30 of the best Cotswold day trip itineraries [2024]

By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 21st March 2021 | Updated: 18th November 2024

Need a Cotswold day trip itinerary? Well, having lived in the Cotswolds most of our lives we’ve figured out 30 of the best day trips you should take in the Cotswolds, be it during a one-month long trip or over several weekend trips. From the very north to the very south, the Cotswolds is a place that you must explore at least once in your lifetime.

There is so much to see, do and explore it can be a bit overwhelming when trying to plan a trip there, precisely why we have created this list of 30 places you should visit on your next trip to the Cotswolds. However, if you only have a few days to spare these are our absolute favourite Cotswold day trips:

📍 – Prinknash Abbey & the Cheese Roll Walk

📍 – Painswick & Painswick Beacon

📍 – Stroud & Selsley Walk

📍 – Westonbirt Arboretum

📍 – Bath Skyline Walk

Planning Your Trip? Use our favourite travel resources below:

Accommodation: We recommend Booking.com

Rental Car: We recommend Rentalcars.com

Travel Insurance: We recommend World Nomads

Flights: We recommend Kiwi.com

Tours: We recommend Get Your Guide

Map of Cotswolds Day Trip Itineraries

Cotswolds day trip itinerary ideas

To make this a bit easier to plan any future day trips to the Cotswolds, we’re starting in the north and working our way south. There are of course many more places to visit throughout the Cotswolds, but these are the few we have visited and fallen for over the years.  

North Cotswold Day Trip Itinerary Options

1. Hidcote Manor

Hidden in the north of the Cotswolds lies the wonderful 20th-century gardens and manor house of Hidcote. Now owned by the National Trust, created by Major Lawrence Johnston, Hidcote is one of the most influential Arts and Crafts gardens not only in the Cotswolds but in the UK.

Created using a sequence of ‘garden rooms’ which are surrounded by the beautiful Cotswold countryside, there is something very unique about Hidcote. With each ‘room’ based around a different theme or feature, with avenues and corridors created to draw you through the garden, what’s not to like.  There is also a working vegetable patch and miniature woodland that you can wander through too.

If you are in the area make sure you visit Kiftsgate Court Gardens too if they are open, we’ve never managed to make it there when they’ve been open as they are very particular with the days they are, but they are supposed to be some of the nicest gardens in the Cotswolds.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for garden lovers

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – No

📍 Cost of entry – From £16 per adult and £8 per child

2. Chipping Campden

Did you know the Olympic Games originated in the Cotswolds?! Well technically they don’t, but the Cotswolds Olimpick games originated from Chipping Campden and if that isn’t enough of a reason to visit then we don’t know what is!

In all seriousness, the Cotswold Olimpicks is held regularly with traditional sporting events involving wheelbarrow relays, hay bales, Tug O’War and of course the world-famous Shin Kicking – check it out every May.

The small market town of Chipping Campden is also well known as being the start or end of a rather famous trail that runs the length of the Cotswolds… The Cotswolds Way. With a terraced high street and plenty of cafes to stop by, as well as a 400-year-old Cotswold market hall, why not visit and then start making your own way along part of the Cotswold Way as part of your day trip?

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for history buffs

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes, via bus

3. Broadway & Broadway Tower

The ‘Jewel of the Cotswolds’ also known as Broadway and more notably Broadway Tower is the second-highest point in the Cotswolds with an iconic tower sat atop of Beacon Hill. Part of a family-owned 50-acre estate full of deer, there are some incredible views overlooking the Vales of Evesham, Gloucestershire, Severn Valley and even the Welsh Mountains on a clear day!

Broadway Tower, also known as Beacon or Fish Inn Tower is designed to resemble a mock castle and was once used to send long-distance signals, before becoming the home to Lady Coventry and William Morris. Now the tower serves as a museum with views over the surrounding 16 counties. There is also a Nuclear Bunker on the Broadway Tower estate, so enter on a tour if you want to see how the Royal Observer Corps would have lived.

Broadway village is another must-see stop and only a short walk up/down the Cotswold Way from Broadway Tower. Full of independent eateries and a gallery or two, it is a lovely place to wander through before visiting Broadway Tower.

