The Cotswolds, Bath & Oxford
2 day tour
Roam the picturesque Cotswolds on this tour of beautiful villages, ancient stone circles, and stunning cathedrals.
Tour map
Highlights
Places you'll explore
Avebury - Marvel at the largest standing stone circles in the world.
Cherhill White Horse - Gaze at this 18th century hillside art from the mind of 'the mad doctor'.
Lacock - Wander the streets of this village, maintained and owned by the National Trust.
Bath - Luxuriate in the warm tones of the local honey-coloured stone, used in much of the architecture here, such as the famed bath houses.
Cirencester - Get to the heart of the Cotswolds in this ancient Roman market town.
Bibury - A delightful village with the renowned 16th century cottages of Arlington Row.
Stow-on-the-Wold - Site of one of the last battles of the English Civil War, the highest market town in the Cotswolds boasts a colourful history.
Bampton Village - A significant setting for the TV series Downton Abbey, this pleasantly striking village provides an excellent range of photo opportunities.
Oxford - Oxford is an internationally regarded university and a prominent shooting location for the Harry Potter film franchise.
Your journey
Travel is the best education.
You use all five of your senses, you learn about cultural quirks, and you experience historical wonders.
And this tour is your perfect lesson in the best of England.
You examine the standing stones of Avebury, where you unearth the mysteries of Neolithic civilisation. You study the rural villages of the Cotswolds, where you discover a more relaxing pace of life. And you learn about Bath and Oxford, two places that boast England’s rich and extravagant heritage.
So, make the world your classroom, and join this tour of the Cotswolds, Bath, and Oxford.
Tour Details
(Tours on and after April 1st depart at 09.15)
Students, seniors over 60, and children between 5 and 15 (unfortunately, we don't carry children under 5 years old)
- Pack your waterproof clothing and walking shoes
- One 15 kilogram bag per person
- Transport in a 16 seat Mercedes mini-coach
- Air conditioning as standard
- The stories and services of a Rabbie's driver-guide
- Entry fees to visitor attractions
- Tour accommodation
Itinerary
Day 1
- Gaze in wonder at the largest stone circle in the world, Avebury
- Explore the village of Lacock and its charming streets
- Marvel at the immense scale of Bath’s Georgian terraces, its majestic Abbey cathedral, and the Roman temple and baths
Your tour heads west to the village of Avebury. Here you have the chance to wander amongst the majesty of the largest stone circle in the world.
A short journey from here is a hillside where you find the Cherhill White Horse, a huge white horse cut into the chalk by the ‘Mad Doctor’ in the 18th century.
Further along the road lies Lacock, a preserved medieval village famous for its picturesque streets, historic buildings, and role as a period film and television location.
You then head to Bath to enjoy its rich cultural history and magnificent architecture. You can also take the opportunity to visit the Roman Baths complex and Abbey cathedral.
Heading into the Cotswolds, you travel to the Cirencester, a market town whose wealth was founded in the medieval wool trade. It was the second largest town in Roman Britain.
Day 2
- Wander amongst the tranquil Medieval setting of Bibury’s cottages
- Discover Downton Abbey life as you visit one of its most frequently used village filming locations, Bampton
- Explore Oxford’s iconic educational institutions
You visit the picturesque village of Bibury with its tiny 16th century cottages and tranquil river where trout filter the flow and swans and ducks paddle and feed Quintessentially Cotswold and rural England.
You proceed to Stow-on-the-Wold, a hill top market town, packed with history, antique shops and tea rooms.
On the way to Oxford, you visit Bampton, where you can find the sights that have featured prominently in the TV series Downton Abbey.
After enjoying the sights, it’s on to the home of Britain's best minds: Oxford. This city is renowned for 900 years of academic excellence through its world-famous university.
Keen Harry Potter fans will want to visit the Great Hall of Christ Church College, the inspiration for the Hogwarts dining hall and where some scenes were filmed.
As the evening draws in, you return to London.
Customer Reviews
Cotswolds ,Bath and Oxford
Margo Posted on 04/07/2017It was a fantastic tour ! We saw many interesting places: incredible standing stones in Avebury, the charming medieval village of Lacock, full of history and magnicifent architecture in Bath. We stayed in Cirencester for the night ( The Old Bungalow Guest House was great) . Cirencester is also a place worth to see. The next day, we saw the absolutely fabulous Bibury, lovely Stow-on-the-Wold and Oxford at the end. Oxford is a city full of attractions - everybody can find here something interesting for themself. Highly recommend this tour to everyone.
Its a great tour
KAYCEE CHENG Posted on 30/08/2016I really enjoyed the tour! Our tour guide Sarah was super friendly and sweet. She provide us a lot of information about the places where we visited. The view of Cotswolds was amazing! I will definitely join more tours of Rabbies again.
Amazing time!
Mouktika Posted on 09/07/2016I had an amazing time on this trip thanks to our guides Sarah and John! The sights were great and paced well, I wish it could have been longer.
Wonderful trip
Jasmine F Posted on 19/10/2015My friend and I enjoyed the tour with Jamie thoroughly. He took good care of all of us and was essential in providing a personal touch to the tour by taking time to speak to each of us and making sure we were comfortable. His funny commentaries gave a touch of humour to the informative talk about the different regions as well.
Fun Times
Leah Posted on 06/06/2015Great first trip with Rabbies, I was excited to continue to use them when I arrived in Scotland. Glen did a great job despite a few minor hiccups that were out of his control. I had a great time while exploring this area with my best friend.
