How to Spend the Perfect 3 Days in the Cotswolds

Last Updated on 9th September 2024 by Sophie Nadeau

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Ah, quintessential England! Though it sounds cliché, it’s truly the only way to describe this pocket of rural countryside. The Cotswolds is exactly how the English countryside is depicted in movies, a romantic vision of cosy pubs, lovely stone cottages and quaint villages that belong on chocolate boxes.

If there’s one thing that rings true for the entirety of the region it’s that no matter which part you go to, it’s guaranteed to be beautiful. Here’s your guide on how to spend three perfect days in the Cotswolds!

Is 3 days enough time in the Cotswolds?

Many people don’t realise before visiting the Cotswolds just how vast of an area it actually spans. Covering almost 800 square miles, the region runs through five different counties, meaning there is a lot to see and explore.

With that being said, many of the quaint villages are just that- quaint- and easy to see within a short period of time. Therefore, 3 days or a long and lazy weekend is the perfect amount of time to explore and get a feel for the beauty of this part of the world.

Getting around the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds are not well served by public transportation, therefore you’ll need a car to explore the region properly. For those not used to rural England roads, you should know that some of them are more like little lanes and can be rather narrow at points.

You’ll likely find yourself reversing for a tractor or bigger car at some point, so bear this in mind if choosing a car rental.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Cotswolds are renowned for their accessibility and you can easily reach them from London via train. However, to see the full region or do this specific itinerary you’ll need a car. Check car rental comparison prices here.

Day 1 in the Cotswolds suggested itinerary

Chipping Campden 

The first of many pretty as a postcard town’s you’ll visit, start in Chipping Campden, which takes its name from ‘Chepping’ that derives from the old English for ‘market’. This historic settlement enjoyed great wealth during the Middle Ages when wool merchants would opt to settle here and is currently home to over 270 listed buildings.

Home to one of the most beautiful streets in all of the Cotswolds, Chipping Campden High Street features a wealth of historic architecture as well as the iconic medieval Market Hall that sits in the heart of town.

Wandering through the Market Hall, it’s easy to imagine the small shelter alive with the hum of selling and trading goods. Though a market doesn’t take place in the original hall anymore, there’s a weekly market in the Town Hall which can be visited on Fridays from 9 AM – 11 AM.

Spend your morning simply soaking up the honey-coloured limestone houses, visiting a cosy café for a morning caffeine fix and getting a feel for the cosy ambience of a traditional Cotswold village.

Cotswold Lavender

The Cotswold Lavender Field or Hill Barn Farm is an attraction where visitors can wander through a fragrant sea of purple and feel the soothing properties of the vivid purple flower as they explore 70 acres of fields that roll through the landscape.

Between June and August, the farm opens their lavender fields, wild meadow flower field and distillery (where they create essential lavender oils) to the public so that visitors can learn more about their production process as well as enjoy the picturesque scenery of nature in bloom and the flourishing wildlife it supports. Read our guide on how to visit Cotswold Lavender here.

Snowshill 

Close by to the Cotswold Lavender is the impossibly quaint and picturesque village of Snowshill, which is as cute as its name suggests! It’s also a filming destination for the popular box office hit ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’, the village was instead named ‘Snozzle’ and was where the protagonists parents resided (and the very place she met Mark Darcy!)

The village itself is fairly small and will likely only take 5 to 10 minutes to explore, but boasts sweeping views overlooking the Severn Vale to the west. Another point of interest to visit while in Snowshill is the eclectic collection and brainchild of Charles Wade which is housed within Snowshill Manor.

Snowshill Manor and Gardens is now managed by the National Trust, meaning you can spend a while here visiting the quirky collection of items (some rather mundane, which make them all the more special) that Wade collected throughout his lifetime. Read our guide on how to visit Snowshill Manor here.

Broadway 

The bustling village of Broadway, which is rather large in terms of a Cotswold settlement, but the perfect introduction into how cute this rural pocket of England is! Self proclaimed to be the ‘Jewel of the Cotswolds’ the village is well-associated with the arts and crafts movement, as well as the wool trade of the Middle Ages.

One of the best things to do while in Broadway is explore all the fabulous eateries, independent shops and galleries that can be found along the main High Street of the village, which is also lined with chestnut trees and period houses.

Broadway is home to some rather unique shops, The Man Cave, is a quirky gift shop that’s sure to leave a smile on your face. Other gift shops which are filled with handmade crafts and treasure are Whatever The Weather and Wild At Heart.

