The 102 mile (164km) Cotswold Way is a National Trail that runs from the market town of Chipping Campden to the Roman city of Bath. It follows the western edge of the Cotswold Hills and leads you through England's largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with its rolling pastures with dry stone walls, beech woods, and picturesque villages with honey-coloured cottages built from Cotswold stone.
From Chipping Campden, known for its covered marketplace and beautiful 'wool' church you'll follow the trail along the Cotswold escarpment with ever-changing views to the west towards the River Severn and the Malvern Hills. Along the way you'll discover a wealth of pretty Cotswolds villages, stately homes, Iron Age hill forts and historic battle sites. Climb Cleeve Hill, the highest point in the Cotswolds where you will be rewarded with spectacular views over Cheltenham, the River Severn, the Malvern Hills, and, on a clear day, the Black Mountains of Wales. The end of the Cotswold Way is marked at Bath Abbey with a carved stone disc. Spend time discovering the delights of Bath from the Roman baths to the honey-coloured Georgian architecture of the Royal Crescent.
Accommodation is in a range of Bed & Breakfasts with character, and hotels housed in historic buildings. Offering a warm and friendly Cotswold welcome, as well as hearty breakfasts, they offer comfortable stops along the walk and a charming insight into Cotswold life.
The Cotswold Way is a National Trail trail on a mixture of well-maintained footpaths, bridleways, across fields, with some short sections on some minor roads. There are a number of ascents and descents each day from the escarpment.
Arrive in the historic market town of Chipping Campden.
Stay overnight at Cotswold House Hotel or similar
Head up on to the Cotswolds escarpment from where you will enjoy stunning views from Dover's Hill, home to the annual 'Cotswold Olimpick Games'. Walk through fields to the 18th century folly, Broadway Tower. Descend to the coaching village of Broadway, where you will find fine houses and inns flanking the 'broad way', before climbing back up onto the escarpment, to Shenberrow Hill, the 3rd highest point in Gloucestershire from where you will descend into the idyllic village of Stanton.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at Shenberrow Hill B&B or similar
Today starts with a pleasant walk through the parkland of the Stanway Estate, with its Jacobean manor, magnificent gatehouse and medieval tithe barn. Climb up onto the escarpment to the Iron Age hill fort of Beckbury Camp, then follow the trail as it passes near highlights such as Hailes Abbey and Sudeley Castle. Visit the ancient Neolithic long barrow of Belas Knap on the panoramic ascent up to Cleeve Hill, the highest point of the Cotswolds.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at Upper Hill Farm or similar
Walk through the ancient Lineover Wood and walk on the escarpment onto Leckhampton Hill and look out for the peculiar limestone rock formation known as the Devil's Chimney. Enjoy breathtaking views from Crickley Hill before descending through woodlands to Birdlip.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at Royal George Hotel or similar
Head on to Painswick Beacon, the site of an Iron Age hill fort, then descend into Painswick, one of the architectural highlights of the trail, and the mid-point of the Cotswold Way. Follow the trail on to Haresfield Beacon, where you'll enjoy spectacular views across the Severn estuary, then pass through Standish Woods, where in springtime bluebells carpet the woodland floor.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at The White Hart or similar
Follow the trail through woodland and climb to Cam Long Down from where the trail descends into the market town of Dursley. Tackle some slightly steeper slopes up onto Stinchcombe Hill and to the Tyndale Monument before the trail descends again to the town of Wotton-Under-Edge.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at Swan Hotel or similar
Today the trail passes close to the National Trust property of Newark Park. Continue the walk through woodland towards the village of Alderley, and ascend to the Somerset Monument and Horton Fort to reach Old Sodbury.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at Rock Cottage or similar
From Old Sodbury, the Cotswold Way crosses fields into the village of Tormarton, then continues on to the village of Dyrham, passing near Dyrham Park, a 17th-century mansion, garden and deer park. Continue through farmland to reach Cold Ashton.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at Whittington Farm or similar
From Cold Ashton climb up to the site of the civil war battle of Lansdown, At Prospect Stile you will catch your first glimpse of Bath in the valley below. Cross farmland to reach the edge of Bath where the trail becoms more urban and passes through parks and near magnificent regency architecture to reach Bath Abbey where a carved stone disc marks the end of the Cotswold Way.
Breakfast included
Stay overnight at Hill House or similar
Depart after breakfast.
During your holiday you stay at the following hotels. If you'd like to extend your time at any of these or, if you'd like to enhance your stay with an upgraded room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347, use our live webchat or email usa@exodustravels.com
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Extra nights: Please contact us for details.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Situated in the picturesque hidden treasure village of Stanton, Shenberrow B&B is an attractive country house set in 8 acres. The comfortable rooms are beautifully decorated and ensuite. Should this accommodation not be available, an alternative of the same standard will be used
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Set high in the Cotswolds on the edge of Cleeve Common, Upper Hill Farm offers tranquil, quality bed & breakfast accommodation. The Cotswold Way National Trail passes through Upper Hill Farm land and across the Butterfly Conservation Society Prestbury Hill Reserve. Should this accommodation not be available, an alternative of the same standard will be used
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
The White Hart is an iconic rural pub established in 1740, with a restaurant and bed & breakfast. There are five spacious, newly refurbished rooms, all with a private bathroom. Rooms have exposed beams and little nuances that occasionally act as reminders to the heritage of the historic building.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Rock Cottage is a traditional bed and breakfast in the Cotswold village of Old Sodbury. The rooms are comfortable and homely. Should this accommodation not be available, an alternative of the same standard will be used
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
If you'd like to extend your trip with extra nights at the start or end, or if you'd like to arrange a stop off point en-route, then we recommend the following hotels.
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
NEARBY:
Call now to speak to our specialist team at 1-800-267-3347 or email us at usa@exodustravels.com for enquiries or to book your trip.
Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
A wonderful walk through woodland, countryside and villages. We recommend doing this walk in the late spring, when the bluebells, cow parsley, and cowslips clothe the countryside. We passed so many interesting historical sites, from Neolithic tombs, Iron Age forts, ancient battlefields, and finishing in Bath was a pleasure. Don’t forget to photograph your feet at the start plaque in Chipping Camden, and again at the finish outside Bath cathedral.
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
This 9 night self-guided walking holiday includes:
Hotel-to-hotel accommodation in a mix of , and hotels
Breakfasts daily
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
Route directions and maps
Luggage transfers between hotels
Guide book with route information
How to book:
For further details, or to check availability, speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form (we'll contact you at a time that's most convenient for you).
To enquire about this holiday, or for further information, call our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form.
We do not currently have departure dates and prices available on-line. The season may have ended for this tour, or we are still in the process of adding these details to our website. Please contact us for further details.
Children
Please contact us for child prices.
Holiday type
Self-guided walking Managed locally by Headwater appointed agent.
Departures
Meals
Breakfasts daily
Other details
Route notes are provided in the form of a guide book which is supplied on arrival.
This holiday does not include any flights or rail.
For further details, or to check availability, speak to our sales team on 1-800-267-3347 or complete our holiday enquiry form (we'll contact you at a time that's most convenient for you).
Call now to speak to our specialist team at 1-800-267-3347 or email us at usa@exodustravels.com for enquiries or to book your trip.
