Cotswolds Day Tour from Bath: Villages, Abbeys & Pub Lunch
Wandering honey-stone villages & old abbeys from Bath
You’ll join a small group day trip from Bath into the Cotswolds, exploring storybook villages and Malmesbury’s medieval abbey with a local guide who knows every shortcut. Expect tea in England’s oldest hotel, a relaxed pub lunch with local flavors, and plenty of time to soak up peaceful countryside moments you’ll remember long after heading home.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Hidden Cotswolds Villages and Countryside
- Stroll through postcard-perfect village
- Explore ancient town of Malmesbury
- Stop for tea or coffee
- Enjoy rolling hills and dry stone walls
- Relax over locally sourced lunch
- Discover hidden gems and charming villages
- Castle Combe 1h
- Malmesbury 1h
- Cotswolds 30m
- Wiltshire 1h
- Cotswolds 1h 45m
What’s included
Your day includes travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with water provided onboard, all taxes and fees covered up front, plus a relaxed pub lunch featuring local ingredients along your route through ancient towns and quiet villages: the whole experience guided by someone who really knows these backroads.
- Monday to Saturday 09:00
Information
Step into the Cotswolds from Bath with a small group, explore ancient villages, Malmesbury Abbey, and relax over a pub lunch: includes pickup and local guide.
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Traveler reviews
The experience
We’d barely left Bath before our guide, Mark, was already telling us stories about kings and saints. He has that way of talking where you forget you’re on a tour. The first village looked like something out of an old English film: crooked stone cottages, gardens spilling over with foxgloves. There was this faint smell of woodsmoke in the air even though it was June. I tried to say the name of the village (impossible), and Mark just grinned. You could hear birds everywhere: louder than traffic for once.
We stopped in Malmesbury next, which I’d never even heard of. The abbey there is massive and kind of humbling. Inside it’s cool and smells faintly of old books and stone. We had tea in this place that’s apparently England’s oldest hotel: felt like stepping into someone’s living room from 400 years ago. There was a couple at the next table quietly arguing about scones vs. crumpets (I still don’t get the difference). The whole day trip through the Cotswolds felt sort of suspended in time.
The drive itself is worth it: rolling hills, sheep everywhere, those dry stone walls that look like they’ve been there forever. Lunch was at a pub where you can tell locals actually go. My fish pie tasted like someone’s grandmother made it. After that we wandered through more villages I can’t pronounce, sunlight hitting the honey-colored stone just right. Mark kept finding these odd little stops (a churchyard here, a lane with wild roses there), and he always seemed to know when we wanted to linger or move on. I didn’t expect to feel so…quiet inside? Maybe it’s just being away from crowds for once.
Top questions
Can I be picked up at my hotel?
You can choose: pickup at your hotel, or go straight to the meeting point. When you book, you choose your hotel from 32 pickup locations; if yours isn’t listed, you can type in your address. Pickup is about 30 minutes before departure.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.
How many people are on this Cotswolds tour?
The tour is for small groups of 2-8 people.
Is lunch included during the day trip?
Yes, a locally sourced lunch at a traditional pub is included.
Is this Cotswolds tour suitable for all fitness levels?
Yes, it is suitable for all physical fitness levels.
Are service animals permitted?
Yes, service animals are allowed on the tour.
What are some highlights on this day trip?
You’ll visit postcard-perfect villages, Malmesbury Abbey, enjoy tea at England’s oldest hotel, and have lunch at a historic pub.
Is public transportation nearby for joining the tour?
Yes, public transportation options are available nearby in Bath.
Operated by In and Beyond Bath. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated today
Cotswolds Day Tour from Bath: Villages, Abbeys & Pub Lunch
7h–8h · EN
from £ 295 per person
≈ US$ 397 in your currency
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.