Cotswolds Tourism | The Official Guide to the Cotswolds
- ️Fri Feb 28 2025
Welcome to the Cotswolds
Welcome to the Cotswolds, a very special, very wonderful place. A short break or even an extended holiday in the Cotswolds will leave you wanting more and you’ll be booking your next Cotswolds holiday as soon as you return home!
The Cotswolds covers a huge area – almost 800 square miles – and runs through five counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire). One of the delights of visiting the Cotswolds is exploring the different areas, each with its own identity, yet all with those defining Cotswold features: golden stone and rolling hills, the ‘wolds’.
Explore quintessentially English towns & villages of honey-coloured stone; take in splendid, lively market towns; visit some of the country’s greatest palaces, castles and country houses; marvel at the natural world in acclaimed reserves and at some of the most famous gardens & arboreta in Britain; walk through breath-taking landscapes along historic trails; or make a splash in our lake-land area with its own inland beach.
There’s a vibrant buzz in places like Cheltenham, Cirencester, Tewkesbury, Stroud and Witney. There are many exciting things to do for all the family. And an arty heartbeat too – which extends to the wealth of festivals and events that are testimony to the creative vibe of the region.
The Cotswolds is also richly rural: more than 3,000 miles of footpaths and bridleways to explore; ancient woodlands and wildflower meadows; 4,000 miles of historic Cotswold stone walls dividing up the landscape.
Unsurprisingly this landscape provides a rich harvest of food and drink with local cheeses, meats and drinks appearing prominently on the menus of the gastro pubs, old inns, colourful cafes and fine dining restaurants scattered generously across the region.
The accommodation is just as wide ranging and welcoming: enjoy the finest of country house hotels, go chic and boutique, take a spa break, snuggle up in a charming B&B, or experience some unforgettable glamping. Or opt for a place of your own: there’s a striking range of cottages and manor houses to rent.
From fabulous gardens to amazing shops, we could go on … but why not come and see for yourself?
Ingleside House
Bold colours, striking designs and an exuberant style set Ingleside House apart from many other…
The Red Lion Long Compton
The Red Lion is a cosy country inn, nestled in the heart of the Cotswold village of Long Compton, a…
Whatley Manor
Whatley Manor is a grown-up getaway in the heart of the Cotswolds. Set in 12 acres of gardens with…
Sykes Holiday Cottages
Sykes Cottages has a fantastic selection of self-catering cottages in the Cotswolds, from…
Kings Head Hotel
>> Book Direct for the best rates and latest availability The Kings Head Hotel is an…
The Lygon Arms Spa
Nestled in the idyllic Cotswold countryside lies the Lygon Arms Spa, a haven of peace away from the…
Hoburne Cotswold
Hoburne Cotswold is a holiday park like no other, offering luxury holiday accommodation, indoor and…
Sudeley Castle & Gardens
Home to Elizabeth, Lady Ashcombe and the Dent-Brocklehurst family, Sudeley Castle and Gardens is a…
The Lygon Arms
Central to the natural beauty of the Cotswolds, the Lygon Arms hotel rests tranquilly behind an…
Ellenborough Park
Ellenborough Park is the Cotswolds' most critically-acclaimed luxury hotel…
Three Ways House Hotel
Three Ways House – Home of the Pudding Club is a charming Cotswold village hotel close to…
Broadway Tower
Broadway Tower – the Cotswolds’ highest castle. Restored & Refurbished The slow…
Manor Cottages
Manor Cottages is self-catering holiday cottages in the Cotswolds. With nearly 300 Cotswolds…
The Old Bell Hotel
The Old Bell Hotel is an award winning 4 AA star hotel and two AA rosette restaurant (Abbey Row)…
Bruern Cottages
BOOK ONLINE DIRECT Located in the heart of the Cotswolds, Bruern Holiday Cottages have been setting…
Cotswolds Distillery
Join the team at the award-winning Cotswolds Distillery for a tour & tasting or one of their…
Dormy House Hotel
Dormy House is one of the Cotswold’s best loved luxury hotels. We’re comfortable and…
BULL Burford
Bull has eighteen bedrooms and suites, exquisitely crafted around the building's original…
Dining at BULL Burford
WILD WILD is a tribute to the raw and elemental power of fire, the ancient heart of the…
The Old Stocks Inn
Our boutique hotel is luxurious, but not stuffy. Elegant, but not pretentious. Quaint, but not twee…
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace has a centuries-long history of welcoming leaders from across the world. This event…
Feb 28
A Special Day for Mum
- 3 minute read
Celebrate Mother’s Day in the Cotswolds: A Guide to Treating Mum Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show appreciation for the special women in our lives, and what better place to celebrate than the charming Cotswolds? With its rolling countryside, picturesque villages, and…
Feb 17
Lumps, bumps and standing stones
- 4 minute read
For most of us school history was stuffed full of Tudors and Victorians with a sprinkling of Normans, civil wars and maybe the odd Roman thrown into the mix. But what about the thousands of years before Roman roads and villas spread across the landscape – the murky world of prehistoric…
