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Cotswold Way Walking Holiday
Stratford upon Avon to Bath
in The Cotswolds England
12 nights and 11 days walking
Day by Day Itinerary
Where in the UK is the Cotswold Way?
The Cotswold Way Walking Holiday
including The Heart of England Way and The Monarch’s Way
Walking Holiday in England’s Cotswolds
from Stratford-upon-Avon via Chipping Campden to Bath
via Broadway, Winchcombe, Clevehill, Birdlip, Dursley and Wotton-under-Edge
The Heart of England Way, The Monarch’s Way and
The Cotswold Way is a 117 mile (187 km) way-marked walking trail and includes one of national trails in the UK.
Hiking through the heart of the Cotswolds, one of Britain’s most popular regions, this walking holiday passes through the famous English Cotswold towns and villages of Stratford upon Avon, Chipping Campden, Broadway, Winchcombe, Painswick, Wotton-under-Edge and Bath.
This self-guided UK Cotswold Way walking holiday makes a varied and interesting hiking tour. The Cotswold Way passes through some of England’s most charming landscape, full of wildlife, stunning scenery and history.
You can make the Cotswold Way Walking Holiday into a longer walking holiday by connecting with:
- the Kennet and Avon Canal in Bath,
- and with the Shakespeares Way in Stratford upon Avon.
Our self-guided walking holidays are designed with your comfort and enjoyment in mind and can be tailor-made to your own personal requirements.
The routes are clearly way-marked to provide reassurance on your hiking vacation.
We use a selection of guest houses, inns or small hotels with en-suite or private bathroom to ensure you are well rested each night after a busy day hiking and sightseeing. Rest assured that all our accommodation walking holiday providers are hand-picked and offer you that famous British hospitality.
Special diets can be catered for, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free.
We organize the luggage transfer so your bags are at your next accommodation when you arrive. We try to get your bags delivered by 4pm, but this may be delayed due to road conditions.
Let’s Go Walking has developed one of the largest selection of walking holidays.
Our offices are staffed 9am to 9pm during our walking season (March to September) to ensure your walking holiday runs without a hitch.
All our walking holidays are self-guided and you must be a confident map reader and able to navigate from a compass bearing. The weather in the UK and Ireland can change quickly effecting visibility and underfoot conditions. It is important to carry a selection of clothing with you on your hike each day to cope with changing weather conditions. If you are not confident of completing any days walk, do not set out.
This walking holiday in the UK operates March to September and in either direction.
The daily distances are only a suggestion. If you would like to walk longer or shorter distances, we can arrange that too.
Our stated distances include mileage to the accommodation or pickup point and so may not agree with the guide book mileages.
Rest days can be taken in any location.
Why not combine this walk with a hiking tour in another part of the UK or Ireland. Our staff will be happy to advise on necessary transfers.
Online booking available.
A deposit of £85 per person is required to secure the booking, with the balance due 6 weeks before departure.
Optional extra days and accommodation upgrades can be added during the booking process online.
Please wait for the confirmation of your holiday before making final travel plans just in case your holiday is not available for your requested date.
Cotswold Way Walking Holiday
Stratford upon Avon to Bath
Suggested Tour Duration:
12 nights, 11 days walking
Total Distance:
117 miles/187 kms
Min/max daily distance:
7/15.5 miles
Average Daily distance:
12 miles
Grading:
Easy/Moderate
Features:
Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford upon Avon
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford upon Avon
Boat Trips, Stratford upon Avon
Cotswold Villages and Pubs,
Chipping Campden,
Broadway Tower and Country Park
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway, Broadway & Winchcombe
Painswick Rocco Gardens
Roman Baths and Pump Rooms, Bath
Royal Crescent, Bath
Kennet and Avon Canal, Bath
This route connects with:
Kennet and Avon Canal Towpath
Shakespeare’s Way
Heart of the Cotswolds
Please note there is nowhere to get an evening meal in Stanton (day 3 of the itinerary) on Sundays or Mondays, therefore please bear this in mind when booking.
Cotswold Way Walking Holiday
including The Heart of England Way, The Monarch’s Way
in Southern England and The Midlands on The Cotswolds
from Stratford upon Avon via Chipping Campden to Bath
12 nights and 11 days walking
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive at Stratford-upon-Avon
To start your Cotswold’s walking holiday you make your own way to Stratford-upon-Avon. We can assist with coach or train transfers if necessary, just ask one of our staff. Car parking is available for the duration of your Cotswolds self-guided walking holiday. Stratford-upon-Avon is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and also the start of the Shakespeare’s Way.
Optional Day(s): Exploring Stratford-upon-Avon
Take extra days) to explore Stratford-upon-Avon and to visit the Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Royal Shakespeare Theatre or take a boast trip on the River Avon before starting on your walking holiday in the Cotswolds.
Day 2: Stratford-upon-Avon to Chipping Campden 15 miles
You follow the River Avon along way-marked trails out of Stratford and head towards Mickleton where the Gardens at Hidcote Manor are well worth a visit. Then it is just a short walk to Chipping Campden for your overnight stay.