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for views

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes to Broadway Village, (via bus), but no to Broadway Tower

📍 Cost of entry – From £4 for entry to the grounds around Broadway Tower but from £14 if you also want access to the roof top viewing platform

4. Snowshill, Snowshill Manor & Cotswold Lavender

Snowshill is the picture-perfect village that is so quintessentially Cotswolds it seems unreal. Picturesque church near a pub, check. A village green with a telephone box and post box, check. A row of cottages with beautiful flower-filled gardens, check!

After getting your fill of typical Cotswoldness, you want to head up the hill out of the main village area to Snowshill Manor and Gardens. Another National Trust run property, this 16th-century house and gardens is filled to the brim with the historic collections of Charles Wade which were given over to the National Trust in 1951. As well as the collections there is a Grade II* listed manor, dovecote, and beautiful gardens to see that really show Charles Wade’s motto ‘Let nothing perish’.

Not far from Snowshill you will find the Cotswolds Lavender Farm. You will most definitely smell this place before you see it if you are visiting during the summer months! With bright purple lavender fields that you can walk around covering the landscape alongside multicoloured wildflower fields, it really is a sight to behold in the middle of nowhere.

It is a working farm, where they use the cut lavender to create lavender oil through distilling in one of the barns, if it is open it is well worth popping your head in to get a whiff of the oils in production.

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for garden lovers

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – No

📍 Cost of entry – From £9 per adult and £4.50 per child

5. Bourton-on-the-Hill

Most villages and towns in the Cotswolds have a fairly good view or two right? Well Bourton-on-the-Hill, takes this to a whole new level, with some of the most extreme views over Gloucestershire there is! The village itself doesn’t have much other than a church, pub, and Bourton House Garden, a beautiful 18th-century manor with a 16th-century tithe barn, but it is really quite something to visit.

It is also within easy reach of Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold, so could be added to a Cotswold day trip itinerary if you don’t want to spend a whole exploring. It is also located close to Batsford Arboretum, so why not split your day into two and visit there as well?

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for views

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

6. Stow-on-the-Wold

Once famous for the markets that sold up to 20,000 sheep in a go, Stow-on-the-Wold is one of the most well-known towns in the Cotswolds and the highest. With a market square surrounded by honey-coloured townhouses and historic independent shops, you can easily spend a few hours exploring. With a beautiful old church St Edwards, an ancient cross and old town stocks there is also a lot of history to see in this town too.

If you want to feel like you have stepped into a JR Tolkien story then head to the north door of the church and gaze at the ancient yew trees that surround it.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for history buffs

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

7. Upper & Lower Slaughter

Upper and Lower Slaughter, in the Gloucestershire area of the Cotswolds, are twin villages only 1 mile apart. Having such a short distance between them it is great to make a day trip out of visiting them both at once.

In Old English meaning ‘wetland’ or ‘muddy place’, Lower Slaughter village is built on the banks of the River Eye and is rather famous for its typical Cotswold flower garden filled limestone cottages and converted Old Mill. If you visit on a day when the Mill is open, do go in and get some of their homemade gooseberry and elderflower ice cream, it is to die for!

Upper Slaughter lies to the north of Lower Slaughter and is also known as the Double Thankful Village, due to all of their members of the armed forces surviving both World War I and World War II.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for a picnic

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – No

8. Bourton-on-the-Water

One of the more well-known places to stop on a Cotswolds day trip is of course Bourton-on-the-Water. Known as the ‘Little Venice of the Cotswolds’, the village and its historic stone bridges span the River Windrush as it makes its way through the area, creating a unique place to stop and dabble your feet with the ducks.

As well as the quaint tea rooms and typically unique Cotswold shops, the village is also home to a dragonfly maze, Birdland and most exciting of all… A model village! Now hear us out here, have you ever felt like a giant in a scaled-down version of a Cotswold village? Well, Bourton-on-the-Water is the place for you to find out!  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for a picnic

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes va bus

9. Winchcombe

Winchcombe or ‘valley with a bend’ as it was previously known, is one of the most typically charming Cotswold towns in Gloucestershire. With an enormous collection of blue plaques throughout the town, there is a well-known history of milling and being the birthplace of many a famous person, including Christopher Merret who was the first to realise you added sugar to make sparkling wine.

St Peters church at the top of the hill in Winchcombe is well worth a visit to when you arrive as it is guarded by 40 of what are often referred to as the finest yet most grotesque gargoyles in the Cotswolds! Winchcombe is now also rather famous now as being the site of a recent meteorite landing.

