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If The Cotswolds weren’t already on your bucket list, I hope this guide puts this destination at the very top of it! I had dreamed of visiting The Cotswolds ever since I watched The Holiday for the first time — my (now) all-time favorite movie. These villages are located just 1.5-2 hours outside of London and are the perfect day trip or overnight getaway. This guide is going to cover how to take a day trip to The Cotswolds from London and everything you should see and experience along the way.
Disclaimer: This blog post is written in collaboration with adidas. I have linked a few of my favorite products in this blog post, but as always, all opinions written below are my own.
What Are The Cotswolds?
The Cotswolds are a series of historic, charming villages located northwest of London in England. The region is known for its rolling green hills, cobblestone streets, stone homes and thatched-roof cottages, and walking trails. The Cotswolds really look like a postcard or the setting of a Rom-Com.
The entire area is a designated and protected Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) — basically a national park. The area covers about 800 square miles and stretches across several counties, including Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. There are dozens of towns + villages to visit here, and it’s definitely possible to see quite a few in just a day trip to The Cotswolds from London. The most popular ones are Castle Combe, Burford, Bibury, Burton on the Water, and Stow on the Wold. I’ll cover those below.
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What Are The Cotswolds Known For?
This region in southwest England got its name from the word “Cots” which means “to enclose”, in this case referring to the sheep enclosures that can be found throughout the farmland here. “Wolds” means “hills”, referring to the gentle rolling hills in the countryside.
Unsurprisingly, sheep farming is the #1 industry here and the area has always been famous for its wool, although tourism now contributes heavily to the region’s economy.
This area in the English countryside was one of the richest in Europe during the Middle Ages because of the wools and markets. To this day, everything you see in the region is built from materials found in the region.
How To Get To The Cotswolds From London
There are three main ways to get to The Cotswolds from London: by train, by car, and via tour group. Here’s a quick breakdown of each…
By Train
If you’d like to explore The Cotswolds at your own pace but don’t want to deal with driving (on the opposite side of the road… for all my Americans), I recommend taking the train! The train is easy and incredibly scenic.
You’ll want to get a train from London Paddington Station. Most trains to The Cotswolds leave from London Paddington, a major train station + hub located in central London and easily accessed via the London Underground (Bakerloo, Circle, District, and Hammersmith & City lines).
When booking a ticket to visit The Cotswolds from London, try planning in advance to save $$$. Tickets are cheaper when booked early on sites like National Rail.
Pro-tip: Book a window seat so you can see the beautiful English countryside along the way!
There isn’t one central “Cotswolds” station, as the region is spread across several counties. Instead, book a ticket into Moreton-in-Marsh, which takes about 1.5 hours to reach from London (direct). Moreton-in-Marsh is one of the best-connected villages to visit via train as popular towns like Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water are easily accessible via taxi.
By Car
Renting a car to visit The Cotswolds allows for the most flexibility on your trip. A car gives you flexibility to explore multiple villages, but parking can be challenging in popular villages, especially on weekends or during the peak summer months.
The route will depend on your starting point in London and which villages you want to visit, but you will most likely take the M40 or M4 motorways depending on your starting point and destination village. Expect to be in the car for about 2 hours.
By Tour
Taking a tour from London to The Cotswolds is definitely the most stress-free way to experience a day trip. If you don’t want to plan logistics, I recommend booking a Get Your Guide tour! This is what I did — I boarded a large van in central London and enjoyed the 1.5 hour scenic drive to the villages. We stopped at 4 villages throughout the day, including Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water, and also had time for shopping, lunch, etc. I loved learning about the history of the area from our guide as well.
Pro-tip: Since this a *very* full day tour, you’ll want to wear sneakers and bring a backpack! I loved using one of my backpacks so that I could carry a water bottle, my camera, an extra sweater in case it got cold, and the souvenirs I purchased!
What To See In The Cotswolds
Since this travel guide is focused on how to take a day trip to The Cotswolds from London, I don’t have any accommodation recommendations for you. However, here are some key sights to see during your visit:
Bibury
Bibury is a (very) small village located in Gloucestershire. Despite its tiny size, it’s home to one of the most photographed and visited sights in all of The Cotswolds: Arlington Row.
Arlington Row is a scenic strip of 14th century cottages. The homes were built in 1380, mostly to store wool, and they were converted into a row of weavers’ cottages in the 17th century. Today, the cottages are privately owned, but are visited by people from every corner of the globe.
While in Bibury, be sure to see the nearby Arlington Mill, which was originally a corn mill and was later converted to a wool mill. Take a short walk by the River Coln and see the trout farm too!
