Yes, we normally post out your hiking pack which includes details of where you will be staying to your home address one month in advance of the start date of your tour.
This can be sent sooner upon request. You will find GPS coordinates for the all overnight accommodation on your tour in your personalised itinerary, which you will receive upon booking. GPS tracks for your walking route can be provided on request. Please note that while we are reasonably confident that the tracks are correct and up-to-date, we recommend that they are not used as the only tool for navigation.
The most important means for navigation should be the way markers along the trail, our route notes and the maps we provide in the walking pack. One hiking pack will be provided per four people. Therefore, for a group of 1 — 4 people, one hiking pack will be sent.
For 5 — 8 people, two hiking packs will be sent, etc. The contents of your hiking pack route notes, accommodation information, history, etc. We believe that the beauty of the English countryside should be enjoyed by everyone. With this in mind, we designed our hiking tours to cater for practically all levels of fitness.
So, whether you are a novice walker or an experienced hiker, we have the tour to suit you. Yes, we are more than happy to organise an additional night for you anywhere you please. Suggestions on interesting places to take a rest day are available on the tour pages of each hiking region. ATM facilities are available in many of the towns along the route.
Credit cards are also accepted by many bar and restaurants. However, we suggest that you also bring a reasonable sum of cash as a back-up. Flights and transport to the start of your hiking tour are not included in our prices. However, we do provide detailed timetables on how to make it to the start of your hike by public transport on our tour pages. Choosing the right hiking tour can be tricky. To make your decision easier, we have drawn up a menu of Gentle, Moderate and Challenging hiking tours.
Before we explain the difference between the various grades, it is important to note that each hiking tour within a specific region follows the same official hiking trail. But to make these walking trails more accessible to all walkers, we have shortened the average daily hike between accommodations for the gentle and moderate tours. Below is a general overview of each tour grading level. The hiking time takes into account the terrain covered but not the time required for lunch stops, photos, etc.
For more details on daily distances, the level of ascent and the terrain the trail crosses; refer to the itinerary page of each individual tour. If you paid by credit card, you will receive an e-mail within 24 hours verifying receipt of your booking form and deposit payment.
In this email, you will be asked to confirm your tour details. If you paid by bank transfer, payment will take a few days to reach us.
Therefore you will receive your email confirmation and request to confirm your tour details shortly after we have assigned the bank payment to your booking form.
In this case, you may receive an automatic email outlining that a booking form has been received, but no deposit has been received — you can disregard this email. Once your confirmation is received that all details on your booking form are correct, we will begin making the arrangements for your tour.
Therefore, the sooner you send us this confirmation, the sooner we can start to book your tour. After all the arrangements for your tour have been confirmed this process normally takes seven to ten working days you will be sent a breakdown of the balance outstanding for your tour and a due date for payment.
Your walking pack will be posted to your home address at least one month in advance of the start date of your tour arrangements can be made to post this sooner if necessary. If this is the case, you will also be sent soft copies of your walking pack documents by email. Credit Card — through Stripe, a quick and secure way to accept credit card and debit card payments online.
Stripe handles millions of transactions every year for businesses around the world and is now the preferred payment partner for many major companies. They will move moisture away from the skin so that you feel more comfortable when you are walking.
Denims are not suitable for hill walking and dry very slowly once they get wet. Remember that the trails in many of our regions can become quite wet and muddy, after periods of rain. Our tip: If you buy new boots for you holiday make sure to try them out on one or two longer walks before your tour! It will allow you to contact your accommodation and transfer providers from the trail and call for help in an emergency.
A pair is best but many hikers also just use one. However, as there may be other guests in the guesthouse with different plans for their night, we recommend bringing a pair of earplugs to ensure sweet dreams! You can generally buy an evening meal in one of the local restaurants, cafes or pubs close to your accommodation.
In England, many hiking trails are on private land. This means that farmers still have their cattle grazing in the same fields. Some cattle may look intimidating.
Continue walking in a normal fashion do not run and you should have no problems. You could also make this walk shorter by simply visiting Bourton and taking the same route back. See the walk details at outdooractive. Where to stay: Country house hotel, The Slaughters Manor House , is a classic Cotswolds retreat on the outside that reveals a contemporary vibe on the inside.
The boutique hotel boasts an idyllic setting of five acres in Lower Slaughter. This circular walk around Malmesbury starts off at the majestic Malmesbury Abbey, which dates back to the seventh century and boasts beautiful gardens.
You'll enjoy riverside strolls and marches across meadows, before returning to town and passing by stone cottages and 16th century almshouses.
If you want to make the walk longer, you can always join the Palladian Way and head to Shipton Wood, and even Tetbury and the Westonbirt Arboretum. See the map and walk details at gps-routes. Where to stay: For a first-class spa and a two Michelin-starred restaurant, check into Whatley Manor , a fine country house hotel in Malmesbury. Read our hotel review of Whatley Manor.
If it's fabulous views you're looking for, Cleeve Hill is the ideal destination being the highest point in Gloucestershire and also the highest peak of the Cotswold Hills. You can take in views over the Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucester's cathedral, and the Malvern Hills on a clear day. Cleeve Common is also a great example of a limestone grassland landscape, with wildlflower meadows and rich wildlife habitat. See the map and walk details at cotswoldsaonb.