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for history buffs

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

 Fancy heading out on a circular walk whilst in the Cotswolds? Check out the 12 of the best circular walks in the Cotswolds

10. Belas Knap Long Barrow

More of a stopover than a day trip itself, Belas Knap Long Barrow is something that you just have to see to believe. An English Heritage scheduled ancient monument created it is believed as a series of Neolithic burial chambers, the Belas Knap Long Barrow really is a hidden gem in the Cotswolds. It is situated partway up Cleeve Hill, which does mean you have to do a bit of hill-climbing to get there, (it is really easy going, and not too steep), but you could quite easily walk past it if you weren’t looking for it!  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for history buffs

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – No

11. Northleach

The crossroad of the old Roman Fosse Way, (a Roman road built during the first century linking Exeter and Lincoln), and the historical centre for wool trading in the Cotswolds, Northleach is one place that is often overlooked by day-trippers to the Cotswolds but is well worth a visit. With old half-timbered buildings, tiny alleyways throughout the town and historical merchants’ houses lining the market square, it almost feels like you’ve been taken back in time.

There is also a beautiful fifteenth-century church of St Peter and St Paul within the town centre. You simply must visit it purely to see the incredible carved stonework and memorial brasses that are unique to this area. Be sure to stop in the Black Cat Cafe in the main market square for tea and scones after all that exploring!  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for history buffs

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

12. Burford

Another town situated on the River Windrush that is well worth a day trip to is the medieval ‘Gateway’ to the Cotswolds, Burford. With a hillside High Street and side streets brimming with old pubs, tea houses and antique shops, what’s not to like?

If you like quaint Cotswold features and architecture then be sure to find the medieval almshouses and St John’s Church, as they are rather special. There is also a rather nice picnic spot alongside the River Windrush near the car park for the town. The perfect place to get to know the local ducks!    

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for history buffs

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

Central Cotswold Day Trip Itinerary Options

13. Colesbourne Park Walk

With the first signs of spring arriving, head out into the heart of the Cotswolds to Colesbourne Park for an injection of flora in the shape of snowdrops. Only open 6 weekends a year, Colesbourne Park is one of the best places to see multitudes of snowdrops transforming the surrounding landscapes from its winter browns to spring greens. The bright white swathes of the snowdrops could almost be snow from a distance.

Henry John Elwes purchased the estate of Colesbourne Park back in 1789 before travelling the world collecting numerous plant species, including a number of snowdrops. Now the estate is owned by his great-grandson Sir Henry Elwes and Lady Elwes, both of whom continue to develop and discover more species of the beautiful snowdrops. There are new varieties of snowdrops are added to the collection at Colesbourne each year, with the collection now totalling over 250 cultivars.

A peaceful walk around the estate, alongside the blue lake, (the colours of it have to be seen to be believed, the photos just don’t do it justice!) and through the woodland with its Icehouse and Grotto, has to be topped off with a cup of tea and a slice of cake in the park’s cafe. What more could you ask for from the beginnings of spring and a Cotswold day trip itinerary?

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for garden lovers

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – No

📍 Cost of entry – From £10 per adult, children under 16 are free.

14. Prinknash Abbey & the Cheese Roll Walk

Ever heard of the world-famous cheese rolling competition that takes place on a little-known hill in the Cotswolds? If you haven’t then you are in for a treat… Just outside of the village of Upton St Leonards, (which is another stop we will come onto later), lies Prinknash Abbey, a Benedictine monastery which has been home to a number of monks since, it is believed, 890.

You can’t visit inside the abbey, but the surrounding gardens and landscape give you a feel for what life is like to live in the area, serene and calm. Starting from the Prinknash Abbey car park head out towards the actual abbey and the most beautiful graveyard you will ever see. With hundreds of handmade wooden crosses marking the graves, it is really quite something to see.

From here follow the public footpaths up through the woodland before crossing the A46 main road and following the Cotswold Way. From here just keep following the Cotswold Way through the beech woodlands of Buckholt Wood and Brockworth Wood before hanging a right to come out at the top of the famous Cheese Rolling hill, Cooper’s Hill.

The annual cheese rolling event is held each spring bank holiday and sees various participants competing to race a 9-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese to the bottom of the hill. There are also some uphill races too. Yes, it is as steep as it looks. No, we will not be running down it after cheese next year!

