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Luxury Tour
The Best Of The Cotswolds Walking Tour
DISTANCE
5 – 8 miles (8 – 13 km) per day
DIFFICULTY
Easy To Moderate
DURATION
8 nights
Accommodation
B&B accommodation and Inns
Travel Information
Price
£985
Walking Tour Overview
This journey takes you through some of the best parts of the Cotswolds, showcasing some of it’s most picturesque scenery and architecture. Get a true sense of the English countryside charm of the region with the honey-coloured stone houses, rolling green hills dotted with sheep, and quaint villages along the route.
Everything from the trail itself to the stops along the way and the accommodation have been especially selected to allow guests to experience the best of the Cotswolds villages for a quintessential Cotswolds experience.
As a beginner-friendly course, the Best of the Cotswolds Walking Tour is a warm welcome to The Cotswolds for a wide range of travelers. The path is primarily on flat, accommodating dirt paths that will guide you through the tranquil countryside and beautiful villages at a leisurely low intensity.
Tour Highlights
As a curated walking tour, the Best of the Cotswolds walk is peppered with the must-see highlights of the Cotswolds. Amongst the serenity of the woods and pastures, you’ll find ancient abbeys, churches and houses reminiscent of the region’s rich history.
Witness Jacobean opulence at Stanway house, a shining example of a Jacobean manor house, complete with its 300ft fountain and 18th-century water garden.
Walk up Broadway Tower for fine views before descending down into the ever-picturesque Chipping Campden.
Wander through some of the most picturesque countryside & villages in England.
Appreciate a well-earned rest at one of the traditional country pubs in the area. This tour has been designed to guide visitors passed some of the best Cotswolds restaurants and pubs.
This walk offers an unforgettable journey through England’s idyllic countryside, blending stunning natural landscapes with a rich tapestry of history. It showcases the beauty of the region and invites you to connect with its heritage, making it a must-do for anyone seeking to immerse themselves in one of the most scenic parts of Britain.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive at Moreton-in-Marsh
Begin your exploration of the Cotswolds when you arrive at Moreton-in-Marsh for your first overnight. Walk the broad High Street lined with 17th-century buildings or unwind in one of the many lush green spaces including some beautiful gardens such as the Queen Victoria Gardens. With a falconry centre nearby at Batsford, specialist tea rooms, and roman history, this sleepy town has plenty to offer visitors as they begin their journey through The Cotswolds.
Day 2: Moreton-in-Marsh to Stow-on-the-Wold (7 miles/11 km)
Day 2 marks the first walking day of the tour. Take in the rolling countryside when you cross the green pastures of the high wolds to your first destination, Stow-on-the-Wold. Complete with village stocks and a picturesque market square, Stow-on-the-Wold is an old market town that also boasts a myriad of iron age and roman sites to behold, all set in the Cotswold countryside. Overnight at Stow-on-the-Wold.
Day 3: Stow-on-the-Wold to Bourton-on-the-Water (4.5 miles/ 7.2 km)
Today’s route from Stow-on-the-Wold is a leisurely downhill walk across fairytale meadows to scenic Lower Slaughter, the sister village of Upper Slaughter. Sitting along the meandering banks of the River Eye, Lower Slaughter is one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds, and having been untouched in terms of construction since 1906, it is bound to stay so. Step back in time when you take in this truly old-world village with its working mill and romantic stone bridges. Continue on to Bourton-on-the-Water, with its many attractions, antique shops and cafes. Visit the Model Village, the Motoring and Toy Museum, or the Equestrian Center before your overnight at Bourton-on-the-Water.
Day 4: Bourton-on-the-Water to Guiting Power (7 miles/11 km)
On day 4, the route follows the River Windrush to the village of Naunton with its ancient dovecote and on to lovely Guiting Power, where the church has a fine Norman arch. Transfer back to Bourton-on-the-Water for overnight from Guiting Power.