Kavein
Hind Hind Posted on 03/08/2014I would like to say thank you for nice tours that has been arranged by Rabbies I have been in 2 tour (Devon & Cornwall and costwolds, Bath & Oxford) Interestingly, the driver & guider Kavein was in both of my tours. I would like to commend Kavein is an excellent tour guider for his experience, knowledge, communication with tourists . Made the tours even more enjoyable Wish to rabbies all the very best & more success Regards, Hend
Amazing experience!
Shrubabati Posted on 10/12/2013We had booked this tour on 30th Nov 2013. We were pleasantly surprised to find only another couple joining us on the trip. It was like a personalised tour with our very knowledgeable and cordial tour guide, Pete. We loved his anecdotes and the history he shared along the way. The weather was perfect for a day trip and we couldn't ask for more! This was our second tour with Rabbie's - the first one being from Edinburgh to the Scotland Highlands. Both were wonderful and we are hoping we can visit North and South Wales from London sometime soon!
Fantastic tour with the MOST charming and handsome guide -- Kevin٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶ !!!
Shan Posted on 09/09/2013This is the third Rabbie's tour for me, and it's the second time that Kevin was my guide! How lucky I am! The tour itself is well scheduled, which makes you less tired while visiting many places at the same time. What you cannot miss in such a fabulous tour is a good guide , and that's why you should let Kevin be the one for you! Obviously, after the second tour, we are already good friends right now. He is a charming gentleman and we all love him so much! If you had any trouble with your trip or even your own life, just ask, he would always be there for you~Trust me, you are gonna miss him when you finish your tour~ If you are reading my review, do pick Rabbie's be your choice and do let Kevin be your guide because that is the way you could get an extremely fantastic tour of a lifetime! Love you, Rabbie's! Love you, Kevin!
The tour of all tours!
Beckyrobz Posted on 22/02/2013How surprised was I when I turned up for my Rabbies tour (recommended to me by my duaghter) to find out I was the only person booked to go. My driver Ambrose told me that it was Rabbies policy to still run the tour even if there was only one participant so off we went!! I had the whole bus, could ask tons of questions, sit up the front and Ambrose and I hit it off immediately. To land in another country on your own is often daunting but not with Ambrose who immediately made me feel at home and was so courteous and knowledgeable. We had a great time touring about and the scenery was breathtaking. The whole time I had my own personal commentary about whatever I needed to know. My B & B experience was also excellent and so much better than I expected. I would definitely book another Rabbies tour and would look for one with Ambrose as he was brilliant!
Great trip had by all!
Lynda Harwood Posted on 12/10/2012I did the Cotswolds, Bath & Oxford two day tour on 10 October 2012 and just wanted to say what a wonderful tour guide Kevin was - and a safe driver! He catered to every need, very knowledgeable and a great communicator. He is a an asset to Rabbies company. It made for a wonderful trip. Will recommend to all my friends back in Australia.
Accommodation
Where does this tour stay overnight?
You stay one night in Cirencester. (**On some rare dates, accommodation may be in other locations, such as Bath or Cheltenham).
How does the accommodation work?
Your tour excludes accommodation; but when you book, you can ask us to reserve local accommodation for you, or you can choose to reserve your own accommodation in the overnight locations.
I want Rabbie’s to book my accommodation, what happens now?
Once you've booked your tour, we'll reserve all your accommodation, and your driver will drop you off with your hosts. You’ll pay your accommodation directly. Most don’t accept credit cards, so be prepared to pay cash.
What if I want to change my accommodation booking with Rabbie’s?
Changes to accommodation cannot be guaranteed and are subject to availability. A minimum amendment charge of £5.00 will apply.
I booked my own accommodation is there anything I need to do?
You’ll need to contact us with your accommodation details. Please only reserve accommodation within the overnight towns that your tour stops in.
Your driver will drop you off at your chosen accommodation as long as it’s relatively central. You can find a selection of hotels at hotels.rabbies.com.
What if I cancel my tour at short notice?
If you cancel less than three days before departure, you may be liable for the cost of your first nights’ accommodation. And occasionally you may be liable for all your accommodation costs.
What are the accommodation types and what do they cost?
We try to reserve accommodation that’s no more than a 20-minute walk from the town centre.
We regularly check our accommodation suppliers to ensure they reach a certain standard. The prices below are for guidance only.
B&B (Bed and Breakfast) Standard
The toilet and showering facilities are shared with at least one other room in the house, and the price includes breakfast. The cost is between £30.00 - £35.00 per person per night. A single standard is between £35.00 - £60.00 per night.
B&B En/suite
The showering and toilet facilities are private, and breakfast is included in the price. The expected cost for a room, based on two people sharing, will be between £40.00 – £50.00 per person per night.
The expected cost for a single room will be between *£55.00 - £80.00 per night.
Hotels
Hotels have a bar or restaurant and provide evening meals. Breakfast is included in the price. The expected cost of Hotel 3* is between £65.00 - £85.00 per person per night. Hotel 4* is approximately £75.00 - £120.00 per person per night.
Hostels
A hostel consists of dormitory rooms with 4 to 16 bunk beds. The bathroom facilities are a short distance from the dorm room. Kitchen facilities are equipped so you can make your own meals. The cost is between £15.00- £25.00 per person per night.
Please note that SYHA hostels only offer same gender dorms. Some independent hostels will offer mixed rooms (males and females together).
I have more questions, who can help me?
If you have any more questions, you can read our FAQs, call us on +44(0)131 226 3133, or email rooms@rabbies.com.
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