Luckily no one has ever died doing the Cheese Roll race, but you quite often get injuries to the competitors and crowd from the giant bounding cheeses!

From there you then make your way back to Prinknash the way you came up, or by following one of the other paths to the west, to grab a bacon sarnie and some famous monk-made incense, and to stop by the Monastery Garden, if you fancy a wander around the monk’s flower gardens, vegetable patches, orchard and bees. Perhaps you’ll even get a peek at one of the resident monks!  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for views

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – No

15. Upton St Leonards & the Peaks Challenge

Now onto Upton St Leonards and the USL Peaks Challenge. This village is close to our hearts for numerous reasons, but one thing that will make you fall in love with it too is the Upton St Leonards Peaks Challenge! Set up in 2021 by one of the village locals, this walk takes you on a journey through the 10 hills surrounding Upton but with a twist – we won’t give it all away here, you have to go do it and find out. The challenge has been taken on by quite a few already and you could easily do it as part of a Cotswold day trip too.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for a picnic

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – No

16. Painswick & Painswick Beacon

Painswick is a beautiful little Cotswold hideaway that is full to the brim with little quirks. From the churchyard with its impossible-to-count yew trees to the nearby Painswick Beacon and the Rococo Gardens, you can easily spend a day or two exploring this town. There are numerous walking routes and trails that lead you through Painswick, but the best thing to do is just wander and get lost down the cute side streets, you can find some wonderful local independent shops and café’s that way.

Make sure you stop by The Painswick for a bite to eat or a drink on the terrace. The views of the surrounding countryside are incredible.

Just north of Painswick, lies both Painswick Beacon and the Rococo Gardens, but both can easily be reached on foot or by car from the centre of Painswick so can easily be included in your Cotswold day trip itinerary there.

Painswick Beacon is the place to go if you like a viewpoint with a bit of a difference. Surrounded by a golf course and beech woodland, (which is beautiful in the autumn), the views from the top of the beacon are like nothing else in the area.

Created in the 1740s the Rococo Garden is a gem of a garden with hidden follies and pastel-painted architectural features. We often make a point of visiting in the spring to see the famous snowdrop and daffodil bloom, (it’s the best for miles around!), but the gardens are lovely to visit throughout the year.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for a picnic

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

📍 Cost of entry – Rococo Garden costs from £10.50 for adults and £6.60 for children.

17. Chedworth

Chedworth is a village that has very little tourists due to being largely off the beaten track. However, it is a lovely place to visit. It doesn’t have a centre, rather just a long road that links either end of the village, so it’s a great place to walk through.

Not only is Chedworth village itself worth a visit but there is Chedworth Roman Villa to be discovered just a short walk from Chedworth Village too. Known as one of the grandest Roman villas in the UK, the remains at Chedworth Roman Villa show historic mosaics, steam rooms, and even historic flushing toilets!  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for history buffs

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – No

📍 Cost of entry – From £12 per adult and £6 per child

Planning your own trip to the Cotswolds? Make sure you check out our Travelling Tedaldi Amazon Store Travel Guides for all your guidebooks and maps. (We’ve done the hard work for you and linked all the things we used to plan our trip!)

18. Bibury

Bibury was once called the ‘most beautiful village in England’ by the famous William Morris, and he’s probably not wrong. With honey-coloured stone, flower-filled gardens and with the River Coln flowing through the centre, Bibury really is beautiful. It is also a lovely place for a walk too.

The most well-known part of Bibury is the picturesque Arlington Row. Built around 1380 as storage for wool, then later converted to weavers cottages, these typically Cotswold cottages are often seen as one of the most photographed places in the Cotswolds, but be sure to visit the Saxon church of St Mary and Bibury Trout Farm when you are in the area.

The trout farm dates back to 1902 and is home to up to 10 million Rainbow Trout yearly! If you visit during the summer, you can even catch your own fish before stocking up on local produce.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for a picnic

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

19. Cirencester

Cirencester, ‘The Capital of the Cotswolds’, is a market town on the River Churn, and the largest town in the Cotswolds. Previously well known as a wool town, now there are farmers markets held every Monday and Friday, and antique and craft fairs within Market Square. The first agricultural college was also established in Cirencester, leading the way for training young farmers.

