ENGLAND

COTSWOLDS WAY - The Quintessence of Medieval England
2025

ENGLAND

COTSWOLDS WAY - The Quintessence of Medieval England
2025

The Best of the Cotswolds – 8 nights/9 days

 

This journey takes you through the best parts of the Cotswolds, showcasing its most picturesque scenery and architecture. The route’s honey-coloured stone houses, rolling green hills dotted with sheep, and quaint villages give you a true sense of the region’s charm.

Everything from the trail itself to the stops along the way and the accommodations have been specially selected to allow guests to experience the best of the Cotswolds villages for a quintessential Cotswolds experience.

The Best of the Cotswolds Walking Tour follows primarily flat, accommodating dirt paths that will guide you through the tranquil countryside and beautiful villages at a leisurely intensity. The route 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 300-foot fountain and 18th-century water garden. Walk up Broadway Tower for fine views and wander through some of the most picturesque countryside and 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 past 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.

 

DEPOSIT: To reserve your space, a $400 deposit per person is required. Final payment is due 60 days prior to the trip departure date. If applying within 60 days of the trip departure, full payment is required.

TRIP DATES

SEPTEMBER 22-30, 2025

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Trip Details

THE COTSWOLDS HILLS. The Cotswolds Hills are the favourite “escape-from-the-city” destination for the British. Here, walkers can immerse themselves in a countryside of green, rolling hills and savor gourmet meals in beautiful honey-coloured villages. The rolling hills and river valleys that stretch for 160 kilometres in the central area of ​​England are bordered to the north by the River Avon, to the east by the city of Oxford, to the west by Cheltenham, and to the south by the River Thames valley. The major elevation is Cleeve Hill, 330 meters high. The word “Cotswolds” derives from two distinct words of archaic English: “wold”, which indicates a hill with a gentle trait, and “cot”, which means fence for sheep. Even today, when walking between the enchanting medieval villages and among the green hills you can see the stone walls that acted as a fence when the wool trade was an important economic driver in this area. It’s an enchanting land you will love and remember forever.

DEPOSIT: To reserve your space, a $400 deposit per person is required. Final payment is due 60 days prior to the trip departure date. If applying within 60 days of the trip departure, full payment is required.

TRIP DATES

SEPT 22-30, 2025

Double Occupancy: $3795 U.S. 

Single: Add $600 U.S.

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Trip Details

Ahhh..the Cotswold Way, one of England’s most beautiful National long-distance trails, running approximately 102 miles through south central England from Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire to the town of Bath in Somerset. A relatively “new” National Trail, designated so in 2007, the Cotswold Way offers panoramic views and relatively easy walking through a variety of woodlands, wildflower studded meadows, historic and utterly charming golden Cotswold stone-walled villages and to ancient historical sites. If you love walking, history, a pastoral landscape dotted with soft rolling hills, sampling unique food and drink, trading stories with storytellers versed in ancient lore, and enjoying a pint or two with the locals, you’ll love our adventure on the Cotswold Way. Lace us those boots and join us!

DETAILED ITINERARY (May change at the discretion of the trip leader.)  

Beginning and End of Services: From London Airport to London Airport

Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive at Moreton-in-Marsh

Airport transfer to Moreton-in-Marsh for your first overnight (approx. 2hrs drive from London).

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 center 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.

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 marketplace, 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 center 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 and transfer back to the airport.

WHAT WE PROVIDE:

Walking The World guide and expert Cotswold guide

8 nights lodging (double occupancy)

Walking days of average difficulty along trails of the Cotswold Way

Visits to Stratford-upon-Avon, medieval villages, monuments of the Cotswolds, entrance fees to Sudeley Castle, Hidcote Garden, Shakespeare Birthplace, Heritage Train

All ground transportation while on tour

All admission fees to scheduled stops

Walking The World Hat

Good fun, humor, and companionship

NOT INCLUDED:

Lunches during arrival and departure days; lunch in Stratford-upon-Avon, Tips, Personal Expenses, Beverages and drinks during meals

TRAVEL RECOMMENDATION:

Flight to Bristol International Airport (strongly suggested).  Heathrow Airport is the same distance but flying to Bristol will avoid the usual mess and confusion in Heathrow and traffic jams on the M25 London Orbital which can cause long delays in arrival and departure.

WHAT WE PROVIDE:

Walking The World guide and expert Cotswold guide

8 nights lodging (double occupancy)

Meals: Full English breakfasts in hotel. Dinner in pubs except 1 at our Hotel and one  special dinner, the“Pudding Club Experience”, 7 packed lunches

Walking days of average difficulty along trails of the Cotswold Way

Visits to Stratford-upon-Avon, medieval villages, monuments of the Cotswolds, entrance fees to Sudeley Castle, Hidcote Garden, Shakespeare Birthplace, Heritage Train

All ground transportation while on tour

All admission fees to scheduled stops

Walking The World Hat

Good fun, humor, and companionship

NOT INCLUDED:

Lunches during arrival and departure days; lunch in Stratford-upon-Avon, Tips, Personal Expenses, Beverages and drinks during meals

TRAVEL RECOMMENDATION:

Flight to Bristol International Airport (strongly suggested).  Heathrow Airport is the same distance but flying to Bristol will avoid the usual mess and confusion in Heathrow and traffic jams on the M25 London Orbital which can cause long delays in arrival and departure.

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