I have been dreaming of visiting the Cotswolds region in UK for years! Unlike most people, I have a whole list of small quaint towns all over the world that I would love to visit someday. And Cotswolds certainly was topping that list 😊
Was it everything I hoped it would be? Oh well, yes, and so it was much more!
What makes Cotswolds so special? Picture small villages steeped in history, thatched-roofed homes, family-owned shops and a whole lot of scenic beauty. Did you know that this region is officially designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (“AONB”)?
If your English holiday includes honey colored cottages, beautiful gardens and charming villages, then this Cotswold itinerary is for you!
We visited Cotswold on a day trip from Bath – click here for a detailed guide on Bath. Also, click here if you are looking for a detailed guide on London. And click here to read more about other day trips you can take from London.
Number of Days required
Ideally, you will want to set aside 2-3 days to truly enjoy this region. But, if you are short on time, then this region can be explored in a day. If you are doing a DIY tour, then shortlist the villages you are keen on visiting and plan your day accordingly.
This region is easy to reach from both London as well as some of the smaller UK towns such as Bath and Oxford.
Best way to Explore
By car: Car is the easiest way to explore the Cotswolds. With a car at your disposal, you don’t need to rely on train/ bus timetables and you get to explore at your own pace.
You will find plenty of car rental companies in London/ neighboring towns. This region is about a 2-hour drive from central London and there are many scenic routes you can take along the way. But keep in mind that some of the roads in the Cotswolds are very narrow. So, if you are renting a car, opt for a smaller vehicle. This will not only make it easier to navigate the narrow lanes, but also easier, when it comes to finding a parking spot.
One big downside is that Cotswolds villages, being small in size, offer limited parking spaces. And it can get full pretty quickly, specially on weekends and during school holidays. So, it is best to start your day early and visit the busier towns earlier in the day.
By public transport: Although this isn’t the best option for the Cotswolds, it is still possible. You can reach the bigger towns like Chippenham, Moreton-in-Marsh via train and then take a bus/ taxi to reach the smaller towns. But the train/ taxi costs can start adding up if you are visiting a lot of towns. Hence, it isn’t the most cost effective way to explore this region.
By joining a group tour: You can find several group tours to the Cotswolds from central London on Viator and GetYourGuide. In addition to the main Cotswolds towns, some of these day tours may even include a stop at the neighboring towns of Oxford, Bath, Stonehenge.
Since we were staying in Bath for two nights, we were keen to find a tour from Bath. Luckily, there are a few tour companies which start from Bath and cover a few towns in the Cotswolds region. I stumbled upon Celtic Horizons tour company while randomly searching on the web. They organize private tours to Cotswold from Bath. The biggest advantage of a private tour is that you have complete flexibility in selecting the towns you want to visit as well as the time you want to spend in each. We ended up paying GBP 340 which split between the three of us, wasn’t as expensive. The car was clean, comfortable and our driver was friendly and helpful! Highly recommend this company if you are looking for a private tour of this region.
Where to Stay
If you are planning to stay overnight, there are several cute little cottages in this region. Whether you are looking for a cozy cottage for a romantic getaway or a spacious property for a trip with family and friends, you will find plenty of options.
We based ourselves in Bath and visited Cotswolds on a day trip. We stayed at Hiding Space Westgate Apartments, located right in the center of Bath. Some of the Cotswolds towns are just 20-30 minute drive from Bath, so it was a convenient location.
Cotswolds Villages
If you are planning to do a day trip, expect to spend roughly 1-2 hours per village. Some are smaller and can easily be explored in 30-45 minutes. There are plenty of quaint villages in this region, so depending on the time you have, choose which ones you want to visit. You can easily explore 4-5 villages on a day trip.
I have listed below the Cotswolds villages we visited on our day trip and a general overview of things to do in each one of them.
Castle Combe
This is one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds. It is quaint, picturesque, full of charm and you literally feel like you are stepping back in time!
A little fun fact – No new houses have been erected here in last 400 years. So a stroll here will make you experience a classic English village like how it was in the olden days!
Despite being popular among day trippers, the local population is barely 350 ! So, it retains the tranquility of a small town and provides a huge contrast compared to London city or even Bath!
