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(3,079)
James was such an amazing tour guide and did such an amazing job on our small group Cotswolds tour! He was super interactive, entertaining, and very knowledgeable (and Barbara provided a great playlist too!). Would highly recommend!
We did the Clarksons Farm Tour. Visited Diddly Squat Farm Shop, Hawkstone Brewery and The Farmers Dog. Great day exploring ‘all things Clarkson’! Our driver Tony was very informative and the whole day went very smoothly. It was amazing to see things that we have seen on TV over the years.
First time in Cotswolds & had an amazing time in this small group day trip. It was a hot day so beautiful blue skies. There was a lot of walking involved in each of the 4 towns & was so surprised by the crowds. Our tour bus driver Ollie gave us so much information & history & made the drive very interesting. He was quite a character & very good
Asked to switch seats (move from the very back to closer to the front) due to severe motion sickness and vertigo and was not allowed to. Disappointing to not have a medical request/need taken seriously.
The tour was great! Really enjoyed it. Only wish we could have stopped to see the kingsmen stones. :)
Great day out, would highly recommend. Small group size was perfect. Mini van was brand new, with air conditioning & USB and USB-C chargers. Our lovely driver Claire was great, giving us lots of interesting facts throughout the drive. Best of all was the free time in 4 local villages, plenty of opportunities for snacks & toilet stops. Public toilets need coins (otherwise buy a coffee in a cafe). Around 1pm we stopped at Bourton on the Water for lunch. Wifi in the carpark was ok, but very little in the village, so you may want to research your lunch spot in advance. Overall it was a great day out & I really enjoyed it.
Fantastic day to “all things Clarksons”. Thank you Tony, loved the commentary and the music. Lucky Hugo was away yesterday!
This was my husband's favorite part of the whole European vacation. It was the perfect amount of time in each location and our guide was excellent.
My family greatly enjoyed our experience in the Cotswolds. Our guide Len had a great sense of humor and was very informative. He made the experience! The van was comfortable even on a blistering hot day and the itinerary was well-planned. Would definitely recommend!
Hostile check-in coordinator (John) threatened to abandon my elderly mother in law 13 mins early My family of 4 woke up at 4:45 AM and travelled all the way from Surrey to ensure we arrived precisely on time for the Cotswolds day trip. Our experience with the morning ground coordinator handling the roll call, John, outside Urban Baristas South Kensington was an absolute disgrace. John showed up looking completely unprofessional—scruffy, unkempt, with a beard and wearing short trousers, setting a terrible standard for a premium company. He ran through a rigid, impatient script, aggressively rushing everyone toward the vehicle.Soon after checking in, my elderly mother-in-law and wife needed to use the restroom. The official departure time was 08:25 AM. At 08:12 AM—with a full 13 minutes left on the clock and my family gone for barely 5 minutes—John became visibly aggressive and frustrated. He loudly threatened me that the bus was leaving and that if they weren't back in 2 minutes (by 08:14 AM), he would order the coach to drive off and strand them.When I confronted him about how much time was actually left on the timetable, he rudely snapped that 'if the bus is almost full it needs to leave and will leave.' He then tried to justify this ridiculous behaviour by claiming that 'the more time passengers get in the Cotswolds, the better.' A dispatcher does not have the authority to rewrite the company timetable, create mass panic, and threaten passenger abandonment against paying customers just to clear his morning workload on a Sunday. His hostility caused severe anxiety for my wife and elderly mother-in-law, entirely ruining our family trip before the wheels even turned. Management seriously needs to investigate his conduct and professional appearance; his toxic attitude is a massive liability. Booking Ref: GYGG45M4VMV7
