Current as of: March 13, 2025 - 17:58

Walking the Cotswolds – Private Group Adventure

Walking the Cotswolds - Private Group Adventure Trip Notes

  • Ways to Travel: Guided Group, Private Group Adventures
  • Programmes: Walking & Trekking
  • Activity Level:

    2 out of 7 - Easy & Moderate

  • Ages: 16+
  • Trip Code: TUO

Trip Overview

Discover England at its most attractive: golden market towns, historic estates, and country trails to explore on foot

Walk the Cotswolds, where bucolic rolling hills shelter ancient market towns and grand manors with magnificent gardens. We see the best of the region on this culture-rich walking adventure, which visits honey-stone villages, Sir Winston Churchill’s Blenheim Palace, King Charles’ Highgrove House, and the historic cities of Bath and Oxford. Also experience traditional British hospitality, staying in three ancient inns, where evenings can end with a pint together – just as walkers have done here for centuries.

This tour is specially designed as a private departure and can be operated on a date of your choice. Please contact our sales team for prices and more information, or visit our Private Group Adventures page.

At a Glance

  • Accommodation: 5 Classic nights (inns)
  • Six days of guided walking
  • Private Group size 6 to 16
  • Easy & Moderate walks, leisurely pace; reasonable fitness levels recommended
  • Option to travel by train to your adventure

Highlights

  • Embark on scenic walks in the Cotswolds and visit historic landmarks, villages and cities
  • Tour King Charles' Highgrove House, exploring his expertly maintained gardens
  • Visit the chocolate box villages of Bibury, Chipping Campden, Broadway, Tetbury and Burford
  • Explore Sir Winston Churchill’s magnificent Blenheim Palace
  • Take guided tours in the historic cities of Bath and Oxford
  • Enjoy traditional British hospitality by staying in three centuries-old inns

Is This Trip for You?

This trip is graded Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings please visit our Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please do not hesitate to contact us.

  • Walking days: Six
  • Maximum height gained: 295ft (90m)
  • Maximum walking distance: 7mi (11km)
  • Average distance: 4mi (7.1km)

We walk on well-maintained paths over varied terrain, though the Cotswolds are known for their rolling hills, so expect some steeper sections.

Adult min age: 16

Min group size: 6

Max group size: 16

Itinerary

Walking the Cotswolds – Private Group Adventure

Land Only

  • Start City: Kemble Station
  • End City: Oxford

Land Only Itinerary

Day 1
Walking tour of Tetbury and visit King Charles' Highgrove House

Meet at Kemble station at 11am, where you are joined by your tour leader before transferring (15 minutes) to Tetbury. Take a walking tour (one hour to 1hr 30min) of this 1,300-year-old market town, visiting St Marys’ Church, a place of worship since 681 CE, and Gumstool Hill, which is famous for the annual woolsack races, in which participants race up and down the hill carrying a sack of wool weighing up to 60lb (27kg).

We visit King Charles’ Highgrove House after lunch (dependent on the King’s schedule) for a tour of his incredible formal and market garden. King Charles moved here in 1980 and has since poured plenty of energy (and expertise) into creating one of the finest garden estates in the country.

After an exciting first day, we head to our first country inn and get to know each other a little better over modern British cuisine (and perhaps a pint or two) in the restaurant.

Accommodation: The Bear at Rodborough (or similar)

Distance covered: 2mi (3km)

Ascent: 82ft (25m); Descent: 115ft (35m)

Meals included: Dinner

Day 2
Guided tour of Bath
Walking the Cotswolds – Private Group Adventure

We head to Bath in the morning, walking along a 2,000-year-old Roman road and then alongside the Kennet and Avon Canal. Arriving in Bath, we visit some of the landmarks before lunch, including Bath Abbey and the Georgian-inspired Royal Crescent, which you may have seen in Netflix’s Bridgerton. In the afternoon, visit the Roman Baths, one of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the world, before heading back to our inn via Nailsworth, where we can stop in the local pub if we have time.

Accommodation: The Bear at Rodborough (or similar)

Distance covered: 7mi (11km)

Ascent: 295ft (90m); Descent: 394ft (120m)

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 3
Visit Bibury village and walk the Monarch’s Way
Walking the Cotswolds – Private Group Adventure

Setting out from the hotel, our first stop is Bibury, a quintessential Cotswold village. Here, we visit the weavers cottages of Arlington Row, which Henry Ford admired so much that he supposedly tried to buy and ship them back to the United States.

We then walk (2.6mi/4km) via the Monarch’s Way towards Chedworth Roman Villa, where we find the archaeological remains of one of the grandest Roman villas in Britain.

From here, we continue to Burford, known as the gateway to the Cotswolds. The High Street, which is lined with galleries, antique shops, pubs and coffee shops, sweeps down along a hill, from the top of which you have a lovely view and great photo opportunity. Take a looped walk around town with free time to explore. Burford also played a role in the English Civil War with 340 prisoners locked up in the local church – visit to see their surviving carvings.

Accommodation: The Prince of Burfold (or similar)

Distance covered: 5mi (8km)

Ascent: 276ft (84m); Descent: 292ft (89m)

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 4
Visit Blenheim Palace and walk around the extensive grounds
blenheim_palace_grounds_woodstock

Head through the beautiful Cotswolds to start our walk at Blenheim Palace, where Sir Winston Churchill was born and deemed by many to be England’s greatest palace. Exploring a vast Capability Brown-designed parkland, today’s walk is a stunning wander around lakes, serpentine streams and woodland. We have a picnic lunch in the expansive gardens, among an ornate landscape with curly-cue hedgerows, statues and fountains. In the afternoon, we tour the palace itself, visiting various state rooms plus an exhibition on Churchill’s life. In the early evening, transfer to the pretty market town of Moreton-in-Marsh, our final hotel stop on this adventure.

