Iconic Cotswolds

Day 1: Windsor - Moreton-in-Marsh Royal, 4 - 6 mi. (6 - 10 km)
Day 2: Golden Stoned Chipping Campden, Broadway Tower, The Eccentric Hidcote Gardens, 5 - 8 mi. (8 - 13 km)
Day 3: Blenheim Palace, 4 - 7 mi. (6 or 11 km)
Day 4: White Horse Hill, Avebury, and Stonehenge, 4 - 8 mi. (6 - 13 km)
Day 5: Bath Skyline Walk, 5 - 7 mi. (8 - 11 km)
Day 6: End of tour

Day 1: Windsor - Moreton-in-Marsh Royal, 4 - 6 mi. (6 - 10 km)
The group transfer is arranged at 8:30 am from London at Paddington Station, Platform 1, under the clock.  Because this first official day of your tour begins early, an extra night in London will be preferred. You can then recover from your travels and be ready to meet your group refreshed and ready for your hiking adventure. Group transfer by bus to Windsor, which is about a one hour drive. You then set off into the royal deer park, past the cricket pitches and the famous Guards Polo Club and grounds, founded by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 1955. A former player, he remains the Club’s President today, regularly watching games from the Royal Box. His oldest son, HRH The Prince of Wales, and grandsons, Princes William, and Harry, have inherited his passion and have played many a game at the Club. Often on a Sunday, there is a polo match taking place as you travel past, lingering longer when there is a Chukka in play! This beautiful walk leads around the Great Park grounds, with all of its eccentric statues, totem poles, and ruins – including Leptis Magna aka the Temple of Augustus or, an ancient Roman ruin from Libya that has ended up here, 2000 miles away from where it originated! You walk through the famous ‘Long Walk’, a historic 3-mile avenue, pass the Copper Horse Statue of King George III right up to Windsor Castle. Enjoy lunch in town before you take a tour of the magnificent castle itself, the largest occupied castle in the world. In the late afternoon, you travel by bus to your hotel in Moreton-in-Marsh in the North Cotswolds. You will enjoy a social group dinner on this first evening.

Accommodation

• Country:  3* Redesdale Hotel
• Premium: 4* The Manor House Hotel

Day 2: Golden Stoned Chipping Campden, Broadway Tower, The Eccentric Hidcote Gardens, 5 - 8 mi. (8 - 13 km)
Today is dedicated to the Cotswolds. In the morning, you walk from the golden-stoned Chipping Campden with its impressive market hall, constructed in 1627, and its fascinating civil war history, lived-out in the ruins on the outskirts of the town. Heading through the fields to the stunning gardens at Hidcote for lunch and then to explore its internationally renowned gardens; special because of its series of outdoor rooms and as the first National Trust property to be purchased for its gardens rather than the building itself. You visit Broadway Tower overlooking the northernmost extreme of the Cotswold, from where you can see 16 counties and to the Black Mountains of Wales. You then walk into Broadway town itself, one of the prettiest villages the Cotswolds has to offer. You take the short transfer back to your hotel in Moreton-in-Marsh for a relaxed evening in town.

Accommodation

• Country:  3* Redesdale Hotel
• Premium: 4* The Manor House Hotel

Day 3: Moreton-in-Marsh - Oxford, 4 - 7 mi. (6 or 11 km)
You head out from the hotel through the beautiful Cotswolds to start your walk in Blenheim Palace, where Winston Churchill was born and a World Heritage Site. With 3000 acres of Capability Brown parkland to explore, today's walk is a stunning wander around lakes, serpentine streams, woodland, and into the Palace itself for an audio tour of this historical palace in the afternoon. You travel into Oxford in the evening for a walk through the historical university town, from the Radcliff Camera to the Bridge of Sighs, and a dinner out in the city.

Accommodation

• Country:  3* Highway Inn
• Premium: 4* The Bay Tree Hotel or The Lamb

Day 4: Oxford - Bath, 7 mi. (11 km)
You travel from Burford to the stunning White Horse Hill to see the beautiful ancient carving atop the Ridgeway, thought to be around 3000 years old. You walk to Wayland’s Smithy, a Neolithic chambered long barrow, once believed to have been the home of Wayland, the Saxon god of metalworking. Next is a visit to a Bronze Age Fort with views stretching across the Thames valley, followed by Stonehenge; Europe’s best-known prehistoric monument. There is the option to walk to and from these stones, completing this Neolithic Day, or if you prefer, you can finish at lunchtime and head straight to your hotel for a relaxing afternoon in Bath.

