7 Days
Starting From
$2,998
10 Days
Starting From
$3,748
per person, double occupancy
Want more from your experience?
Add an ExtensionEvery great walk deserves a digestif. Yours this afternoon on your Cotswolds walking tour is a scrumptious cream tea by the riverside in Bourton-on-the-Water. Settling in for scones, jam, and clotted cream, you exchange smiles with local families and picnicking visitors lounging on the grassy banks of the Windrush. From Chipping Campden to Stow-on-the-Wold, your guides have shown you the Cotswolds’ loveliest corners on daily walks along England’s national trails. Honey-colored villages of thatch-roofed limestone cottages draped with climbing roses. Lambs gamboling in meadows crisscrossed by hedgerows. Bath’s elegant Georgian architecture. It’s genteel and harmonious—a remarkably preserved stretch of English countryside awaiting your discovery.
Itinerary
Begin your adventure by departing from a convenient gateway city in the United States or Canada. Spend your first night aloft.
Upon your arrival at London Heathrow Airport, a Country Walkers representative holding a Country Walkers sign meets you outside of customs and will assist you with your transfer by taxi to the hotel. The meeting location will depend on your arrival terminal:
Heathrow Terminal 2: Currency Exchange Kiosk (Travelex)
Heathrow Terminal 3: WHSmith Store, located on the right-hand side of the arrivals gate
Heathrow Terminal 4: Costa Coffee Shop
Heathrow Terminal 5: Costa Coffee Shop
A complimentary small-group transfer (approximately one hour 45 minutes) will be provided to your centrally located hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon. If you are going to be delayed meeting our transfer representative for more than 15 minutes due to delayed or lost luggage, please contact Allianz Global Assistance to advise of your delay and they will contact our transfer service on your behalf. Our drivers are generally able to wait for up to 45 minutes from the time your flight lands, after which you would be responsible for your own transfer.
Please note: If you arrive early, and your hotel room is not available prior to the designated check-in time, you may store your luggage with the reception desk.
Country Walkers provides you with City Information including recommendations on what to see and do in Stratford-upon-Avon during your stay.
Accommodation: The Arden Hotel
Hidcote Gardens to Chipping Campden; 3.5 miles, easy. Optional afternoon loop walk; 2.5 miles, easy to moderate
Breakfast is included at your hotel. Meet your guide(s) at 9:30 a.m. in the main lobby of The Arden Hotel. Embark your private motorcoach and transfer about 20 minutes to Hidcote Gardens. Please be dressed for walking.
Upon arrival at Hidcote Gardens, one of England’s most influential Arts and Crafts gardens, there’ll be time to explore its hedge-lined pathways that lead to pretty topiaries and rare trees. Created by the talented American horticulturist Major Lawrence Johnston, the colorful and intricately designed outdoor “rooms” are always full of surprises.
After a picnic lunch, you’ll set off on your walk along the Monarch’s Way footpath toward Chipping Campden. We will only follow a fraction of this historical 615-mile footpath. As you start your walk, you’ll pass by Hidcote Bartim, a small hamlet of traditional thatched-roof stone cottages that were once home to Johnston’s gardeners. Admire them as you pass through and continue into the open Cotswolds countryside. Later, arrive in the small market town of Chipping Campden (chipping is a derivation of “market” in Old English). Enter into town on High Street, which is lined with limestone buildings the color of honey. The stone used to create these masterful structures—an oolitic limestone called Cotswold stone—was quarried locally. At the town center, admire the Market Hall with its splendid arches, built in 1627 by Sir Baptist Hicks to provide shelter for local farmers selling cheese, butter, and poultry.
Check in to the Noel Arms Hotel, one of the Cotswolds’ oldest inns. Charles II is thought to have stayed here during the English Civil War in the mid-1600s.
Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.
Accommodation: Noel Arms Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
6 miles, easy to moderate
After breakfast, step onto the Cotswold Way, a 102-mile UK National Trail that links Chipping Campden and the city of Bath. Your tranquil route, first envisioned by England’s Ramblers, the largest walking group in Great Britain, passes quaint houses as it makes its way into the countryside and up the Cotswold Edge escarpment to Dovers Hill. Here, enjoy extensive views of the Malvern Hills to the west. Around 1612, Robert Dover instituted annual games here, giving them the grand title of the “Olimpick Games,” and they continue to this day.
Your walk continues through bucolic pastureland dotted with sheep, through small wooded glens, into a lateral valley, and up a gentle slope to Broadway Tower. Built in 1799, it is a typical example of an 18th-century Gothic folly, a structure built by the nobility simply for pleasure. This one was erected for Lady Coventry of Worcester, who wondered whether a torch lit here upon a tower could be seen from her home 22 miles away. (It turns out that it could, much to her delight.) At 1,024 feet above sea level, Broadway Tower offers an extensive view across the Worcestershire countryside. Take time to ponder the folly of Lady Coventry during a cream tea break in a converted barn nearby.