True to its name, it may come as no surprise that Broadway has been used as a breathtaking backdrop for several feature films thanks to its storybook style and cute stone houses.

Broadway Tower 

High above a hilltop you can walk up to Broadway Tower, the highest castle in the Cotswolds that boasts breathtaking panoramic views – on a clear day it’s even possible to see as far as Wales!

A folly built at the end of the 18th century, the structure is made of limestone ashlar and stands 65 feet high. For a small fee, you can pay to visit the interior of the castle and uncover the nuclear bunker that’s concealed within.

Day 2 in the Cotswolds suggested itinerary

Stow on the Wold

Stow on the Wold is a delightful little market town which was once renowned for its annual fairs where tens of thousands of sheep would be sold at once, the charming Sheep Street is named aptly after this.

Stow on the Wold takes its name from the Saxon ‘stow’ which means religious meeting place and ‘wold’ meaning rolling hill. One of the town’s most historic sights is the medieval church of St Edward’s which was built between the 11th and the 15th centuries.

The north door of St Edward’s church is somewhat of a hidden gem thanks to the fact it is flanked on either side by ancient yew trees.

These yew trees are said to be as old as the church itself and there have been claims made that Lord of the Rings writer, JRR Tolkien, drew inspiration from the door and its yews to create the Doors of Durin (the west gate of Moira). Read our guide on how to visit the yew tree door of the Cotswolds here.

If it’s not too early in the day, consider stopping for a drink at The Porch House, formerly known as The Royalists, which claims to be the oldest inn in England! The interior timbers are said to date back as far as 1,000 AD.

Lower Slaughter 

Next head to the charming village with a rather macabre name, Lower Slaughter. Despite its suggestion of death, the settlement’s name derives from the old English ‘slohtre’ which means ‘muddy place’.

This is probably one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds, built on both banks of the River Eye, the water gently flows past the honey-coloured stone houses that can be reached via small footbridges that cross over the stream.

Upper Slaughter 

The twin village of Lower Slaughter, is Upper Slaughter, a tiny Cotswold village which also boasts a riverside location and sits sleepily on a grassy slope as the River Eye trickles past. One of the best things to do while exploring the village is to simply wander around and soak up the unspoilt feel of it.

Upper Slaughter, much like Lower Slaughter hasn’t changed for over a century and not a single thing has been built in the area since 1906!

In the heart of the village is the delightful and historic St Peter’s Church which tends to be open and free to wander around.

Bourton on the Water 

Bourton on the Water is the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ a magical settlement with tiny little bridges and quaint houses that lie along the river’s edge. Filled with cosy inns and taverns, charming teashops and home to The Cotswold Motoring Museum, where you can marvel at a collection of vintage cars and toys.

Home to one of the most unique gems of the Cotswolds, in Bourton on the Water you can view a tiny miniature replica of the village which even includes a copy of the River Windrush with real water trickling through the pint-sized settlement! Read out guide on how to visit the miniature Bourton on the Water model village here.

Another must-see spot in the village is the Dragon Fly Maze, which is a classic garden maze of neatly trimmed hedgerows that features hidden clues and puzzles, leading to a golden dragonfly in its centre.

If feeling peckish, a gorgeous 19th-century inn called The Mousetrap Inn is the perfect place to stop for a pub lunch. They have outdoor seating where you can sit and relax in the dreamy landscape of the village. (It also makes for a beautiful place to stay overnight!)

Burford 

Located along the River Windrush, Burford is yet another adorable town where you’ll find a whole load of medieval architecture which has lived through a fascinating history. The town’s strategic position means that the Cotswold settlement is often dubbed the ‘gateway to the Cotswolds’.

Burford is home to England’s oldest pharmacy (Robert Reavley) which has been in operation since 124. Close by, you’ll also be able to spy the Madhatter Bookshop, which is a quirky bookshop which also sells hats!

In the heart of Burford’s main high street is Antiques @ The George, which is a treasure trove of vintage items, second hand valuables, ceramics and wooden furniture, which can be explored over the three storeys of the shop.

Situated a little further down the high street, you’ll come across the Tolsey Museum, which is set within a Tudor-style timber-framed building and houses an exhibition which offers a glimpse into what life in the town may have been like many centuries ago. Read our guide on the best things to do in Burford here.