Accommodation

• Country:  The Bird, standard room
• Premium: The Bird, premium room

Day 5: Bath Skyline Walk, 5 - 7 mi. (8 - 11 km)
In the morning, you walk along the canals of Bath, down towpaths, and beside the rivers that lead to the wonderful Bath Skyline Walk, with panoramic views of the city. In the afternoon, you visit the incredible Roman Baths and take a tour up to the Royal Crescent overlooking the city. You overnight in Bath again, known for its restaurants, bars, culture, and arts!

Accommodation

• Country:  The Bird, standard room
• Premium: The Bird, premium room

Day 6: Departure
After a relaxed breakfast, your tour officially ends. Regular direct trains depart from Bath Spa Station into London and other mainline stations.

Day 1: Windsor - Moreton-in-Marsh Royal, 6 mi. (10 km)
Day 2: Golden Stoned Chipping Campden, Broadway Tower, The Eccentric Hidcote Gardens, 8 mi. (13 km)
Day 3: Blenheim Palace, 7 mi. (11 km)
Day 4: White Horse Hill, Avebury, and Stonehenge, 8 mi. (13 km)
Day 5: Bath Skyline Walk, 5 - 7 mi. (8 - 11 km)
Day 6: End of tour

Day 1: Windsor - Moreton-in-Marsh Royal, 6 mi. (10 km)
You are met at London Paddington Station, on Platform 1, at 8:30 am underneath the clock.  Because this first official day of your tour begins early, an extra night in London will be preferred. You can then recover from your travels and be ready to meet your transfer refreshed and ready for your hiking adventure. You are then taken to Windsor for a walk around Windsor Great Park, including the deer park and the Guards Polo Pitches, and along the famous Long Walk right up to the Castle and the town of Windsor. After lunch in town, you can then tour the castle in the afternoon before transferring to Moreton-in-Marsh and your hotel for the first two nights of this tour.

Accommodation

• Country:  3* Redesdale Hotel
• Premium: 4* The Manor House Hotel

Day 2: Golden Stoned Chipping Campden, Broadway Tower, The Eccentric Hidcote Gardens, 8 mi. (13 km)
After a short transfer to the golden-stoned medieval market town of Chipping Campden, your route leads you out of town and through the Cotswold Hills to the beautiful American inspired gardens at Hidcote. Take your time exploring these gardens and the great little café for a coffee break before walking on to Broadway Tower for lunch. From here you can see 13 different counties and all the way to Wales. The afternoon walk is a looped walk from the Tower into Broadway village itself and back up to the views on top of the Cotswold escarpment. In the late afternoon, you will be transferred the short distance back to your hotel in Moreton-in-Marsh.

Accommodation

• Country: 3* Redesdale Hotel
• Premium: 4* The Manor House Hotel

Day 3: Blenheim Palace, 7 mi. (11 km)
You are transferred to the country home of Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace, a World Heritage Site. You can walk through the back gate of its 2000-acre estate and stroll through the stunning grounds. On arrival at the Palace, there is ample time to explore the historical house and beautiful gardens. You then travel to Burford, the Gateway to the Cotswolds, and your hotel for the evening.

Accommodation

• Country: 3* Highway Inn
• Premium: 4* The Bay Tree Hotel or The Lamb

Day 4: White Horse Hill, Avebury, and Stonehenge, 8 mi. (13 km)
You travel from Burford to the stunning White Horse Hill to see the beautiful ancient carving atop the Ridgeway. Your walk takes you to an ancient long barrow - the burial mound Wayland Smithy - and around to a Bronze Age Fort with views stretching across the Thames Valley. You then travel on to the giant stone henge at Avebury and the famous Stonehenge itself in the afternoon to complete your Neolithic Day. There is also the option to finish at lunchtime and head straight to your hotel for a relaxing afternoon in Bath.

Accommodation

• Country:  The Bird, standard room
• Premium: The Bird, premium room

Day 5: Bath Skyline Walk, 5 - 7 mi. (8 - 11 km)
You travel to the start of the famous skyline walk, with views across the Regency city, walking through woodland and canal before heading into the city for lunch and an afternoon of exploring the Roman Baths or enjoying some retail therapy in the bustling city center. You stay in Bath again on this last night.

Accommodation

• Country:  The Bird, standard room
• Premium: The Bird, premium room

Day 6: End of tour
After a relaxed breakfast, your tour officially ends. Regular direct trains depart from Bath Spa Station into London and other mainline stations.