Cotswolds in a Day Tour from Moreton-in-Marsh / Stratford-on-Avon
Description
Experience the best of the northern Cotswolds with a fun, friendly local guide in a small group of up to 16 people. We'll explore picture-postcard Cotswold towns and villages including Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water. There's also the stunning Dover's Hill viewpoint, scenic back roads, and our "secret" off-the-beaten-track village, which many customers agree is a highlight of the tour! Tours depart from Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, or from Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds, so make an ideal day trip for visitors staying in these towns. It's also very easy to take a day trip by train from London Paddington, Oxford or Worcester (to Moreton-in-Marsh), or from Birmingham (to Stratford-upon-Avon). If you're travelling from London or Oxford, we think it's best to take the train to the Cotswolds and meet a tour here - you'll skip all the traffic, take a charming, scenic train ride, and get to spend even longer in the beautiful Cotswolds!
Tour Options
Itinerary
On this tour you'll explore the Cotswolds
Passengers joining the tour at Stratford-upon-Avon will be collected from Shakespeare's Birthplace Coach Terminal at 08.50. Then, we travel to the Cotswold town of Moreton-in-Marsh, where we collect our final guests from Moreton-in-Marsh rail station at 9.30am. From Moreton-in-Marsh, it's a 15 minute drive to our first official stop. We'll provide an introduction to the tour en route.
It's just a short drive to our first stop, the viewpoint at Dover's Hill and long the way your driver-guide will begin their entertaining commentary telling you the story of the Cotswolds. At the viewpoint you'll enjoy stunning views and learn about some of the Cotswolds' more quirky traditions! *In poor weather, we may omit the stop at Dover's Hill. It's beautiful in lovely weather, but can get very muddy when it's wet!
Chipping Campden is a charming and typically Cotswolds market town, full of history and heritage but also home to great independent shopping and superb coffee and cake! Using the maps we provide, you'll have around an hour here to explore and discover Chipping Campden for yourself.
Using the narrow backlanes, we visit our "secret" Cotswolds village for around 20 minutes. This is an off-the-beaten-track location that many of our customers agree is the most beautiful village on the tour!
The highest town in the Cotswolds, Stow-on-the-Wold is a bustling, historic market town with plenty of good shopping, and a variety of excellent places to eat lunch (lunch not included). We stop here for around 1 hour and 15 minutes, and with the maps we provide, you can explore Stow's highlights at your leisure.
Using the narrow back lanes it's approximately a 30-40 minute drive from Stow-on-the-Wold to Bibury. Bibury is a small but perfectly formed Cotswolds village, once described by William Morris as "the prettiest in England". Join us on a tour to see if you agree!
After Bibury, it's a stunning 30 minute drive to Bourton-on-the-Water, our last stop before returning our customers back to where they started. Described as the "Venice of the Cotswolds", Bourton-on-the-Water is a picture-postcard village with Cotswolds stone bridges crossing the River Windrush that runs right through the centre of the village. It's very popular with visitors, especially on a warm day when paddling in the river is the past-time of choice, but a tour of the Cotswolds wouldn't be complete without a stop here.
For passengers who joined us at Moreton-in-Marsh, we return here to drop you off at approximately 5pm. If you are travelling from Moreton-in-Marsh by train, we always recommend that you purchase a flexible ticket that allows you to take any return train, and/or plan to depart after 17.00. We'll then head back to Stratford-upon-Avon to drop off our final guests at approximately 5.30pm. If you would like to start the tour at one pick up point and be dropped off at another, no problem! Just let us know when you request to book. We hope you had a wonderful day!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- There are two pick-up points for this tour: Shakespeare's Birthplace Coach Terminal, Stratford-upon-Avon – Departure at 08:50; Moreton-in-Marsh Rail Station – Departure at 09:30. Please note your ticket may display the tour start time as 08:50, regardless of your chosen pick-up location. However, if you selected Moreton-in-Marsh, your actual departure time is 09:30. Kindly arrive at least 5 minutes before your scheduled departure.
- Look out for our friendly guide in Go Cotswolds uniform, driving a large white minibus with green and purple Go Cotswolds branding—you won’t miss us!
- Double-check your selected pick-up point. Occasionally, we don’t stop at both, so arriving at the wrong location could result in being left behind. To change your pick-up point, please log in to your account to update your booking. Need help choosing the best option? Contact us!