After, continue downhill to the village of Broadway, often referred to as the “Jewel of the Cotswolds” for its fine 16th-century buildings made from the local stone. High Street is particularly inviting with its many shops, cafés, and other amenities. There’ll be time for you to explore this delightful town on your own.
An ideal base for exploring the area, Broadway’s location on the Cotswold escarpment is convenient to many of the area’s walks. The village’s wide, main street lined with shops, galleries, and restaurants, is a relaxing place for a stroll. In fact, the village’s name comes from the “broad way” known today as High Street.
Guided – Flex Options include:
• Explore the quaint village of Broadway, fondly known as the “Jewel of the Cotswolds” as you stroll along beloved High Street delighting in the eclectic selection of restaurants, shops, pubs, and tearooms.
• Visit the beautiful 17th-century Tudor House, Broadway’s Museum and Art Gallery to learn about the heritage and history of Broadway Village. The museum collection includes fine old English furniture, paintings, porcelain, glassware, and holds rotating special exhibitions. broadwaymuseum.org.uk/
• Enjoy a massage or a facial treatment at Noel Arms’ sister property, Cotswold House Hotel & Spa. Please contact the spa reception at +44 1386 848 934 or [email protected] to make an appointment (after 4:00 p.m. on Monday or after 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday if not doing longer walk). For a full list of treatments, see cotswoldhouse.com/spa/treatments/.
• Consider an optional visit to local vineyard (a one-mile walk from the Inn) to learn about how the farm’s and vintner owner has found success growing Siegerrebe grapes. Sample the crisp white wine produced in his limestone-rich soil.
• Wander through the fields surrounding Chipping Campden to the nearby village of Broad Campden and consider picking up on the local flavor with a visit to a classic English pub.
Dinner is on your own tonight. Chipping Campden has several options for a fine meal.
Accommodation: Noel Arms Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
Buckland to Stanway House; 3 miles, easy. Stanway House to Snowshill; 3 miles, moderate
A 20-minute morning shuttle delivers you to the small rural village of Buckland, the starting point for today’s ramble. You traverse open country to the hamlet of Laverton, where a cluster of stone cottages evokes scenes of rural Old England. Later, arrive in Stanton, an idyllic village where little has changed in 300 years. Walk past 16th- and 17th-century houses built in typical Cotswolds-style with steeply pitched gables, mullioned windows, and glowing honey-colored limestone. Stanton takes its name from the stan (or stone) from which it is built.
Upon arrival, visit the grand Stanway House, an outstandingly beautiful example of a Jacobean manor house. Owned by Tewkesbury Abbey for 800 years, it changed hands to the Tracy family for the next 500 years and is still the home of their descendants, the Earls of Wemyss and March. Enjoy a private guided tour of the house, with time to explore the gardens. Savor a ploughman’s lunch of local produce on the outdoor terrace before getting underway.
Your walk continues through the village of Stanway, then ascends slightly through a mixed forest. Leaving the woodland, follow the footpath through gently sloping pastures before arriving at Snowshill, a tiny village resting atop the Cotswold escarpment. As its name implies, and as locals are fond of saying, if there is any snow about, then you will find it here first. After time to explore, shuttle back to your hotel.
Dinner is on your own tonight.
Accommodation: Noel Arms Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
5.5 miles, easy to moderate
After breakfast today, check out of the hotel and shuttle to Stow-on-the-Wold, a small market town in Gloucestershire. Founded by Normans where two busy trade routes converged, this pretty town is situated on an 800-foot hill. This area was a major center of the Cotswold wool industry. Enormous annual fairs attracted farmers from all reaches, some with as many as 20,000 sheep to sell. Today’s walk starts in the Market Square, flanked by an ancient cross on one end and the town stocks on the other. You will walk in the footsteps of the 21-year-old King Charles II who, in 1651, was defeated in the Battle of Worcester and hotly pursued by Parliamentary troops down the aptly named Monarch’s Way. Rejoin this footpath that you left behind a couple of days ago.
Descend from the escarpment through timeless pastureland. This is the Cotswolds of dreams, with wide green fields edged with limestone walls and dotted with sheep. Your walk brings you to the idyllic small village of Lower Slaughter, straddling the River Eye. The town’s name is derived from the Old English word slothre, meaning “muddy place.” Admire the charming stone bridges spanning the river and the 16th- and 17th-century limestone cottages built in the traditional Cotswolds style. Leave this lovely hamlet and continue through a small wooded area before traversing more pastures down to the Windrush River, which leads you into Bourton-on-the-Water. This pretty village is known as the “Venice of the Cotswolds” for the bridges that span its river.
