Cotswolds Hidden Gems Private Luxury Local Guide Tour from London
Description
Relax as your dedicated driver/guide transports you in comfort and style from the hustle and bustle of London to the glorious Cotswold Hills. In this magical landscape you will discover quintessential English villages, historic churches, quaint thatched cottages, and fascinating hidden gems that make the Cotswolds a place like no other. Your personal guide will show you some of the very best this beautiful region has to offer and entertain you with fascinating facts and intriguing tales of the Cotswolds. • Experience the best of the Cotswolds – from famous villages to amazing, off-the-beaten-track hidden gems. • Option to visit Clarkson's Farm locations. • Explore in comfort in our spacious and luxurious vehicles. • Journey through glorious Cotswold landscapes stopping for amazing photo opportunities along the way.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your day begins with a convenient pickup from your London hotel or accommodation. Meet your friendly, knowledgeable guide and settle into a luxury vehicle with air conditioning and WiFi, setting the stage for an enjoyable day ahead.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the drive out of London and into England’s picturesque countryside. Your guide will introduce you to the day’s itinerary and share fascinating trivia about the Cotswolds' heritage and culture, setting the stage for an unforgettable experience.
Discover “The Venice of the Cotswolds,” a beloved village with something for everyone— Enjoy free time to explore unique shops, charming tea rooms, museums, and possibly the best ice cream in the Cotswolds!
Despite its dramatic name, this village is pure charm. Stroll along the banks of the River Eye, passing picturesque cottages that look straight out of a painting. It’s a peaceful stop you’ll never forget.
A quick stop at this very small but quite extraordinary village with a rare example of an unspoilt 12th century church. A true hidden Cotswolds gem.
Bibury was once described as ‘the most beautiful village in the Cotswolds’ and home to the world-famous Arlington Row cottages. So picturesque and quintessentially Cotswolds that Henry Ford tried to buy the whole lot and move them all to his estate in Michigan. Fortunately, he failed, and Arlington Row is probably now the most photographed street in the whole of England with a fascinating history to boot – what more could you ask for?
Explore a scenic valley steeped in over 1,000 years of history. Your guide will share stories of this beautiful area, transporting you to another time.
A scenic drive along a picturesque, intimate valley dotted with secluded stone villages.
Visit Burford’s famous High Street a place packed with great cafes and shops and steeped in history. Hear tales of kings, rebels, and highwaymen and visit the ancient church in this timeless town.
Conclude your Cotswolds exploration with this hidden treasure. Quiet, mysterious, and full of charm, it’s the perfect place to reflect on the day and soak up the region’s tranquility before heading back to London.
As we journey back to London, unwind with our custom in-car entertainment system or simply relax and enjoy the scenery. Your guide will ensure a smooth return, bringing a perfect end to a perfect day.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We typically pick up from any hotel or accommodation in West, Central and City of London, but if you want to be collected from anywhere else, just ask, and we’ll make it happen. Likewise if you want to be dropped somewhere different, stay overnight, or generally mix things up then you’re in the right place. We can be fully flexible to make sure you have the perfect trip. Depending on details there might be a slight change of timing or a small fee, but pretty much anything you need, we can make it happen. We’re all about making your day as relaxed and enjoyable as possible, and that starts from the moment you book. We’ll reach out to you if you need any assistance with your travel plans and as the tour approaches we’ll share all the info, handy tips and contact details. The day before the tour your guide will message you by SMS to share their contact details and field any last minute questions and they will then contact you on arrival at your chosen pickup point. From that point on they’ll look after you and share their Cotswolds with you, adapting the tour to suit your preferences and generally showing off this beautiful area.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- We can cater for senior citizens, however, the vehicle is not wheelchair accessible. There are very few stairs in the villages we will visit.
- Travel duration includes the 2 hour return travel time
- The tour operates in all weather so please dress appropriately.
- Luggage allowance. 1 medium suitcase and 1 small item of hand-luggage per passenger.
- This tour can be combined with other Tour Britannia tours to create a memorable multi-day experience.
- Please let us know of any allergies.
