Cotswold Way - 9 Days & 8 Nights
9 Days & 8 Nights 4.6 Read 201 reviews- Walking the Cotswold Way, one of England's finest National Trails.
- Explore Broadway, Stanton and other pretty villages of the Cotswolds.
- Enjoying the warm and friendly atmosphere of a Cotswold country pub.
- Fine walking through quintessential English countryside.
- Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage city, at the end of the Cotswold Way.
What To Expect
Trip Type:
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Activity:
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.
This trip is suitable for:
Solo Travellers
Ideal if you have an interest in:
- Long-Distance Trails
Grade & Terrain
This tour is rated easy to moderate overall. However, if you choose an itinerary which is 9 days or less, then the rating becomes moderate to strenuous, as you will be walking more miles per day. The trail is on well-maintained footpaths, bridleways, across fields, golf courses and on some minor roads. It does involve some steep ascents and descents from the escarpment.
Navigation
The Cotswold Way is well waymarked and easy to follow. Navigation is straightforward as you can use the Macs Adventure Smartphone App which has maps, GPS tracks and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation on this tour will be made simple and you cannot get lost. You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account. A comprehensive guidebook and map are also supplied.
Experience & Fitness
The Escape to the Cotswold is a classic inn-to-inn walking tour at heart, most of the walks on the tour are graded easy to moderate (therefore the tour collectively is graded as easy to moderate), however, there is a single walk that is graded moderate. For those that would rather spend some more time in the pubs or cafes or those simply looking for an easier day, there are options to either shorten the walks or take public transport on most days.Accommodation Information
One of the highlights of this tour is the high standard of accommodation. You will stay in carefully selected B&Bs, guesthouses and small hotels. Your room will always have an ensuite or private bathroom. A delicious breakfast is always included.
Alternative accommodation
During the high season, you might be booked into alternative accommodations which are not listed in the description. Any alternative accommodation will be of the same or better standard as those described.
Single Rooms
If you require single rooms within your party we will always try and accommodate you subject to availability. A single supplement is payable.
Solo Walkers
This walking holiday is available to solo walkers but as we incur additional baggage transfer costs there is a solo walker supplement payable.
Additional Nights
If you are walking the full Cotswold Way (or even our "Escape to" and "North" itineraries) we recommend booking at least one extra night in Bath. There is plenty to do in this bustling city known as being the home of well-being. In your information pack, we provide a list of recommended restaurants, cafes and things to do while you are there.
- Hand picked B&B's, guesthouses and small hotels.
- Breakfasts
- Door to door baggage transfers.
- Fully digital routes on the Macs App, detailed information pack, maps and a guidebook.
- Emergency telephone support
- Travel to the start or from the finish of the walk.
- Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks.
- Travel Insurance.
- Personal Equipment.
- Extra nights
When To Go
You can start The Cotswold Way on any day of the week between the start of April and mid-October, subject to availability. It is great at any time throughout the season as all the flowers will be in bloom throughout this time. The Cotswolds are very popular so it is best to book as far in advance as you are able to.
** Please be aware that at the beginning of May the Badminton Horse Trials are held and it is a challenge to find accommodation in Kings Stanley, Old Sodbury and Cold Ashton during this time.
It should also be noted that we will not book accommodation in Stanton on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday night due to the fact there is no-where to eat in the village on those evenings. If your booking does land in Stanton on those days then we will include return transfers to Broadway for a small additional cost.
Getting to the Start
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. Please check the following website for taxi information and to pre-book. 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.
If you wish to drive to the start of the walk, there is a secure car park on the outskirts of Chipping Campden. This is about a 10 minute walk to the centre of Chipping Campden and costs £5 per night. Unfortunately it is not the easiest to get back to Chipping Campden from Bath. The most straightforward way is to take the train to Cheltenham via Gloucester (approx 1h 30m), and then take a taxi to Chipping Campden.
Getting from the End
Fast and frequent train services connect Bath to London (1h30). Unfortunately, it is not the easiest to get back to Chipping Campden from Bath. The most straightforward way is to take the train to Cheltenham via Gloucester (approx 1h 30m), and then take a taxi to Chipping Campden.
Baggage Transfer
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation.
At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Your booking includes transfer of 1 bag per person. It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.
If you are travelling from far afield and do have more than one bag it is possible to arrange for the extra luggage to be stored whilst you are on tour for a fee of £25 per bag. These additional bags would be picked up from your accommodation at the start point of your tour and dropped off wherever you finish depending on the itinerary you are doing. This must be booked in advance if you are interested in this option. Please do not show up and ask the driver on your first day of walking.
General Information
The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the direct routes at the time of our pathfinder walking them (this excludes walking to/from your accommodation to the start/end point, or for example coming off the path for lunch). There may be some slight discrepancies/small diversions that make the distances slightly out compared to your own mapping software (Strava/Garmin/Apple Watch).
Equipment
Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking/cycling gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.
Travel Insurance
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Chipping Campden Day 2 Chipping Campden to Stanton 10.5 miles / 17 km Day 3 Stanton to Cleeve Hill 14 miles / 22.5 km Day 4 Cleeve Hill to Birdlip 16 miles / 24.5 km Day 5 Birdlip to King's Stanley 17 miles / 27 km Day 6 King's Stanley to Wotton-Under-Edge 15 miles / 24 km Day 7 Wotton-under-Edge to Tormarton 15 miles / 24 km Day 8 Tormarton to Bath 17 miles / 27 km Day 9 Onward TravelThe Macs Adventure Way
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