Optional Day: Exploring Chipping Campden
Take an extra day to explore Chipping Campden and to visit the Gardens at Hidcote Manor before starting on The Cotswold Way.
Day 3: Chipping Campden to Stanton 10 miles
Walking on from Chipping Campden, one of the best of the Cotswold market towns with a fine range of shops and pubs, the trail climbs on to an escarpment offering fine views across the Vale of Evesham. You then walk through the very popular town of Broadway with its honey coloured houses and fine old English tea rooms. There is plenty of time to explore the Cotswold gem that is Broadway. The hiking trail soon arrives at Stanton.
Day 4: Stanton to Winchcombe 8 miles
Walking on from Stanton, which has been called the perfect Cotswold village, the route crosses farmland and then climbs to Stumps Cross. The remains of Hailes Abbey are worth a visit. Winchcombe is a fine small town with a selection of shops and inns, also a Folk museum.
Optional Day : Bourton on the Water to Winchcombe 14 miles
An optional day exploring more of the Cotswolds. We transfer you to Bourton on the Water and you walk back to Winchcombe along the Warden’s Way via Lower and Upper Slaugher, Guiting Power and Sudely Castle.
Day 5: Winchcombe to Dowdeswell 12.5 miles
The walk passes Sudeley Castle, dating back to the 12th century. Cleeve Common and the surrounding areas offer fine views. Today’s walk mostly follows the western edge of the Cotswolds escarpment above Cheltenham. This area is famous for its butterflies and you finish the walk today close to Dowdeswell Reservoir..
Day 6: Dowdeswell to Birdlip 9.5 miles
The route passes Seven Springs, claimed to be the source of the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames. The Devil’s Chimney a craggy rock finger is a local landmark below Leckhampton Hill. You finish today’s walk at Birdlip which stands on the edge of an escarpment on the course of the Roman Ermin Street which ran from Gloucester to Cirencester.
Day 7: Birdlip to Painswick 7 miles
Much of today’s walk is in woodlands. At the Roman Villa at Witcombe, a bath house and fine mosaics have been unearthed. Cooper’s Hill offers fine views and formed part of a large 500BC Iron Age encampment.
Optional Day : Exploring Painswick
A pleasant town to take a rest day, with optional visit to Rococo Gardens.
Day 8: Painswick to Middleyard (Kings Stanley) 9.5 miles
Painswick is a fine small market town with streets dating back to the 13th century. The local stone is light grey giving the town a different feel for a normal Cotswold town. This section of The Cotswold Way is said to have some of the finest views on the whole walking trail. The views from Haresfield Beacon over the Severn valley below are stunning.
Day 9: Middleyard (Kings Stanley) to Wotton-under-Edge 13.5 miles
Today’s walk is quite hilly but rewards you with fine vistas and many historic sites including a Neolithic long barrow and Iron Age fort. The walking trail passes through Dursley, a town once famous for its wool and cloth. The Severn Valley and the Forest of Dean offer great vistas in this part of The Cotswold Way.
Day 10: Wotton-under-Edge to Old Sodbury 13 miles
The town of Wotton-under-Edge dates back to Saxon times AD940, but the oldest house in the town now dates back to 1350 (the former Ram Inn). This town has a fine mixture of old buildings and a selection of pubs, shops and places to eat. This part of your walking holiday passes through an area of the Cotwolds where in former times the cloth and woollen industries were very important. The Cotswold Way passes many former water mills and mill streams.
Day 11: Old Sodbury to Cold Ashton 9 miles
This section of the trail is perhaps the most rural as there are few villages. The highlights are Sodbury Hill Fort with 11 acres of ramparts and ditches with Iron Age and Roman origins. The walk through Dodington Park, landscaped by Capability Brown, is a highlight. Dyrham Park, famous for deer and a fine Tudor mansion, is well worth a visit.
Day 12: Cold Ashton to Bath 10 miles
Today’s walk is through a very varied landscape of hills offering fine vistas and pretty little valleys showing the Cotswolds at their best. Finally the walking holiday ends in Bath, this gem of an English city, famous for its Roman Baths, Abbey and Royal Crescent.
Optional Day(s): Exploring Bath
There is so much to see in Bath that it is worth spending extra day(s) to take in the architecture and atmostphere.
Day 13: Depart after breakfast
Depart after Breakfast or extend your holiday walking and spend some time exploring England’s Cotswolds. The route here connects with the Kennet and Avon Canal Towpath.
We can transfer you to your car or station.
Please note the following when choosing dates for your Cotswold Way walking holiday:
The Cheltenham Gold Cup will take place at Cheltenham Race Course on 11th to 14th March 2025.
This causes limited availability of accommodation in Cleeve Hill (day 3 or day 4 depending on itinerary).
The Badminton Horse Trials will take place on 7th to 11th May 2025.
This causes limited availability of accommodation in Hawkesbury Upton (day 8 or day 9 depending on itinerary).
The Cotswolds Way Challenge race will take place on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd June 2025.
This causes limited availability of accommodation along the route, our ability to deliver your luggage and your enjoyment of the route.
