Cotswold Way

Cotswold Way

A magnificent trail showcasing the world-famous Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

4 to 14 nights
26-102 miles
Easy / Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous

From £500 per person

Find your holiday

About the trail

The Cotswold Way walk runs along the western edge of the Cotswold Hills from the old wool town of Chipping Campden to the historic city of Bath, showcasing varied terrain and unforgettable views. Along the way, the walking holiday encounters tranquil woodlands and sheltered valleys dotted with welcoming towns, villages and hamlets.

Each settlement boasts intriguing insights into the region’s fascinating past, while the surrounding landscapes also feature a wealth of historical landmarks such as hill forts, castles and ancient battle sites. The Cotswold Way is an iconic trail filled with everything a walker could wish for from this magical realm.

We offer multiple holiday options along this trail. If you wish to experience the entire trail, simply select the first option from the list below.

Choose your route

  • This route includes dog friendly tour options Cotswold Way
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options Cotswold Way - South Section
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options Cotswold Way - North Section
  • Cotswold Way Short Break

Dog friendly tours available

Dogs are welcome on select routes along this trail. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your holiday.

Trail running tours available

We also organise trail running holidays along this route. Find out more.

About this route

7 to 14 nights
102 miles
Easy / Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous
2nd January to 24th December
Includes Dog-Friendly Tours

From £855 per person

Cotswold Way

This tour encompasses all 103 miles of the world-renowned Cotswold Way National Trail.

Starting from Chipping Campden and finishing in the World Heritage-listed city of Bath, this trail proudly showcases the finest scenery, history, architecture and culture the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has to offer.

This route can be walked in the opposite direction upon request. Please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
COTW0 From Chipping Campden to Bath 7 nights, 6 days walking Demanding / Strenuous £855
COTW1 From Chipping Campden to Bath 8 nights, 7 days walking Demanding £970
COTW2 From Chipping Campden to Bath 9 nights, 8 days walking Moderate / Demanding £1080
COTW3 From Chipping Campden to Bath 10 nights, 9 days walking Moderate / Demanding £1190
COTW4 From Chipping Campden to Bath 11 nights, 10 days walking Moderate £1300
COTW5 From Chipping Campden to Bath 12 nights, 11 days walking Moderate £1420
COTW6 From Chipping Campden to Bath 13 nights, 12 days walking Easy / Moderate £1525
COTW7 From Chipping Campden to Bath 14 nights, 13 days walking Easy / Moderate £1645

Short breaks

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
COTWSB From Dowdeswell(T) to King's Stanley(L) 4 nights, 3 days walking Moderate £500

Cotswold Way - North to South 7 nights, 6 days walking

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Route profile
  • Travel info
  • Weather
  • Holiday Highlights

Important information

Kindly note that this trail is very popular, if you have flexibility with your start date, please advise this when booking.  Please do not make any travel plans until we have double checked and confirmed availability for your booking.

Start

Travel to Chipping Campden where your first night's accommodation will be booked

Day 1

Chipping Campden to Winchcombe. 18 miles (29km) / 2142 ft (653 m) ascent

Day 2

Winchcombe to Dowdeswell(T). 12 miles (19km) / 1555 ft (474 m) ascent

Day 3

Dowdeswell(T) to Painswick. 16.5 miles (26.5km) / 2402 ft (732 m) ascent

Day 4

Painswick to Dursley(L). 16 miles (25.5km) / 2497 ft (761 m) ascent

Day 5

Dursley(L) to Old Sodbury. 20.5 miles (33km) / 2664 ft (812 m) ascent

Day 6

Old Sodbury to Bath. 18.5 miles (29.5km) / 1857 ft (566 m) ascent

Finish

Depart from Bath after breakfast

Your Itinerary

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.

Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.

Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Traveller Supplement
£65.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£50.00 per person / per night


You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Bath)
£75.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Dowdeswell(T))
£75.00 per person / per night
Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Cotswold Way map
Chipping Campden to Bath
102 miles (163 km)
2nd January to 24th December

Holiday highlights

Exploring the typically English villages of the Cotswolds and discovering their unique characters.

Following the Cotswold escarpment through pleasant, rolling countryside.

Arriving in the World Heritage City of Bath and taking time to explore the incredible architecture and celebrate the end of your holiday.

What's included?

  • 7 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

Many people chose to have an extra night in Chipping Campden before starting the trail because there is so much to see. Chipping Campden is the loveliest of all the Cotswold Market towns, it is also the best preserved and most historically important. Buildings of interest include the open-sided Jacobean Market Hall, built to shelter stallholders from all weathers; the Town Hall; the 14th century Woolstaplers Hall, where the fleeces were sold and which now houses the town's museum. Opposite this is the magnificent Grevel House built in 1380. St James' Church is one of the best examples of a Cotswold 'wool' church and contains the largest memorial brass in the county, to William Grevel, 'the flower of the wool merchants of all England'. Next to the church are the gateway and onion-topped lodges of the old manor of Campden. The manor itself was destroyed during the Civil War. Nearby on a raised pavement stands a superb row of Almshouses built during the reign of James I in stunning symmetry.