There’ll be time here for lunch and to explore the village and its many craft shops before shuttling approximately 50 minutes to your home for the next three nights, the Hare & Hounds at Westonbirt, near Tetbury.
Dinner is at the hotel tonight.
Accommodation: The Hare & Hounds Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
7 miles, easy
After breakfast, stroll directly from the hotel along a meandering trail through tree-dotted pastureland. Your route traverses Highgrove House, the family residence of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Gatcombe Park, home of Charles’ sister Princess Anne, is also nearby. Shortly after these grand homes, you walk into Tetbury, developed on the site of an ancient hill fort. Tetbury is home to several impressive churches and is said to be the location of Abbess Tetta’s Monastery, which was first mentioned in a charter by King Ethelred of Mercia in 681. In medieval days, Tetbury was an important market town for the Cotswolds wool and yarn trade. The town center is still dominated by the splendid pillared Market House, built in 1655. Many of the wool merchant houses look exactly as they did 300 years ago.
During your free time in Tetbury, visit one of its inviting cafés, lovely churches, or one of its many antique shops, for which the town is known. You’re sure to find a pleasing spot for lunch on your own.
The walking trail circles back to Westonbirt House, a historical Victorian manor house dating back to the end of the 19th century. Today, part of the manor is a prestigious girls’ and boys’ boarding school. Stop here just before arriving back at your hotel for a private guided tour of this grand house.
After time to relax back at the hotel, dinner is on your own. You may wish to eat in the hotel’s restaurant or return to Tetbury by taxi.
Home to historical architecture and charming independent boutiques, Tetbury’s streets are a delight to explore. Surrounded by rolling countryside, there is a multitude of ways to enjoy the town’s surroundings.
Guided – Flex Options include:
• Visit the renowned Highgrove Shop in downtown Tetbury, for the finest, thoughtfully curated English gifts and goods. All profits from the sale of Highgrove products are donated to the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund, supporting environmental initiatives and responsible business practices. highgrovegardens.com/collections/
• Take an optional self-guided walk around the Westonbirt Arboretum, just steps from the Hare & Hounds. Stroll its extensive network of walking trails admiring 2,500 different species of trees from around the globe and five national tree collections. forestryengland.uk/westonbirt-the-national-arboretum
• Don your collared shirt and catch a polo match at the Beaufort Polo Club, located less than one mile from the hotel. Events are occasionally held on weeknights throughout the summer months. You’re welcome to watch the riders practice on the fields, anytime. See beaufortpoloclub.com/ for schedule.
Accommodation: The Hare & Hounds Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
7 miles, easy to moderate
After breakfast, board your shuttle to Bath (approximately 50 minutes), a popular traveler’s destination for 2,000 years. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to some of England’s grandest Georgian architecture, as well as one of the world’s best-preserved Roman bathhouses.
Today’s walk starts just outside Bath and follows the final leg of the Cotswold Way, the path you followed to Broadway a few days ago. Begin by traversing Lansdown Hill, site of the bloody Battle of Lansdown during the English Civil War. From here, you will cross a plateau, passing the famous Bath Horse Racecourse. Shortly afterward, you will have your first views of Bath in the valley below. Walk through expanses of fertile farmland before emerging into the suburban environs of Weston. As your walk draws to a close, you will have glimpses of finely landscaped parks and grand Regency architecture, including the famous Royal Crescent. Designed by John Wood the Younger in 1767, the Royal Crescent is a collection of 30 terraced houses that form a sweeping crescent. Conclude your walk at Bath Abbey, where a round, carved stone set into the pavement outside the ornate west doors marks the end of the Cotswold Way.
You will have free time to explore Bath and have lunch on your own before returning to the hotel. This evening, recount your memorable journey over a festive farewell dinner.
Accommodation: The Hare & Hounds Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
After breakfast, check out of the hotel, say goodbye to your guides, and transfer to The Bear Hotel in Woodstock, approximately one-and-a-half hours away. Woodstock is a picturesque, historical market town, but it’s different from all the towns you’ve visited thus far. Woodstock is home to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill and a veritable paradise for walkers.
Upon check-in you will be given an entrance ticket to Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Palace is the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, and the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England designated a palace. Completed in 1722, it is one of England’s largest houses. Its 2,000 acres were designed by the most renowned landscape architect of his day, Capability Brown. It is pure pleasure to stroll along Blenheim’s great lake, browse the beautiful formal gardens, and take off-the-beaten-track rambles. You may even stumble upon the Temple of Diana, where Churchill proposed to his future wife, Clementine. All well worth exploring.
Accommodation: The Bear Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
Early this morning*, transfer to London Heathrow Airport for your departing flight. (Transfer time to be communicated by your guides while on tour.)