Day 5: Guiting Power to Winchcombe (6 miles/9.5 km)
Transfer from Bourton-on-the-Water to Guiting Power. Walk through picturesque woods and tranquil open pastures before the dramatic descent to the ancient Saxon capital of Winchcombe. Winchcombe is home to a fascinating history, with Sudeley Castle, the last resting place of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth wife less than a mile away. Overnight in Winchcombe.
Day 6: Winchcombe to Stanton (7 miles/11 km) or Broadway (10.5 miles/17 km or 8.5 miles/13.9 km)
Follow the pilgrims’ route to Hailes Abbey and take in the ruins of the medieval monastery, then continue over the hills to Stanway House, a magnificent Jacobean manor house, complete with remarkable terraced gardens and medieval tithe barn. Next, adventure on to the idyllic small village of Stanton, Gloucestershire or the coaching village of Broadway. It is also possible to overnight in Buckland Manor, 2 miles before Broadway; please enquire for more information.
Day 7: Stanton or Broadway to Chipping Campden (8 miles/13 km or 4.5 miles/7 km)
Walk up to Broadway Tower, the 18th-century folly from where there are fine views across the vale before descending to Chipping Campden, the loveliest of all Cotswold villages, with its covered market place, beautiful ‘wool’ church, almshouses and silversmith. Overnight in Chipping Campden.
Day 8: Chipping Campden to Moreton-in-Marsh (7 miles/11 km)
On your last walking day, pass through the charming villages of Broad Campden and Blockley and descend to Batsford, where you may visit the arboretum and falconry centre if you missed them on day one. Finally, conclude your quintessential Cotswold journey with a pleasant stroll across meadows to Moreton-in-Marsh. Overnight at Moreton-in-Marsh.
Day 9: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
Map
An eight-night (or fewer if preferred) circular walking holiday of the North Cotswolds. This tour has seven walking days. The grading and distance are aimed at those wanting a less strenuous tour with enough time to take things at a leisurely pace.
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Distance
Total: 47 miles (75 km)
Duration: 7 walking days
Average daily mileage: 7 miles (11.2 km)
Longest day: 8.7 miles (13.9 km)
Shortest day: 4.5 miles (7.2 km)
Duration
Total: 47 miles (75 km)
Duration: 7 walking days
Average daily mileage: 7 miles (11.2 km)
Longest day: 8.7 miles (13.9 km)
Shortest day: 4.5 miles (7.2 km)
Accommodation
In keeping with the best of the Cotswolds theme of this tour, the accommodation has been hand-picked to provide guests with an authentic Cotswolds experience.
Though accommodation may vary from tour to tour, we gravitate towards a selection of quintessential English countryside stays. Some favourites when it comes to our Best of the Cotswolds walking tour include:
The Bell Inn at Moreton-in-Marsh
Blaire House at Winchcombe
The Crown and Trumpet Inn at Broadway
The Volunteer Inn at Chipping Campden
The Old Manse Hotel at Bourton-on-the-Water
All of our selected B&Bs, Inns, and Hotels will give you a warm welcome with a hearty breakfast for you in the morning to set you off on your day’s walk.
Easy to Moderate
There are no prolonged or large altitude gains along this route and terrain is generally not too rugged, making this tour accommodating for most levels of fitness and hiking experience. You’ll walk primarily on dirt paths through fields, with some stretches of tarmac, and occasional rocky paths.
Highest elevation gain in one day: 767ft (233m)
Average daily elevation gain: 500ft (152m)
Travel Information
The Cotswolds are at the heart of the British rail network. Direct trains travel from London Paddington Station 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 take a direct train to Moreton-in-Marsh.
Private Transfer:
We are happy to arrange private transfers to your starting accommodation.
Please contact us for further details.
Price
£985 pp
Two people sharing a room
B&B accommodation with a private bathroom
Pricing includes:
8 nights of accommodation
Luggage transfers each walking day
Route notes and maps
Local backup on-call
Please contact us to enquire about the single supplement for this tour if you plan on traveling alone.
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