Bourton-On-The-Water
This charming village is a MUST for your day trip to the Cotswolds from London. Known as the “Venice of the Cotswolds” there are many charming stone bridges here that cross the River Windrush, along with weeping willows and many birds! Bring your camera when you visit here because the view of the bridges, flowers, stone cottages, and swans really is out of a movie.
This is a good spot for lunch or tea as there are a few shops and restaurants here (a bit bigger than the other villages). Bakery on the Water is a popular spot to eat at.
Also, be sure to swing into the Cotswold Motoring Museum to see the vintage cars before leaving! The Model Village is home to a tiny, complete replica of the whole village that is worth seeing as well.
Stow-On-The-Wold
Are you a Lord of the Rings fan? You definitely won’t want to miss seeing St. Edward’s Church right off the main square. This church is home to the most photographed door in the Cotswolds. The church’s north door, which was built over 300 years ago, is lined with 2 ancient trees, and was the inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Doors of Durin”, which appears in a scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. He was a professor in Oxford for 14 years and is rumored to have visited this village to see the door.
Aside from dozens of charming boutiques, pubs, and phone booths, this picturesque village is also home to the Porch House — the oldest inn in England. It dates back to 947 AD! 829 years older than the USA!
Castle Combe
I didn’t visit Castle Combe during my day trip to the Cotswolds from London, but this is probably the most Insta-famous village in the area. Everyone poses on the stone bridge here with the weavers’ cottages and river in the backdrop. You can find it in the southern end of the village.
Bonus: Day Trip To Bath From London
Located just southwest of the Cotswolds is Bath, England. I booked another day tour from London that included a visit to Bath. I want to cover Bath in this guide too since it’s close to the Cotswolds and is another major sight to visit in southwest England.
How To Get To Bath
If you wanted to visit Bath on your own / separately from London, you could do so by booking a train from London Paddington Station to Bath Spa Station. The journey takes a little less than 1.5 hours. Great Western Railway (GWR), the same line I used to visit Wales from London, runs every 30 minutes. There are also buses from London Victoria Coach Station, but I definitely recommend the train or visiting on a full day tour.
What To See In Bath
Bath is known for its Roman baths built around healing hot springs found here in 70 AD. It’s also famous for its stunning Georgian architecture and was the main filming location for Bridgerton!
Pro-tip: If you’re a fan of Bridgerton, be sure to explore the Circus and Royal Crescent. Not only are these areas iconic examples of Georgian architecture, they are key backdrops in the show. Sit on the green for a relaxing break with a view!
Spend the first part of your visit exploring the Roman Baths & Bath Abbey, before it gets too crowded. The Roman Baths take about 1.5 hours to tour and can be visited via a self-guided audio tour. It’s one of the best preserved Roman sites in the world and was super fascinating! The Great bath and ancient hot springs are so well preserved, it kinda feels like you stepped back in time.
Bath Abbey is located next door to the Roman Baths and is a stunning example of Gothic architecture. This church was the coronation site of the first King of England in 973 AD. You can climb the tower for panoramic views of the city, or just see the interior quickly.
While in Bath, don’t miss Pulteney Bridge and the River Avon. This is one of 4 bridges in the world to have buildings over it. The others are in Italy (2) and Germany (1).
Bonus: Visiting Stonehenge
My day trip also included a brief stop in Stonehenge, another popular place to visit in southwest England. It’s only 35 miles or about an hour from Bath, so you can easily explore both in one day! Allow at least 2 hours to explore Stonehenge itself, including the visitor center and the museum.
Stonehenge is one of the most iconic prehistoric monuments in the world, located in Wiltshire, England. It’s famous for its massive standing stones, arranged in a circular layout, and the mystery that surrounds its purpose and construction. What’s so fascinating about Stonehenge is that no one knows who built it. The site, which is on Salisbury Plain in England, has been used for ceremonial purposes by many groups throughout history. This UNESCO World Heritage Site also has no written documentation about it, although the stones are believed to have come from over 150 miles away in Wales and were constructed around 3000 BC.
Pro-tip: From the visitors center, you’ll need to take a shuttle to see the stones, since it’s too far to walk. The shuttle ride only takes about 5 minutes and runs continuously.
Bonus: Visiting Windsor
Windsor is another charming town located in southwest England, only 45 minutes from downtown London. You should stop here last on your way back to the city.
Windsor Castle is the main site to see here. It’s the final resting place of the late Queen, the oldest occupied castle in the world, and is where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle famously wed. You can spend a few hours touring the inside of the castle and Windsor Great Park.
That brings us to the end of this extensive guide covering visiting the Cotswolds from London, in addition to bonus information on Bath, Stonehenge, and Windsor. There is so much to see in southwest England, so aside from spending a few days in London, be sure to see the countryside!
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