capital of England. Steeped in history and dotted with villages of honey-coloured limestone and thatched cottages, the Cotswolds are comprised of gentle hills and walking here is within the reach of almost anyone.

Highlights

Rambling through some of the most picturesque countryside & villages in England.
Carefully selected accommodation at which to stay.
Average daily mileage 7 miles.
Soaking up the history of the area.

Key Information

£1,275 per person, based on 2 people sharing a double/twin room.
Single supplement available on request.
Upgrades to alternative accommodation possible for supplementary payment.
Best time to go: March – September

What’s Included

5 nights accommodation.
Welcome dinner.
Breakfast each morning.
1 x Pub Lunch.
1 x Afternoon Tea.
Guide for the duration of the holiday.
Introductory walk on day 1.
4 days of guided walks as detailed in the itinerary.
Entrance to Sudeley Castle and Hidcote Gardens.
Transfers as detailed in the itinerary.
Farewell dinner.

*Upgraded accommodation is available upon request, please ask for a quote.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Cheltenham

Arrive in Cheltenham and check in to your 4* centrally located hotel. Meet your guide in the late afternoon and go for a walking tour of Cheltenham. Welcome dinner this evening.

Day 2: Cheltenham – Winchcombe (7 miles)

After breakfast you will set off for your walk across Cheltenham to Pittville Park, around the famous Cheltenham Racecourse and up to Cleeve Hill. Continue to Belas Knap and down to medieval town of Winchcombe, home of Sudeley Castle and Gardens. The Castle in its present form was constructed in the 15th Century and is the burial place Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII. Entrance to the Castle and Gardens is included in your tour and you will have time to explore these and the village of Winchcombe before being transferred back to Cheltenham for your second night. Overnight Stow-on-the-Wold.

Day 3: Hailes Abbey – Stanway House – Broadway (7 miles)

After breakfast there is a short transfer (30 minutes) to Hailes Abbey and from here we walk to the beautiful Jacobean Stanway House, and across the estate to Stanton – one of the most perfect of Cotswold villages, before arriving in the beautiful, historic village of Broadway by mid afternoon. We will stay two nights in the Broadway Hotel – a 15th Century coaching inn in the centre of the village.

Day 4: Hidcote Gardens – Chipping Campden – Broadway Tower (7 miles)

There is a short transfer this morning to Hidcote Gardens, one of the best-known and most influential Arts and Crafts gardens in Britain, with its linked “rooms” of hedges, rare trees, shrubs and herbaceous borders. After spending time in the gardens we will walk to Chipping Campden. Explore this beautiful village, with its covered butter market, wonderful wool church and medieval streets before walking along the Cotswold Way across the wolds to Broadway Tower. This is one of England’s outstanding viewpoints and the second highest point on the Cotswold escarpment, with unrivaled views. Return to our hotel in Broadway.

Day 5: The Slaughters (6 miles)

Today we leave the Northern Cotswolds and head for The Slaughters, passing nearby Bourton on the Water. We are dropped off in Stow-on-the-Wold, founded on the site of an old Iron-age fort and developed by the Normans due to its trade routes. Fairs have been held by royal charter here since 1330 and the famous annual horse fair is still held on the edge of the town. Upper and Lower Slaughter share a fascinating name, which derives from ‘miry place’. The link is the tiny River Eye, tributary to the nearby river Windrush. These villages are considered to be some of the prettiest in the area and are well photographed and the village has been used for filming and productions. Enjoy a drink and farewell dinner. Staying overnight at The Slaughters Country Inn.

Day 6: Departure After Breakfast

Transfers can be arranged to Kemble Station or elsewhere on request.

Map

A 5 night Cotswold Guided Walking Tour.

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Accommodation

There are different categories of accommodation available from B&B accommodation to Village Inns to small & luxury hotels. Ensuite rooms are booked where possible, in some B&B's a private bathroom may be necessary.

B&B accommodation is generally in guesthouses, often private residences where some of the rooms are used for guests. They are also often smaller in size than Inns or hotels. All of our selected B&Bs will give you a warm welcome with a hearty breakfast for you in the morning. Because these are often private residences, there may not be the facilities you would expect to find in dedicated accommodation establishments. And they do not generally have options for dining in the evening.

Village Inns are generally larger, they may cater for only guests or they may also be a pub which also has guest rooms. They generally tend to have more in the way of facilities and have some kind of bar or dining options and are generally larger establishments than B&B’s

Hotels are usually the biggest of the establishments that we use and are more dedicated just to accommodation than B&B’s or Inns. There is a wide variety of hotels in The Cotswolds ranging from small hotels, to hotels with restaurants, to award winning luxury hotels.

Tour Grading

Distance: 47 miles (75 kms). Duration: 8 nights, 7 days walking. Maximum/minimum daily distances: 8.7 miles (13.9 km) / 4.5 miles (7.2 km).

This tour is of easy/moderate difficulty. Average daily walking distance is 7 miles and there are no prolonged or large altitude gains. Terrain is not generally too rugged. The walking is Mainly on dirt paths through fields, some stretches of tarmac, and occasional rocky paths.

Longest day 8.7 miles
Shortest day 4.5 miles
Average daily mileage 7 miles
Most cumulative elevation gain in one day 767 ft.
Average daily elevation gain over trip 500 ft

Travel Information

Arriving By Train:
The Cotswolds are at the heart of the British rail network. Direct trains travel from London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh frequently.

Arriving By Plane:
Nearest airport: Birmingham Airport (54.1km).

Other nearby airports: Bristol Airport (97.6km), London Heathrow: (164km). From London Heathrow, you can take the Heathrow Express train directly to London Paddington from where you can then take a direct train to Moreton in Marsh

We are happy to arrange private transfers to you starting accommodation, please contact us for futher details.