Best of the Cotswolds Cycling

7 Days Excluding Flights From

0 Days from

£ 1709

Cycling

Activity Level

Easy & Moderate

Ways to Travel :

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity :

Cycling

Ages :

12+

Trip Code :

C06CO

Cycle quiet country roads while visiting some of the best villages the North Cotswolds has to offer while based in the beautiful and historic villages of Broadway and Bourton-on-the-Water

The Cotswolds is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that straddles 6 counties, an area of rolling hills on a bedrock of Jurassic limestone. The area was once renowned for its wool production, reminders of which you can still see today in the fine houses and ‘wool’ churches, built in the 15th and 16th Centuries by the local wool merchants.

This twin-centre cycling holiday allows you to visit some of the best of the North Cotswolds villages from your bases in the beautiful and historic villages of Broadway and Bourton-on-the-Water. Cycling on quiet country roads you’ll head to some of the best-known towns and villages of the area, as well as getting the chance to visit a wide range of sites and attractions, from Broadway Tower, the brainchild of Capability Brown to Sudeley Castle, last resting place of Katherine Parr, Henry VIII’s sixth wife.

You’ll stay in friendly, family run B&B’s with a daily breakfast included; with a range of dining options on your doorstep, we’ve left other meals up to you.

Highlights

Explore the Cotswolds - England's largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Stay in the beautiful and historic villages of Broadway and Bourton-on-the-Water
Cycle to Broadway Tower, the brainchild of Capability Brown over 200 years ago
Visit the ancient Saxon capital of Winchcombe, Sudeley Castle and Hailes Abbey
Enjoy some of the best 'off the beaten track' routes in the Cotswolds

Key Information

6 nights twin-centre accommodation in 3 star hotels
Breakfasts daily
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
GPS Route directions and maps
E-bike hire available on request (supplement applies)
Luggage transfers between hotels

Countries visited: United Kingdom

What's Included

6 nights twin-centre accommodation in 3 star hotels
Breakfasts daily
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
GPS Route directions and maps
RideWithGPS navigation app
Luggage transfers between hotels
High Quality Bikes

What's Not Included

Hotel upgrades
Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request - compulsory supplement)
Solo traveller supplement (where only one person is travelling on a departure date)
Visas & vaccinations

5 Days of Cycling

Terrain:

The cycling mainly follows quiet country roads and tarmac roads. The terrain is mainly flat with some gentle, downhill cycling

Day 2

47 km / 29.2 miles

Day 3

29 km / 18 miles

Day 4

40 km / 24.9 miles

Day 5

44 km / 27.3 miles

Day 6

44 km / 27.3 miles

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

TRIP

C06CO - Best of the Cotswolds Cycling

Departure Date

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Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

For flights call us on 0203 733 5948 or enquire when booking online

Regional flights available

Competitive flight prices

Specialist Flight Support

ATOL protected

Itinerary

Broadway Bourton-on-the-Water

Arrive in Broadway, gateway to the North Cotswolds, the village has a wide main street lined with independent shops, restaurants, hotels and plenty of antique shops.
Stay overnight at Hadley House or similar

After your briefing and bike set-up you’ll leave the wide streets of Broadway for Childswickham with its differing building styles. On to Aston Somerville on the edge of the Vale of Evesham renowned for market gardening. Continuing on the flat to Wormington with the Cotswold escarpment in the distance before Toddington the home of the Warwickshire and North Gloucestershire narrow gauge railway. Explore the narrow streets of Winchcombe and visit Sudeley Castle. The return to Broadway is via Didbrook, Hailes and Hailes Abbey, a former Cistercian Abbey. Cycle through typical English Parkland observing the sheep grazing which made the area so famous amongst the mature trees and the thatched Cricket Club Pavillion of Stanway. Continue to the picture perfect village of Stanton before returning to Broadway.
Stay overnight at Hadley House or similar

Distance covered: 29mi (47km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Today you will cycle to the Jewel of the Cotswolds, Chipping Campden. With the Cotswold escarpment on your right the first village you’ll come to is Willersey with its idyllic duck pond followed by Weston sub Edge and Aston sub Edge before tackling the first hill of the day to Chipping Campden. Explore this beautiful Wool town and its mediaeval history before taking the short ride to its little sister Broad Campden with an array of thatched cottages. Return to Chipping Campden for the second hill to Dovers Hill the site of the local Olimpicks! Enjoy fantastic views over the Vale of Evesham and continue along the top of the Cotswold Escarpment to Broadway Tower the brainchild of Capabilty Brown over 200 years ago. Continuing along the escarpment but slowly downhill past the Lavender farm to the beautiful Cotswold hillside village of Snowshill with its honey coloured stone cottages and Tudor Manor House. Free wheel all the way downhill back to Broadway!!
Stay overnight at Hadley House or similar

Distance covered: 18mi (29km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Today starts with another chance to visit the National Trust property of Snowshill before your route takes you on quiet country lanes, past farmland and Guiting Wood to the pretty villages of Guiting Power and Naunton. Stop for refreshments in one of the villages – a great choice of pubs and cafes. Take your time and arrive in Bourton-on-the-Water, your base for the next 3 nights.
Stay overnight at The Manor Close B&B or similar

Distance covered: 25mi (40km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Today’s cycle ride takes you on some of the best ‘off the beaten track’ routes in the Cotswolds to the beautiful villages of Great Rissington, Great Barrington and Burford with its charming high street sloping down to the Windrush river. The return to Bourton-on-the-Water goes via Northleach with its beautiful wool church and museum of Mechanical Music. The shorter route mises out Burford.
Stay overnight at The Manor Close B&B or similar

Distance covered: 27mi (44km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Your route today takes you through the villages of Bledington, Kingham and Broadwell to Stow-on-the-Wold, a market town on the convergence of many major roads, including the Roman Fosse Way and the highest of the Cotswold towns. Return through Lower Slaughter to visit the Motoring Museum in Bourton-on-the-Water.