With a colourful high street and an ancient monastery, you would be forgiven if you thought that was all Cirencester had. But there is also one of the largest amphitheatres in Britain as well as numerous parks and gardens to explore too. One of the most famous and beautiful of these is the Bathurst Estate and Cirencester Park. You can visit by foot or horse and explore the estate, all 3000 acres of it.

South Cerney and Cricklade are also quite nice to visit for a day trip/dip in one of the many lakes if you are visiting Cirencester.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for history buffs

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

20. Chalford

Chalford and the walk along the Thames and Severn Canal make this Cotswold day trip itinerary really quite beautiful. Chalford village just south-east of Stroud is a tiny village running alongside the Thames and Severn Canal, with surrounding woodland walks and farmland. It’s not very well known as there isn’t much by the way to see or do, but the walk along the canal or the nearby Toadsmoor Valley are wonderful.

There is a lovely, but steep in places, loop walk that you can do from Chalford through the surrounding woodland and farmland to Thrupp before walking back along the canal. It’s great to do year-round, but is definitely at its most beautiful in the spring though, with lambing season and an abundance of new life around.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for views

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

21. Stroud & Selsley Walk

Stroud is well known for its historic centre and park, but did you know there is also a stunning canal walk, a common with views for miles, and a picturesque woodland there too? If you are after a loop walk and a Cotswold day trip itinerary with a difference, then this is the one for you. Starting and ending in Kings Stanley this walk takes you along the beautiful waters of the Stroudwater Navigation Canal before taking a turn up through cow fields, towards the All Saints Church in Selsley to reach the bottom of Selsley Common.

From here you make your way up to the top for the best views for miles around! Cows look like ants and the patchwork of fields are stunning. You can even see the River Severn from up there on a good day.

After gazing in awe for a bit and exploring all the common has to offer, make your way down through Penn Wood following the Cotswolds Way, enjoying a break from the winds on the common. Meander your way down the footpaths and bridleways before coming out on the fields to the south side of Kings Stanley. It is nearly 6 miles long and 3 hours long with stops, mainly to catch your breath, (especially on the steep hill up the side of the common!) and to take in the views.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for views

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

22. Woodchester Park

If you are after a walk in a secluded wooded valley with an unfinished Victorian mansion, boathouse, and a series of carp lakes then Woodchester is the place for you. Built during the 18th / 19th century, the land and house are both in the process of being restored by the National Trust and the Woodchester Mansion Trustees, alongside some friendly Galloway cows!

It is a good distance walk down to the mansion through the surrounding woodland from the car park, but it is quite serene. We can only imagine how beautiful it must look during the bluebell season.

When visiting Woodchester Park, we also added on a walk over to North and South Woodchester from the park itself, which we can highly recommend. With fields full of cows, sheep and even the odd alpaca or two, the area is very much full of stunning Cotswold scenery.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for a picnic

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – No

📍 Cost of entry – From £11 per adult and £3 per child

South Cotswold Day Trip Itinerary Options

23. Wotton-Under-Edge & the Tyndale Monument Walk

If you want a Cotswolds day trip with a view, then this is the one for you! The Wotton-Under-Edge circular to the Tyndale Monument is a great walk to get the blood pumping with a steep start and end as well as get your history fix at the monument. With the woodland trails leading to incredible views at every field opening, this is a walk you won’t forget in a hurry.

It’s not always open, (if not there is a cottage in North Nibley that has the key), but if it is be sure to climb the Tyndale Monument. It is a little, no, very windy up the top, but the views make it all worth it! This monument was built in 1866 in memory of the writer William Tyndale, who translated the New Testament into English.

At 111 feet high and with 120 steps to climb, the views over the Berkeley Vale across to the River Severn are pretty spectacular. We then opted for a pub stop in North Nibley, (just a short but steep walk further along the escarpment), before heading back to Wotton-Under-Edge, but you can just as easily soak up the views then head back the way you came.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for views

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

24. Westonbirt Arboretum

If you’re planning a Cotswolds day trip then you’ve probably already heard of Westonbirt Arboretum, but if not, you simply must visit. This Victorian tree-covered landscape is stunning, filled to the brim with walking trails and an aerial walkway, you can easily spend a few hours here just getting lost in the world of trees.