In terms of things to do in Castle Combe, you can admire the honeycomb colored houses up-close, step inside St. Andrew’s Church, take a stroll along the bridge, gaze at the little river, and end your day at the beautiful Manor House.
The grounds of Manor Hotel are absolutely GORGEOUS ! Full of unique stone structures, colorful flowers, ample seating space and little stone walking paths. If you are hungry, pop into the restaurant for a meal. I have heard their afternoon tea is worth the splurge !
Even though small in size, Castle Combe is one of the popular towns in the Cotswolds. So get here early or avoid coming on weekends, if you have flexibility in your schedule.
If you are driving to Castle Combe, park your car on Dunns Lane. From here, Castle Combe center is merely a 10-minute walk.
Bourton-on-the-Water
With stone bridges across the river, hanging willow trees and historic stone cottages, it is no wonder that Bourton-on-the-Water is one of the most scenic towns in this region.
River Windrush crosses right through this town and can be crossed over by five bridges. These bridges arching over the river make for a dreamy setting. In fact, this town is often referred to as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’.
In terms of size, Bourton-on-the-Water definitely has a lot more to offer, compared to the other villages! Plenty of artisan shops, restaurants, cafes and boutiques, make this a beautiful place to walk around!
On a good sunny day, you will find the river banks crowded with locals and tourists alike who are sitting down to enjoy a picnic by the water. You can also feed the ducks with your bread leftovers! Or simply sit by the river bank and dip your feet in the water on a hot day.
In terms of food, you are truly going to be spoilt for choice. Take a wander around the town and see what catches your fancy. For lunch, we stopped by the Riverside Café and ordered jacket potatoes and panini – both of which were delicious! It was insanely cold and windy on the day of our visit. So, we picked up a hot chocolate. The Den, located a few steps away from Riverside Café, has a variety of hot chocolate flavors like apple pie, Lotus Biscoff, chocolate orange, etc. We ordered the black forest hot chocolate and it was just what we needed to warm our bodies!
We then browsed by some of the cute stores – they even had a lovely Christmas store and it brought back memories of my trip to Europe last Christmas (click here if you would like to read more about that trip).
Looking for a fun activity in this village? Then make your way to the Model Village. It provides an exact replica of the village on a miniature scale – right from shops to pubs to houses to the bridges! This miniature representation of Bourton-on-the-Water is cool to walk through, and will have you pointing out spots you recognize in the real village. Entry fee is GBP 4.50 for adults and GBP 3.50 for children.
Yet another fun activity to do here is the Dragonfly Maze. It is a traditional yew hedge maze with about half a mile of gravelled paths. Several clues are dotted around the pathways of the maze. And only when these are found are you able to crack the puzzle and find the golden dragonfly hidden in the round house at the centre of the maze.
Are you a car aficionado? Then, you have to stop by the Cotswold Motoring Museum & Toy Collection. Discover classic and vintage vehicles, over 45 motorbikes, caravans, pedal cars, toys and thousands of items of memorabilia! With retro collections from the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies, plus classic cars and memorabilia from the Twenties, Thirties and Forties, a visit to the museum makes a fun day with family. Here, you will also find vintage memorabilia to transport you back in time. Click here if you would like to read more and know about the entrance charges.
If you are visiting with family and small children, then stop by Birdland Park & Gardens. This place is set in nine acres of gardens and woodland. Meet over 500 birds from magical owls to rare bird species . Spot flamingos, pelicans, cranes, peacocks, etc. You can even venture into the woodland and meet life-sized dinosaurs lurking between the trees in the Jurassic Journey area. Click here for entrance fees and to book your tickets.
After all the food, if you are keen to burn some calories, then Bourton-on-the-Water has some lovely walks. An easy walk to do is to follow River Windrush from the center of Bourton-on-the-Water and it will take you to Lower Slaughter and Upper Slaughter towns. The whole loop takes over 3 hours.
You can even go for a longer walk to Stow-on-the-Wold, which takes you through Lower Slaughter and many fields. This loop takes around five hours.
Lower Slaughter & Upper Slaughter
From Bourton-on-the-Water, the next town, Lower Slaughter is just a five minute drive. There isn’t much to do here but it is quite a scenic town. The town looked pretty dead compared to Bourton-on-the-Water but it was a good change! We just wandered around aimlessly and soaked in the beauty.
Isn’t it just beautiful?
