Cotswolds Private Tour: Discover Hidden Gems and Experience Personalized Itinerary
5.0
56 Ratings
Oxford
Experience the beauty of the Cotswolds on a private driving tour. Discover hidden gems and create a personalized itinerary. Flexible start time and pick-up location. Ideal for a day trip from London.
Duration:
7 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Crimea office - A fairy-tale village of thatched cottages and beautiful landscapes that is away from the tourists. The home of several famous characters and the future home of royalty.
- Stow-on-the-Wold Market Square - The centre of the wool trade in the Cotswolds. Here you’ll have time to browse among honey-coloured buildings, cosy pubs, narrow streets, interesting shops and tiny tea rooms.
- Lower Slaughter Museum - Our next stop is the picturesque village of Lower Slaughter, one of the most romantic villages in the Northern Cotswolds and set in the most amazing countryside. Larger vehicles are not allowed into this village.
- Bourton on the Water - Our next stop is arguably the most famous Cotswolds town and regularly voted one of the prettiest villages in England; Bourton-on-the-Water. Known as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ there is plenty to see and do with a wealth of attractions, shops, restaurants and tea rooms. Here you have free time to explore and enjoy some lunch.
- Burford Library - On route we go through some enchanting Cotswold villages to the town of Burford, often called the ‘Gateway to the Cotswolds’. A very iconic town and home to one of the most beautiful and ancient churches in the region. Stories aplenty!
- St Mary’s Church - Travelling along the stunning Windrush Valley visiting hidden villages including Swinbrook. One of the most secluded villages and home of the notorious Mitford Sisters.
- Minster Lovell Hall & Dovecote - A real highlight of the tour which boasts plenty of Cotswold stone and thatched roofs, as well as holding the title of being the region’s most haunted village. Minster Lovell is perhaps best known for the ruins of its 15th century hall, owned by generations of the Lovell family. A true hidden gem!
What's Included
- Full control over the itinerary and route
- Travel in a modern, comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle
- Enjoy a seven-hour tour of the North Cotswolds
- Convenient pick up/drop off within the North Cotswolds, including Oxford & Stratford-upon-Avon
- Expertise of a knowledgeable local driver-guide
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees to attractions
- Food or refreshments
- Pick up outside the North Cotswolds, Oxford or Stratford
- Gratuities.
Additional Information
The major advantage of a personalized driving trip is the leisure it provides to explore the locations of your particular interest. Although we suggest a specific route, the schedule can certainly be adjusted in accordance with your preferences. If you feel like spending extra time at a location or adding an attraction you’re interested in, we are open to changes.
Our tailored tours last for seven hours, and we can begin and end at a location that suits you best. The start time of the tour is adaptable, and we can pick you up anywhere in the Northern Cotswolds region, including Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon. The tour is a great choice for a one-day excursion from London, with the most sensible option being a train ride from London Paddington to Oxford station.
Should you have any inquiries about pick-ups outside the Northern Cotswolds, please feel free to reach out to us.
- Minimum age is 5 years
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Location
Oxford
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(56 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Susankn7297yy
Mar 15, 2024
Wonderful Cotswolds day trip - Our tour guide was knowledgeable and organized. We enjoyed the trip and loved the small villages she showed us. It was nice to avoid the hassle of big tour buses and travel by minivan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Danielcs3382uv
Feb 13, 2024
A perfect day out - Absolutely wonderful tour along beautiful backroads and through gorgeous villages. Our guides were fun and knowledgeable and great story tellers. Being able to travel the backroads where huge bus tours cannot go was great. Time for photos, for food and tea stops, LOTS of pictures, it was just about as perfect a day as I could have hoped for!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kathrynwi2603dq
Dec 15, 2023
Wonderful tour with Ian - This was such a great day trip from Oxford! Ian had some wonderful stories and history to share and the places we visited were charming. Great chances to take in the area without feeling rushed. A wonderful time and absolutely recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michelines851
Nov 24, 2023
This is the tour to pick - If you want to see the Cotswolds, this is the tour to take. The van is super comfortable. A small group, so it's personalized and you get to learn a little bit about the others on the trip. Jo, the tour guide was an absolute joy. Fun and knowledgeable. She shared a sorts of interesting information. Don't hesitate.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mary_t
Oct 28, 2023
Quaint and Picturesque - Jo was a wonderful and friendly guide! She was very knowledgeable and we could tell she loved giving tours! We had a memorable day in the Cotswolds!
Review provided by Viator
Mandibee88
Oct 10, 2023
Enchanting Cotswolds - What a wonderful day! Thank you to Ian for showing us all around The Cotswolds, even more beautiful than we imagined. All the thatched cottages, beautiful gardens and scenery. We loved all the bits of history and interesting stories that Ian shared with us as we went along. We mentioned that we really enjoyed Downton Abbey and Ian adjusted our day so we could fit in a visit to Bampton and see where much of the show was filmed. So amazing! I highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anthony
Jul 27, 2023
A Visit To A Magical Place…The Cotswold - Thank you Ian first and foremost as we made preparations from the United States as first time visitors to England and my wife Linda’s longtime wish to visit the Cotswolds. You made it so easy to pick the right tour both scenery wise and affordable. The “Undiscovered Cotswolds” tour was made even more stupendous by Jo. Her passion, knowledge of every detail and warmth made for an unforgettable full day for my wife Linda and daughter Maria and myself. She exceeded all of our expectations on visiting this magical region called the Cotswolds.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
350mcb
Jul 9, 2023
A Very Memorable Tour - Our group of four friends had a very memorable personalized tour. Jo was a wonderful guide and expert driver. A highlight was a visit to Hidcote Garden. Our group had really wanted to see a Cotswolds garden as part of the tour, and we were delighted with the choice Ian made for us. We saw some lovely places and beautiful scenery. The whole day was outstanding.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Suepkid
Jul 4, 2023
Great snapshot of the Cotswolds - We had a great time. Justin was the perfect host, very friendly and provided us with good information about the places we saw. We were able to visit several villages that were so lovely. I would definitely recommend this small group tour to others. A great way to get a snapshot of the Cotswolds. The advantage of a small group is that we were able to see places where the big coaches can't go. Thanks for the memories.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A8492zmnicolec
Feb 11, 2024
Unforgettable Tour - We hadn’t realized that when we booked this tour that it was going to be such a small group (which was a lovely surprise). Driving through the countryside in a smaller van allowed us to go to places buses cannot go. Our guide JO was amazing and very informative. She even stopped for us to take photos at places not normally on the tour. The villages we went to were so beautiful. Would definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
