Small-Group Cotswolds Tour (From London)
Description
Join this small-group day tour to the Cotswolds from London, and explore the highlights of the beautiful English countryside. Travel in a minibus in small, friendly groups as your Driver-Guide explains the history of the region and tells you the local stories. Along the way you'll meander along country lanes, see remote countryside and visit the most charming villages in the region. • Explore the highlights of the Cotswolds in one day • Get off the beaten path and travel along the narrow country lanes • Visit a mix of charming villages, historic towns and beautiful countryside • Small groups with a maximum of 16 passengers
Tour Options
Itinerary
The day begins by departing London and travelling towards the quintessentially English countryside of The Cotswolds; an area that is famous for its beautiful landscape, charming villages and honey-coloured stone cottages. Our first stop will be the traditional town of Burford; known as the ‘Gateway to the Cotswolds’. This is a historic place where many houses date back nearly 600 years and little has changed for centuries. During the visit there will be time to explore Burford, visit the magnificent church and stroll along the high street to visit a mix of independent family-run shops.
The village of Bibury is often described as the 'prettiest village in England'. It's charming scene is a snapshot of traditional English country life. Wander along the gentle river and see the iconic Arlington Row; a set of weavers cottages that are now one of the symbols of the Cotswolds.
Our lunch stop is the charming settlement of Bourton-on-the-Water. The town's river setting has seen it become known as the 'Venice of the Cotswolds'.
We'll continue through the countryside to Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest town in the Cotswolds that is a jumble of ancient inns & antique shops located around the bustling market square. This historic town was a place of inspiration for JRR Tolkien and is also where the last battle of the English Civil War took place in 1646.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children under the age of seven are not permitted to travel
- Operating Hours: 9:00 - 18:00
Reviews(2,929)
What an amazing experience. The scenary was breathtaking. Our tour guide was a wealth of knowledge, funny and such a joy to be around.
A colleague and I took The Cotswolds tour and really enjoyed the experience. Our driver/guide Sean was friendly, communicative and knowledgeable. He had a good sense of humor and was a skilled driver for the narrow roads when we got into the smaller towns. The bus was quite comfortable and his playlist was good. The 4 stops on the tour were enough to give us a sense of the different towns and what makes the area so special. It was nice to be able to go and come back on the same day. I'd highly recommend this tour to anyone in London who is not keen on renting a car. The Cotswolds are quite spread out, so this tour made our visit possible given our limited timeline and lack of rental car.
A colleague and I took The Cotswolds tour and really enjoyed the experience. Our driver/guide Sean was friendly, communicative and knowledgeable. He had a good sense of humor and was a skilled driver for the narrow roads when we got into the smaller towns. The bus was quite comfortable and his playlist was good. The 4 stops on the tour were enough to give us a sense of the different towns and what makes the area so special. It was nice to be able to go and come back on the same day. I'd highly recommend this tour to anyone in London who is not keen on renting a car. The Cotswolds are quite spread out, so this tour made our visit possible given our limited timeline and lack of rental car.
Overall, this was a lovely solo day while traveling with my brother's family (they all went on a tour that I had already experienced). I thoroughly enjoyed hearing what our excellent guide, Sheila, had to share about the places we saw and visited along our journey. I appreciated that she did not expect a woman traveling solo to share seats with a man traveling solo, and as someone who has hearing loss, I also am grateful that she let me sit near her so I could see and understand her speech. Our driver, Mickey, was very adept and fun as well. The only drawback was that I am not interested in shopping/etc., and so I was disappointed just a little that the tour took us to some great spots but the description had led me to believe that they would be more guided and less of a shopping opportunity. I do have to say that Sheila did show us some great spots and walked us to some key destinations, so I don't blame her at all. She offered some good hints and tips for each location as well.
It was a veery pleasing trip with my family. Van was very comfortable and our driver/guide was just amazing. Definitely recommend, worth the money.
Our family recently participated in the Clarkson’s Farm tour to the Cotswolds. Glenn was our guide and made our tour even more enjoyable than we could have imagined! Despite a late start and extra traffic outside of London, we were still able to enjoy a good amount of time at each stop we made. There were no major celebrity sightings this journey (though I did get to meet Ms. Charlotte who was briefly featured in Season 5). The tour bus itself was spacious and kept us as comfortable as we could be in the nearly 90°F weather! Would definitely book with this tour group again!
The tour was wonderful with ample time at each destination The tour guide, Nigel, was excellent! He was humorous but very knowledgeable.
It was really special to get to see the countryside and the old stone buildings. Great day with family.
This was a well organised and enjoyable tour. The meeting point was easy to find and our tour guide / driver (Nigel) was very friendly and provided plenty of information about what we saw on our trip. Nigel made the day very enjoyable and it was much easier than arranging everything yourself if you only have a short time in London.
You stop at many different villages so can see how different they can be. Our tour guide, Sean, very well informed and very entertaining.