Should you have a little more time to spare when in the area, be sure to check out the nearby Upper Slaughter. You can even walk between the two villages – it barely takes 15-20 minutes. Simply leave your car in one of the street parking spaces in Lower Slaughter, and head up Becky Hill.
Stow-on-the-Wold
This town is perfect for shopping! It has a ton of artisan stores and a relatively large number of cafes and restaurants. 
If you are craving a cozy, English tea, pop into Lucy’s Tea Room. It is small but quintessentially British! Now I had planned to do an elaborate afternoon tea here but as luck would have had it, this place was closed for maintenance on the day of my visit ☹
Stop by Cotswold Cheese Company – this place was voted as Britain’s best new delicatessen in 2007 at the British Cheese Awards. With dozens of varieties of cheeses, deli meats, olives, etc. this is the best place to stop if you want to set up a picnic basket. They have a total of three locations in the Cotswolds, so depending on which town is closest to you, you can stop by that location.
Once you are done browsing through the stores and cafes, stop by St. Edwards Church and look for the door in the trees. This door is so iconic that it is thought by many to have inspired Tolkien to create The Doors of Durin in the Lord of the Rings.
To be honest I didn’t love this town. It was a lot busier and looked a lot similar to Bourton-on-the-Water in terms of the shops and cafes. And c’mon, Bourton-on-the-Water has the beautiful river and cute little bridges to admire. So, I just wandered around a bit, snapped a few photos and made my way to the next town.
Bibury
Though not as large as some of the other Cotswolds towns, there is a beautiful river, a church to explore and a few cafes and restaurants.
One of the most beautiful spots in Bibury is the River Coln, a tributary of the Thames. As you take a stroll, expect to see plenty of swans and ducks waddling through its waters, and if you look hard enough, you will also spot trout swimming in the river.
The Swan Hotel is perhaps the most sought-after place to stay in Bibury. It is located right on the banks of River Coln and makes for such a picturesque setting! I bet it would make for a lovely stay as well! Imagine sitting with a book in hand with your feet perched up these chairs. Wouldn’t it be so idyllic!
Even if you aren’t staying here, you can always stop by the restaurant if you are simply looking for somewhere to eat in this town.
Once you are done snapping some cute pictures of this town, make your way to Arlington Row. This row of old cottages is perhaps, the most photographed place in the Cotswolds! It even features on one of the pages of British passport! How cool is that, right?
This now-famous row of houses was built as a wool store somewhere around 1380. In the 17th century, they were converted into the cottages that we see today. Today, they are owned and managed by the National Trust. Nowadays, Arlington Row is a residential street. If you want to experience the inside of the cottages though, you can book a night’s stay in Cottage Number 9.
Even the walk to Arlington Row is so beautiful.
If you want to grab a bite, check out Bibury Trout Farm. This working farm has been functional since 1902, making it England’s oldest working trout farm! Eating here is a whole experience in itself – you can fish your own trout and book a barbeque place to have it cooked right in front of you – just the way you like it. The Deli also has a range of sandwiches and soups for those not keen on trout. You can also get sandwiches to go, so why not enjoy a relaxing picnic by the river?
Lacock
Lacock is a pretty small village and fairly easy to explore on foot!
This village has become very popular over the years since it was used as a filming location for various series and movies. Some of the iconic scenes in the Harry Potter movies and Downton Abbey have been shot in this village.
This was the first stop on our day trip and we reached here around 9.30 am. Since most of the shops and places open after 10-10.30 am, there wasn’t much to explore. Also, just as we got off the car, it started raining and got very windy. So, all we did was walk around the streets, admiring the pretty cottages and Lacock Abbey from outside. We did not spend a lot of time here and moved on to the next village on our itinerary.
If you are a Harry Potter fan, you have to stop by Lacock Abbey. All Potterheads will love visiting the cloisters and abbey rooms which doubled as Hogwarts School’s cloisters in many of the Harry Potter films. The grounds are also extensive and are pleasant to walk around. Entry fee is GBP 20 for adults.
Other Towns
If you have more time in hand, you can check out some of the equally beautiful towns in this region:
- Painswick
- Chipping Camden
- Bradford-upon-Avon
- Dover’s Hill
- Snowshill
- Burford
- Tetbury
*All prices are as of April 2024