The Cotswold Way
€1145
per person
Join us on a self-guided walking tour of one of England’s best National park trails – The Cotswold Way. It begins at the small market town of Chipping Campden and takes you all the way to the city of Bath. For the most part, the route follows a Cotswolds Area of remarkable beauty and dives deep into the English countryside revealing picturesque villages, marvelous small cottages, and local traditional pubs. You will enjoy a combination of experiences you can only encounter in England – passing through lush green fields still bordered by stone walls and hedges, stumbling upon Neolithic sites, contemplating beautiful village churches all in the presence of remarkable natural surroundings. The city of Bath UNESCO World Heritage Site is a well-deserved final destination of the tour which gives the tour a tasteful cultural finish.
Level 3/4
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Destination
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Duration8 (5-12) Days I Level: 3/4 (of 5)
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What is includedHand picked guesthouses and small hotels, incl. breakfast; Luggage transportation; Access to digital roadbook, maps and GPS tracks; Emergency phone support
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What is not includedTravel to the start or from the finish of the walk; Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks; Travel Insurance; Personal equipment; Transport when you need to skip a stage.
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Best periodApril, May, June, July, August, September, October
FROM OUR GALLERY
Self-guided inn to inn hiking tour along the Cotswold Way in England, United Kingdom
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Day 1: Arrive Chipping Campden
The independent arrival at Chipping Campden is quite easy. It is a two-hour train journey from London to Moreton-in-the-Marsh and a short bus or taxi ride from there. Chipping Campden is named one of the most charming Cotswold towns so you might want to foresee an earlier arrival in order to have a little more time to spend there.
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Day 2: Chipping Campden to Winchcombe (7-7,30hrs; 29km; +590m/-650m)
Your self-guided walking adventure begins with a stunning highlight - Dover’s Hill and Broadway Tower. They await after a climb above Chipping Campden. The pastoral village of Stanton is the halfway marker of the section followed by the beautiful hamlet of Church Stanway. A steep climb leads toward the next focus of the walk, the Iron Age hill fort Beckbury Camp and medieval Hailes Abbey. The overnight is in Winchcombe, once a Saxon settlement of great importance full of cultural sites worth visiting such as the folk museum and the Church of St Peter.
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Day 3: Winchombre to Seven Springs (6,30hrs; 23km; +650/-500m)
After a healthy breakfast, you bid Winchcombe farewell ascend westward to enjoy some superb views down to Cheltenham and across the Vale of Gloucester. As you continue walking, you will encounter an Iron Age Hill Fort and descend to the Dowdeswell reservoir. At the last stage of today’s independent walk, you advance to the Severn Springs. They are considered by many to be the true source of the River Thames.
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Day 4: Seven Springs to Painswick (7hrs; 24km; +450m/-450m)
You walking route traverses the combe through a forest and leads you to Cooper’s Hill for some vast panoramas. The next highlight is the marvelous Painswick Beacon with a spectacular view of the seemingly endless Severn Vale panorama. The remaining stages of today’s hiking route are a steady descent to the market town of Painswick where your overnight will be.
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Day 5: Painswick to Dursley (7,30hrs; 27km; +580m/-640m)
The following section of the self-guided hiking tour starts with an open countryside crossing to Scottsquar Hill where you enter an enchanting forest guiding you to Haresfield Beacon. The path leads you through the charming towns of Stroud and Stonehouse, crossing the Stroudwater Canal and into King’s Stanley. You walk up to Pen Hill and reach the Neolithic burial site of Nympsfield Long Barrow. Don’t miss the stunning panoramic views from Coaley Peak on Frocester Hill. Your overnight will be in the small market town of Dursley.
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Day 6: Dursley to Old Sodbury (8,30hrs; 32km; +630/-580m)
Your day starts with a descent to the valley and a steep climb to a rewarding goal - the Nibley Knoll and the Tyndale Monument hill tower. The path you follow traverses the slope and gently descends to the old wool town of Wotton-under-Edge where you can have a rest before the next climb. Countryside scenery accompanies you on your way to the charming hamlet of Little Sodbury and the village of the Old Sodbury that follows.
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Day 7: Old Sodbury to Bath (7,30hrs; 31km; +420m/-510m)
The route takes you through the parkland of Dodington House and the quiet village of Tormarton. You will walk pass another monumental country house, Dyrham Park and climb gently toward the small hamlet of Pennsylvania named after the US state. You ascend to the top of Lansdown Hill and continue to Prospect Stile offering magnificent views of the city of Bath. A visit of the Roman Baths marks the beginning of the exciting exploration of the memorable historic city of Bath where your last overnight of the tour will be.
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Day 8: Bath - departure
TOUR LOCATION
Price
1145 Euro per person in twin/dbl room
Single room & Solo traveler supplement
Single room supplement: 355 Euro
Solo traveler supplement: N/A (min. groupo size: 2 pax)
Tips
Daily departures between the beginning of April and mid-October. Getting to Chipping Campden: Train services connect London to Moreton-in-Marsh (2h) and Birmingham to Stratford-upon-Avon (1h). If you wish to take a taxi from Moreton-in-Marsh this will need to be booked ahead of time as there is no taxi rank at the station or in the town. The cost is about £25. Or you can walk from the station to the Corn Exchange (a 5 minute walk) and from here you can take a bus to Chipping Camden. It is the Line 22 bus, it takes approximately 25 minutes and the buses leave hourly (approx £3 cost). Please note buses do not run on Sundays. Getting from Bath: Fast and frequent train services connect Bath to London (1h30). If you have left a car in Chipping Campden getting back from Bath on public transport rail/bus takes about 3.5 hours. We don’t recommend you leave a car in Bath as long term parking is expensive. Please visit the Traveline Website or National Rail Enquiries for further information on public transport and timetables.
Accommodation & luggage transportation
We used handpicked, high quality B&B’s, guesthouses and country inns of typical Cotswold character. Honey coloured cottages, roaring log fires, comfortable country bedrooms and the warmest of welcomes are what we look for to make your stay extra special. Your room will always have an en-suite or private bathroom. A delicious breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner are not included. Most of your accommodation will be more than happy to provide a packed lunch on request. Dinner is available either at your hotel or at nearby pubs and restaurants. Daily door to door baggage transfer is included in the cost of your holiday. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.
Send an enquiry about this tour
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