Oxford

Cotswold Summer Explorer Tour

Badge of ExcellenceOxford, England
Cotswold Explorer Tour
  • 8 to 9 hours
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Spend a day in the Cotswolds with this guided day trip from the city of Oxford. A region of postcard-perfect English villages, green hills, and manor houses, the Cotswolds has been designated as an Area of Outstanding National Beauty. See its highlights with a guide, and discover villages such as Asthall, Swinbrook, and Bourton-on-the-Water -- places that inspired writers and artists with their idyllic appeal. Through the day, you'll enjoy a mix of guided activities and free time to explore at your own pace.
  • Day trip to the scenic Cotswolds region from Oxford
  • Travel with a guide and learn about the history of the Cotswolds
  • Wander enchanting streets lined with tea shops and antique shops
  • Visit villages such as Bourton-on-the-Water and Swinbrook
  • Spend time in Woodstock, where Sir Winston Churchill was born

What's Included

  • Professional Blue Badge guide
  • Transport by air-conditioned minivan
  • Bottled water and select beverages
  • Pick up from hotels in North Oxford on request
  • Pick up from Oxford Railway Station on request

    Meeting and Pickup

    Meeting point

    • Taylor Institution Library
      St Giles', Oxford OX1 3NA, UK

      Tour departs from coach bays next to Taylorian Institution Library in St Giles. Please arrive at the departure point 10 minutes before the tour is due to depart. Please look for a dark blue minibus with ‘Explore Oxford and the Cotswolds’ written on the sides.

    Start time

    09:30 AM

    End point

    This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    What To Expect

    Minster Lovell Hall & Dovecote

    30 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    Burford

    45 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    Bourton on the Water

    45 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    Broadway

    1 hour Admission Ticket Free

    High Street Chipping Campden (Pass By)

    Stow-on-the-Wold Market Square

    45 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

    Blenheim Palace (Pass By)

    Additional Info

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
    • Near public transportation
    • Most travelers can participate
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
    Operated by Cotswold Exploring

    Cancellation Policy

    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

    • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
    • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
    • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
    • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

    Traveler Photos

    See more
    Featured review
    Susan_H
    The guides, Isobel and David, were great. The knowledge and information given during the tour was interesting and exactly what I was looking for. This tour was one of the highlights of my two week trip and I highly recommend this tour if you want to see the area and gain some insights about the region.

