Cotswold Way Itinerary

Maybe too much detail?

I live for a travelogue. After yammering on and on about my cosy UK walk, I’ve decided to just type it up already! There are many ways to plan this trip.¹ I arranged it myself and walked alone. It was a lot to plan and so gratifying to do.

A few notes about this itinerary:

• If you are a Cotswold Way purist, this is not a guide for you! I did this over two separate trips.

• This is a 9-night stay with a few cutoffs. You probably need 11 nights to comfortably walk in one swoop.²

• If you only do part of it, I suggest the first half. Both are gorgeous! I felt the first part had slightly prettier views and better food.

• The full walk is 102 miles. This is about 80 miles; some of that is off the path.

• I did both in the first week of May (2025 and 2026). The weather was stunning.

• The trail is very well marked. I still missed many turns :) You’ll want to download All Trails. It geotags you so you know if you’ve gone too far off course. Careful with Google Maps. It will direct you to walk along the highway.

• This is not exactly a gastronomical...delight. It’s a lot of pub food. After a full day of hiking, you’re thrilled with steak and mashed potatoes.

• There are limited bathrooms along the trail.

• I used Carryabag for luggage transport.

• The whole walk is pure-green-can’t-believe-it magic. Pairs well with a midlife crisis or just a good old-fashioned escape.

DAY 1

• Train to Morton-in-Marsh.

  • Taxi from train to Broadway

  • Stay: Broadway Lodge ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Great room, great location. However self-check-in made me a little nervous when I left my bags.

  • Dinner: The Swan. Pricey but delicious.

• Do: Walk around Broadway, a charming, ritzy high street with bespoke shops and the cutest deli.

  

  Broadway Deli - great for picnic provisions

DAY 2

• Breakfast: No. 32

• Lunch: Pick up sandwiches at Broadway Deli

• Hike:

  • Broadway to Wood Stanway (7 miles, 1,400 elevation gain)

  • Wood Stanway to Winchcombe (6 miles, 1017 elevation gain)

  • Note: First food or bathroom on the trail is Haley’s Fruit Stand, about 7 miles in.

  • Stay: White Hart Inn ⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Dinner: Winchombe Restaurant, delicious

DAY 3

• Breakfast: White Hart Inn

• Lunch: Pick up something in Winchcombe or lunch at Cleeve Common Golf Club, 6 miles in.

• Hike:

  • Winchcombe to Cleeve Hill (6 miles, 1,332 elevation gain)

  • Cleeve Hill to Cheltenham (4 miles, 680 elevation gain. *Took bus for a few miles as well as hotel is far from trail)

• Stay: Doubletree Cheltenham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DAY 4

• Breakfast and lunch: Ask the hotel! I attempted both at Lidl, the local grocery store, came up short, and ended up with a power bar and yogurt for the day. Regrets!

• Hike:

  • Dowdeswell to Leckhampton Hill (5 miles, 1,132 elevation)

  • Leckhampton Hill to Birdlip (5 miles, 900 elevation)

    • Note: Getting to the starting point (Dowdeswell) requires either Uber/bus or walking extra miles off-trail. There is massive highway construction in Birdlip, which may interfere with the end of the hike. Do some research before heading out!

• Stay: The King George Hotel, Birdlip ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Amazing service, cozy in a rainstorm.

• Dinner: At the pub!

Darling Painswick - many cute cafes and shops

• Day 5

  • Breakfast and lunch: Delicious breakfast at the hotel pub. The pub also packs a picnic lunch for the walk.

  • Hike:

    • Uber from hotel to Painswick.

    • Hike Painswick to King’s Stanley, Stroud (10 miles, 1,352 elevation)

  • Stay:

    • Stonehouse Court Hotel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (note: This is about 2 miles from the trail end)

Breakfast at the Stonehouse Court Hotel

• Day 6

  • Breakfast: At the hotel

  • Lunch: Flapjacks from Sainsburys in Dursley

  • Hike: Kings Stanley to Dursley to Wotton-Under-Edge (10 miles, 1,136 elevation)

  • Stay: The Swan Hotel ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Markers are all over the trail, very easy to follow

Day 7:

• Breakfast: At The Swan pub

• Lunch: Pack snacks

• Hike: Hawkesbury to Old Sodbury (I skipped Uley Tower and took an Uber to Hawkesbury) (7 miles, 1,336 elevation)

• Dinner: Cross Hands Hotel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Day 8:

• Breakfast and snacks: At the hotel

• Hike: Old Sodbury to Lansdown (12 miles, 766 elevation)

• Dinner and Stay: Charlcombe Inn (LOVED this hotel, was a bit off the trail) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Day 9

  • Breakfast: At the hotel

  • Hike: Lansdown to Bath-the final stop in the Cotswold Way! (5 miles, 250 elevation)

  • Dinner and Stay: Gainsborough Bath Spa. Fancy! Spa! Order room service wine and pasta! A fantastic end to a dreamy journey :)

All the suitcases - ready to get picked up and transported to the next Inn

1. Mac's Adventure’s has many guided trips, Helene Sula's 70-page guide helped immensely, and Bridget is planning a group trip next spring!

2. If you are planning a Cotwsold Way walk — and are open to EVEN MORE information — let me know. Happy to share more about this beautiful place!