Country Walkers transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hidcote Gardens to Chipping Campden; 3.5 miles, easy. Optional afternoon loop walk; 2.5 miles, easy to moderate
Meet your guide(s) at 9:30 a.m. in the lobby of The Arden Hotel. Your guide(s) will be wearing a Country Walkers shirt. Please be dressed for walking.
Upon arrival at Hidcote Gardens, one of England’s most influential Arts and Crafts gardens, there’ll be time to explore its hedge-lined pathways that lead to pretty topiaries and rare trees. Created by the talented American horticulturist Major Lawrence Johnston, the colorful and intricately designed outdoor “rooms” are always full of surprises.
After a picnic lunch, you’ll set off on your walk along the Monarch’s Way footpath toward Chipping Campden. We will only follow a fraction of this historical 615-mile footpath. As you start your walk, you’ll pass by Hidcote Bartim, a small hamlet of traditional thatched-roof stone cottages that were once home to Johnston’s gardeners. Admire them as you pass through and continue into the open Cotswolds countryside. Later, arrive in the small market town of Chipping Campden (chipping is a derivation of “market” in Old English). Enter into town on High Street, which is lined with limestone buildings the color of honey. The stone used to create these masterful structures—an oolitic limestone called Cotswold stone—was quarried locally. At the town center, admire the Market Hall with its splendid arches, built in 1627 by Sir Baptist Hicks to provide shelter for local farmers selling cheese, butter, and poultry.
Check in to the Noel Arms Hotel, one of the Cotswolds’ oldest inns. Charles II is thought to have stayed here during the English Civil War in the mid-1600s.
Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.
Accommodation: Noel Arms Hotel
Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner
6 miles, easy to moderate
After breakfast, step onto the Cotswold Way, a 102-mile UK National Trail that links Chipping Campden and the city of Bath. Your tranquil route, first envisioned by England’s Ramblers, the largest walking group in Great Britain, passes quaint houses as it makes its way into the countryside and up the Cotswold Edge escarpment to Dovers Hill. Here, enjoy extensive views of the Malvern Hills to the west. Around 1612, Robert Dover instituted annual games here, giving them the grand title of the “Olimpick Games,” and they continue to this day.
Your walk continues through bucolic pastureland dotted with sheep, through small wooded glens, into a lateral valley, and up a gentle slope to Broadway Tower. Built in 1799, it is a typical example of an 18th-century Gothic folly, a structure built by the nobility simply for pleasure. This one was erected for Lady Coventry of Worcester, who wondered whether a torch lit here upon a tower could be seen from her home 22 miles away. (It turns out that it could, much to her delight.) At 1,024 feet above sea level, Broadway Tower offers an extensive view across the Worcestershire countryside. Take time to ponder the folly of Lady Coventry during a cream tea break in a converted barn nearby.
After, continue downhill to the village of Broadway, often referred to as the “Jewel of the Cotswolds” for its fine 16th-century buildings made from the local stone. High Street is particularly inviting with its many shops, cafés, and other amenities. There’ll be time for you to explore this delightful town on your own.
An ideal base for exploring the area, Broadway’s location on the Cotswold escarpment is convenient to many of the area’s walks. The village’s wide, main street lined with shops, galleries, and restaurants, is a relaxing place for a stroll. In fact, the village’s name comes from the “broad way” known today as High Street.
Guided – Flex Options include:
• Explore the quaint village of Broadway, fondly known as the “Jewel of the Cotswolds” as you stroll along beloved High Street delighting in the eclectic selection of restaurants, shops, pubs, and tearooms.
• Visit the beautiful 17th-century Tudor House, Broadway’s Museum and Art Gallery to learn about the heritage and history of Broadway Village. The museum collection includes fine old English furniture, paintings, porcelain, glassware, and holds rotating special exhibitions. broadwaymuseum.org.uk/
• Enjoy a massage or a facial treatment at Noel Arms’ sister property, Cotswold House Hotel & Spa. Please contact the spa reception at +44 1386 848 934 or [email protected] to make an appointment (after 4:00 p.m. on Monday or after 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday if not doing longer walk). For a full list of treatments, see cotswoldhouse.com/spa/treatments/.
• Consider an optional visit to local vineyard (a one-mile walk from the Inn) to learn about how the farm’s and vintner owner has found success growing Siegerrebe grapes. Sample the crisp white wine produced in his limestone-rich soil.
• Wander through the fields surrounding Chipping Campden to the nearby village of Broad Campden and consider picking up on the local flavor with a visit to a classic English pub.
Dinner is on your own tonight. Chipping Campden has several options for a fine meal.
Accommodation: Noel Arms Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
Buckland to Stanway House; 3 miles, easy. Stanway House to Snowshill; 3 miles, moderate
A 20-minute morning shuttle delivers you to the small rural village of Buckland, the starting point for today’s ramble. You traverse open country to the hamlet of Laverton, where a cluster of stone cottages evokes scenes of rural Old England. Later, arrive in Stanton, an idyllic village where little has changed in 300 years. Walk past 16th- and 17th-century houses built in typical Cotswolds-style with steeply pitched gables, mullioned windows, and glowing honey-colored limestone. Stanton takes its name from the stan (or stone) from which it is built.
