spend three days visiting all the best places in the cotswolds

Explore 16 amazing Cotswolds locations, spread over three days with fun & friendly local Cotswolds tour guides. Each day you will spend time exploring stunning locations, chosen for their beauty, quirky history & ability to showcase the region's best kept secrets & well-known villages.

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On the first day you will visit, the tiny riverside village of Lower Slaughter. Marvel at the beautiful cottages & stunning old water mill. Next you will visit the most famous village in the Cotswolds, Bourton on the Water. Wander along the river, crossing little stone bridges. This is the perfect stop for morning coffee where you can spend time watching the world go by or exploring the little stores. Travel down narrow country lanes to Upper Slaughter, discover why this is known as a doubly thankful village & if you are lucky, you may spot a Cotswolds lion or two. Heading through the hills you will visit the gorgeous village of Snowshill, before stopping for lunch in Broadway. Broadway with its beautiful treelined street & lots of independent eateries & shops is the ideal venue for a snack or more extensive meal. The last stop of the day is the quintessential village of Stanton. Here you will see thatched cottages, visit a wonderful church & often hear the clip clop of horse’s hooves along the main street. 

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On your second day we will be heading down into the South Cotswolds. The first stop of the day is Malmesbury, where you will have time to stretch your legs, enjoy morning coffee in one of the tearooms & wander through the historic streets. Next, we will visit the photogenic village of Castle Combe often referred to as the 'prettiest street in England', it is unsurprising so many movies have been filmed here, including Doctor Dolittle, Warhorse & Stardust. From Castle Combe we will travel the short distance to Lacock, a village owned & managed by the National Trust, movie fans will recognise the scenes from Harry Potter, Downton Abbey & Pride & Prejudice. You will have two & a half hours to explore the village, abbey & have some lunch. (If you are a National Trust member, entrance to this venue is free, otherwise additional charges apply £16.50 per adult). We will start making our way back to the North Cotswolds & our last stop of the day is the village of Bibury. Here you will see the charming row of cottages & learn the villages quirky history as you wander around the nature reserve, see if you can spot trout in the crystal-clear waters & most importantly, make sure you have space left on your camera for the perfect photo outside the most famous collection of cottages in the Cotswolds.

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After a restful night you have another fun filled day, start off at one of the oldest sites in the Cotswolds, Rollright Stones. These neolithic standing stones predate Stonehenge. You will discover the folklore surrounding this site & try your hand at the ancient art of dowsing. Next you will head into the Oxfordshire Cotswolds & stop at the stunning village of Great Tew, filled with fairy-tale thatched cottages. After meandering through this unspoilt village, you will head on to Adlestrop, linked to two famous writers. Edward Thomas’s poem about the village epitomises the Cotswolds. Even a hundred years on, his description of this sleepy village is apt. You will wander down the village lanes & marvel at the peace & tranquillity. This village is also connected to one of our most celebrated novelists, here you will uncover the association between this beautiful village & Jane Austen.  Having built up an appetite, your next destination is the highest market town in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds, Stow on the Wold. Have time for lunch & some sightseeing, do not miss Tolkien's Door, the oldest inn in England along with the little independent stores in the market square. In the afternoon we will head to Dover's Hill, for some stunning views & on to see one of the prettiest high streets in the Cotswolds, Chipping Campden. You will have time to explore whether you choose to visit the local 'Wool' Church, visit little stores were skilled craftsmen & women are still carrying on producing beautiful pieces, using skills passed down through the generations. Visit one of the renowned tearooms or just wander & admire the stunning architecture.