Winchcombe is also a popular choice. It is an attractive small town with two or three inns, Tudor houses, cottages with roses clambering over their porches and a fine church containing an altar cloth worked by Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife. 45 grotesque gargoyles, each representing a local character from the 1460s, adorn its outer walls. Winchcombe is also a good base for exploring Sudeley Castle and its romantic gardens.

The old wool town of Painswick with its ancient stone buildings dating from the 13th century is another good choice, but the historic city of Bath with its glorious Georgian architecture is the most popular choice for an extra night or two. Buildings of note include the Roman Baths, the Pump Room, the Assembly Rooms that now house a Museum of Costume, the Abbey, Pulteney Bridge, the Royal Crescent, The Circus, Queen Square and Lansdown Crescent.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Bath)
£75.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Dowdeswell(T))
£75.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 101.5 miles (162.5 km)
Duration: 7 nights, 6 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 12 miles (19 km)
Maximum daily distance: 20.5 miles (33 km)
Code: COTW0 Grade: Demanding / Strenuous
Season: 2nd January - 24th December
Start of holiday: Chipping Campden
End of holiday: Bath

Route Profile

Cotswold Way - North to South Route Profile

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - The most convenient major city and international airports are Bristol and Birmingham.

By Rail - The nearest rail stations to Chipping Campden are either Honeybourne (about 5.5 miles away) or Moreton-in-Marsh (about 6.5 miles away). There is a rail station at the end of the trail (Bath).

By Bus - There is no bus service from Honeybourne to Chipping Campden, but there is one from Moreton-in-Marsh Monday to Saturday only. Otherwise, a taxi will be required. Various bus services run from Bath.

From London - Trains run from London Paddington station to Moreton-in-Marsh and Honeybourne. A bus/taxi will then be required to Chipping Campden.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail, is to take a train from Bath Spa to Moreton-in-Marsh. From there a bus/taxi will be required to Chipping Campden.