It was created back when the Victorians enjoyed the sport of ‘plant hunting’, (yes that was a thing!), and now the arboretum is a wonderful collection of over 15,000 trees from all over the world. It is a great place to visit whatever the season with fresh spring blossoms, perfect leaf-peeping autumn displays, summer live band sessions, and a wintery light trail. Have we convinced you yet?  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for garden lovers

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

📍 Cost of entry – From £12 per person

25. Sherston & Easton Greys Walk

Beautiful villages and a Cotswold fringe walk in between, that is this beautiful Cotswold day trip itinerary to a T. Starting in Sherston before heading out across the wildflower-filled fields to Easton Grey, this walk is perfect if you want to visit somewhere slightly more off the beaten path in the Cotswolds. With easy-to-follow footpaths, walking part of the Fosse Way and the possibility of spotting some elusive crayfish, (they are there, we found them!), there’s a little bit of the Cotswolds unique character at every turn on this day trip.

Starting in Sherston make your way across the fields to the east of the village. From here you basically keep skirting the field boundaries until you come across a farm. Here you want to head across the fields towards the river, (you won’t see it quite yet) which will lead you down a pathway to a road.

Hello Easton Greys! Stop here to take in the beautiful tiny village and weir that runs through it, before hitting the small hill behind the houses to come out at the top of the village and in the vast open network of fields. Follow the obvious footpaths that will lead you down to the River Avon, where you can stop for a bite to eat and to try and find some of the elusive crayfish. There is quite a few in there, you just need to know where to look…

From here head up out of the valley following the footpaths before you come across a gravel track or the old Roman Road – Fosse Way. Then keep going straight before taking a right turn through Ladyswood Stud, sticking to the footpaths and admiring the beautiful horses. From here it is a pretty straight forward walk following the country roads to back to Sherston, arriving via the south of the village along Bustlers Hill over a pretty section of the River Avon.

Be sure to stop in the Courtyard Café for a well-deserved ice cream from the Lacock Dairy, even if it is being a typically British rainy summer.  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for a picnic

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

26. Castle Combe

Castle combe is somewhere you simply have to visit if you are in the south Cotswolds. This small village with a lot of character is regularly called the prettiest village in England and it is easy to see why. It is also really easy to get a feel for the Cotswolds with the Castle Combe and By Brook circular walk around the surrounding area before finishing off with a pub lunch of a ploughman’s and a pint! You could always have a day at the Castle Combe Race Circuit too!  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for views

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

27. Dyrham Park

Another National Trust managed place to visit in the south Cotswolds is Dyrham Park. This Grade II* Listed park and gardens lie on the very edge of the Cotswolds area of outstanding natural beauty and boy do the views show it. On a clear day, you can see to the River Severn estuary from the top of the estate.

Within the grounds, which were originally created by Capability Brown and Willliam Blathwayt in the 17th century, you can explore over 270 acres of land filled with wildflower orchards, formal gardens, and mini arboretums. There is also a rather impressive 17th-century baroque country house which you can visit.

It can get quite busy during the summer months so get there early and be prepared for the long walk up and down!  

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for garden lovers

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – No

📍 Cost of entry – From £17 per adult and £8.50 per child

28. Bath Skyline Walk

Bath is well known for its stunning architecture, geothermal waters and tearooms on every corner, but did you know it also has a rather beautiful walk skirting around the skyline, with views across the valleys into Bath and beyond? This 6-mile-long circular route starts along Cleveland Walk, with ample street parking as well as the local bus route, and weaves its way in a loop around Bathampton Down, Claverton Down, Widcombe Hill and finally into Bathwick Fields, or vice versa if you start at Bathwick Fields.

It is well signposted all along the trail, with National Trust wardens at parts where it isn’t, making it super easy to follow. We would highly recommend doing the walk in the spring or summer as the pastures you will be walking through are filled with wildflowers and sheep. We spent roughly 4 hours walking, (but we do stop often to take photos), however, there are a number of detours you can make to lengthen or shorten your walk as you see fit.

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for views

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus and train

Although not technically the Cotswolds, although some will lead you to believe they are, both Lacock and Corsham are also worth a visit if you are in the south Cotswolds.

29. Corsham

Having worked in Corsham for several years, it’s like a mini second home away from home. With the most picturesque high street, you can imagine and often with a peacock of two wandering through the middle, Corsham is a wonderful place to stop for a bite to eat and a walk around Corsham Court and lake. You might even recognise it from the tv show Poldark, where the main high street was transformed into various shops and market stalls, (my office at the time was the fish market and boy did we know it!).

