The Cotswolds is one of the most delightful places to walk in England. The phrase 'quintessential England' is bandied about quite regularly when discussing the Cotswolds, but it is definitely the picture that many people have in their minds when they think of England. Grand country houses, neat, well-attended gardens, honey-coloured cottages, quaint village life and all the cream teas you can fit in. The Cotswold Way is the classic trip through this region, but early on, we felt that this was not enough, that while it showed a delightful side to the area, that we could do more. So, today we have several different styles of trip in the Cotswolds, but which one should you pick?  Well, read on and find out....

The Cotswold Way

Distance: 102 miles Grade: Moderate The Cotswold Way is the classic trip, the national trail and the only point to point walk on the list.  It takes you from the delightful village of Chipping Campden, down through Shakespeare country, to finish up in the UNESCO world heritage site of Bath. The Cotswold Way is the only 'official' route that we offer in the Cotswolds. It has its lovely guidebook and is well waymarked and takes you through some beautiful typical Cotswold villages. Due to its 102 miles, we offer the trip over a variety of itineraries, so you can take it easy and do the tour over ten walking days, or you can challenge yourself and go for the full route in just six walking days.  We have also conveniently split the trip into walking the Northern Section and the Southern section, so if you don't have time to walk it all at once, you can break it between two trips of 5 walking days each.

The Cotswold Round

Distance: 58 miles Grade: Moderate This the first of the routes which Macs Adventure have created in the Cotswolds. While we love the Cotswold Way, we spent a lot of time in the region and discovered that it didn't visit a lot of the 'blue-ribbon' villages in the area.  For this reason, we have devised these additional routes in the area. The Cotswold Round starts in the cultural hub of Cheltenham.  Famed for its horseracing and jazz festival, Cheltenham is a city undergoing a cultural renaissance, with a wealth of local bars, restaurants, galleries and coffee shops springing up to support the historical centre of the town.  The route then heads in a circuit, over rolling emerald countryside, through the most delightful villages in the Cotswolds. You follow part of the northern section of the Cotswold Way for the first couple of days before heading out into the countryside to visit Broadway, Moreton-in-Marsh and Winchcombe. While there is no official guidebook for this route, you will receive detailed, up-to-date route notes as well as being able to follow the route on the Macs App, which will ensure that you never stray from the path. (unless you want to of course) The Cotswold Trail has a higher grade of accommodation than the other trips (apart from Cotswolds in Comfort), staying in some of the loveliest B&Bs in all of England.

The Cotswold Trail

Distance: 50 miles Grade: Easy to Moderate The Cotswold Trail is a smaller, more focused version of the Cotswold Round. It starts off in the stunning village of Moreton-in-Marsh (confirmed by several staff members as the best village in the Cotswolds) and takes a circuitous route back here, so you can spend even more time immersing yourself into English country life, visiting the farmers market and pottering around the craft shops. The walking on this route is a little more relaxed, so you can relax into your days, drink in the scenery and focus on finding that gem of a local pub or locally sourced meal at your next idyllic village. While the accommodation on the trip is lovely, we also offer this route as Cotswolds in Comfort, which sees you staying in more luxurious surroundings. Always a pleasure after a hard day on the trail.

Escape to the Cotswolds

Distance: 28 miles Grade: Easy to Moderate Escape to the Cotswolds is for those of us who just want a brief taster of this delightful region.  Whether you are visiting the UK and just want to disappear into the English countryside or you just fancy a weekend away somewhere beautiful, this could be the trip for you. The route follows a small part of the Cotswold Way, from Chipping Campden down to Dowdeswell.  It is an easy three days walking through some of the best villages and scenery that the Cotswolds has to offer.  However, if you don't have a long weekend, you could always opt for...

Cotswold Short Break

Distance: 20 miles Grade: Easy to Moderate This little beauty takes in Moreton-in-Marsh and Bourton-on-the-Water, taking in a loop walk to Naunton.  The very best villages we could fit into a two day walk, all easy to get to, all difficult to tear yourself away from.  The Cotswold Short Break is an excellent introduction to the area, and we almost guarantee that after a few days here, you will be booking to come back and experience more. We have been selling trips in the Cotswolds for over ten years, with our staff going out to visit, check routes and accommodations every year since, so we pride ourselves on being true experts in the region. If you have any questions about any of these tours, please don't hesitate to contact one of our specialists, who will be more than happy to help.