Things to do in Cotswolds
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Cotswolds
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Green, mild, gardens at their best, long evenings.
Busy, especially the famous villages. Book everything.
Quiet, short days, cosy pubs. Many gardens close.
What's on
- Badminton Horse Trials May
The world-famous eventing competition on the edge of the Cotswolds.
Best things to do in Cotswolds
Arlington Row
The most photographed street in England; go before 9am or after 5pm.
Bourton-on-the-Water
Stone bridges over the Windrush; walk the river mile to Lower Slaughter.
Stow-on-the-Wold
Antique shops, pubs and the yew-tree church door on the old crossroads.
Broadway Tower
The 18th-century folly with views across thirteen counties on a clear day.
Chipping Campden
The finest wool-town high street; start of the Cotswold Way.
Castle Combe
No new houses since the 1600s; an hour, combined with the drive.
Lower Slaughter
The peaceful sister to Bourton on the River Eye.
Blenheim Palace
Baroque palace and 2,000 acres of Capability Brown parkland.
Where to stay in Cotswolds
Stow-on-the-Wold
a first trip
Most restaurants and pubs, central to Bibury, Bourton and the Slaughters.
Broadway
the northern Cotswolds
For Chipping Campden, Stanton, Snowshill and the tower walks.
Bibury
the southern villages
Sleep in the famous village and see Arlington Row empty.
Burford
the western gateway
Working town on the hillside, easy run back to London.
Think twice about
- Cheltenham or Gloucester as a base
Fine cities, but you will spend the trip driving in and out of the Cotswolds.
- Anywhere without a car
Buses between villages are thin; this trip needs a steering wheel.
- Bibury at midday as a day trip
The coaches own it from 10 to 4; stay over or go at dawn.
Best restaurants in Cotswolds
The Wild Rabbit
Daylesford's pub: serious cooking from the farm, the destination lunch.
The Ebrington Arms
Thatched pub with excellent seasonal cooking and proper ales.
The Feathered Nest
Refined country cooking at the inn near Stow.
Daylesford Organic Farmshop
The best produce lunch in the region; the shop is worth an hour.
The Porch House
Seasonal British plates in England's oldest inn.
The Swan Hotel
Solid modern British cooking on the Coln; the Bibury dinner.
The Hollow Bottom
Thatched walkers' pub in the Slaughters valley; the walk-ending pint.
Outdoor things to do in Cotswolds
Cotswold Way
The national trail; the Broadway to Stanton section is the classic day.
Broadway Tower walk
Three miles return from the village through the deer park.
Cleeve Hill
The 330-metre high point with hill fort and views to Wales.
Hidcote Manor Garden
The famous arts-and-crafts garden; book the timed entry.
Painswick Rococo Garden
18th-century pleasure garden; snowdrops in February.
Westonbirt Arboretum
Six hundred acres of champion trees; spectacular autumn colour.
Batsford Arboretum
Wild gardens with Japanese maples; quieter than Westonbirt.
Best hotels in Cotswolds
The Porch House
England's oldest inn, 947 AD; coaching-inn comfort on the square.
The Old Stocks Inn
Boutique inn on the square.
Number Four at Stow
Townhouse boutique stay in Stow.
The Lygon Arms
The restored 17th-century coaching inn on the high street.
The Fish Hotel
Quirky luxury on the hill above the village.
The Swan Hotel
On the river in the famous village; see Arlington Row empty.
Barnsley House
Country-house luxury outside the village.
The Lamb Inn
The old coaching inn on the high street.
Is Cotswolds expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | £90 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | £220 a person |
| Splurge | £500 a person |
| No limits | £1,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Blenheim Palace: a few days ahead
- Hidcote Manor Garden: a few days ahead
- The Wild Rabbit: weeks ahead
- The Ebrington Arms: a few days ahead
- The Feathered Nest: a few days ahead
- The Porch House: a few days ahead
- The Porch House: weeks ahead
- The Lygon Arms: weeks ahead
- The Wild Rabbit and the Feathered Nest well ahead, especially weekends.
- The Lygon Arms and Barnsley House for weekends: weeks ahead.
- Hidcote Manor Garden timed entry.
- Blenheim Palace entry ahead in summer.
Is Cotswolds safe?
- Very safe. Narrow lanes and fast local drivers are the risk. Emergency number 999.
Cotswolds travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Bibury between 10 and 4: the coaches.
- London day tours visiting two villages: car parks, not the Cotswolds.
- Stow antiques: London dealers buy here too; bargains are thinner than they look.
- The model village as a destination: ten minutes next to the real village.
Getting around Cotswolds: public transport and more
- You need a car; rent at Heathrow or pick up at Moreton-in-Marsh or Kingham.
- Lanes are narrow with high hedges; expect tractors.
- Allow 30 minutes between villages.
- Bourton and Bibury parking fills by late morning.
Who Cotswolds suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Cotswolds your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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