Where to stay: Set on a acre estate at the Botton of Cleeve Hill, Ellenborough Park is a slice of post-walk luxury, with a spa and cosy crackling fires galore. Read our hotel review of Ellenborough Park. We want to help you stay inspired. Sign up for the latest travel tales and to hear about our favourite financially protected escapes and bucket list adventures. Type keyword s to search. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Walking distance: 6 miles Arguably one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds is also home to one of the best walks in the Cotswolds.
Walking distance: miles Base yourself in the chocolate-box Cotswolds village of Chipping Campden and kick off at the very start of the Cotswold Way National Trail. Muddy boots were as bad as it got, though, as we wandered toward and through the very large Dodington Park. The countryside was much the same as the day before, mostly cultivated farmland with a few patches of delightful woodland, and the distance was pretty similar as well.
Oh England. Hawkesbury Upton is a small, attractive village with a couple of good pubs, and I thoroughly enjoyed my excessively-large meal at the Beaufort Arms, and the pint and a half that went with it. Knowing it was going to be a particularly short day, there was absolutely no hurry — which was fortunate, as we hit the first proper hills of the walk just outside Wortley.
The cloudless sky and attractive views made the climb up to the ridgeline much more enjoyable, and the views from the top were absolutely lovely. The best part, though?
Walking around a small valley named Nanny Farmers Bottom shortly after. The views and silly names were great, but even so, the lack of a place to stop for food or caffeine until lunchtime meant we were very happy to see the cafes and pubs of Wotton-Under-Edge when they eventually appeared in front of us. That, and the sunny beer garden, may also help explain why we lingered over lunch at the Royal Oak for the better part of two hours. It had started to cloud over a little by this point, but the views from the top were still impressive, and the forest path leading along the ridge, past the somewhat-famous Tyndale Monument, and down to North Nibley provided a glorious final hour of walking to end the day.
The food and drink were also standard pub fare, tasty and plenty of it. After three days on our feet, only having to walk down a set of stairs to get dinner was a definite bonus. After a decent breakfast at the pub, where Craig got to teach a new staff member how to use the coffee machine, we strode out of the village under sunny skies and headed back into the hills once more. After climbing to the top of Stinchcombe Hill, there are a couple of options: a shorter, direct route, or a rambling alternate path that adds an extra couple of miles.
Our ever-reliable guidebook recommended the scenic route on sunny days, and with barely a cloud to be seen, we took its advice. Arriving in the good-sized market town of Dursley too early for lunch, we we settled for a leisurely coffee instead. With nowhere obvious to stop further on, the ubiquitous supermarket sandwich made another unwelcome appearance in my backpack, consumed on a bench in the sun a couple of hours later.
The rolling hills and glorious views of the morning continued through the afternoon, making it easily the best day of walking so far. The most impressive area was around Uley Bury, especially through Coaley Wood, although you could choose pretty much any five-mile section and be very happy with it.
As good as the views from Selsley Common were, the lengthy walk up, over, and down the other side of it had my feet and knees grumbling by the time we tumbled into the Bell Inn. Linda had been staying at an Airbnb in Stroud for a few days, and we joined her there for the night.
It meant a bit of a detour and a longer day, but made the accommodation choice easier and cheaper, and provided a washing machine for our increasingly stinky clothing. Well worth the extra miles! Dinner was at a surprisingly-reasonable Thai restaurant in town. After breakfast and a quick look around the Saturday market, we headed back out along the canal towpath to rejoin the Cotswold Way.
Once we turned back onto the path, it rewarded us by heading straight uphill through the fields and vineyards. Thanks, I think. Just like the day before, though, there were plenty of highlights, including the long, leaf-covered trail through Standish Wood, and spectacular views from the Haresfield Beacon.
We hustled to get to Painswick before everywhere stopped serving lunch, slipping into the Royal Oak yes, the second pub of that name in three days shortly before the kitchen closed. Elegant old buildings, good conversation, another sunny beer garden, another slow departure. The busy road out of town soon gave way to a quiet path through the local golf course, and then up and down every hill in the vicinity.
There was no low-flying cheese on this particular day, however, so onward we went. Everyone was getting pretty tired by this stage, but it was still another hour through the trees to finally rejoin the road just outside Birdlip, our home for the night. No complaints whatsoever, and even fewer at not having to go outside to find dinner!
Breakfast was surprisingly good for a bundled option at a big hotel, as was the scenery once we grudgingly pulled our boots back on and headed back to the trail.
This was very much a day of hills and forests, with sweeping views every time we emerged from the trees. We also organise trail running holidays along this route. Find out more. Exploring the typically English villages of the Cotswolds and discovering their unique characters. Arriving in the World Heritage City of Bath and taking time to explore the incredible architecture and celebrate the end of your holiday.
Please note that due to limited availability, accommodation at the Cleeve Hill stop may be located approximately 2. If you would like more information, or are not happy with this arrangement, please let us know when booking.
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