Bibury 

The renowned English textiles designer and poet William Morris once said that Bibyre was the prettiest town of England, and we know he had good taste!

Perhaps best-known for Arlington Row, which is a series of quintessentially Cotswold cottages that are so quintessential in fact that they are even pictured within UK passports.

Arlington Row was first constructed in 1380 as a monastic wool store, by the 17th century it was then converted into a row of weavers’ cottages.

Today, it is one of the most popular and photographed spots in all of the Cotswolds and draws visitors in from all corners of the globe for its outstanding and untouched beauty.

Tetbury

End your day by exploring the untouched town of Tetbury, which remains practically the same as it stood in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The oldest (and prettiest) part of Tetbury has to be that of The Chipping Steps, which are a picturesque set of medieval stone steps that connect the old marketplace to the heart of the town, lined by a row of adorable weavers’ cottages.

The Chipping Steps are one of the most photogenic parts of the Cotswolds and wandering down (or up) the cobbled stone walkway feels as though stepping back in time.

As mentioned earlier ‘chepping’ was the old English for market, and one of the most historic Market Houses’ resided in Tetbury, built in 1655. The village was most famously known for its trade in wool and yarn.

Day 3 in the Cotswolds suggested itinerary

Miserden 

Start your day in the beautiful scenery of a timeless 17th-century garden which boasts views overlooking a deer park and the famous rolling hills of the Cotswold landscape.

Miserden is a family-run, rural estate that encompasses over 850 acres of woodland, farmland and gardens and provides a haven for wildlife and nature alike. Until the Middle Ages, Miserden was known as Greenhampstead (which is also named so in the Domesday Book).

For a fee, visitors are welcome to explore both the beautiful gardens and the historic manor house that was built in the 1620s by the Muszard family. One of the best views to see from a visit here is the view overlooking the iconic Golden Valley.

Painswick 

The pretty town of Painswick, like many of the Cotswolds villages, first made its money in the wool trade. However, something unique to this particular settlement is the fact that its home to a churchyard with 99 yew trees, but legend says that if a 100th tree is planted, the Devil will destroy it.

Typical of the villages, Painswick is a maze of streets and ecclesiastical honey coloured buildings. There are also several independent tea rooms, as well as some of the very best places to stay in the entire region.

If you’re a fan of all things outdoor and garden related, then you simply must see the Rococo Garden which is situated on the outskirts of the village.

First founded in the 1700s, the green oasis is not like a usual garden, but instead a curious mixture of quirky follies and unusual landscapes. Today, the Rococo Garden remains one of the best examples of 18th-century British taste in England.

Stroud 

End your adventures in the Cotswolds with a visit to Stroud, a charming market town which is home to one of the best farmers markets in the country, as well as countless independent shops and local eateries and taverns.

Stroud is much more bustling than many of the other villages you’ll have previously visited, with a population of over 13,500 (2021). And, it was hailed by The Sunday Times in 2021 as one of the best places to live in the UK thanks to its friendly spirit and abundance of green spaces and great quality schools.

One of the most fascinating visits to make in Stroud is to spy our the former textile mills along the valleys. The town is particularly known for its industrial heritage and to this very day working mills continue to make cloth for big events like the snooker or Wimbledon. At certain times of the year it’s even possible to take a guided tour of one.

Where to stay in the Cotswolds

If you have your own transport then no matter where you stay in the Cotswolds, you’ll easily be able to venture around and as mentioned, everywhere is beautiful! The price per night can vary depending on the season and of course, what your preferences for a srat are. Here are a few suggestions of where to stay (based on web reviews):

The Sheep on Sheep Street Hotel – Set within the charming village of Stow on the Wold, this cosy tavern has clean and comfortable rooms and offers amenities like free parking, free WiFi and a free breakfast. Check prices and availability here.

The Angel at Burford – This 16th-century former coaching inn can be found in the quaint village of Burford and is also close to the Cotswold Wild Life Park. Amenities include free WiFi, free breakfast and a cosy bar and restaurant. Check prices and availability here.

Stonehouse Court Hotel – Tucked away a little further out from the centre of Stroud is a beautiful 17th-century Manor House and grounds which overlooks the Stroud Canal. This bespoke hotel is very reasonably prices and offers a luxury stay in the rolling hills of the Cotswold countryside. Amenities include free parking and free WiFi. Check prices and availability here.

Watch my Cotswolds travel guide

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