GROUP MINIBUS TOUR OF THE COTSWOLDS
Explore the Cotswolds on a Group Minibus Tour
Come and see the English countryside at its very best on an award-winning small-group minibus tour of the Cotswolds. You can be assured of a warm welcome and a day spent among friends.
These are small group tours, with a maximum of 12 guests. From £65 per person.
Cotswold Explorer - Full Day, North Cotswolds - £85
Winding country lanes take you to idyllic villages like Minster Lovell with its delightful thatched cottages, through hidden valleys to the “Venice of the Cotswolds” Bourton-on-the-Water and to stylish Chipping Campden with its beautiful honey-stone houses.
Itinerary:
On a typical summer tour, you start your unforgettable Cotswold journey from central Oxford, driving to Burford through Minster Lovell, with its attractive thatched houses and ruined Hall.
You then continue to Burford, the ‘Gateway to the Cotswolds’ via the beautiful villages of Asthall and Swinbrook (home to the Mitford sisters). In Burford you can enjoy browsing around the small shops and cafes in the pretty High Street.
The drive then takes you through some beautiful countryside and some of the old quarrying villages of the North Cotswolds to Bourton-on-the-Water, the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’. Bourton has many cafes and small souvenir shops to explore and there is also the picturesque River Windrush with its series of quaint stone bridges.
Another picturesque route brings you to the charming and unspoilt Worcestershire town of Broadway. Lunch in a rustic pub or trendy café and enjoy window-shopping in the small shops and art galleries.
After lunch, drive to the enchanting village of Snowshill, a popular movie location, with its beautiful stone cottages and views of the Cotswold Hills.
Passing the quirky Broadway Tower, head next to the delightful market town of Chipping Campden, the centre of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the Cotswolds. Here, once again you can browse in the shops or visit the impressive ‘wool church’.
Next stop is in the charming town of Stow-on-the-Wold with its quaint antiques shops and boutiques. Fans of the author J R R Tolkien will want to visit St Edwards Church with its unusual wooden door, which is said to have inspired him in his writing.
Your return route to Oxford passes through the lovely towns of Chipping Norton and Woodstock, the location of Blenheim Palace (birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill).
Cotswold Adventurer - Full Day, South Cotswolds - £85
Highlights include the old market town of Bampton, stunning Bibury with its 17c stone cottages, the old medieval wool town of Winchcombe and charming Stow-on-the-Wold.
Itinerary:
On a typical summer tour, you start with a drive to ancient Bampton, one of the oldest towns in England and now well-known as the village of “Downton” in the TV series Downton Abbey. You will see the town and its pretty market square and the area of Bampton used for the filming of Downton Abbey.
Continuing the drive, you’ll pass through Kelmscott, the summer home of the Arts and Crafts founder, William Morris in the 19th century.
Your journey from Kelmscott takes you through the old market towns of Lechlade and Fairford, with its beautiful ‘wool church’ and then a string of pretty Cotswold stone villages to idyllic Bibury. Enjoy walking around the 17th century cottages, water meadow and trout farm.
Leaving Bibury, follow the Coln Valley through a succession of hamlets, hidden valleys and remarkable scenery before arriving in Winchcombe. Enjoy lunch in a rustic pub or take time to visit nearby Sudeley Castle, home to Catherine Parr, the 6th wife of Henry VIII.
Continue the tour after lunch to the charming town of Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest town in the Cotswolds, with its pretty square, delightful cafes and antiques shops.
Return to Oxford via the bustling market town of Chipping Norton and Woodstock, the location of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.
Cotswold Taster - Half Day - £65
The Cotswold Taster takes you through idyllic country lanes to Minster Lovell with its quaint thatched cottages, the ‘Gateway to the Cotswolds’, Burford, picturesque Bourton-on-the-Water and quirky Stow-on-the-Wold.
Delightful sleepy stone villages, hidden valleys and meandering rivers await you at every turn providing memorable highlights of some of the most enchanting villages and towns of the North Cotswolds.
Itinerary:
You start your unforgettable Cotswold journey from central Oxford, driving to Burford (the Gateway to the Cotswolds) through Minster Lovell, with its attractive thatched houses and ruined Hall.
You then continue to Burford, the Gateway to the Cotswolds via the beautiful villages of Asthall and Swinbrook (home to the Mitford sisters). You can enjoy browsing in the small shops and cafes.
The drive then takes you through some beautiful countryside and some of the old quarrying villages of the North Cotswolds to Bourton-on-the-Water, the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’. Bourton has many cafes and small souvenir shops to explore and there is also the picturesque River Windrush with its series of quaint stone bridges.
The tour continues on to Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest town in the Cotswolds. Here you can window-shop in some of the unique antiques shops and boutiques in the pretty town square or visit St Edwards Church with its quirky wooden door, said to have inspired the writer J R R Tolkien.
The route back to Oxford passes through the delightful towns of Chipping Norton and Woodstock, the location of Blenheim Palace (birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill).