Best of the Cotswolds Cycling

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

Days of Cycling

Terrain:

The cycling mainly follows quiet country roads and tarmac roads. The terrain is mainly flat with some gentle, downhill cycling

Day by day breakdown

Day 247.0km/29.5miles

Day 329.0km/18.5miles

Day 440.0km/25.0miles

Day 544.0km/27.5miles

Day 644.0km/27.5miles

Responsible Travel

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Every time we travel, we are part of a global movement that creates jobs, builds more sustainable societies, encourages cultural understanding and safeguards common natural and cultural heritage. To learn more about what Responsible Travel means to Exodus click here…

Itinerary

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Broadway

Bourton-on-the-Water

Day 1
Arrive in Broadway
Arrive in Broadway, gateway to the North Cotswolds, the village has a wide main street lined with independent shops, restaurants, hotels and plenty of antique shops.
Stay overnight at Hadley House or similar
Day 2
Winchcombe
After your briefing and bike set-up you'll leave the wide streets of Broadway for Childswickham with its differing building styles. On to Aston Somerville on the edge of the Vale of Evesham renowned for market gardening. Continuing on the flat to Wormington with the Cotswold escarpment in the distance before Toddington the home of the Warwickshire and North Gloucestershire narrow gauge railway. Explore the narrow streets of Winchcombe and visit Sudeley Castle. The return to Broadway is via Didbrook, Hailes and Hailes Abbey, a former Cistercian Abbey. Cycle through typical English Parkland observing the sheep grazing which made the area so famous amongst the mature trees and the thatched Cricket Club Pavillion of Stanway. Continue to the picture perfect village of Stanton before returning to Broadway.
Stay overnight at Hadley House or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 3
Chipping Campden
Today you will cycle to the Jewel of the Cotswolds, Chipping Campden. With the Cotswold escarpment on your right the first village you'll come to is Willersey with its idyllic duck pond followed by Weston sub Edge and Aston sub Edge before tackling the first hill of the day to Chipping Campden. Explore this beautiful Wool town and its mediaeval history before taking the short ride to its little sister Broad Campden with an array of thatched cottages. Return to Chipping Campden for the second hill to Dovers Hill the site of the local Olimpicks! Enjoy fantastic views over the Vale of Evesham and continue along the top of the Cotswold Escarpment to Broadway Tower the brainchild of Capabilty Brown over 200 years ago. Continuing along the escarpment but slowly downhill past the Lavender farm to the beautiful Cotswold hillside village of Snowshill with its honey coloured stone cottages and Tudor Manor House. Free wheel all the way downhill back to Broadway!!
Stay overnight at Hadley House or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 4
Broadway to Bourton-on-the-Water
Today starts with another chance to visit the National Trust property of Snowshill before your route takes you on quiet country lanes, past farmland and Guiting Wood to the pretty villages of Guiting Power and Naunton. Stop for refreshments in one of the villages - a great choice of pubs and cafes. Take your time and arrive in Bourton-on-the-Water, your base for the next 3 nights.
Stay overnight at The Manor Close B&B or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 5
Burford
Today's cycle ride takes you on some of the best 'off the beaten track' routes in the Cotswolds to the beautiful villages of Great Rissington, Great Barrington and Burford with its charming high street sloping down to the Windrush river. The return to Bourton-on-the-Water goes via Northleach with its beautiful wool church and museum of Mechanical Music. The shorter route mises out Burford.
Stay overnight at The Manor Close B&B or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 6
Stow-on-the-Wold
Your route today takes you through the villages of Bledington, Kingham and Broadwell to Stow-on-the-Wold, a market town on the convergence of many major roads, including the Roman Fosse Way and the highest of the Cotswold towns. Return through Lower Slaughter to visit the Motoring Museum in Bourton-on-the-Water.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 7
Leave Bourton-on-the-Water
Depart Bourton-on-the-Water after breakfast.
Meals included: Breakfast

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

cotswold_panorama_with_bikes_-_c._cotswold_walks

Show map

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broadway_tower_in_the_summer c. Cotswolds Tourism

Essential Info

Visas

United Kingdom

UK passport holders do not need visas for this trip. Other nationalities should check with the relevant embassies.

For further Brexit travel advice please visit https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers

Vaccinations

United Kingdom

No vaccinations are obligatory.

Eating and Drinking

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!

Weather

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.

Is this trip for you?

Cycling Conditions
Classification: Self-Guided
Average daily distance: 38.5km (24 miles).
No. of days cycling: 5
Terrain and route: The cycling mainly follows quiet country roads and tarmac roads. The terrain is mainly flat with some gentle, downhill cycling.

Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to cycle independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodations, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can cycle at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next. Your bikes will be delivered to the start hotel, all set up relevant to your height and ready to go. Our local agent will be on call throughout the trip should you need.

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. Where possible we stick to cycle tracks and quiet roads to make the journeys as pleasant as possible, however, on occasion we have to use busier routes into larger towns and cities.

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 route notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the local agent is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.

Families
Self-guided cycling holidays are a perfect option for families as they offer the freedom for you to take your holiday at your own pace. You can stop as and when you want and need, at the cafes and restaurants that suit your family and the sites that interest you. We have suggested that 12yrs is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave this decision up to you. The daily distances are all published in the trip notes along with a description of each day's cycling so you have a good idea of what to expect. However, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact one of our experts. The principle idea is that these holidays can be as flexible as you like, with logistical support but no group or leader to dictate the daily activities. Please consider the weather when choosing to book, temperatures can be high in the middle of summer.

Call for general departures:

1 844 227 9087

Call for private group trips:

1 844 227 9087

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

Accommodation

Hotels

HADLEY HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST, BROADWAY
Linda and Duncan at the Hadley House Bed & Breakfast offer a warm and friendly welcome. The B&B is located in the heart of Broadway village and rooms, with traditional decor, consist of a double room and a suite, with a sitting room and views over the pretty front garden, on the ground floor. The remaining double rooms are upstairs with views over the surrounding hills and Broadway Tower. All rooms are ensuite and have flat screen LED TV, complimentary Wi-Fi access, hairdryer and tea & coffee making facilities. A full English breakfast and buffet items are served in the beautiful dining room that adjoins a conservatory and patio overlooking the rear garden.
Should this accommodation not be available, an alternative of the same standard will be used

THE MANOR CLOSE B&B, BOURTON-ON-THE-WATER
The Manor Close B&B offers a warm and friendly welcome and brings the best of Bourton-on-the-Water to your doorstep. With its English country house feel, guest rooms offer amenities such as a flat screen TV and complimentary WiFi. The property also features a Full English Breakfast with all ingredients being locally sourced wherever possible including the eggs that are both locally sourced and free range. Guests arriving by vehicle have access to free parking.
Should this accommodation not be available, an alternative of the same standard will be used.

Call for general departures:

1 844 227 9087

Call for private group trips:

1 844 227 9087

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

See all experts

Call for general departures:

1 844 227 9087

Call for private group trips:

1 844 227 9087

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.