- If you are arriving in Moreton-in-Marsh by train, the train arriving at approximately 09:17–09:20 is ideal. It’s a small station, and it’s just a 1–2 minute walk to the car park where your guide will meet you.
- If you are arriving in Stratford-upon-Avon by train, note that our pick-up point is a 5–10 minute walk from the station. Please note that on Sundays, there are no trains arriving before the tour departs.
- Uber and similar services are not widely available in the Cotswolds, and local taxis can be difficult to book last minute. We strongly recommend booking taxis in advance or using public transport where possible.
- If you're not at your pick-up point on time (08:50 in Stratford-upon-Avon, 09:30 in Moreton-in-Marsh) and we can't contact you, the tour will depart without you. Make sure we have your correct mobile number with international dial code before your tour.
- After the tour, please plan any onward travel as follows: from Moreton-in-Marsh: After 17:00; from Stratford-upon-Avon: After 17:30
- We have plenty of secure luggage space on board our vehicles, though please note our guides may not be able to assist with very heavy luggage
- Children aged 3–15 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Sorry, no children under 3.
- Tours run in all but dangerous weather—please dress appropriately!
Reviews(1,321)
Our tour of the Cotswolds was a delight. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring the villages and motoring through the countryside. Our tour guide, Peter, was so knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. He really made our day !
Excellent enjoyable tour in a minivan. Driver and guide in one. Talked all the time about places, history, anecdotes, famous people now and then etc. Jovial, pleasant, British!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so pleased to hear you had such an enjoyable day on your Go Cotswolds tour. It's great to know you enjoyed travelling in our comfortable minibus and appreciated your guide's commentary along the way. Sharing the history, local anecdotes, famous faces, and hidden stories of the Cotswolds is all part of creating a memorable experience, so we're delighted you found it both informative and entertaining. Thank you for choosing Go Cotswolds. We hope to welcome you back on another Cotswolds tour in the future!
Had a wonderful experience. Our guide was polite, experienced and kept us entertained with informative anecdotes about the place. Highly recommend the tour to anyone spending a day in Cotswold.
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We're delighted to hear you had such a wonderful experience on your Cotswolds in a Day tour. It's great to know your guide's knowledge, friendly approach, and entertaining stories helped bring the Cotswolds to life throughout the day. We love sharing the history, character, and charm of this beautiful region with our guests. Thank you for your recommendation. Our tours are designed to help visitors make the most of their time, so we're thrilled you would recommend us to anyone spending a day in the Cotswolds. We hope to welcome you back on another Go Cotswolds tour in the future!
Honestly, the best tour I’ve ever done! I had booked at a few options for my visit to the Cotswolds and I’m so glad I went with this one. Couldn’t fault it from start to finish. The communication prior was great, the day ran smoothly in this regard too as well as promptness of pick up times etc. The information given throughout the tour was engaging, and a really fascinating overview about the Cotswolds and beyond. Our guide was outstanding, very personable and went above and beyond at every opportunity. Honestly, if you’re considering this tour at all go for it - the best way to see the Cotswolds hands down.
Thank you so much for your amazing review! Reading that this was the best tour you've ever done truly means the world to us. We're delighted that you chose Go Cotswolds for your visit and that everything—from our communication before the tour to the smooth running of the day and the punctual pick-ups—met your expectations. It's wonderful to hear that you found the commentary engaging and enjoyed learning about the Cotswolds, its history, and the surrounding area. We're especially pleased that your guide made such a lasting impression. Our team is passionate about creating memorable experiences, and it's fantastic to know they went above and beyond to make your day so special. Thank you for recommending our Cotswolds tour so enthusiastically. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the Cotswolds in the future!
Fantastic experience visiting the Cotswolds for the 1st time from a warm welcome from Elaine & throughout our trip Elaine was fabulous with her insight & knowledgeable & lovely that it was a small group of people would happily book another trip with them
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We're thrilled that your first visit to the Cotswolds was such a fantastic experience and that Elaine gave you such a warm welcome from the very start. It's wonderful to hear that you enjoyed her insight, knowledge, and friendly approach throughout the trip. Elaine is passionate about sharing the beauty and stories of the Cotswolds, and we're so pleased she helped make your day memorable. We're also delighted that you appreciated the small group tour experience, which allows for a more relaxed, personal, and enjoyable day exploring the villages and countryside. Thank you for choosing Go Cotswolds. We'd be absolutely delighted to welcome you back on another trip in the future!