Upon arrival, visit the grand Stanway House, an outstandingly beautiful example of a Jacobean manor house. Owned by Tewkesbury Abbey for 800 years, it changed hands to the Tracy family for the next 500 years and is still the home of their descendants, the Earls of Wemyss and March. Enjoy a private guided tour of the house, with time to explore the gardens. Savor a ploughman’s lunch of local produce on the outdoor terrace before getting underway.
Your walk continues through the village of Stanway, then ascends slightly through a mixed forest. Leaving the woodland, follow the footpath through gently sloping pastures before arriving at Snowshill, a tiny village resting atop the Cotswold escarpment. As its name implies, and as locals are fond of saying, if there is any snow about, then you will find it here first. After time to explore, shuttle back to your hotel.
Dinner is on your own tonight.
Accommodation: Noel Arms Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
5.5 miles, easy to moderate
After breakfast today, check out of the hotel and shuttle to Stow-on-the-Wold, a small market town in Gloucestershire. Founded by Normans where two busy trade routes converged, this pretty town is situated on an 800-foot hill. This area was a major center of the Cotswold wool industry. Enormous annual fairs attracted farmers from all reaches, some with as many as 20,000 sheep to sell. Today’s walk starts in the Market Square, flanked by an ancient cross on one end and the town stocks on the other. You will walk in the footsteps of the 21-year-old King Charles II who, in 1651, was defeated in the Battle of Worcester and hotly pursued by Parliamentary troops down the aptly named Monarch’s Way. Rejoin this footpath that you left behind a couple of days ago.
Descend from the escarpment through timeless pastureland. This is the Cotswolds of dreams, with wide green fields edged with limestone walls and dotted with sheep. Your walk brings you to the idyllic small village of Lower Slaughter, straddling the River Eye. The town’s name is derived from the Old English word slothre, meaning “muddy place.” Admire the charming stone bridges spanning the river and the 16th- and 17th-century limestone cottages built in the traditional Cotswolds style. Leave this lovely hamlet and continue through a small wooded area before traversing more pastures down to the Windrush River, which leads you into Bourton-on-the-Water. This pretty village is known as the “Venice of the Cotswolds” for the bridges that span its river.
There’ll be time here for lunch and to explore the village and its many craft shops before shuttling approximately 50 minutes to your home for the next three nights, the Hare & Hounds at Westonbirt, near Tetbury.
Dinner is at the hotel tonight.
Accommodation: The Hare & Hounds Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
7 miles, easy
After breakfast, stroll directly from the hotel along a meandering trail through tree-dotted pastureland. Your route traverses Highgrove House, the family residence of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Gatcombe Park, home of Charles’ sister Princess Anne, is also nearby. Shortly after these grand homes, you walk into Tetbury, developed on the site of an ancient hill fort. Tetbury is home to several impressive churches and is said to be the location of Abbess Tetta’s Monastery, which was first mentioned in a charter by King Ethelred of Mercia in 681. In medieval days, Tetbury was an important market town for the Cotswolds wool and yarn trade. The town center is still dominated by the splendid pillared Market House, built in 1655. Many of the wool merchant houses look exactly as they did 300 years ago.
During your free time in Tetbury, visit one of its inviting cafés, lovely churches, or one of its many antique shops, for which the town is known. You’re sure to find a pleasing spot for lunch on your own.
The walking trail circles back to Westonbirt House, a historical Victorian manor house dating back to the end of the 19th century. Today, part of the manor is a prestigious girls’ and boys’ boarding school. Stop here just before arriving back at your hotel for a private guided tour of this grand house.
After time to relax back at the hotel, dinner is on your own. You may wish to eat in the hotel’s restaurant or return to Tetbury by taxi.
Home to historical architecture and charming independent boutiques, Tetbury’s streets are a delight to explore. Surrounded by rolling countryside, there is a multitude of ways to enjoy the town’s surroundings.
Guided – Flex Options include:
• Visit the renowned Highgrove Shop in downtown Tetbury, for the finest, thoughtfully curated English gifts and goods. All profits from the sale of Highgrove products are donated to the Prince of Wales Charitable Fund, supporting environmental initiatives and responsible business practices. highgrovegardens.com/collections/
• Take an optional self-guided walk around the Westonbirt Arboretum, just steps from the Hare & Hounds. Stroll its extensive network of walking trails admiring 2,500 different species of trees from around the globe and five national tree collections. forestryengland.uk/westonbirt-the-national-arboretum
• Don your collared shirt and catch a polo match at the Beaufort Polo Club, located less than one mile from the hotel. Events are occasionally held on weeknights throughout the summer months. You’re welcome to watch the riders practice on the fields, anytime. See beaufortpoloclub.com/ for schedule.
