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Map of Walk the Cotswolds including United Kingdom

Be charmed by thatched villages, historic churches and market towns.

The Cotswolds, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are filled with rustic English charm with more thatched cottages, historic churches, stately mansions and vibrant market towns than you can point a camera at. Along with the famous university town of Oxford, you’ll explore Blenheim Palace, scale the heights of Broadway Tower, and ramble through towns like Stow-on-the-Wold and the quaint, yet lively, town of Bourton-on-the-Water, known as the Venice of the Cotswolds on this walking trip. With scenic views and what seems like a pub on every corner, you’ll be captivated by this genteel part of England.

Start
Oxford, United Kingdom
Finish
Moreton-in-Marsh, United Kingdom
Destination
United Kingdom
Style
Original
Theme
Walking & Trekking
Code
BEXC
Physical rating
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1, Max 12

Why you'll love this trip

  • Explore some of the world’s prettiest and most charming villages like Stow-on-the-Wold with its stunning townhouses, quaint shops, and art galleries.

  • Explore the magnificent gardens at Blenheim Palace and take a virtual trip back in time as your guide takes you indoors and brings 300 years of history to life.

  • Drop into Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm shop for lunch, a place serving local, seasonal, no-nonsense food in the heart of the Cotswolds.

  • Walk to Bourton-on-the-Water which is known as The Little Venice of the Cotswolds due to its rich culture and graceful bridges.

  • Hike up to Dover’s Hill, a natural amphitheatre 229 metres (754 feet) high, and enjoy beautiful views and the chance to see Cotswold Lions (native sheep).

Is this trip right for you?

  • Please ensure you consult your local government’s advice regarding domestic travel prior to booking this trip.

  • The trip involves some leisurely hikes so be prepared with sturdy walking shoes, a water bottle and day pack.

  • This trip is new to our range this year. And while we have thoroughly researched every detail of the logistics, new destinations and working with new partners can sometimes throw us some unexpected surprises. More often than not, it’ll be a great surprise. But every now and again there might be a hiccup. We like to think that’s what puts the ‘adventure’ in ‘adventure travel’.

Cotswold sheep near Chipping Campden, England, UK
Bourton on the Water, the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom
Blenheim Palace Oxfordshire England, UK
Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom
Exploring Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, England, UK
The historical town of Stow on the Wold in the Costwolds, England, UK

Itinerary
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Meet your leader at Oxford Railway Station and start your morning with a walking tour of the Oxford University Colleges where 28 UK Prime Ministers and 69 Nobel laureates were educated. Following lunch in Oxford, we will loop around Port Meadow following the River Thames, before getting out on the water with an afternoon of punting from the Cherwell boathouse to the Victoria Arms pub for Pimm’s or a pint. Tonight we’ll stay in the thriving market town of Moreton-in-Marsh.
Included Activities
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Oxford University Colleges
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Oxford Punting
Meals Included
There are no meals included on this day.
Special Information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting this afternoon as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or Intrepid know.

After breakfast, we will transfer to the charming town of Chipping Campden for an amble up the high street to admire the fabulous architecture and picturesque shops before learning about the famous history of this medieval wool trading centre from the Market Hall in the centre of town. Joining the Cotswolds Way, we will hike up to Dover’s Hill, a natural amphitheatre 229 metres (754 feet) high, with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside where you might spot a couple of Cotswold Lions (native sheep). We will then travel on to Broadway Tower for lunch, before walking into town for afternoon tea at a Broadway deli. 
Included Activities
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Cotswolds Way walk: Chipping Camden to Broadway
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Today’s walk is approximately 13 kilometres (8 miles) with an elevation gain of 244 metres (800 feet) to the top of Dover’s Hill.  

After breakfast, catch the train from Moreton-in-Marsh to Long Hanborough for a walk to the famous site of Blenheim Palace. Blenheim is home to the Duke of Marlborough and his family and also where Sir Winston Churchill was born (somewhat unexpectedly thanks to a last-minute visit by his father and heavily pregnant mother). After exploring the magnificent gardens set within this 2000 acre estate, we will head indoors to see the palace’s architectural splendour and take a virtual trip back in time as your guide brings 300 years of history to life.
Included Activities
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Long Hanborough to Blenheim Walk
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Blenheim Palace & Gardens Visit
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Today’s walk is approximately 13 kilometres (8 miles) from Long Hanborough to Blenheim and around its grounds and Palace

Today we will visit some of the world’s prettiest and most charming villages. After breakfast, we will take a transfer to Stow-on-the-Wold to explore stunning townhouses, quaint shops, and art galleries before walking on to Bourton-on-the-Water, nicknamed The Little Venice of the Cotswolds due to its rich culture and graceful bridges. From here, we will track towards Upper and Lower Slaughter, traditional twin towns just off the Fosse Way. The Slaughters get their name from the olde English word for wetland, however today these villages are far from the ‘muddy place’ you’d expect if you took their name literally.
Included Activities
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Stow-on-the-Wold Village Walk
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - The Little Venice of The Cotswolds Walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Today’s walk is approximately 13 kilometres (8 miles) around Stow-on-the-Wold to Bourton-on-the-Water and The Slaughters.

After breakfast, we will catch the train to Charlbury and make our way towards Chadlington, chatting to locals and learning about what it’s like to live and work in this region as we travel. Along the way, we will stop at Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm shop for lunch – a place serving local, seasonal, no-nonsense food - before continuing our countryside adventure to The Chequers for an afternoon pint, tea, and cake. Then we will jump on the train at Kingham and travel back to Moreton-in-Marsh where we will spend the night. 
Included Activities
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Diddly Squat Farm Shop Visit
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Chadlington to Kingham Walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Today’s walk is approximately 8 miles from Charlbury, via Chadlington, to Kingham. 

Your Cotswolds adventure comes to an end after breakfast. If you would like to spend more time in the Cotswolds, we'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Want to tailor this itinerary?

Meals

5 breakfasts

Transport

walking, Train, Private vehicle

Accommodation

Bed & Breakfast (5 nights)

Included activities

  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Oxford University Colleges
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Oxford Punting
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Cotswolds Way walk: Chipping Camden to Broadway
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Long Hanborough to Blenheim Walk
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Blenheim Palace & Gardens Visit
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Stow-on-the-Wold Village Walk
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - The Little Venice of The Cotswolds Walk
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Diddly Squat Farm Shop Visit
  • Moreton-in-Marsh - Chadlington to Kingham Walk

Dates & availability

Trip departures are unavailable.

There are currently no scheduled departures on our Walk the Cotswolds trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.

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Important notes

1. This trip starts in Oxford Railway Station on Day 1 at 10am. This allows time after the welcome meeting to Oxford.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.

Essential trip information

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