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for history buffs

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

30. Lacock

Now owned by the National Trust, the village of Lacock looks pretty much the same as it would have done 200 years ago, albeit with a few extra cars! With narrow side streets and timber-framed buildings galore, this entire village is like something out of a fairy tale. There are some great walks surrounding the area too, so if you want a bit more than just visiting the village, hit the public rights of way and follow the disused Wiltshire and Berkshire canal.

📍 Best Cotswolds day trip for views

📍 Public transport friendly Cotswolds day trip – Yes via bus

Cotswold Day Trip FAQs

Where are the Cotswolds?

The Cotswolds is located in central-southwest England, covering parts of the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, and Worcestershire.  

How much time do you need in the Cotswolds?

The ideal amount of time to visit the Cotswolds is 2 to 3 weeks. There are so many villages and towns to visit as well as numerous hiking routes and attractions along the way, anything from 2 to 3 weeks is a great amount of time to really explore the area.  

How easy is it to get around the Cotswolds?

Driving in the Cotswolds

By far the easiest way to get around the Cotswolds is by car. Yes, there are some narrow one-lane roads you will most likely come across, or a ford in the road (the watery type not the vehicle), but the Cotswolds are still a really easy place to get around. Just be sure to have offline maps, or even better, paper maps with you, as the service in some areas can be quite patchy.

Car hire in the Cotswolds

If you do want to hire a car in order to get out into the sticks of the Cotswolds and away from the main tourist routes, then we would recommend booking through Rentalcars.com. We use them regularly when we travel, (both in the UK and Europe), and they have a wide range of vehicle options to pick what is just right for you.

Parking in the Cotswolds

If you do choose to visit the Cotswolds with a vehicle then you will most likely need to find parking in more than one of the beautiful little villages that fill the area. Parking can be tricky, especially if you are visiting during a peak time, or visiting a location that is very well known. If that is the case we would highly recommend hitting up the more well-known locations earlier in the day.

It is also worth noting that some places will require you to pay for parking with coins, so make sure you have some handy! If you come with a larger vehicle, such as a campervan, then you may not be able to park in some villages purely due to the access, so be sure to plan your route to include for this eventuality.  

Can you visit the Cotswolds without a car? / How to get around the Cotswolds without a car?

Yes, you can visit the Cotswolds without a car however you will need to plan your route and day according to the local public transport timetables. If you plan on sticking to the more well known locations, or larger towns and cities such as Bath, Stroud and Chipping Campden then there are more options for public transport, both buses and trains.

Public transport in the Cotswolds

Public transport is a good option for getting around the Cotswolds, via either train or bus, however, if you want to reach places that are off the main tourist routes or out of the main towns and villages, your options are few and far between. Also, they often run a reduced or no service on Sundays and public holidays, so you’ll have to bear that in mind too.

One way to make it easier, and slightly cheaper, if taking public transport is to get the Cotswolds Discoverer Pass.

Cotswold Discoverer One Day Pass

The Cotswold Discoverer One Day Pass is a great option if you want to save on your travel around the Cotswolds. You can purchase the pass at any railway station or at certain bus stations within the Cotswolds, and it can then be used throughout the day, (although not on trains before 8:50am during the week). Prices start from £13.00 per adult and £6.50 per child, with reductions if you have a railcard.

Walking or cycling in the Cotswolds

Another great way to get around the Cotswolds is on foot. The Cotswolds Way is a great example of how easy it is to explore this area to its full potential, plus there are numerous other trails, hikes, and walks you can do that connect places together as well as take in the sights.

Cycling is also quite a big thing in the Cotswolds, but just be aware that you may not have the best condition roads / tracks 100% of the time. Also, it is highly likely that you will come across a farmer moving his flock of sheep or herd of cows, so be prepared for all that commotion!  

Are the Cotswolds worth visiting?

Would we have written a guide to 30 Cotswold day trip itineraries if it wasn’t worth visiting? Yes, the Cotswolds is 100% worth visiting. There really is something for everyone in the area, from beautiful walks and historic houses to quaint villages and a pub on nearly every corner.  

Is a day trip to the Cotswolds worth it?

This is slightly dependent on where you want to go, and what you want to do during your time in the Cotswolds, but we would suggest that a day trip to the Cotswolds is not worth it. Having lived in the area for many years we know there are simply too many beautiful attractions and locations to see, and walks to do, that you simply can not do in a day.

