A locals guide to the best places to visit in the Cotswolds in 2025
So you are planning a trip to England and one of your top bucket list items is visiting the Cotswolds. This small section of the English countryside will make you feel like you have stepped back in time. Explore hidden villages, insta-grammable towns, see cute cottages & soak up the beauty of the region. With 800 hundred square miles, hundreds of villages, where do you start????
Never fear, Lucy & Richard from Cotswolds Guided Tours have created their top picks! Hopefully this will help you narrow down what you want to see. Plus for those of you who only have a limited time then it is definitely worth considering booking a tour, so you can see as much as possible without having to navigate the public transport!
What is The Cotswolds?
For centuries the Cotswolds fame was centred around the wool industry, it is how the region got it’s name! ‘Cots’; meaning the sheep pens / enclosures & ‘wolds’ a geographical term referring to the rolling hills. It could describe many parts of England but if you add to this the array of honey-stone cottages, the historic market towns, gorgeous manor houses. Quiet villages, where a traffic jam is some pheasants meandering across the byways & famous honey-pot locations, with visitors snapping pictures. It creates a timeless energy & beauty. The wealth created by the wool industry has long since been forgotten in all but the stately homes & workers cottages that have been left behind. Now there is an eclectic mix of ‘new money’ from the rich & famous who have set up home here & those still employed in agriculture (mainly arable farming) & tourism which is now the region’s main employer. The Cotswolds is so accessible that it can be visited as a day trip from London or Oxford, but if you have time then stay a night or two in one of the many hostelries. We would recommend visiting a selection of the famous spots & then some hidden gems to get a true feel for everything the Cotswolds has to offer.
Our top 10 must see Cotswolds towns & villages
1. The Slaughters: Two beautiful villages located a few miles from Bourton on the Water. The little River Eye meanders through bringing a sense of calm. Little cottages line the riverbank, each one has its own individual charm. Upper Slaughter is known as a ‘doubly-thankful’ village, one of only 13 in England. Lower Slaughter, is often voted as having one of the most romantic streets in the country. The bonus of both of these locations is that larger vehicles (ones that carry more than 8 people) are not allowed to enter these villages, ensuring that even in the summer the crowds are kept to a minimum. Lucy & Richard love these villages so much, it is one of the reasons why they keep their minibus size small. Not only to offer a more personalised experience to their guests, but so they can visit these two very pretty villages!
2. Bourton on the Water: A visit to the Cotswolds would not be complete without a stop at one of the most famous villages in the Cotswolds. Bourton on the Water is known for it’s little independent (but somewhat touristy) shops, the shallow waters of the River Windrush bubbling by. Little bridges trapeze the gently flowing waters, you have the model village, a motor museum, a plethora of tearooms & café’s. It is the ideal stop for morning coffee & in the summer you will see little children braving the freezing cold water as they paddle seemingly oblivious to the cold. In the winter you will spot the Christmas tree, placed in the middle of the river.
3. Snowshill: Year on year this village is picked by our guests as a favourite. In the summer you have the lavender fields filling the air with their delicious aroma. The village itself is tucked into the hillside, the cottages are huddled around the village church, with a local pub & manor house. This village is compact, offers wonderful views & leaves you with the feeling that you have stepped back in time.
4. Stanton, one of the best preserved villages in the Cotswolds! You will see gorgeous thatched cottages, pretty period homes, quirky green glass street lamps. The clip clop of horses hooves echo’s along the main street. The church has some fabulous history & for those of you who are happy for the short but steep climb there is a great little pub that affords fantastic views over the village & beyond.
5. Broadway, we just love the tree lined, broad main street which is lined with tearooms, restaurants and independent shops. We often stop here as a lunch stop location as there is such a variety of places to eat from the deli to fish & chips, olde-worlde pubs to restaurants run my tv personality chefs. So whether you are on a budget or on a mission to find somewhere to eat for a food lover, Broadway will not disappoint. Yes it is a little commercialised but that is to be expected with any large town that is a tourist hotspot. We love the view of Broadway Tower that sits up on the hillside & the chug of the steam train making its way to the rail station.
6. Chipping Campden, this market town is a feast for the eyes. Filled with architectural delights, a ‘wool-church’, market hall & fantastic buildings. You can stroll through the town as spend a while soaking up the atmosphere of what is often described as one of the prettiest high streets in the Cotswolds.
7. Malmesbury: Well we just love this pretty market town! The part ruined abbey, the oldest hotel in England, the fabulous birdcage & its intriguing history. From tigers to flying monks this town offers something for everyone!
