10 Days & 9 Nights

The Southern Cotswolds: Oxford to Bath

Walk the scenic southern Cotswolds, with its rolling hills and chocolate box villages.
Stay in hand-picked Cotswold country inn's that are chock-full of charming character
Beautiful Bath, a UNESCO listed city, rich in Roman heritage
Discover Oxford's academic culture and explore its world-class museums
Bibury, renowned for being one of England's most beautiful villages.

An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a personal home to King Charles, the serene southern Cotswolds retains all the typical Cotswold charm but is a more rural alternative to the popular towns in the north. Being bookended by two of England’s best cities, start by learning about the inspiring academic culture of Oxford and end in the UNESCO-listed city of Bath with its exquisite Georgian architecture and intriguing Roman history. Along the way, visit Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of the UK’s legendary World War II leader, Sir Winston Churchill. Walk through the region's beautiful green farmland and quiet woodlands, staying in its famous chocolate-box villages, Burford, Bibury, and Tetbury. See their honey-colored stone cottages, dodge the local Cotswold Lions (sheep), and of course, raise a glass every evening at the cozy country inn you are staying in!

From $2,995.00

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Itinerary

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Day 1 Arrive Oxford Day 2 Walk Oxford to Woodstock 10.5 miles / 16.5 km Day 3 Walk Woodstock to Minster Lovell 11.5 miles / 18.5 km Day 4 Walk Minster Lovell to Burford 7.5 miles / 12 km Day 5 Walk Burford to Bibury 13 miles / 21 km Day 6 Walk Bibury to Cirencester 11 miles / 17.5 km Day 7 Walk Cirencester to Tetbury 13.5 miles / 21.5 km Day 8 Walk Tetbury to Castle Combe 15 miles / 24 km Day 9 Walk Castle Combe to Bath 16 miles / 25.5 km Day 10 Onward Travel

THIS TRIP'S CARBON SCORE

This trip has a carbon score of 9kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 9kg is equivalent to 5.5 avocados. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.

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Other Information

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Is it for me?

Calling all culture and history enthusiasts or those just looking for a quieter alternative walking experience in the Cotswolds! Graded easy to moderate, this 10 Day classic walking tour, Starts and ends in two of England's most inspiring and historically significant cities, Oxford and Bath. The walking goes from East to West through the heart of the Southern Cotswolds Countryside—a region renowned for its outstanding natural beauty, staying overnight in the famous picture-postcard villages of Bibury, Burford, Tetbury, and Castle Combe.

Tour Type:

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way in Scotland, the world renown Tour Du Mont Blanc and Germany's Moselle Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Foodie

Off the Beaten Track

Activity Level & Terrain

The tour is graded easy to moderate overall. The hardest day is probably the final walk from Castle Combe to Bath, however, it can be shortened with public transport.

Expect a mixture of paths, tracks, and country roads. Some of the paths can become very muddy and boggy when rain falls, often making progress slower than normal. The Oxford to Bath route is not specifically waymarked but you are walking through sections of England’s national trail networks and you regularly pass through small villages and towns – The paths are remote in sections but are walked regularly by other hikers and locals, with a few short sections being on indistinct paths.

Accommodation & Meals

Accommodations

Along the way, you will be booked into handpicked, high-quality country inns of typical Cotswold character. Honey-coloured cottages, roaring log fires, comfortable cosy bedrooms and the warmest of welcomes. In Oxford and Bath, you will likely be staying in our favourite B&Bs or guesthouses in the city.

Depending on your arrival date in Oxford, you also have the opportunity to stay at Keble College (which is part of its famous University) - the rooms are used by students during term time but over the summer period they are offered to external guests. The rooms themselves are generally basic and a contemporary style (may not be for everyone) but you do have the opportunity to have breakfast in a large banquet hall, similar to that of Hogwarts in Harry Potter!

Accommodation Location

We will always try and accommodate you at the locations detailed in the tour itinerary. Occasionally, because of limited availability, we may have to accommodate you into alternative accommodations which are not listed in the description. If those listed are unavailable the alternative accommodation will be of the same or better standard than those described.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

If you require single/solo rooms we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable, this supplement can be very expensive for solo/single rooms due to the area and nature of the accommodations used on this tour. For solo walkers, the extra supplement also extends to baggage transfers and any taxi transfers you may require (as the price is not shared between more than 1 person).

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning while lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. The Cotswolds has many options for lunch stops in local tea rooms or pubs that are dotted along the way - details of these are included in your route notes. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or at nearby pubs and restaurants. Please be aware that we recommended booking any evening meals well in advance of the day you are due to visit

Additional Nights

You may wish to take some extra nights along the route, either to rest or for those with plenty of energy to explore some of the other walking opportunities nearby. We recommend extra nights at:

Bath - Arguably, one of the best cities in England. Wonderfully compact and easy to get around. honey-hued buildings it has many great pubs, restaurants and visitor attractions such as the Roman Baths, The Pump Room and its Abbey. An extra night at the end of your tours is a must to fit everything in.

Oxford - Oxford has a unique culture that's based on its academic heritage. There are many stories and folklore of students in the bygone era that hold true to this day - it's a fascinating insight into how things work. Oxford is also home to three world-class museums - the Ashmolean, Natural History and Pitt Rivers - all are within walking distance.

Other Alternatives:

Cirencester - For a mid-tour stop, Cirencester is a charming Cotswold market town with a bustling Market Place. The town boasts a variety of shops, restaurants, and pubs lining its streets - as well as some nice parks to relax in. For those looking to delve deeper into the region's Roman history, the Corinium Museum is a must-visit attraction, which is conveniently located near the world's tallest Yew hedge!

Navigation What's Included

Included

Traditional Cotswold Inn's, manor houses and B&B's
Breakfasts
Daily baggage transfers
Access to maps, GPX tracks and daily route information with the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
All your trip documents provided digitally through your online Macs “My Account”
24/7 Emergency telephone support from our UK office

Excluded

Travel to Oxford
Travel from Bath
Dinners and lunches
Personal equipment
Travel insurance

Extras

Additional nights before or after the holiday

When to go Travel & Transfers Info & FAQ

Equipment

Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, and sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

What happens if I can’t walk a stage? How do baggage transfers work? When is the best time of the year to walk? What personal equipment do I need for a self-guided walking holiday in the Cotswolds? What history/culture am I likely to find on this tour?

Hiking in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds are world-famous for bustling market towns, beautiful villages, and stunning countryside. This short feature follows Mark and Sonia who spent their 30th wedding anniversary walking on a Macs Adventure hiking tour in the Cotswolds.