Reviews(36)
We LOVED our tour of the Cotwolds! David was an excellent guide with so much information on the area. He provided a great narrative that was interesting and entertaining to the kids and adults in our group! We went to the perfect places to see the well known villages as well as some hidden gems! Also the lunch that was booked was perfect! Would give this day 10 stars if possible!!
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We’re really pleased to hear how much you all enjoyed exploring the Cotswolds with David. It’s great to know that the whole family enjoyed the mix of famous villages and hidden gems, and that David kept both the adults and kids entertained along the way! We’re also glad the lunch was a hit. 10 stars is quite a compliment – thank you! We really appreciate you choosing Tour Britannia and hope to welcome you back for another tour one day.
My wife and I have always loved travel that included the two of us, a car, and a new area to explore. At 76 years old, a 10 day tour of the Cotswolds, ending in Oxford was more than we wanted to try alone, and any kind of structured group tour was not going to happen. Sometimes you get lucky. Tour Britannia was arranged by our travel agent and it was a game changer. By the end of the first hour, our guide Chris heard and got that photography was important. That backroads and authentic was better than tourist stops. By the end of the first day, (Chris was our guide each time a car was involved), it was like I was driving. Add Chris’ enthusiasm, knowledge, and experience and he replaced the initial angst that our age may be getting us closer to that tour bus, with a simply wonderful time. I could go on but suffice it to say that our recommendation for Chris and his family owned company is unqualified. Thanks Chris!
Thank you so much for your incredibly kind words. It truly means a great deal to us that your time in the Cotswolds and Oxford was such a memorable experience. At Tour Britannia we love creating trips that feel personal, unhurried, and authentic, so hearing that Chris understood exactly the style of travel you enjoy — from hidden backroads to photography stops and local gems — is especially rewarding. We firmly believe that great travel should never feel like being herded from stop to stop and we are delighted that your trip captured the freedom and spontaneity that make exploring beautiful areas like the Cotswolds so special. It was an absolute pleasure to be part of your adventure, and we’re so grateful to your travel agent for trusting us with your journey. Thank you again for your recommendation and for taking the time to share such thoughtful feedback. I hope we can get together again for another Tour Britannia adventure.
Highly recommend! Dave did a great job of showing us parts of the Cotswolds that tourists don't usually see. After Bourton on the Water, we asked him to show us the beauty of the Cotswolds. It was wonderful! Quiet, could close my eyes and hear the birds. He knows the history. It was just 3 of us which made it suited to our interests. And he was kind enough to stop at the grocery for us.
Thank you so much for your brilliant review. We know the Cotswolds well and love showing our guests the hidden gems and secret spots most visitors to the area never see. Dave told us how much he enjoyed spending the day with you so it sounds like a great time all round.
My husband and I decided to splurge on this private tour of the Cotswolds and we are so happy we did! What a lovely day with our tour guide Christopher. We were picked up promptly at our hotel at 8am and had a wonderful and relaxing 2 hour drive to the Cotswolds. Christopher gave us an overview of our day and told about the history of the region. He even made a lunch reservation for us at a lovely restaurant in Barnsley, which was the highlight of our day. Our first stop of the day was in the lovely village of Bourton-On-The-Water, and we were given time to walk along the river and to explore some of the shops. The other villages were equally as charming and the scenery was spectacular. We can see why this is a much loved region of England and why it has been a must see destination for anyone visiting England. Christopher was very knowledgable about the Cotswolds and also about the history of England in general, so we learned a lot from him. It really made our tour so much more interesting, We can’t thank Christopher enough for his hospitality and his professionalism. We were sad for our tour to end as we felt like we had made a new friend. We definitely would recommend this tour to anyone who wants to visit the Cotswolds, and we would do it again if we could. Thank you Christopher for making this tour the highlight of our visit to England!
'The highlight of your visit to England' - What an amazing compliment, thank you so much. We work hard to deliver fantastic tours and great experiences and your kind words mean so much to us. Christopher is very passionate about the Cotswolds and he will be delighted he made your day special. We would love to see you again sometime.
Henry provided an amazing tour of the Cotswolds. He was prompt, professional, friendly, and full of Cotswolds knowledge. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a great experience at a slower pace.