Fantastic day out with a small group and a very informed guide.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear you had such a fantastic day exploring the Cotswolds with us. It's lovely to know that your guide's passion, knowledge, and caring approach helped make your experience so memorable. We believe that travelling in a small group Cotswolds tour allows for a more personal and relaxed experience, so we're thrilled you enjoyed both the atmosphere and the chance to discover the beauty of the Cotswolds. Thank you for choosing Go Cotswolds. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable day out in the future!
Great experience! Great guide!
Thank you for your lovely review! We're delighted to hear you had a great experience on your Go Cotswolds tour and that your guide helped make the day so enjoyable. Our team is passionate about sharing the very best of the Cotswolds, from its beautiful villages to its fascinating history, so it's wonderful to know you had such a positive experience. We hope to welcome you back on another Go Cotswolds tour soon!
Go, Cotswold Tours! How should I begin? First, Elaine our tour guide! She was magnificent! Sooooo knowledgeable about all things Cotswold! 🎉 Great driver! Controlled the magnificent GoCotswald van so incredibly ! Because those tiny roads..she is a pro ! She was incredibly respectful,because all the drivers coming towards us she thanks everyone always. Secondly, she treated everyone with love and respect! Also, Elaine remembered everybody’s name ! What a wonderful experience Elaine gave us! We even got to see the sheep! So lovely all of it! Lastly, we stopped at Stow on the Wold. Where we dined, shopped at Tara’s Antiques. Also stopped at Chipping Campden where I shopped at Stuart House Antiques and I bought a Staffordshire figure of a dog. A gift of bringing to my sister. We head back to Shakespeare coach Terminal. When I noticed I did not have the little grey bag. I was very sad and disappointed. We went back to all places I had been after I made the purchase at Stuart House antiques. Continued our Vacation now in London proper when I received a text saying that the cleaning person while cleaning the tour bus had found the little gray bag. GoCotswald shipped to me!! I would like to thank GoCotswald for an incredible time in the tour and also for finding and shipping my beautiful Staffordshire dog !! Thank you, Rita & Oscar
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Rita! We absolutely loved reading about your day, and we're delighted that your Go Cotswolds tour was such a memorable part of your trip. Elaine will be thrilled to hear your kind words. Her knowledge of the Cotswolds, warm personality, and expert driving on those narrow country lanes are all qualities our guests really appreciate. We're so pleased she made everyone feel welcome, remembered everyone's names, and helped bring the beautiful villages and countryside to life—especially with a few sheep sightings along the way! It sounds like you found some wonderful treasures in the Cotswolds, and we're especially happy that your beautiful Staffordshire dog made its way safely back to you. We know how disappointing it must have been to realise your bag was missing, so we're delighted our team was able to locate it and arrange for it to be shipped home. Thank you again for choosing Go Cotswolds and for sharing your experience. We hope your Staffordshire dog will always remind you of your special day exploring the Cotswolds, and we'd love to welcome you and Oscar back for another adventure in the future.
Excellent value for money! Comfortable minibus, experienced guide. Mark was lovely and knowledgeable!
Thank you so much for your kind review! We're delighted to hear you found your Go Cotswolds tour to be excellent value for money and that you enjoyed travelling in our comfortable minibus. We'll be sure to pass your lovely comments on to Mark. His knowledge, experience, and friendly approach help make every Cotswolds tour a memorable experience, and we're so pleased you enjoyed exploring the beautiful Cotswolds with him. We hope to welcome you back on another Go Cotswolds tour soon!
We had a lovely day with Jason and the small group in our tour. We appreciated the lively commentary along the way, coupled with the independent time to explore a bit at each stop. The recommendations were helpful. The van was comfortable. We didn’t have a car, so this was a perfect day. We would definitely recommend the Go Cotswolds tour!
Thank you, Teresa, for your lovely review! We're so pleased to hear you had such an enjoyable day exploring the Cotswolds with Jason and the rest of the group. It's great to know you enjoyed Jason's lively commentary and local insights, while also having plenty of free time to discover each village at your own pace. We're also glad his recommendations were helpful and that you found the minibus comfortable. A Go Cotswolds tour is a great way to experience the Cotswolds without a car, so we're delighted it was the perfect option for your visit. Thank you for recommending us, and we hope to welcome you back on another Go Cotswolds tour in the future!