The Cotswold Way Relay Race will take place Saturday 5th July 2025.
This causes limited availability of accommodation in Chipping Campden, our ability to deliver your luggage and your enjoyment of the route.
Therefore when booking your walking holiday on Cotswold Way we suggest you avoid these dates.
Stratford upon Avon to Bath
in England UK
13 day itinerary
11 days walking and 12 nights
Suggested Itinerary
| Day 1: | arrive Stratford upon Avon | |
| Optional Day: | optional extra day in Stratford upon Avon | |
| Day 2: | Stratford upon Avon to Chipping Campden | 15 miles |
| Optional Day: | optional extra day in Chipping Campden | |
| Day 3: | Chipping Campden to Stanton | 10 miles |
| Day 4: | Stanton to Winchcombe | 8 miles |
| Optional Day: | optional extra walking Bourton on the Water to Winchcombe | 14 miles |
| Day 5: | Winchcombe to Dowdeswell | 12.5 miles |
| Day 6: | Dowdeswelll to Birdlip | 9.5 miles |
| Day 7: | Birdlip to Painswick | 7 miles |
| Optional Day: | optional extra day in Painswick | |
| Day 8: | Painswick to Middleward | 9.5 miles |
| Day 9: | Middleward to Wotton under Edge | 13.5 miles |
| Day 10: | Wotton under Edge to Old Sodbury | 13 miles |
| Day 11: | Old Sodbury to Cold Ashton | 9 miles |
| Day 12: | Cold Ashton to Bath | 10 miles |
| Optional Day: | optional extra day in Bath | |
| Day 13: | depart Bath |
13 day itinerary 12 nights
| Double or Twin Occupancy | Single Occupancy travelling with others | Solo Traveller |
|
| 2025 | £1,464 | £2,652 | £2,892 |
All prices subject to change
Extra nights from £64.00 per person
depending on location
A 102 miles walking route through the heart of the Cotswolds.
This is one of our Cotswolds and Severn Valley walking holidays and also one of our National Trail Walking Holidays.
Optional Accommodation Upgrades for
Cotswold Way 13 days
Stratford-upon-Avon to Bath
Can be added when booking online
Subject to availability Supplement per person per night
Stratford upon Avon
double/twin
Single
Hotel Indigo
£89.00
please ask
Mercure Shakespeare
£89.00
please ask
What’s included
in your UK Cotswold Way walking holiday in The Cotswolds, England
- accommodation at high quality guest houses, inns or small hotels on a bed and breakfast basis
- room with en-suite or private bathroom, tea and coffee making facilities
- daily luggage transfer
- support should there be any problems on route
- detailed itineraries
- OS 1:25,000 map
- guide book to Cotswold Way
Optional Extras
for your UK Cotswold Way walking holiday in The Cotswolds, England
- upgrade to the region’s most elegant, prestigious and famous hotels, where available
- transfers back to car or station
- parking facilities
- rest days
- inn to inn walks
What’s not included
in your UK Cotswold Way walking holiday in The Cotswolds, England
- lunches and dinners
- travel insurance
Lunches and Dinners
These are not included.
Evening meals
These are available at overnight locations, either at your accommodation or in the town/village.
Packed lunches
These can be provided by your accommodation or can be obtained from a local store, or cafe or inn along the route.
Holiday Travel Insurance
We require that you take out holiday insurance as Let’s Go Biking Ltd accepts no liability for the following:
cancellation, personal accident, illness, loss/theft of personal possessions and/or money, and any unforeseen circumstances, especially travel delays.
This is in addition to our existing
booking conditions.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Our telephone Lines are open 7 days a week.
UK +44 (0)1837 880075
or +44 (0)207 193 1252
March to September 9am to 9pm
October to February 9am to 5pm
US +1 (646) 233-1541
New York 5 hours behind UK time:
March to September 4am to 4pm EST
October to February 4am to 12noon EST
AUS +61 (02) 8006 0182
Sydney 10 hours ahead of UK time:
March to September 7pm to 7am EADT
October to February 7pm to 3am EADT
CAN +1 (647) 4786251
Toronto 5 hours behind UK time:
March to September 4am to 4pm EST
October to February 4am to 12noon EST
or
Cotswold Way Walking Holiday:
How to get there
- By Plane to Bristol, Birmingham or London where we can arrange transfer to Stratford-upon-Avon, Chipping Campden or Bath
- By Car to Chipping Campden where parking is available
- By Train/Bus to Stratford-upon-Avon, Chipping Campden or Bath
We offer National Trail walking holidays in England and Wales in the UK.
This is one of our categories of walking holidays.
- Cleveland Way
- Cotswold Way
- Cumbria Coastal Way part of the England Coast Path
- England Coast Path
- Glyndwrs Way in Wales
- Hadrians Wall Path
- Norfolk Coast Path part of the England Coast Path
- North Downs Way
- Offas Dyke Path in Wales
- Peddars Way
- Pembroke Coast Path part of the Wales Coast Path
- The Ridgeway
- South Downs Way
- South West Coast Path part of the England Coast Path
- Thames Path
- Yorkshire Wolds Way