Photo above: Chad Williams / Creative Visual Design
Duration: 5 nights / 4 days cycling
Distance: 84.4 miles / 135 km
Grade: Moderate
This self-guided 5 night cycling tour is a fairly easy bike ride through some of the most picturesque villages and some of the best scenery that the Cotswolds has to offer.
Good train connections with London Paddington and London airports makes this an easy destination to reach.
Upgraded accommodation available on request.
Prices based on 2 people sharing an en-suite room.
Start any day.*
Bike hire: £30 per day for standard bike and £50 for an electric bike (repair kits, lock, pannier bags, and helmets are included)
*Please see Key Points for details.
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The Cotswolds is often referred to as the Walking Capital of England, however, exploring this beautiful area on two wheels is equally wonderful. The routes lead on scenic, quiet country lanes (with light traffic) and cover the highlights of the Northern Cotswolds.
Arrive in Moreton-in-Marsh, a thriving market town packed with antique shops, art galleries, tea shops and restaurants.
If you are hiring bikes, they will be delivered to your hotel at 9am and will be adjusted to your specifications and you will be given a short training run through. You will also be supplied with suitable helmets and puncture kits.
Once you are fully kitted out, you will begin your cycle through picturesque country lanes into Chipping Campden, a beautiful town with its much photographed market hall. Here you will find numerous pubs, restaurants and sandwich shops ideal for a lunch stop. You will have the opportunity to visit two beautiful gardens on the way, Hidcote Manor Gardens and Kiftsgate Court Gardens.
Your cycle tour will then continue on through Broadway Tower Country Park, worth a detour for the amazing views of the Cotswolds.
The route then passes through the lavender fields at Snowshill, an amazing kick to the senses around harvest time (early July). You may wish to stop and visit Snowshill Manor, a National Trust property full of the extraordinary treasures collected by Charles Wade. For more information visit their website.
Arrive in Broadway, often referred to as the 'Jewel of the Cotswolds', Broadway is perfectly located to be the base from which to enjoy some of the finest walking in the Cotswolds. The village also boasts a rich artistic heritage, and is brimming with fine eateries, inns, magnificent houses, and quirky independent shops located on the pretty High Street, the 'broad way'.
Today your route will take you through Stanway and on to Winchcombe where you will have a chance to visit Sudeley Castle and Gardens. Then you will continue to the charming villages of Guiting Power, Lower Swell and the Slaughters, all of which will offer ideal chocolate-box photo opportunities.
There will be plenty of chances to stop for refreshments, from the ‘post office’ in Guiting Power offering superb tea and cake, to the wonderful Slaughters Country Inn with its lovely garden.
Take your time and arrive in Bourton just as the day visitors leave and marvel at its quaintness.
Today’s cycle route will take you through some of the best 'off the beaten track' routes in the Cotswolds. You will cycle through the beautiful villages of Great Rissington and Great Barrington.
There is an option to visit Burford with its charming high street sloping down to the Windrush river and Northleach with its beautiful wool church.
The route today heads towards the Evenlode valley, with hidden picturesque villages off the beaten track. It is a fairly easy ride back to Moreton-in-Marsh; however, you may wish to extend your cycling by either a detour to historic Stow-on-the Wold (11km) or villages of Bledington, Kingham and Churchill (9km).
£30 per day for standard bike and £50 for an electric bike (repair kits, lock, pannier bags and helmets are included)
Cotswold Walks