As popular with Hollywood A-listers as it is with regular DFLs (Down From Londons), the Cotswolds has many charms beyond its photogenic first impressions. And photogenic it is, from twee terraces of cottages that act like tourist catnip (sorry, Bibury) to villages so quaint they must surely have once been inhabited by a Sylvanian Family. The famous golden stone of its architecture, thatched roofs, pretty streams (oh, go on, babbling brooks) and sleepy, winding lanes all lend themselves to appearing on chocolate boxes — but it’s by no means stuck in the past.
The official borders of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty span six counties — Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Somerset — and even the most committed Anglophile couldn’t complete it in 48 hours. So here’s the ultimate weekend guide to the Cotswolds, covering the best of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and a peek into Worcestershire…
FRIDAY EVENING
Estelle Manor
First things first, where to stay. The Cotswolds is a boutique-hotel haven, with something to suit all tastes and budgets, from pubs with rooms (such as Double Red Duke or The Wheatsheaf); historic inns (The Lygon Arms); favourite hotel groups (The Pig in the Cotswolds, Soho Farmhouse and Cowley Manor Experimental); revamped, grand old residences (Hyll Hotel and Estelle Manor); and multi-tasking destinations set across an entire village (Thyme).
For the perfect edge-of-the-AONB base, try The Feathers Hotel in Woodstock: a low-key but luxe stay at the parameters of Blenheim Palace. The Duke of Marlborough’s vast estate has some public pathways wending through it, perfect for a morning run or stroll to burn off the dinnertime excesses of chef Luke Rawicki’s lauded restaurant, The Nest. Over in Gloucestershire, hotels don’t get more quintessentially Cotswolds than Cowley Manor Experimental, recently refurbished by the fabulous French group and imbued with its signature aesthetic. The grand, Grade II-listed manor — frequented by Lewis Carroll in the 1890s and said to have inspired Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in part — is surrounded by country lanes and honey-hued buildings, with an ornamental lake revealing itself through the trees as you arrive. The renovations also added a brilliant Jackson Boxer restaurant and a new spa.
Other hotel highlights include Thyme, which has enough to keep you busy for an idyllic weekend break in the Cotswolds without going very far — it’s set in the village of Southrop (pronounced ‘Sutherup’), with an excellent restaurant in the supersize old barn, a historic church, spa, a cookery school, an exhibition space (this year showcasing the chicken paintings of Arthur Parkinson, and ‘Modern Muralists’, curated by Emily Hill of Charleston House) and a traditional pub all within steps of each other. And Estelle Manor arrived with a bang a couple of years ago — the Mayfair members’ club ventured into the shires with a bucolic outpost in the Oxfordshire countryside that’s home to various restaurants (including acclaimed Chinese and Japanese offerings), a huge Roman bath house complete with a marble tepidarium hall, a heated outdoor pool and activities such as axe-throwing, falconry and archery to keep you busy.
SATURDAY MORNING
Double Red Duke
The chances are, wherever you’re staying, you’re in a scenic village or handsome hamlet, so start the day with a stroll to admire your surroundings. Serious hikers can dial it up by tackling the Cotswold Way, a 102-mile-long trail taking in blessed countryside and golden-stoned villages. Shorter options include a climb up May Hill; at the summit, you’ll be rewarded with views of the Malvern Hills and the Black Mountains. Reward your efforts with a pitstop at a traditional pub — we love The Chequers in Churchill near Chipping Norton, The Kingham Plough and The Bull in Charlbury (sister to The Pelican in Notting Hill). If you’re in Clanfield, both Double Red Duke and The Mason’s Arms will dispense refreshing drinks and hearty food.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Saturday afternoon is the perfect time for some shopping. There are lots of antiques shops in the Cotswolds, with many dealers in Chipping Norton, Stow-on-the-Wold and Tetbury, among others. Channel Eighties TV fave Lovejoy for a good rummage at Saintbury near Broadway, Station Mill in Chipping Norton or The Malthouse Collective in Stroud. Or if you prefer your trinkets and treasures to still have the wrapping, the designer outlets of Bicester Village are just a short drive away.
You might not be ready to return to urbanity (relatively speaking) yet, but this would also be the perfect time to explore Cheltenham, a historic spa town and the Cotswolds’ most populous hub; or Cirencester — formerly Roman Corinium, with an ancient-artefact-filled museum — crowned one of the best places to visit in the world in 2026 by Time Out.