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.
"Cold Ashton Manor House" by Paul Day (2023) "Cold Ashton Manor House" by Paul Day (2023)
"Alms Houses in Winchcombe" by Paul Day (2023) "Alms Houses in Winchcombe" by Paul Day (2023)
"Longhorn Cow" by Paul Day (2023) "Longhorn Cow" by Paul Day (2023)
"Chipping Campden Market" by Paul Day (2023) "Chipping Campden Market" by Paul Day (2023)
"Cleeve Hill Sunset" by John Mansfield (2023) "Cleeve Hill Sunset" by John Mansfield (2023)
"Say Cheese atop Coopers Hill" by John Mansfield (2023) "Say Cheese atop Coopers Hill" by John Mansfield (2023)
"The Path to Dyrham" by Katharina Ferrando (2023) "The Path to Dyrham" by Katharina Ferrando (2023)
"Approaching Bath" by Katharina Ferrando (2023) "Approaching Bath" by Katharina Ferrando (2023)
"Lone Sheep at Broadway Tower" by Katharina Ferrando (2023) "Lone Sheep at Broadway Tower" by Katharina Ferrando (2023)
"English Landscapes in a Nutshell" by Katharina Ferrando (2023) "English Landscapes in a Nutshell" by Katharina Ferrando (2023)
"Final Picnic on Prospect Stile" by Robert Evans (2021) "Final Picnic on Prospect Stile" by Robert Evans (2021)
"Dyrham Park House" by Robert Evans (2021) "Dyrham Park House" by Robert Evans (2021)
"Shadows of the Essentials" by Robert Evans (2021) "Shadows of the Essentials" by Robert Evans (2021)
"Early Morning in Stanton" by Robert Evans (2021) "Early Morning in Stanton" by Robert Evans (2021)
"Friendly Sheep in Selsley" by Robert Evans (2021) "Friendly Sheep in Selsley" by Robert Evans (2021)
"View from Frocester Hill" by Robert Evans (2021) "View from Frocester Hill" by Robert Evans (2021)
"View from Cleeve Common" by Lindsey Way (2021) "View from Cleeve Common" by Lindsey Way (2021)
"Well Earned Rest" by Lindsey Way (2021) "Well Earned Rest" by Lindsey Way (2021)
"Signpost at Wortley Hill" by Penelope Brook (2020) "Signpost at Wortley Hill" by Penelope Brook (2020)
"Wet Autumn Day at Dyrham" by Penelope Brook (2020) "Wet Autumn Day at Dyrham" by Penelope Brook (2020)
"Cotswold Escarpment from Coaley Peak" by Jim Bigelow (2019) "Cotswold Escarpment from Coaley Peak" by Jim Bigelow (2019)
"Dyrham Wood" by Jim Bigelow (2019) "Dyrham Wood" by Jim Bigelow (2019)
"Stone Tower" by Jim Bigelow (2019) "Stone Tower" by Jim Bigelow (2019)
"Heading towards Birdlip" by Christopher Talbot-Ponsonby (2019) "Heading towards Birdlip" by Christopher Talbot-Ponsonby (2019)
"Hailes Abbey" by Gesche Henningsen (2019) "Hailes Abbey" by Gesche Henningsen (2019)
"Sheep and Thistles" by Martin Lehnoff (2019) "Sheep and Thistles" by Martin Lehnoff (2019)
"Broadway Tower" by Hazel Burns (2018) "Broadway Tower" by Hazel Burns (2018)
"Patchwork Landscape" by Arthur Brown (2018) "Patchwork Landscape" by Arthur Brown (2018)
"Racing the Rain" by Arthur Brown (2018) "Racing the Rain" by Arthur Brown (2018)
"Cotswold Zebra" by Mary Brown (2018) "Cotswold Zebra" by Mary Brown (2018)
"The End of the Cotswold Way in Bath" by Linda Logan (2018) "The End of the Cotswold Way in Bath" by Linda Logan (2018)
"Bath" by Linda Logan (2018) "Bath" by Linda Logan (2018)
"Falling off a Tire Swing on the way to Kings Stanley" by Linda Logan (2018) "Falling off a Tire Swing on the way to Kings Stanley" by Linda Logan (2018)
"Cotswold Pets in Stanton" by Linda Logan (2018) "Cotswold Pets in Stanton" by Linda Logan (2018)
"A Rainy Day Outside Chipping Campden" by Carmen Matthews (2017) "A Rainy Day Outside Chipping Campden" by Carmen Matthews (2017)
"Hiker or Shepherd?" by Duncan Thomas (2017) "Hiker or Shepherd?" by Duncan Thomas (2017)
"Gate on the Cotswold Way" by Duncan Thomas (2017) "Gate on the Cotswold Way" by Duncan Thomas (2017)
"Lunch Stop at Cold Ashton" by Duncan Thomas (2017) "Lunch Stop at Cold Ashton" by Duncan Thomas (2017)
"View from Pulteney Bridge" by Duncan Thomas (2017) "View from Pulteney Bridge" by Duncan Thomas (2017)
"Stanton" by Rachel Parsons (2017) "Stanton" by Rachel Parsons (2017)
"Autumnal Colours between Stanton and Stanway" by Rachel Parsons (2017) "Autumnal Colours between Stanton and Stanway" by Rachel Parsons (2017)
"Between Cold Ashton and Bath" by Rachel Parsons (2017) "Between Cold Ashton and Bath" by Rachel Parsons (2017)
"Directing the Way" by Rachel Parsons (2017) "Directing the Way" by Rachel Parsons (2017)
"Looking back to Broadway Tower" by Rachel Parsons (2017) "Looking back to Broadway Tower" by Rachel Parsons (2017)
Cotswold Way Signpost - Cotswold Way Signpost
Cotswold Way Signpost Cotswold Way Signpost

Customer reviews from the Cotswold Way

“I’ve just arrived back home again after completing the Cotswolds Way yesterday. It was a great experience”
Mr Rogiers, Belgium
“Another enjoyable holiday which I extended by staying two nights at Strafford upon Avon and walking two sections of the Heart of England Way - Henley in Arden to Chipping Campden. Another enjoyable trip. I often do recommend Contours to the people I meet on the walk. Looking at maybe booking the Isle of Wight coast and Fife coast for next year.”
Mr Duthoit, UK
“Everything went smoothly and the standard of accommodation was generally first class.”
Mr Kenworthy, UK
“An excellent holiday. The admin and organisation were superb. I have no hesitation in booking another… As far as I'm concerned there's nothing you can improve on. Most certainly have recommended to people I met along the route. Meeting, walking and chatting with some many different people along the Way. The stunning countryside, the views, smell of bluebells and wild garlic. Taking my boots off at the end of the day.”
Mrs Pearce-Urwin, UK
“We enjoy long-distance walking and the Cotswolds ticked all the boxes. Contours organised the trip very well indeed and the information supplied was excellent.”
Mr Cole, New Zealand
“Loved scenery from the hilltops.”
Mr Scott, USA
“Pretty much perfect. For those that love walking it would be silly not to walk the Cotswold Way.”
Mr Tupper, UK
“Everything was very well organized. All we had to do was enjoy our walk! We certainly will book another holiday with Contour Walking Holidays!”
Mrs Wiesemann-Visser, Netherlands
“Very enjoyable.”
Mrs Horrocks, UK
Find your holiday