Accommodation: The Hare & Hounds Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
7 miles, easy to moderate
After breakfast, board your shuttle to Bath (approximately 50 minutes), a popular traveler’s destination for 2,000 years. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to some of England’s grandest Georgian architecture, as well as one of the world’s best-preserved Roman bathhouses.
Today’s walk starts just outside Bath and follows the final leg of the Cotswold Way, the path you followed to Broadway a few days ago. Begin by traversing Lansdown Hill, site of the bloody Battle of Lansdown during the English Civil War. From here, you will cross a plateau, passing the famous Bath Horse Racecourse. Shortly afterward, you will have your first views of Bath in the valley below. Walk through expanses of fertile farmland before emerging into the suburban environs of Weston. As your walk draws to a close, you will have glimpses of finely landscaped parks and grand Regency architecture, including the famous Royal Crescent. Designed by John Wood the Younger in 1767, the Royal Crescent is a collection of 30 terraced houses that form a sweeping crescent. Conclude your walk at Bath Abbey, where a round, carved stone set into the pavement outside the ornate west doors marks the end of the Cotswold Way.
You will have free time to explore Bath and have lunch on your own before returning to the hotel. This evening, recount your memorable journey over a festive farewell dinner.
Accommodation: The Hare & Hounds Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Your tour ends at your Woodstock, England hotel today. Kemble is the nearest train station to the Hare & Hounds Hotel, around seven miles away, with non-stop service to Paddington Station, London. The hotel will help arrange a taxi to the station.
Included Meals: Breakfast
The Arden Hotel
The 45-room Arden Hotel offers boutique sophistication in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare’s birthplace and other family sites are accessible by foot. The Royal Shakespeare Company is directly opposite, so you can catch a play with ease (though you should reserve ahead). Relax over a drink on the all-weather terrace, enjoy afternoon tea in the lounge, and savor a meal in the hotel’s award-winning Waterside Brasserie. Well-appointed rooms are naturally cooled without air conditioning. Exemplary service, contemporary design, and ample amenities will make your stay in the Bard’s city truly memorable.
Bear Hotel
In picturesque Woodstock, the Bear Hotel enjoys a lovely village setting and an ideal location just a mile from Blenheim Palace. Occupying a majestic 13th-century coaching inn, the charming country house is one of the finest inns in Oxfordshire, having hosted royals and film stars, including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Each of the 54 traditional, un-air conditioned rooms is individually styled and offers period antique furniture, satellite TV, a mini bar, and fluffy bathrobes. With bare stone walls, open fires, and exposed beams, the atmospheric restaurant serves an innovative British menu using fresh, seasonal produce. The cozy bar offers fine wines, malt whiskies, and real ales, and serves light lunches and snacks.
The Hare and Hounds
Nestled amid gardens and woodland, the Hare & Hounds in Westonbirt is a charming, traditional English country house hotel with a popular restaurant and bar. The award-winning Beaufort Restaurant offers traditional British cuisine infused with continental flavors, served under a beamed ceiling and surrounded by large windows that overlook the garden. Jack Hare’s is the place for more casual pub-style fare with a satisfying ale, cider, or wine. Each un-air conditioned room is inspired by the details of English country life. Many overlook the gardens or countryside.
Noel Arms Hotel
One of the oldest inns in the Cotswolds, the 28-room Noel Arms Hotel is steeped in history. It is said that Charles II stayed here during the English Civil War. This gracious hotel has all the touches of warm English hospitality: a log fire in the bar, homemade cakes in the on-site coffee shop, and a refined restaurant whose diverse menu uses the freshest locally sourced produce. Simple and elegant, each un-air conditioned room features antique furnishing and ample amenities. You’ll want to sample Chef Indunil’s famous curries, which have earned him the “Best Pub Curry Chef Award” on three occasions.
2020 Pre-Tour Extension - Stratford-Upon-Avon
1 Night From $198
per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $198
Overnight flight from USA to London, England. Please refer to your itinerary for your specific flight details.
Begin your adventure by departing from a convenient gateway city in the United States or Canada. Spend the first night aloft.
Upon your arrival at London Heathrow Airport, a Country Walkers representative holding a Country Walkers sign meets you outside of customs and will assist you with your transfer by taxi to the hotel. The meeting location will depend on your arrival terminal:
Heathrow Terminal 2: Currency Exchange Kiosk (Travelex)
Heathrow Terminal 3: WHSmith Store, located on the right-hand side of the arrivals gate
Heathrow Terminal 4: Costa Coffee Shop
Heathrow Terminal 5: Costa Coffee Shop
A complimentary small-group transfer (approximately one hour and 45 minutes) will be provided to your centrally located hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon. If you are going to be delayed meeting our transfer representative for more than 15 minutes due to delayed or lost luggage, please contact Allianz Global Assistance to advise of your delay and they will contact our transfer service on your behalf. Our drivers are generally able to wait for up to 45 minutes from the time your flight lands, after which you would be responsible for your own transfer.
