Standard Tour

Luxury Tour

The Cotswolds Circle

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DISTANCE

6 – 17 miles (9 – 27 km) per day

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DIFFICULTY

Moderate to Moderate Challenging

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DURATION

7 nights

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Accommodation

B&B Accommodation, Village Inns & Luxury Hostels

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Travel Information

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Price

£900

Walking Tour Overview

A 7 night/8 day self-guided walking holiday that offers a great Cotswold experience – the most beautiful villages, the finest views and the most interesting places. Starting in the bustling regency town of Cheltenham, you set off on your journey and enter The Cotswolds and all of its charm. Daily departures. For those who prefer not to change accommodation daily, this can adapted to a 2 base holidays with pre-arranged transfers.

This classic walk can include the beautiful town of Cheltenham on the first and last nights, to turn this into a 7 night 6 walking days holiday OR the daily distances can be reduced so that you follow the same route over 8 nights and seven walking days – please ask for more information.

7 nights B&B accommodation.
Luggage transfers each walking day.
Route notes & maps.
Local back-up.

Highlights

Rambling through some of the most picturesque countryside & villages in England
Carefully selected accommodation at which to stay
Transition from the bustle of Regency Cheltenham to the quiet of the hills
Walk past the ancient burial mound of Belas Knap on the way to Winchcombe
Soaking up the history of the area. Ancient abbeys, churches and houses.
Follow the pilgrims’ route to Hailes Abbey.

Key Information

From £900.00 per person based on two people sharing in B & Bs and Village Inn accommodation with ensuite bathrooms
From £1180.00 per person based on two people sharing in hotels, inns and selected B&Bs throughout the walking tour.
Single supplement depends on the level of accommodation chosen. Please ask for more information.
Best time to go: March – September

What’s Included

8 nights B&B accommodation
Luggage transfers each walking day
Route notes & maps
Local back-up

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

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Cheltenham

Arrive Cheltenham for overnight.

Day 2: Cheltenham to Winchcombe (8 miles - 13 km)

Starting from the classical Pump Room, the route crosses Cleeve Hill – the highest point in the Cotswolds – to Belas Knap long barrow and descends to Sudeley Castle and the ancient Saxon capital of Winchcombe, with its fine wool church.

Day 3: Winchcombe to Broadway (10.5 miles - 17 km)

Follow the pilgrims’ route to Hailes Abbey, then over the hills to Jacobean Stanway House and on to idyllic Stanton, before reaching the old coaching village of Broadway for overnight.

Day 4: Broadway to Chipping Campden (4.5 miles -7 km)

A half day’s walking over the hills via Broadway Tower with its magnificent views to Chipping Campden. In the afternoon, explore this charming town with its silversmiths and ‘wool church’, or visit Dover’s Hill, site of the annual ‘Cotswold Olympiks,’ or the beautiful gardens at Kiftsgate or the National Trust gardens at Hidcote; or spend the afternoon at nearby Stratford-on-Avon, birthplace of William Shakespeare.

Day 5: Chipping Campden to Moreton-on-Marsh (8 miles- 13 km)

Through neighboring Broad Campden to charming Blockley and Batsford, famed for its arboretum and falconry centre. Then to the market town of Moreton-on-Marsh, straddling the old Roman road, the Fosse Way.

Day 6: Moreton-on-Marsh to Bourton-on-the-Water (12 miles- 19 km)

After crossing the high wolds to Stow-on-the-Wold, complete with village stocks and picturesque square, the Cotswold Ring then passes through Lower Slaughter to Bourton-on-the-Water, prettily located on the River Windrush, with its many attractions.

Day 7: Bourton-on-the-Water to Cheltenham (Prestbury) (15 miles - 24 km)

The Ring follows the pretty Windrush through the lovely villages of Naunton and Guiting Power. Finally, a dramatic descent from the high wolds through the meadows of the Cotswold escarpment to journey’s end in Cheltenham

Day 8: Departure

Departure after breakfast.

Map

A 7 night/8 day self-guided walking holiday that offers the best of the Cotswold experience. Daily departures. For those who prefer not to change accommodation daily, this can adapted to a 2 base holidays with pre-arranged transfers. We will meet you to go over the route.

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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.