    Reviews

    5.0
    66 reviews
    Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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    Reviews by Viator travelers.
    Showing 1-10 of 66 reviews
    Must Do Tour of the Cotswolds
    skgirlforever, Apr 2024
    Beautiful towns and villages in the scenic English countryside. Wonderfully narrated tour - highly recommend this one.
    Great experience!
    Rocco_P, Aug 2023
    Great experience! Detailed explanation about everything we saw during the trip. Small group and experienced driver and guide made this trip awesome.
    The guides, Isobel and...
    Susan_H, Aug 2023
    The guides, Isobel and David, were great. The knowledge and information given during the tour was interesting and exactly what I was looking for. This tour was one of the highlights of my two week trip and I highly recommend this tour if you want to see the area and gain some insights about the region.
    Fabulous tour of the beauty and history of the Cotswolds
    Felisha_S, Aug 2023
    A fabulous day exploring the Cotswolds. Isabol and David were wonderful guides. So knowledgeable and fun. I highly recommend them! Small group and very comfortable Van.
    Delightful Day
    Patricia_H, Jun 2023
    Delightful day in the Cotswolds! Guide and Driver we’re both excellent and quite knowledgeable with lots of history of the area included. Nice size group and comfortable ride through a beautiful area of the UK. Highly recommended.
    Sign up go for it!!!
    lori_h, Aug 2022
    Fabulous day..totally worth the time great walking time!!!! Van comfortable….guides totally knowledgeable 🌟🌟🌟
    Brilliant Cotswold excursion!
    Carin_M, Jul 2022
    A fantastic tour. Isobel and David were wonderful. Saw so many wonderful villages, plus the smaller tour allowed us to go into smaller towns too. Heard so many interesting stories and facts. Book if you can!
    Great tour!
    Susan_H, Jun 2022
    Our trip and guides were amazing! They were so knowledgeable and we learned alot about the history of the Cotswolds, Oxford, and England. There is so much to see it flies by. We loved it!
    Outstanding Value and Hosts
    Alan_W, Oct 2019
    Isabell and David are the most accommodating hosts and knowledgeable people. Anyone would be thrilled to take one of their adventures in the English countryside or towns. What an unexpected and fun filled experience for two American senior citizens. The pubs were great, the towns and local people so friendly and quaint. Rick Steves is making a big mistake by missing out on this team of professional guides and scholars so well versed in history and why so many of the stops warrant the time to explore them.
    Cotswold tour
    Kenneth_M, Aug 2019
    David and Isabelle were gracious, knowkedfeable, friendly and full of interesting details of everything we saw. They were well worth every farthing and we highly recommend this tour
    Entertaining and informative
    James_Z, Jul 2019
    Our tour guide, Isabel, and our driver (and her husband), David, made it a most enjoyable experience. From providing a lively and informative description of the sites and their backstories, to taking us to delightful villages not inundated by tourists, to providing 20 pence for entry to WCs along the way 😉, we were well-cared for. I highly recommend this tour!
    We so enjoyed going on this tour. I...
    Anthony_C, Oct 2017
    We so enjoyed going on this tour. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to see the gems of the Cotswolds. Our tour guides were very knowledgeable about the area and gave us so much excellent information. They accommodated our needs and made everybody's day a great one.
    It would have taken me days on my...
    Nancy H, Aug 2017
    It would have taken me days on my own to have experienced the Cotswolds so thoroughly. Terrific day for my three friends and me.
    Isabelle was an excellent, excellent...
    Yvonne C, Sep 2016
    Isabelle was an excellent, excellent guide. Knowledgeable, elegant, full of the anecdotes that make a place special We were lucky! Driver also very good forgot his name, David I believe? Would recommend this Cotswold small-bus tour
    Thank you for the very professionally organized tour
    Anna_V, Sep 2023
    Очень информативно и интересно. Рассказ Isobel был наполнен интересными историческими фактами. Достаточное время было дано для обеда, прогулок и ознакомления. Что особенно хочется подчеркнуть- очень аккуратное и безопасное вождение David. Огромный респект за столь прекрасное путешествие!
    Experiencia para no recomendar
    SERGIO_G, Aug 2022
    Buenas tardes, En general no me he quedado satisfecho de la excursión. La duración en las localizaciones no están bien planificadas y no se siguieron cómo se indicaban. Cierto es que hay muchos pueblos para visitar en la excursión, pero para unos el tiempo es insuficiente y para otros sobra. Comento mi experiencia según la planificación: Minster Lovell Hall & Dovecote Stop: 20 minutes -> Demasiado tiempo para lo poco que tiene el pueblo. Tal vez esta parada podría no incluirse en el tour. Burford Library Stop: 30 minutes -> La duración es correcta. Da tiempo para ver el pueblo y tomarse un café. Bourton on the Water Stop: 30 minutes -> La duración es correcta. Da tiempo para callejear, hacer fotos y entrar en tiendas. Broadway Tower Stop: 60 minutes -> Realmente no hubo parada en Broadway Tower y no pudimos hacer fotos para lo peculiar de la localización. Sí se hizo la parada en Broadway con tiempo suficiente para comer y visitar el pueblo, pero la distancia que hay entre Broadway y Broadway Tower es tal que no se puede hacer por cuenta propia durante esta parada. Cotswold Lavender Stop: 15 minutes -> Pasamos por un prado de lavandas y se hizo una parada de menos de 5 minutos para tomar unas fotos y porque la guía preguntó si alguien quería parar para hacer fotos (cosa que no preguntó cuando pasamos por Broadway Tower). En Snowshill la parada fue de 10 minutos. Muy poco tiempo para callejear y hacer fotos... y con prisas para volver al autobús e irnos. High Street Chipping Campden Stop: 40 minutes -> No se hizo parada para pasear por el pueblo. El conductor hizo un recorrido con el autobús por el pueblo y ya. Ni parada, ni 40 minutos. Stow-on-the-Wold Market Square Stop: 45 minutes -> En Stow sí hizo parada de 50 minutos pero para lo que tiene el pueblo, con 20 minutos hubiera sido suficiente. Blenheim Palace Stop: 15 minutes -> Aquí no hizo parada, a la que pasábamos por Woodstock la guía nos señaló dónde estaba la entrada al palacio y ya. Igualmente reconozco que la guía no paró en ningún de dar informaciones de los pueblos y costumbres, y que el conductor era un buen conductor, pero la planificación de la excursión no se siguió como se indicaba en la oferta. Por mi parte, las paradas donde tenía mayor interés fueron las que no se cumplieron con lo indicado en el tour. No recomendaría un producto donde no se cumplen las condiciones establecidas. Un saludo, Sergio Garza Merino
    Response from Host, Aug 2022
    Gracias por su comentario y siento que la excursion no les gusto. Desafortunadamente cuando se escribe la descripcion de estas excursiones en el sito Viator, se tiene que seleccionar cada punto donde hay paradas de una lista de localizaciones dada por VIator y no es siempre exacto. Por ejemplo, Snowshill. La parada es en el pueblo, no es en el parque de Cotswold Lavender, pero el punto mencionado por Viator era Cotswold Lavender, Snowshill. Tambien, algunas veces hay cambios que tenemos que hacer cuando vemos que aspectos de la excursion no funciona bien o si la situacion en cuanto a uno de las atracciones cambia - por ejemplo, Blenheim. No tenemos mas el derecho de entrar en el parque del Palacio para tomar fotografias. Es mi culpa que no hice estos cambios inmediatamente. Es lastima que Minster Lovell no les gusto. Es una parada muy popular con la mayor parte de nuestros clientes. He corrigido todas las descripciones ahora.
    Belle visite
    Louise_D, Jul 2022
    Très belle excursion dans les Costwolds. Notre guide Isabel était très intéressante. Nous avons appris beaucoup sur l'histoire de la région.

    From $120.76

    up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

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