Please note: If you arrive early, and your hotel room is not available prior to the designated check-in time, you may store your luggage with the reception desk.
Country Walkers provides you with City Information that includes recommendations on what to see and do in Stratford-upon-Avon during your stay.
Accommodation: Arden Hotel
Today, explore Stratford-upon-Avon to your heart’s delight. The three houses in town associated with Shakespeare are within walking distance of your hotel. Visit Shakespeare’s birthplace; Hall’s Croft, home to his daughter; and Nash’s House and New Place, where the bard spent the final years of his life. You may board a touring bus to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, family home of Shakespeare’s wife, and to Mary Arden’s House, childhood home of the bard’s mother.
For more insight into the playwright’s life, stop by the Schoolroom and Guildhall, where you can sit in the very room where Shakespeare sat as a young pupil. Directly opposite your hotel, enjoy a guided tour of the famous Royal Shakespeare Company. Browse a free exhibition, visit the top of the Theatre Tower, and take in views from the rooftop restaurant. We recommend you book in advance if you want to see a performance.
Alternately, you may simply stroll along the banks of the River Avon and perhaps mingle with the resident swans.
Accommodation: Arden Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
2021 Pre-Tour Extension - Stratford-Upon-Avon
1 Night From $198
per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $98
Begin your adventure by departing from a convenient gateway city in the United States or Canada. Spend your first night aloft.
Upon your arrival at London Heathrow Airport, a Country Walkers representative holding a Country Walkers sign meets you outside of customs and will assist you with your transfer by taxi to the hotel. The meeting location will depend on your arrival terminal:
Heathrow Terminal 2: Currency Exchange Kiosk (Travelex)
Heathrow Terminal 3: WHSmith Store, located on the right-hand side of the arrivals gate
Heathrow Terminal 4: Costa Coffee Shop
Heathrow Terminal 5: Costa Coffee Shop
A complimentary small-group transfer (approximately one hour and 45 minutes) will be provided to your centrally located hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon. If you are going to be delayed meeting our transfer representative for more than 15 minutes due to delayed or lost luggage, please contact Allianz Global Assistance to advise of your delay and they will contact our transfer service on your behalf. Our drivers are generally able to wait for up to 45 minutes from the time your flight lands, after which you would be responsible for your own transfer.
Please note: If you arrive early, and your hotel room is not available prior to the designated check-in time, you may store your luggage with the reception desk.
The remainder of the day is at your leisure (no meals included). Country Walkers provides you with City Information including recommendations on what to see and do in Stratford-upon-Avon during your stay.
Accommodation: Arden Hotel
Today, explore Stratford-upon-Avon to your heart’s delight. The three houses in town associated with Shakespeare are within walking distance of your hotel. Visit Shakespeare’s birthplace, Hall’s Croft (home to his daughter), and Nash’s House and New Place, where the bard spent the final years of his life. You may board a touring bus to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, the family home of Shakespeare’s wife, and to Mary Arden’s House, the childhood home of the bard’s mother.
For more insight into the playwright’s life, stop by the Schoolroom and Guildhall, where you can sit in the very room where Shakespeare sat as a young pupil. Directly opposite your hotel, enjoy a guided tour of the famous Royal Shakespeare Company. Browse a free exhibition, visit the top of the Theatre Tower, and take in views from the rooftop restaurant. We recommend you book in advance if you wish to see a performance.
Alternately, you may simply stroll along the banks of the River Avon and perhaps mingle with the resident swans.
Accommodation: Arden Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
2020 Post-Tour Extension - Oxford
2 Nights From $348
per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $298
After a relaxing breakfast, join your transfer at 10:00 a.m. for the 30-minute drive to Oxford. Please note that hotel check-in time is 2:00 p.m. You may leave your bags with reception while you explore Oxford. There is so much to see and do just around the corner.
Oxford is famous the world over for its prestigious University, the oldest in the English-speaking world. The core of the campus is just a few blocks away from your hotel. Wander the network of cobbled lanes lined with noble buildings spanning some 800 years. Ascend St. Martin’s Tower, also called “Carfax Tower,” for sweeping views of the city’s rooftops and soaring spires. Browse the stalls of the historic Covered Market, open since 1774, and follow pedestrian-friendly streets to the iconic Bodleian Library, or “Bodley” to students and locals. One of the oldest libraries in Europe, it is the main research library of the University of Oxford (closed on Sundays).