Distance covered: 27mi (44km)

Meals included: Breakfast

Depart Bourton-on-the-Water after breakfast.

Meals included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Is this trip for you?

Cycling Conditions
Classification: Self-Guided
Average daily distance: 38.5km (24 miles).
No. of days cycling: 5
Terrain and route: The cycling mainly follows quiet country roads and tarmac roads. The terrain is mainly flat with some gentle, downhill cycling.

Vehicle Support: This is a self-guided trip for those who prefer to cycle independently, but with our assistance to take out the stress of the logistics and planning. We arrange your accommodations, provide you with a map and route notes so that you can cycle at your own pace, while your bags are transported from one hotel to the next. Your bikes will be delivered to the start hotel, all set up relevant to your height and ready to go. Our local agent will be on call throughout the trip should you need.

It is important that you are happy reading maps and following route notes, we make these as accurate as possible and they are regularly checked. Where possible we stick to cycle tracks and quiet roads to make the journeys as pleasant as possible, however, on occasion we have to use busier routes into larger towns and cities.

As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There maybe others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. The route notes contain a 24-hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the local agent is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.

Families
Self-guided cycling holidays are a perfect option for families as they offer the freedom for you to take your holiday at your own pace. You can stop as and when you want and need, at the cafes and restaurants that suit your family and the sites that interest you. We have suggested that 12yrs is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave this decision up to you. The daily distances are all published in the trip notes along with a description of each day’s cycling so you have a good idea of what to expect. However, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact one of our experts. The principle idea is that these holidays can be as flexible as you like, with logistical support but no group or leader to dictate the daily activities. Please consider the weather when choosing to book, temperatures can be high in the middle of summer.

Joining Instructions

This holiday does not include any flights or rail.

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

Location start: Broadway
Location end: Bourton-on-the-Water

Vaccinations and Health

United Kingdom

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for polio, tetanus and rabies (bat lyssavirus). Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

United Kingdom

Travellers from the US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter the United Kingdom. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Food & Drink

Enjoy the local cuisine in quintessentially British pubs, cafes and delicatessens – local delicacies include Cerney Ash or Stinking Bishop cheeses, Crackleberry Farm eggs, Cotswold Cream liqueur and the local ales – try the Yubby beer from the Yubberton Brewery Co. There’s also the archetypal English Cream Teas that go down a treat with a nice hot cup of tea!

Weather

The Cotswolds has a temperate maritime climate with warm, rather than hot, summers and cool to cold winters. The hottest month, on average, is July and the coldest is January with rain falling fairly evenly throughout the year. The weather is unpredictable as with the rest of the UK and it is possible to see elements of all four seasons in one day. It is advisable for visitors to check the weather forecast before they arrive in the Cotswolds to get a better idea of the sort of clothing they will need during their trip. Bringing hooded waterproof coats and hats will ensure visitors are prepared for any spells of wind and rain the region may experience.
Spring: The climate is milder in spring making it a good time to visit the Cotswolds. There can be some great sunny days mixed with cooler and wet weather. From March to May the average daytime temperatures are between 9°C and 17°C.
Summer: Most days in summer range from mild to warm with the possibility of some infrequent hotter days, the days are at their longest in the summer. There may be overcast and humid conditions in the summer. From June to August the average daytime temperatures are between 19°C and 22°C.
Autumn: The climate can vary from some pleasantly mild days particularly at the start of September to cooler and colder days in October and November. Autumn is a good time to visit the Cotswolds as it avoids the peak summer season whilst enjoying milder temperatures and longer hours of daylight particularly at the start of September. Visitors can see some wonderful autumn colours. From September to November the average daytime temperatures are between 9°C and 19°C.

TRIP

C06CO - Best of the Cotswolds Cycling

Departure Date

Number Of Passengers*

Message*

To enquire about an existing booking click here

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone *

Keep me up to date with news and offers from Exodus by email.

Thank you for contacting Exodus Travels.

Find out more about how we use your data

Request a Brochure

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

Hotels

HADLEY HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST, BROADWAY
Linda and Duncan at the Hadley House Bed & Breakfast offer a warm and friendly welcome. The B&B is located in the heart of Broadway village and rooms, with traditional decor, consist of a double room and a suite, with a sitting room and views over the pretty front garden, on the ground floor. The remaining double rooms are upstairs with views over the surrounding hills and Broadway Tower. All rooms are ensuite and have flat screen LED TV, complimentary Wi-Fi access, hairdryer and tea & coffee making facilities. A full English breakfast and buffet items are served in the beautiful dining room that adjoins a conservatory and patio overlooking the rear garden.
Should this accommodation not be available, an alternative of the same standard will be used

THE MANOR CLOSE B&B, BOURTON-ON-THE-WATER
The Manor Close B&B offers a warm and friendly welcome and brings the best of Bourton-on-the-Water to your doorstep. With its English country house feel, guest rooms offer amenities such as a flat screen TV and complimentary WiFi. The property also features a Full English Breakfast with all ingredients being locally sourced wherever possible including the eggs that are both locally sourced and free range. Guests arriving by vehicle have access to free parking.
Should this accommodation not be available, an alternative of the same standard will be used.