Oxfordshire Trip Overview
The Cotswolds is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which has inspired artists, writers and philosophers for many centuries. Come and discover idyllic English villages, nestling in quiet valleys, small stone thatched cottages, majestic castles and manors, and charming high streets peppered with quaint tea shops and antiques shops. Let your knowledgeable guides show you the English countryside at its best.
Additional Info
Duration: 8 to 9 hours
Starts: Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Trip Category: Day Trips & Excursions >> Day Trips
Explore Oxfordshire Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom
The Cotswolds is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which has inspired artists, writers and philosophers for many centuries. Come and discover idyllic English villages, nestling in quiet valleys, small stone thatched cottages, majestic castles and manors, and charming high streets peppered with quaint tea shops and antiques shops. Let your knowledgeable guides show you the English countryside at its best.
Stop At: Minster Lovell Hall & Dovecote, Minster Road, Minster Lovell, Witney England
You start your unforgettable Cotswold journey from central Oxford, driving to Burford (the Gateway to the Cotswolds) through Minster Lovell, with its its attractive thatched houses and ruined Hall.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Burford Library 86A High Street, Burford OX18 4QF England
We then continue to Burford, the Gateway to the Cotswolds via the beautiful villages of Asthall and Swinbrook (home to the Mitford sisters). In Burford enjoy browsing around the small shops and cafes in the pretty High Street.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Bourton on the Water, Windrush river, Bourton-on-the-Water England
Our drive then takes us through some beautiful countryside and some of the old quarrying villages of the North Cotswolds to Bourton-on-the-Water, the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’. Bourton has many cafes and small souvenir shops to explore and there is also the picturesque River Windrush.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Broadway Tower, Middle Hill, Broadway WR12 7LB England
Another picturesque route brings us to the charming and unspoilt Worcestershire town of Broadway. We stop here for lunch, where you can enjoy the fine shops and quaint cafes.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Cotswold Lavender, Hill Barn Farm, Snowshill, Broadway WR12 7JY England
After lunch we take a scenic drive to the enchanting village of Snowshill with its beautiful stone cottages and views of the Cotswold Hills. Here, you can take some stunning pictures of a typical Cotswold village. Snowshill is also the home of Cotswold Lavender.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: High Street Chipping Campden, Chipping Campden GL55 6AT England
Passing the quirky Broadway Tower we head to the delightful market town of Chipping Campden, the centre of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the Cotswolds. Here, you can browse in the quaint shops or visit the impressive ‘wool church’.
Duration: 40 minutes
Stop At: Stow-on-the-Wold Market Square, Stow-on-the-Wold England
Our return route to Oxford takes us to the charming town of Stow-on-the-Wold. See the quaint antiques shops and boutiques and visit St Edwards Church with its quirky wooden door (said to have inspired the writer Tolkien).
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock OX20 1PP England
Our route back to Oxford passes through the delightful market town of Chipping Norton, with a final brief photo stop at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock (birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill).
Duration: 15 minutes