8. Bibury: This has been described as one of the prettiest villages in England. We always try to get to this village as early as possible as it is a stop favoured by the big coach companies…..the pretty row of cottages, an island that is now a nature reserve, the trout swimming in the crystal clear water. This village encapsulates how the Cotswolds became so famous, not just in present day for being such a beautiful part of England but because of its links to the wool industry. Once you know the history you can stand next to the water’s edge & visualise how the villagers worked together to create the woollen cloth that generated so much wealth all those centuries ago.
9. Castle Combe, we just love this little village in Wiltshire! If you are looking for a chocolate box village in England then this has to be it….This quintessentially English village does get busy in the summer, but as you walk through the streets the village feels familiar. That is because it has been used as the backdrop to many a film, from the original Dr Doolittle, to Warhorse & Agatha Christie’s Poirot to name a few.
10. Lacock, just over the boarder of the Cotswolds but close enough to be included Lacock is an absolute must for Harry Potter fans & really anyone who loves English architecture. This medieval village has an array of tiny shops. The locals even pop their cottage-crafts on the doorstep for visitors. There are a couple of pubs & a bakery, so this is the perfect place to stop for lunch before you wander and enjoy the cute cottages & historic homes.
How can I see all the best places in the Cotswolds?
Well, you could hire a car, although we know that some of our visitors find the narrow roads a bit stressful….If you would prefer to leave navigating to someone else, then maybe hiring a professional to show you around would be a good plan….. Plus you can ditch the guide book’s as we love to share the areas quirky history & fun facts as we explore! Our 2 day North & South Cotswolds Tour, visits all the best locations & more! If you don’t want to miss a thing then you can book onto our small group Cotswolds tour. This tour takes a maximum of 7 travellers and is run on set dates (usually a Tuesday & Wednesday) each week. The small group tour departs from Moreton in Marsh railway station & is priced at £300 per person. . Alternatively we can run the North & South 2 day Cotswolds Tour as a private tour option. This would include collection from your hotel / accommodation, anywhere within the North Cotswolds & our vehicle can hold up to 7 guests. The private tour is just for you, your friends & family. You won’t be travelling with anyone you don’t know & is a total price (not a price per person) of £1100.
What is the best time of year to visit the Cotswolds?
Each season has something to offer, so let’s have a rundown of what to expect at different times of year in the Cotswolds. Firstly I think it is important to mention that no-one comes on holiday to England for the sunshine, so pack ‘layers’ & buy a good rain coat. That way you can be prepared for great days out exploring!
Spring in the UK would be considered March, April & May. As the Costwolds wakes up from it’s winter slumber, you can enjoy the region starting to pop with spring bulbs. You can admire the yellow heads of daffodils littering village greens. Blankets of crocuses, then nearer the end of the season the stately bluebells whose purple haze & gorgeous fresh scent led us gently into the warmer summer months.
As the days get longer we know that Summer has arrived. June, July & August are when the cottage gardens burst into life. You will see hollyhocks, roses, lupins, dahlia’s in all the colours of the rainbow. Not forgetting lavender, if you didn’t know already then the Cotswolds has it’s very own lavender farm on the outskirts of Snowshill village with rows & rows of glorious pinks & purples.
Autumn with a hint of woodsmoke from the cottage chimneys, the shoulder months of September through to November are when the Cotswolds is starting to quieten down. The fields are ploughed ready for resowing & the hedgerows are busting with blackberries. The churches are field with harvest offerings & other than a second bloom of roses, gardeners are tidying before the first frosts arrive. The nights start drawing in & the days are getting shorter. Mid-October to early November is the best time to see the autumn colours as the leaves turn from greens, to golden yellows, warm reds & orange hues.
Winter has arrived, cottage doors decorated with wreaths to add a splash of colour. Cosy fires burn in the local pubs & hotels. Throughout December there will be carol services & the market towns will be decorated. Snow is most likely in the coldest months of January & February, a sprinkling of the ‘white stuff’ is pretty rare nowadays….but you can enjoy the satisfying crunch underfoot of a deep frost & see it twinkling on the roof tops when you wake up.
We do hope you find our top 10 Cotswolds villages to visit useful! Hopefully it will help to narrow down your Cotswolds must see village bucket list. Just remember that if you would like to book with Lucy & Richard from Cotswolds Guided Tours, they offer a selection private tours to suit all budgets along with their very handy small group, semi-private two day tour, which visits all the locations mentioned above, along with a sprinkling of hidden gems. Being local they love showing off the region they are lucky enough to call home & if you are planning a visit in 2025 then it is never too early, so book now to secure your Cotswolds tour.
If you want to book a Cotswolds Guided Tour then click here
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