Thank you so much for the great review, we really appreciate you taking the time to share it with others. We're delighted to hear that you had such a wonderful experience exploring the Cotswolds with Henry. He truly takes pride in creating relaxed, informative, and memorable tours, so your feedback means a lot. Thanks again for your recommendation. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!
This was such a great tour. If you have only one day to visit the Cotswolds then this is the tour to take. Everything was top notch and David was so knowledgeable and excited to show us the area you could not have asked for a better guide. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your amazing review of your Tour Britannia Luxury tour of the Cotswolds. I'm delighted you appreciated David's knowledge and enthusiasm for this beautiful part of the UK. Having a guide with great local knowledge and passion for the region makes a huge difference to the experience. Come back and see us again sometime. We would love to show you some more amazing areas of our wonderful country.
Took a driving tour of the Cotswolds. Our driver was extremely knowledgeable of the area and found off the main path places to see.
Thanks Wendy, it was a pleasure showing you this beautiful part of England. I'm delighted you appreciated the off-the-beaten track places you visited on your Cotswolds tour. Our guides are knowledgeable and passionate about the areas we visit and we always strive to show our guests the hidden gems other tours miss.
We had a really enjoyable day in the Cotswolds on our tour with Christopher! When we reached out to Christopher ahead of the tour, he was happy to customize some of our destinations to include locations from Clarkson’s Farm, which was very exciting for us as fans of the tv show. On the day of the tour, Christopher showed up promptly at our hotel, and had a very nice vehicle, with water, entertainment, and WiFi available. He explained our itinerary as we drove out to the Cotswolds, as well as giving us a lot of history and background on the area. He was very knowledgeable about Cotswolds history and we really enjoyed chatting with him during the couple of hours journey out of London. We really enjoyed all of the stops. The small towns were very interesting, and Christopher did a great job explaining the history in the architecture in each stop. He also made sure to walk with us through certain areas to make sure that we saw all of the interesting sites and gardens. We really appreciated the opportunity to have a ‘mooch’ in Bourton-on-the-Water, and Christopher was happy to park and wait for us to hang around town for a little while and visit the pub before heading to our next stop. Christopher also prearranged an awesome lunch for us which we really appreciated. We had excellent local Cotswolds fare in a beautiful old manor house setting, and also enjoyed the gardens at the lunch stop. Christopher also showed us around some ruins while explaining a lot of background and stories about the place, which was a great opportunity to explore and get a feel for the castle/hall that used to be there. Lastly, Christopher gave us an opportunity to visit the farmers dog pub and was happy to wait for us to visit the shop (and have a pint) before our trip back to London. Overall, we loved the day with Christopher and would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is in London and would like to spend a day enjoying the English countryside!
A fantastic review!!! Thank you so much. We’re delighted to hear you had such an enjoyable day exploring the Cotswolds with Christopher. He really does enjoy sharing his knowledge of the area, and it’s great to know you appreciated the mix of history, charming villages, and hidden gems. It was great fun tailoring the tour to include a few Clarkson’s Farm locations — always a treat for fans of the show! We’re also pleased you enjoyed the lunch and had time for a proper mooch around Bourton-on-the-Water — it’s one of our favourites as well. It sounds like you made the most of the day, and we couldn’t be happier to hear it. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, and we do hope we’ll have the pleasure of welcoming you on another tour in the future.
Fantastic day for the whole family, thoroughly enjoyed every aspect and the service of the tour guide Christopher was awesome and his knowledge of the area exceptional. The teenage kids are hard to please and they loved the day!
It's great to hear you and your family had a fantastic day in the Cotswolds. The exceptional local knowledge of our guides is one of the things that makes our tours special - even for hard to please teenagers! We would love to see you again on one of our other amazing tours. Our Stonehenge VIP inner access tour is perfect for families like yours. Best wishes from Tour Britannia, hope to see you again soon.
Christopher was fabulous! Absolutely the best experience ever. He took us to the most delicious and charming manor house for lunch. He was so accommodating in our photo stops and shopping excursions. Along the way he shared both personal and historical information about the land, villages and culture of the area.
Chris really is a fabulous guide and I'm so glad he made your trip so much fun! All of our guides are passionate about the Cotswolds and love sharing that passion with Tour Britannia guests.
