Best of the Cotswolds Self-Guided Walk

Activity Level

Easy

Activity

Walking & Trekking

Overview

The Cotswolds are England’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and are made up of meadows and scenic rolling hills above a bedrock of Jurassic limestone.

This distinctive stone is quarried and used in the construction of the golden-coloured local buildings and gives the stone-built villages of the Cotswolds a beautiful and quintissentially ‘English’ look.

This 8-night walking holiday takes you through some of the finest North Cotswold villages with shorter walking days, allowing the maximum time to explore the villages and walk at a relaxed pace. Your route includes visits to some of the best-known towns and villages in the region including Broadway, Chipping Campden and Guiting Power as well as the Saxon capital of Winchcombe and the nearby Sudeley Castle, the last resting place of Henry VIII’s sixth wife, Katherine Parr. Enjoy the rolling Cotswolds countryside, riverside walks and some stunning horticultural gems in the gardens of National Trust manor houses, such as Kiftsgate or Hidcote.

Key Information

Trip Code: W08CC
Ways to Travel: Self-Guided Holidays
Countries: United Kingdom

What's Included

All Breakfasts
All accommodation
Route directions and maps
Luggage transfers

7 days of Walking & Trekking

Day 2: 7 km / 4.3 miles
Day 3: 7 km / 4.3 miles
Day 4: 16 km / 9.9 miles
Day 5: 13 km / 8.1 miles
Day 6: 14.5 km / 8.7 miles
Day 7: 9.5 km / 5.6 miles
Day 8: 12.5 km / 7.5 miles

Highlights

Explore the Cotswolds - England's largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Beautiful villages including Guiting Power, Broadway, and Chipping Campden
Visit areas of historical interest from Saxon, Jacobean and Medieval eras
Visit the ancient Saxon capital of Winchcombe and Sudeley Castle (last resting place of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's 6th wife)
Stunning gardens at historical manor houses
Relaxing walks each day to allow extra time for exploring delightful Cotswold villages

Itinerary

First Destination: Moreton-in-Marsh
Next Destination: Moreton-in-Marsh

Meals included:None

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Moreton-in-Marsh
Next Destination: Moreton-in-Marsh

Standing at the crossroads betwen the Fosse Way Roman Road and what is now the A44, Moreton-in-Marsh, a small market town with a central market square and a set of stocks, is a great place to explore before heading out for dinner.

Cross the high wolds to Stow-on-the-Wold, complete with village stocks and picturesque square, via the fantastic Mogul manor house at Sezincote and a number of pretty hamlets.

Meals included:Breakfast

Today’s route from Stow-on-the-Wold is a leisurely downhill walk across meadows to picturesque Lower Slaughter with its working mill and on to Bourton-on-the-Water, with its many attractions. A longer alternative walk is available for this day if you wish.

Meals included:Breakfast

Today you have the choice of a longer or shorter circular walk taking in more of the Slaughters.

Meals included:Breakfast

After a short transfer walk through woods and fields before the dramatic descent to the ancient Saxon capital of Winchcombe, close to Sudeley Castle, last resting place of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth wife. Overnight in Winchcombe, with its fascinating church and local museums.

Meals included:Breakfast

Follow the pilgrims’ route to Hailes Abbey, then over the hills to Jacobean Stanway House, with its magnificent gatehouse and medieval tithe barn and on to idyllic Stanton. Stay in the coaching village of Broadway, where an array of fine houses and inns flank the ‘broad way’.

Meals included:Breakfast

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 silversmiths.

Meals included:Breakfast

Pass through the charming villages of Broad Campden and Blockley and descend to Batsford, where you may visit the arboretum and falconry centre. On certain days of the week both Bourton House gardens and Sezincote House will be open. Finally, a pleasant stroll across meadows to Moreton-in-Marsh.

Meals included:Breakfast

Depart after breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, dates that suit you, 24-hour support, loyalty discounts, and peace of mind for delays or disruption.

Call us on 1 844 260 1517

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Accommodation

Best of the Cotswolds Self-Guided Walk

You’ll be staying in a mix of HHH, 3 star, HHHH and 4 star guesthouses, B&B’s, inns and hotels. All of the accommodations offer a warm and friendly Cotswold welcome and hearty cooked breakfasts.

For those wishing to extend their stay in the area, ask us about city break add-ons in Bath or Oxford.

Single supplements and Solo traveller supplements (where only one person is travelling on a departure date) will apply, please ask us for details.

Essential Information

Walking Conditions
Classification: Self–Guided
Activity Level: 1 (Leisurely)
Average daily distance: 12.5km (7.8 miles)
No. of days walking: 7
Terrain and route: Walks on this holiday are on village streets, country lanes, farm tracks and rural paths.
Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to walk independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodation, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can walk at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next.

It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There maybe others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The routes notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the hotels are normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.

This holiday does not include any flights or rail. Please make your way to the first hotel in Moreton-in-Marsh.

United Kingdom

Travellers from the US, Canada, and the EU normally do not need a visa to enter the United Kingdom, but do need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (or ETA), which you can apply for at www.gov.uk/eta/apply.

Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Enjoy the local cuisine in quintessentially British pubs, cafes and delicatessens – local delicacies include Cerney Ash or Stinking Bishop cheeses, Crackleberry Farm eggs, Cotswold Cream liqueur and the local ales – try the Yubby beer from the Yubberton Brewery Co. There’s also the archetypal English Cream Teas that go down a treat with a nice hot cup of tea!

The Cotswolds has a temperate maritime climate with warm, rather than hot, summers and cool to cold winters. The hottest month, on average, is July and the coldest is January with rain falling fairly evenly throughout the year. The weather is unpredictable as with the rest of the UK and it is possible to see elements of all four seasons in one day. It is advisable for visitors to check the weather forecast before they arrive in the Cotswolds to get a better idea of the sort of clothing they will need during their trip. Bringing hooded waterproof coats and hats will ensure visitors are prepared for any spells of wind and rain the region may experience.
Spring: The climate is milder in spring making it a good time to visit the Cotswolds. There can be some great sunny days mixed with cooler and wet weather. From March to May the average daytime temperatures are between 9°C and 17°C.
Summer: Most days in summer range from mild to warm with the possibility of some infrequent hotter days, the days are at their longest in the summer. There may be overcast and humid conditions in the summer. From June to August the average daytime temperatures are between 19°C and 22°C.
Autumn: The climate can vary from some pleasantly mild days particularly at the start of September to cooler and colder days in October and November. Autumn is a good time to visit the Cotswolds as it avoids the peak summer season whilst enjoying milder temperatures and longer hours of daylight particularly at the start of September. Visitors can see some wonderful autumn colours. From September to November the average daytime temperatures are between 9°C and 19°C.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.