Tonight, stop in for a pint at one of the many pubs and chic restaurants, all within walking distance of your centrally located hotel.
Country Walkers provides you with City Information that includes recommendations on what to see and do in Oxford during your stay.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel
Continue your exploration of Oxford and its many colleges. Perhaps you will step inside the historic Sheldonian Theatre, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1664 and 1669, and learn about its unique history and role as a ceremonial hall. Don’t forget to gaze up at the magnificent ceiling painted by Robert Streater and climb up the cupola for one of the best indoor 360-degree panoramic views of Oxford. Well worth a visit, too, is the Ashmolean, Oxford University’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683 and the oldest public museum in the world (closed on Mondays). Visit some of the college buildings, such as Christ Church College where you’ll find the Tudor dining hall which provided inspiration for the Great Hall at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. A tour of Oxford’s castle will unveil stories of the last 1,000 years.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel
A complimentary small-group transfer is provided to London Heathrow Airport based upon your departure time (Transfer time to be communicated by your guides on tour.)
Included Meals: Breakfast
2021 Post-Tour Extension - Oxford
2 Nights From $348
per person, double occupancy
Single Supplement: From $298
After a relaxing breakfast, join your transfer at 10:00 a.m. for the 30-minute drive to Oxford. Please note that hotel check-in time is 2:00 p.m. You may leave your bags with reception while you explore Oxford. There is so much to see and do just around the corner.
Oxford is famous the world over for its prestigious University, the oldest in the English-speaking world. The core of the campus is just a few blocks away from your hotel. Wander the network of cobbled lanes lined with noble buildings spanning some 800 years. Ascend St. Martin’s Tower, also called “Carfax Tower,” for sweeping views of the city’s rooftops and soaring spires. Browse the stalls of the historical Covered Market, open since 1774, and follow pedestrian-friendly streets to the iconic Bodleian Library, or “Bodley” to students and locals. One of the oldest libraries in Europe, it is the main research library of the University of Oxford (closed on Sundays).
Tonight, stop in for a pint at one of Oxford’s many pubs and chic restaurants, all within walking distance of your centrally located hotel.
Country Walkers provides you with City Information including recommendations on what to see and do in Oxford during your stay.
Accommodation: Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
Continue your exploration of Oxford and its many colleges. Perhaps you will step inside the Sheldonian Theatre, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1664 and 1669, and learn about its unique history and role as a ceremonial hall. Don’t forget to gaze up at the magnificent ceiling painted by Robert Streater and climb up the cupola for one of the best 360-degree panoramic views of Oxford. Well worth a visit, too, is the Ashmolean, Oxford University’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683 and the oldest public museum in the world (closed on Mondays). Visit some of the college buildings, such as Christ Church College, where you’ll find the Tudor dining hall, which provided inspiration for the Great Hall at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. A tour of Oxford’s castle will unveil stories of the last 1,000 years.
Accommodation: Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel
Included Meals: Breakfast
A complimentary small-group transfer is provided to London Heathrow Airport based upon your departure time (Transfer time to be communicated by your guides while on tour.)
Included Meals: Breakfast
What's Included | Flight + Tour Combo | Tour Only |
|---|---|---|
| Exceptional boutique accommodations |  |
|
| 11 on-tour meals: 6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 3 dinners | |
|
| Local guides with you throughout tour | |
|
| Entrance fees and special events as noted in the itinerary | |
|
| Travel assistance available 24/7 provided by Allianz | |
|
| Roundtrip airfare | |
|
| One extra night in Arden Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon and one extra night in the Bear Hotel in Oxford | |
|
| Airport car service for arrival & departure | |
|
| Pre- and post-tour breakfasts | |
|
| Business-class upgrades available | |
Experience your destination like an insider with people who call it home.
Jesse Hunnisett
Born in Winchester and living in Upham, a small village outside Winchester, Jesse Hunnisett comes from a farming background and his interests include hill walking, mountain biking, camping, playing music, and travelling. He loves taking friends and family around parts of the UK and discovering areas of the world he has never been to before. When not introducing visitors to the scenery and rich history of the Cotswolds, Jesse enjoys playing and listening to music, reading a good book, and learning as much as possible about the conservation of English heritage in this very walking- and dog-friendly region of England.
Gillian Nicol
Gillian Nicol was born in the historic Roman city of Chester, studied in Liverpool, Manchester, and Keele (earning multiple degrees), and now resides in rural Chesire. Her background includes teaching secondary school geography, leading outdoor education trips through the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, and working for a wine merchant. In addition, she has lived and traveled throughout Africa, Asia, Australasia, and much of Western Europe but her heart remains with her home country with its stunning views, quaint villages, and rich history. Gillian’s interests include skiing, snowboarding, fell running, biking (including long distance bike events) and exploring the UK in her camper van with her partner, Nick.
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