Accommodation: The Redesdale Arms (or similar)

Distance covered: 5mi (8km)

Ascent: 190ft (58m); Descent: 748ft (228m)

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 5
Chipping Campden to Broadway; visit to Hidcote Gardens

We transfer (15 minutes) to the small market town of Chipping Campden and walk through fields to Hidcote, an estate renowned for its series of ‘outdoor rooms’, where we have time to explore the grounds. We also visit Broadway Tower, which stands in the northernmost extreme of the Cotswolds with up to 16 counties laid out in front like a patchwork quilt, before walking into Broadway town, one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds. Stroll along the High Street and admire the golden Cotswold stone buildings, many of which were built as coaching inns in the 16th and 17th centuries. You can also visit the Lygon Arms, where Charles I met his supporters during the Civil War and was soon followed by Oliver Cromwell.

Accommodation: The Redesdale Arms (or similar)

Distance covered: 5mi (8km)

Ascent: 253ft (77m); Descent: 827ft (252m)

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 6
Morning guided walking tour of Oxford and then departure

We transfer into Oxford at 10am before meeting our specialist local guide for a walking tour of the city, where we visit one of the prestigious colleges, stop at the historic Turf Tavern pub, and watch the punt boats drift along the river. The adventure ends after lunch and we say our goodbyes to each other. There are direct trains from Oxford station to London Paddington if required.

Distance covered: 3mi (5km)

Ascent: 92ft (28m); Descent: 89ft (27m)

Meals included: Breakfast

Accommodation

A trio of country inns

Walking the Cotswolds – Private Group Adventure

The accommodation on this trip encompasses historic country inns. Expect comfy rooms, modern takes on traditional British cuisine, and a welcoming pub in which we can end the days.

Stroud: The Bear at Rodborough (nights 1-2)

Walking the Cotswolds – Private Group Adventure

Right on Rodborough Common, this 17th-century coaching inn has a privileged spot within National Trust-owned land. Rooms are decorated in a classic English style, and come with artisan tea and coffee, plus Molton Brown toiletries. The Library restaurant serves a seasonal country menu, while the bar has a tempting selection of beers and cask ales.

Burford: The Prince of Burford (night 3)

Walking the Cotswolds – Private Group Adventure

Spend our third night in this 18th-century coaching inn turned 16-room hotel. It’s got a lovely spot on the northeast border of the Cotswolds, and offers English country house-style rooms, which come with rain showers and local toiletries by Bramley. Elsewhere, the gastropub serves seasonal dishes and ‘hearty pub classics’ plus award-winning beer from their own Butcombe Brewery.

Moreton-in-Marsh: The Redesdale Arms (nights 4-5)

Walking the Cotswolds – Private Group Adventure

Finish the adventure at this former coaching inn on the High Street of Moreton-in-Marsh. The 34-bedroom property, which dates from the 17th century, is built from mellow Cotswold stone and has a beautiful oak-beamed and wood-panel interior. Rooms are a mix of contemporary and traditional, spread between the main house and original stable block and courtyard. Elsewhere, the restaurant serves British classics with local ingredients, including Cotswolds meats.

Food & Drink

All breakfasts and two dinners are included.

Transport

We use a minibus for all transfers to the areas where we are walking.

Weather & Seasonality

Rain can fall at any time of year; however, the temperatures typically rise from around 12C (54F) in April to the high 20Cs (around 80F-85F) or above in September. Like most of the UK in recent years, there have been some hotter days in the middle of summer.

Joining Instructions

Key information

Start point: Kemble train station
Recommended arrival time: Meet the leader at 11am

Getting to the start point

Indirect trains to Kemble via Swindon operate from London Paddington every hour and take 1hr 20min. If coming from London Heathrow, take the Heathrow Express train to London Paddington (20 minutes).

Return journey

The last day finishes with a guided walk around Oxford. From here, there are direct trains to London Paddington station.

If you would like further information on these transfers, please speak to your sales representative.

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

Location start: Kemble Station
Location end: Oxford

What To Take

Essential Equipment

  • Walking boots or trekking shoes with good grip
  • Small backpack (for water bottle, camera etc)
  • Refillable water bottle
  • Hat and gloves
  • A warm two-season jacket or sweater/fleece
  • Waterproof/windproof jacket (preferably Gore-Tex) and waterproof trousers (pants)
  • We also advise using dry flow wicking clothing rather than cotton as it dries much quicker and is more comfortable when hiking

Optional Equipment

  • Walking poles

Practical Information

Passport

Remember to check the expiration date of your passport if travelling internationally. Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after the date of your scheduled return.

Visa

United Kingdom

Travellers from the US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter the United Kingdom. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Vaccinations and Health

United Kingdom

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for polio, tetanus and rabies (bat lyssavirus). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Local Time

United Kingdom's time zone: Europe/London (UTC +00:00)

Electricity

United Kingdom's electricity: Plug type G (three rectangular pins) – 230V, 50Hz

Walking the Cotswolds – Private Group Adventure

Money

United Kingdom's currency: Pound sterling (GBP)

ATM Availability

ATMs are available in most towns.

Extra Expenses & Spending Money

A typical lunch costs £15, dinner £25, a pint of beer £5, and a glass of wine £4- £7

Tipping

Although optional, a tip for the tour leader at the end of the trip is greatly appreciated. As a guideline we recommend a starting point of £50 per person.

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony though practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.