Cotswolds Day Trip from London with Optional Village Lunch
Description
Escape London's crowds for a day trip to the picture-perfect Cotswolds for lunch. You'll visit a region that is forever England, seemingly unchanged by the modern world and famous for its beautiful villages and rolling hills. There will be time to visit quaint villages such as Burford before enjoying a fabulous two-course lunch in a traditional English hotel restaurant.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our full-day tour begins in the charming town of Burford, often called the ‘gateway to the Cotswolds’. Its beautiful high street is lined with buildings made from every shade of Cotswold stone. You'll have time to explore the local tea rooms, browse unique shops, and soak up the historic atmosphere.
Next, we visit Bibury – often called the 'Prettiest village in the Cotswolds', a title given by designer William Morris. Set along the clear waters of the River Coln, Bibury is full of postcard-perfect charm. We’ll enjoy a short walking tour through the village before arriving at the Swan Hotel, a lovely place to relax and take in the view.
Arlington Row is Bibury’s most famous and beloved spot, with its charming honey-colored cottages dating back to the 14th century. Once home to weavers, this iconic row is one of the most photographed places in the whole of Cotswolds.
We’ll enjoy a traditional lunch at the charming Swan Hotel, a historic Cotswold coaching inn once used to rest travelers and horses. Enjoy a delicious two-course meal, with a selection of local ales and fine wines available. (Lunch included if option selected.)
Our last stop is Stow-on-the-Wold, a historic market town perched high on a hill at 800 feet, where ancient trade routes once crossed. Today, its picturesque streets are lined with antique shops, independent boutiques, and cosy cafés. You’ll have free time to explore, do a bit of shopping, or relax with a cup of traditional English tea before we head back to London.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult
- If you choose the ‘Tour only’ option, you’ll have free time to buy food in Burford before we head to Bibury, where food options are limited. You can also upgrade to include lunch on the day, subject to availability.
- On rare occasions, the lunch venue and itinerary (including order of visits) may change due to availability or operational reasons.
- From 24th September to 12th December, we won’t be able to visit Bibury due to road maintenance, but will visit other Cotswold villages instead, with lunch in Burford.
Reviews(1,678)
We traveled in an airconditoned travel van that seats about 20 people. We made three stops at different villages. The villages are fairly crowded with tourists. Though iconic in their architecture the amount of foot traffic and mortar traffic was a little unexpected from the serene photos I've seen. Many lovely churches to visit. Loads of cute shops to purchase small gifts. Public restrooms are available in each village but cost 50 euro to use. Most shops/public services use contactless payments. Our tour included a lunch stop. It was nice to have that planned out in advance and then we just stopped into little bakeries or treat shops to taste a little hear and there. Scones and clotted cream somewhere on the trip is a must.
James our guide and Christian our driver were phenomenal. This tour is highly recommended and a great value
Cotswold is a picturesque village away from the hustle and bustle of London. Rowan is an amazing guide who guided us right from the city of London with amazing stories and historical anecdotes. We particularly liked the quaint village of Bibury and the village lunch at Swan Hotel.
Rowan and the driver where amazing! It was the perfect balance of fun information and private time! She was kind, helpful,.funny, and made us feel very comfortable! He driver even helped charge my phone on the bus with his own private charger! Tha ks for a lovely day, even in the heat!
Toby was a great guide, and hector was a very fun driver to interact with. We had just enough time to explore 3 villages, have a lunch in one of them and also had a bathroom break on the way. They also helped everybody to find way home after the tour, awesome team.
We had a great time with Toby & Hector at the Cotswolds today! Learned a lot, great views and appreciated Toby showing us his favorite spots but also giving us time to wander. Hector gave us a comfortable ride through the city and narrow country side roads. Washroom breaks were well thought out, the bus was air conditioned, the team was helpful in getting people home. Lunch was good and useful to have it built into the itinerary to provide enough time to sightsee in Bibury. Overall, would book again.
Zo Zo our guide was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable. The driver was excellent. I would strongly recommend this tour.
Our guide, Zozo, was very nice and explained a lot about the history. The tour was good, it was just hard to enjoy since the temperature was so hot, which obviously they can’t control.
Zozo was an amazing guide. Very knowledgeable about every area we visited.
What a beautiful day exploring the Cotswolds! We visited Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury and Burford, and each village was more charming than the last. The honey-coloured stone cottages, historic buildings and iconic dry stone walls made it feel like stepping back in time. Everything was picture-perfect – quaint villages, stunning countryside and such a peaceful atmosphere. A wonderful way to experience the beauty and history, highly recommend this tour.
