Short Guided Winter Walking Tour in the Cotswolds
At a Glance
- 5 days, 4 nights
- 3* or 4* Hotels
- Guided
- Up to 16 guests
- Pickup: Moreton-in-Marsh
- Carbon: 48kg CO2e
- Difficulty: Moderate
- 2x Dinners
A winter walking tour visiting key locations in the Cotswolds at this unique time of the year
On our 5-day, 4-night, short guided winter walking tour, we’ll lead you to some of the best sights and scenes in the Cotswolds at this time of the year. Enjoy the crisp winter air, the views of rolling hills and the crunch under your walking boots.
Leave the busier summer crowds as we walk through classic English Cotswold countryside, spotting sights unique to this time of year. Marvel at the small honey-stoned villages before enjoying the welcoming ambience of larger market towns. Travel in the run-up to Christmas, you might even catch a seasonal local market.
Walking up to 8 miles per day – with shorter options available daily – this Cotswold winter walking tour promises stunning scenery and comfortable accommodation with plenty of opportunity to relax in front of a fire at a classic British pub come the day’s end.
Tour Highlights
- Enjoy the unique sights, smells and sounds of the Cotswolds in winter
- Gaze at the never-ending views from Broadway Tower
- Take in the sprawling parkland and grand staterooms of Blenheim Palace
- Visit classic Cotswold locations such as Chipping Campden, Bourton-on-the-Water and Bibury
Your Itinerary
After meeting your guide at Moreton-in-Marsh at 10:00 am, your time in the Cotswolds begins with a short walk from Chipping Campden along the Cotswold Way to Broadway Tower and Broadway. Enjoy excellent coffee and cake at Broadway Tower – along with the excellent views of course – before descending into the idyllic village of Broadway itself – known by some as the ‘Jewel of the Cotswolds’. Tonight, we return to Moreton-in-Marsh for your first evening as a group.
8 miles - Up to 340 ft elevation
Accommodation for nights 1 and 2: Moreton-in-Marsh
After a relaxing, comfortable night in your accommodation, today’s itinerary begins with a transfer to the world heritage site at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Churchill. Today’s 7-mile walk takes in the best of the palace grounds and surrounding villages. There’s an opportunity to visit the Palace before we return to Moreton-in-Marsh in the evening.
7 miles - Up to 240 ft elevation
Accommodation for nights 1 and 2: Moreton-in-Marsh
The highest town in the Cotswolds, Stow-on-the-Wold is our first stop on today’s plan. Meander along streets lined with local, independent shops before enjoying the town’s excellent market square. From here our walk heads downhill to the Slaughters, arguably the prettiest places in the Cotswolds. Without the summer crowds, you can experience Cotswold country life as the locals do. From the Slaughters, we carry on to Bourton-on-the-Water and its many bridges and waterways. Our itinerary allows you plenty of time to explore everything Bourton has to offer before we transfer to Burford and our accommodation for nights three and four.
7 miles - Up to 294 ft elevation
Accommodation for nights 3 and 4: Burford
Although your time in the Cotswolds is coming to a close, today’s walk has promises aplenty. From the tiny village of Barnsley we amble down the Coln Valley to the equally delightful hamlet at Bibury. The Cotswolds is arguably at its prettiest here, no matter the season. Industrialist Henry Ford agreed with us – he loved Arlington Row in Bibury so much he tried to buy it! After lunch at Bibury Trout Farm, we roll onto Bampton – a village fans of the English Period drama Downton Abbey might recognise from its use as a set for the series. This evening, we return to Burford for our final dinner together.
7 miles - Up to 160 ft elevation
Accommodation for nights 3 and 4: Burford
Due to local scheduling, activity time is subject to change. Accommodations vary depending on departure date.
Map
Good To Know
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Gallery
Handpicked Accommodation
The Redesdale Arms
The Manor House Hotel
The Prince Of Burford
The Lamb Inn
What our guides say...
Visting the Cotswolds in shoulder season is a great way to see Active England’s home at a quieter, but no less beautiful time of the year.
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Our private tours are based on our tried and tested group departures with two key differences. They offer you the freedom to travel when you wish and with whoever you’d like to holiday with.
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