A Charming Day Trip to The Cotswolds Itinerary

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The English countryside is overflowing with stunning scenery – castles, estates, historic abbeys and cathedrals. But, there’s one destination that oozes English charm that you just have to see to believe. It’s straight out of a fairytale and worth an excursion from London or Oxford.

Yepp, I’m talking about The Cotswolds. Since itineraries are my specialty, I’m excited to share this charming one for a day trip to The Cotswolds including four towns to visit, where to eat, and what to expect for your trip.

I recently visited The Cotswolds for a day trip while I was on a road trip throughout the UK, and found that one day in the Cotwolds is really doable. I know you’ll fall in love with the charm and history even if you’re short on time. Let’s dive in.

Summary of Your Day in the Cotswolds

Map of Your Cotswolds Day Trip

Getting Oriented

Before I dive into the itinerary, it’s important to understand that The Cotswolds is a region made up of five counties and many towns. When we talk about visiting The Cotswolds, we’re likely talking about visiting select towns that are known for their charm.

That’s why an itinerary and recommended spots is so important. You can spend days driving around The Cotswolds. So, without a plan, you might not see the adorable towns you’re picturing.

On that note, I’ll share four towns to visit on this itinerary, based on what I could do in one day. This comes from my direct experience with traffic due to visitors, parking availability, and sightseeing capabilities. You just can’t see an entire region all in one day.

Still, I’ll share some other recommended towns to see if you have more time or if any of the ones on the itinerary aren’t appealing to you.

Day Trip to The Cotswolds Itinerary

This itinerary has you driving from North to South. If you want to reverse it, feel free!

Morning in Stow-on-the-Wold

Let’s start at Stow-on-the-Wold. This town was built along the Roman Fosse Way, an historic road constructed in the first and second centuries AD!

Stow-on-the-Wold has a town square with lots of adorable shops to see. For breakfast, try Lucy’s Tearoom or Old Bakery Tea Room for the ultimate charming experience. Lucy’s opens at 10 am on weekdays and 9:30 am on weekends, while the Old Bakery Tearoom opens at 10:30 am and is closed Thursdays and Sundays.

A sausage roll is my favorite inexpensive go-to! Lucy’s even has vegan options.

Or, of course, you can try an afternoon tea.

One thing not to miss in Stow-on-the-Wold is the Door of Durin, which is said to be the very door that inspired JRR Tolkein to write his Lord of the Rings novels. It’s very reminiscent of the Mines of Moria door, just more woodland.

It’s also called the Tolkein door and can be found on the side of St. Edwards Church. It’s free to visit and worth the stop for any Lord of the Rings fan.

Stow-on-the-Wold also has fantastic shops to pop into. I really loved the Cotswold Cheese Company, where you can try samples of the many cheeses.

I also loved the 42nd East Bakehouse, which is part bakery, part baker school! You just know their concoctions are delicious. I had a brookie (part brownie, part cookie) and it was to die for. They even warmed it up 🤤.

Finally, Off the Square was a lovely brew and bottle shop if you’re looking to support local craft breweries and distilleries. You can try things in the beer cafe on site or shop to bring things home.

Parking: Free lots within the Square (2 hour limit) or street parking (we parked on Sheep Street)

Lunch and Activities in Bourton-on-the-Water

Make your way to the next town on this itinerary – Bourton-on-the-Water. This was my husband’s and my favorite town we visited in the Cotswolds, so I definitely think it’s a must!

At the same time, this is one of the most popular towns in the Cotswolds, so brace yourself for crowds, especially on the weekends and during the summer. We visited on a weekday in mid-June and it wasn’t so bad.

Bourton-on-the-Water is known for River Windrush that flows through town and can be crossed via adorable little bridges along the way.

They have some of the cutest homes covered in ivy and the best attractions to stay entertained beyond window shopping.

One of the best things to do here is the Cotswold Motoring Museum & Toy Collection where they have historic cars, models, and memorabilia. Tickets are only available in person and cost £9.50.

For lunch, I recommend Bakery on the Water, right next door to the Motoring Museum. They have a large menu of affordable sandwiches, toasties, rolls, and more. I also LOVED their hot chocolate, especially since we were visiting on a cool, rainy day. Don’t miss their outdoor terrace, which sits against the river in the back.

Another activity I recommend is the Model Village, which is a 1/9th scale model of Bourton-on-the-Water. You can purchase tickets there for £4.50 for adults. It’s so fun to walk through the model village after having walked through the town because you’ll recognize the shops you passed and icons of the town.

Be sure to look for the model village on display within Model Village. It’s like model village Russian dolls with another inside another inside another.

Just down the road is the Dragonfly Maze, which is a garden maze with puzzles and clues throughout. It also costs £4.50 for adults. They can sell out, so if you’re set on this attraction, I’d go there first if visiting on a weekend, holiday, or during peak season (summer).

Finally, Birdland is an exploration of modern birds and their predecessors, dinosaurs. It’s a wildlife park where you can see birds in over 50 habitats including flamingos, penguins, and many more.

Tickets are £13.95 for adults if you purchase them in person. You can save if you get them ahead of time online and there are ticket add-ons like feeding penguins, close encounters, and more.

Parking: Free car park outside St Lawrence’s Church or paid Bourton Vale Car Park

Historic Charm in Bibury

The next town is Bibury! This one is different from the first two in that it’s mainly residential. In fact, the main attraction here is Arlington Row, a historic row of homes that was built in 1380!