SATURDAY EVENING
Thyme
If you’re staying at Thyme, you won’t want to miss a meal at its Ox Barn restaurant, where the hearty, wholesome plates, such as fried artichoke with whipped ricotta, showcase ingredients from the garden — a blackboard displays what’s been freshly unearthed that day, whether radicchio, cime di rapa or chervil. Likewise, Cowley Manor Experimental is home to a must-dine-at Jackson Boxer restaurant where you can feast on lobster tagliolini with chilli, burrata with beetroot and rib of beef with XO and hen of the woods. At The Feathers, there’s the more casual Aviary, and fine-dining restaurant The Nest, where seasonal dishes might include crab with hazelnut ajo blanco, pork loin with romesco and grelot onions, and turbot with sea vegetables and mussels. At Estelle Manor, dining options include the buzzy Brasserie with cosy banquettes for discreet people-watching, sublime sushi at The Armoury and finessed Chinese food in The Billiards Room.
Or for dinner out In Broadway, Moda has recruited the former head chef of exclusive-to-Smith, Somerset stay The Newt to man its kitchens, and TV chef James Martin has set up shop at The Lygon Arms. In Cheltenham, you can steer clear of British meat and two veg (sacrilege) at Yoku, No 131’s excellent Japanese restaurant.
At Cowley Manor Experimental, you can retire to the library for a round of fireside Scrabble or play pool in the games room; or you could catch a postprandial play at the Barn Theatre in Cirencester.
SUNDAY MORNING
Time for some highbrow culture — Painswick’s Rococo Garden perhaps, or a stately home, of which there are many. The most famous is Blenheim Palace, but you could also call by Dyrham Park, Chastleton and Snowshill Manor (stopping at the latter for a moment to pay homage to Bridget Jones yelling at innocent carol singers — the pretty golden village was used as a filming location in the original 2001 film). A slight architectural curveball comes in the form of Sezincote House, a Mughal Indian palace in the heart of the Cotswold Hills, built in 1805.
Bourton-on-the-Water is a must for an attractive amble, as are Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-in-the-Wold, Chipping Norton and Chipping Campden. Green-fingered guests will love the Batsford Arboretum near Moreton-in-Marsh, home to rare species of trees, bamboo and shrubs, set across 60 acres — needless to say, the colours of autumn are an annual highlight, but its nature immersion is welcome all year round.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Cowley Manor Experimental
With pubs this good, it’d be rude not to settle in for a Sunday roast. Luckily for guests of Cowley Manor Experimental, Jackson Boxer serves one up every week, or you can locate a gastropub, which won’t be very hard. The Kate Moss-approved Wheatsheaf Inn in Northleach is a sure bet for an accomplished roast dinner, as is The Lamb Inn in Shipton-under-Wychwood. Or skip Sunday lunch and save space for afternoon tea instead — Hyll Hotel in Chipping Campden has a strong one, starring Hereford beef sandwiches, smoked Bibury trout blinis and various sweet treats.
Work it all off with a walk in the fresh air or settle in at a spa for siesta/carb-coma time. If you’re at Cowley Manor, you’ll only have to venture across the carpark. Other options include the Bamford Spa at Daylesford, the Meadow Spa at Thyme and the Roman-style Eynsham Baths at Estelle Manor.
SUNDAY EVENING
You might still be in the pub at this point after a long, lazy Sunday lunch, and no one’s judging — toast your weekend in this quaintest corner of England with one final dram. Or squeeze in one last meal at The Painswick’s Sauce, which serves snacks (cheddar and jalapeño croquetas, crispy potato terrine with whipped roe) for the mildly peckish, and beef Wellington for the decidedly not; or at Worton Kitchen Garden, where the weekly changing menu puts the produce of the namesake garden to brilliant use.
NEED TO KNOW
Transport There’s a high chance that getting a taxi in these parts will require 24 hours’ notice — to properly tour all of the villages, your own car is essential.
When to go The Cotswolds are picturesque all year round and especially cosy when adorned with fairy lights and fires in the winter. Even during a record damp January, I’d argue it’s still a lovely place to visit. But for lighter days and crowds, try spring or autumn. Blur fans can make a pilgrimage to Alex James’s farm for his Big Feastival at the end of August; or if jazz is more your bag, time your visit with the Cheltenham Jazz Festival at the end of April.
What to buy Drop by the mothership of Lady Carole Bamford’s Daylesford Organic empire in Kingham for an aspirational adventure to stock up on cashmere athleisurewear, ceramics that will have even the most reluctant cook dreaming of dinner parties, superfood salads and fruit and veg how it’s supposed to look. Bibury is home to the oldest trout farm (est. 1902) in the country — lots of farm shops and delis throughout the Cotswolds sell its delicious fishy wares.
Good to know The bluebells come alive in mid-April until early May — spy blankets of them at Badbury Camp near Faringdon, the Foxholes reserve near Burford or Frith Wood near Painswick.
See our full collection of hotels in the Cotswolds, or get creative with calligraphy in Oxfordshire