What are the Cotswolds famous for?

The Cotswolds are famous for numerous things, but most of all the traditional quaint villages with buildings made from the local honey-coloured stone, brimming with flower-filled gardens as well as a good pub or two.

Is Stonehenge in the Cotswolds?

No Stonehenge is located in Wiltshire, roughly 35 miles from the edge of the Cotswolds. If you are staying in or visiting Bath, Stonehenge is roughly an hour’s drive away.

Where is the ‘Little Venice of the Cotswolds?

The Venice of the Cotswolds is actually Bourton-on-the-Water. The main High Street of the village has the River Windrush running alongside it, with five historic stone bridges that cross over it creating the Venice vibe.

Can you go to the Cotswolds for a day?

You can easily see parts of the Cotswolds for a day, but you definitely won’t be able to see all of the Cotswolds in that amount of time. There is just too much loveliness to explore and discover! Ideally, if you can take a few day trips here and there or a long weekend or two, then that is ideal.  

Is a Cotswold day trip from London worth it?

Honestly, no. Sure you can get between the Cotswolds and London in a day but you will not see the best that the Cotswolds has to offer, and you will have an extremely long day especially if you plan on heading anywhere in the northern portion of the Cotswolds.

Cotswolds day trip from London by car

It is roughly 80 miles from London to the center of the Cotswolds, so it’s not the easiest of places for a day trip, but it is also not impossible. It can take 2 to 3 hours to drive there by car depending on which part of the Cotswolds you are aiming for and which part of London you are coming from.  

Cotswolds day trip from London by train

Getting to the Cotswolds by train from London is actually a little more straightforward than by road. You can take a train from London Marylebone to Banbury to get to the north Cotswolds in 1 hour or take a train from London Paddington to either Stroud, Stonehouse or Bath in the central and south Cotswolds in roughly 1.5 hours.  

Cotswolds day trip from Oxford

From Oxford it is an hour’s drive to the centre of the Cotswolds, (part of the Cotswolds is in fact Oxfordshire), or a 1.5 hour to 2 hour train depending on if you are heading to the north, mid or south Cotswolds.  

Cotswolds day trip from Birmingham

From Birmingham, it is a 1.5 hour drive, and the trains vary between 1.5 to 2.5 hours train depending on if you are heading to the north Cotswolds or south Cotswolds.  

What is the best time of year to visit the Cotswolds?

The Cotswolds is great to visit throughout the year. It can get a little busier in the summer with tourists and the school summer holidays in the UK, so if you would rather it a little more peaceful then opt for the spring or autumn when the landscape is full of new life and natural fireworks. Winter is also a lovely time to visit the Cotswolds as it is super quiet, but it can get a bit tricky to get places if you end up in a particularly cold snowy snap. Think utilising a tractor to get out of places!

Where to stay when visiting the Cotswolds?

This totally depends on where in the Cotswolds you are looking to explore as it is quite a vast area. In the north, we would recommend Bourton-on-the-Water or Burford. In the central band of the Cotswolds stay in Painswick or Stroud for easy access around the area, and in the south stay near Bath or Castle Combe.

Check out Booking.com for the best accommodation deals in the Cotswolds.

What should I not miss in the Cotswolds?

Walking part of the Cotswold Way. This long-distance trail is 102 miles long stretching from Chipping Campden to Bath. It takes in some of the most beautiful and secluded parts of the Cotswolds that not everyone goes too.

We’ve walked various sections of it over lots of trips but not it all in one go. That is a future trip plan in the works! Another thing not to miss is the historic houses and gardens, many of which are owned by the National Trust.

It may well be worth buying a National Trust Membership whilst you are visiting, so you can get cheaper admission into locations as well as give a little back.

Tours in the Cotswolds

Don’t fancy making your own way around the Cotswolds, check out these tours instead:

  Check our travel resources page for more travel discounts and budget tips from our numerous years on the road! Including travel insurance, visas, and where to get the best currency exchange rates.  

Conclusion: Cotswolds Day Trip Itineraries

And that’s a wrap on our 30 Cotswolds day trip itinerary list. As previously mentioned, this is by no means the be-all and end-all list of places to visit in the Cotswolds, but it is a great place to start when planning your own trips, be them day trips or a good old road trip.

Gemma Tedaldi

Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.