To see Arlington Row, you can just walk by the homes, but please keep in mind that they are people’s homes to this day. Please be respectful.

Arlington Row sits along River Coln, which is also home to the Bibury Trout Farm and lots of adorable geese. We even saw little goslings!

Because Bibury is more residential, there are limited food options. Because of that, I recommend dining in Bourton-on-the-Water before you arrive. Our last stop coming up next has dinner options.

Parking: Free street parking along The St or Cemetery Ln.

Dinner in Castle Combe

Castle Combe is our last stop! This is often considered one of the most beautiful Cotswolds towns. Rows of homes display charming English craftsmanship and the stream, called By Brook, that runs through town is stunning. You’ll be glad you drove the extra hour from Bibury.

For dinner, I highly recommend doing something special!

One option is to visit The Castle Inn’s pub, where the building and food will blow you away. Diners have rated it highly and the pub has won numerous awards. They serve local cuisine with farm fresh ingredients. I’d recommend a reservation if visiting during peak season.

The other option is to do something a little fun and non-traditional. Little Picnic Shop puts together picnics with custom menus for £20 – 24 per person. You order ahead of time, then simply pick up your basket and find a good spot to enjoy your picnic from. They can even recommend spots to sit around town!

While you’re in Castle Combe, be sure to see the view at Water Lane. The best part of Castle Combe is walking around and looking at all the honey-colored stone homes and shops. It’s just so picturesque!

Parking: Paid parking at ​​Castle Combe Visitor Car Park (about 15 minute walk from Water Lane)

FAQ’s about visiting the Cotswolds

That wraps up our Cotswolds day trip itinerary. I hope you enjoy this beautiful area of England! Allow me to answer some FAQ’s to help smooth your planning process.

How to get to the Cotswolds

The easiest way to get there is by car. We rented a car from London Heathrow as part of our larger Harry Potter UK road trip.

From Heathrow it takes about 2 hours to get to Stow-on-the-Wold and also 2 hours to get to Castle Combe.

You can also take a guided day trip tour that comes with transportation. This is a great option if you don’t care exactly what towns you visit and don’t want to hassle with transportation, especially driving on the opposite side of the road.

Public transit by the Great Western Railway is available so you can go from London to a few of the larger cities in the Cotswolds. For this itinerary, you can take the GWR train toward Hereford to stop ​​Moreton-in-Marsh for £46.80 each way, then hop on bus line 801 to Stow-on-the-Wold.

How to get around the Cotswolds

If you have a car, that’s the easiest way. The towns are not exactly right next to each other and are often a 30 minute to an hour drive apart.

Most of the towns are not super well connected via public transportation. The exception is Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water, which are connected via bus line 801.

If you want to use exclusively public transit, I would recommend only visiting Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water. You can certainly fill your day with just these two destinations if you take things slower. And honestly, that could be an incredibly peaceful way to explore the Cotswolds.

Bus line 801 operated by Pulhams has a daily cap of £8 in the Cotswolds Zone if you pay on the app or £8.50 if you pay on the bus.

How much driving is it

The total drive time for this itinerary is 1.5 hours and covers 48 miles. That doesn’t include traffic and driving in circles looking for parking.

Timing recommendation

This itinerary really works best with a car because it will give you complete control over what you can see and your timing. Here’s an example breakdown that mimics what I did in one day.

Public Bathrooms in The Cotswolds

I wouldn’t be your ultimate travel planner BFF if I didn’t mention the bathroom situation. Of course major attractions and restaurants have bathrooms, but if you find yourself in need of a bathroom outside of your itinerary to-dos, each town in The Cotswolds has public restrooms.

They can be a little tricky to find because they’re not on Google Maps, but there are signs around town indicating where they are.

The biggest caveat here is that they are paid. Meaning, you need to pay £0.40 (or 40 pence). Most machines we came across had contactless card readers, but some didn’t. Just a word of caution if you don’t carry cash.

The doors are locked unless you pay and each door has its own machine, so if there’s only one bathroom out of the three available that has a card reader, you may need to wait. If you can carry a little coin purse, it may help you later!

I have more time, where should I go?

Like I mentioned, The Cotswolds is made up of a bunch of adorable towns. I’ve only included four, but there are over 50!

Some others to visit if you have more time are Upper and Lower Slaughters (that’s two towns). I know the name isn’t enticing, but it actually has to do with the old English word “slaugh” meaning muddy because the area has a river running through making it a muddy place.

For specific activities in these towns, here are a couple ideas.

St Peter’s Church in Upper Slaughter was restored in the 1800s, but still has medieval stones and elements to see.

The Old Mill building is an interesting spot to see in Lower Slaughter.

Blenheim Palace is a fantastic addition to this itinerary. This World Heritage Site was home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and is where Sir Winston Churchill was born. You can tour the palace, see the Churchill exhibit, and enjoy the outdoors by taking a buggy tour.

Tickets are £41 for adults and there are other options if you only want to see certain parts of Blenheim Palace, such as the gardens.

For a unique experience, visit Broadway Tower for views of the Cotswolds. They also have a deer park and nuclear bunker on site. Tickets are £14 without the bunker experience and £20 with.

Where to stay in The Cotswolds

We stayed at the Cotswold Aparthotel in Stroud and I absolutely loved it! We were almost a week into our road trip so I appreciated having a kitchen to make my own meals.

If you’re looking for somewhere picturesque within these adorable towns, I’d go with the Castle Inn for $227 per night in Castle Combe or The New Inn for $125+ per night only 6 miles from Bibury.

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