Rome Toolkit 
Paris Toolkit Cotswolds England - tours from London
Tours to the Cotswolds leaving from London including Highclere Castle
The Cotswolds, England is a world class must-visit destination offering a tranquil experience of exquisite honey-coloured stone villages, rolling hills and meandering rivers.
Best of all, it is very easy to take a Cotswolds tour from London and allow yourself to be whisked away to a destination much loved by visitors from all over the world.
From Small Group Tours to full day coach tours, you have plenty of options for exploring the stunning landscape and characterful towns and villages of the Cotswolds.
If you are a Downton Abbey fan, you can explore familiar Cotswolds villages as well as Highclere Castle itself, all in a memorable day tour from London.
The Cotswolds covers a very large area (almost 800 square miles), each county offering its own unique charm. In a day tour from London you can see central Cotswold villages such as Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, Stow-on-the-Wold or the Slaughters. Alternatively you might prefer to visit Lacock on the edge of the Cotswolds and combine with a visit to a world-class destination such as Bath or Stonehenge.
The Cotswolds tours on this page offer something for everyone in one memorable day tour from London.
Cotswolds tours from London
Day tours to
Cotswolds
Visit Cotswolds plus other nearby attractions such as Blenheim, Oxford, Bath or Stonehenge.
Highclere Castle/Downton Abbey tours
'Downton Abbey' fans will love these tours from London visiting Highclere and more.
Small group & private Cotswolds
Meander down hidden country lanes on a more personal experience of the Cotswolds.
Guide to the Cotswolds, England
The Cotswolds region, just 2 hours from London is a tranquil destination of rolling hills, quaint honey-coloured English villages and attractive medieval market towns.
The Cotswolds is also home to a number of palaces, country houses and castles, with much history and splendour, all set in the famous 'wolds' or hills of this area north west of London.
The Cotswolds is an Area or Outstanding Natural Beauty, and for good reason. Many visitors and day-trippers come to get away from it all, and soak up some of the scenery with its miles of country walks and independent places to both stay and eat.
The Cotswolds is often combined on a day tour from London with other nearby places of interest for visitors such as Stratford Upon Avon, Oxford and Bath.
About day tours from London to the Cotswolds
The Cotswolds region is within easy driving distance of London for a day tour, taking about two hours to arrive in the main popular Cotswolds region by coach.
Your options for taking a tour around the Cotswolds from London are varied.
If you wish to visit only the Cotswolds (which will allow you to experience the villages in much more depth), then you have a choice between a full coach tour which focuses purely on the Cotswolds, or an alternative Small Group tour of the Cotswolds which provides an intimate and relaxing sightseeing experience.
A typical Cotswolds-only day tour from London will stop at two or three villages, such as Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury or Lower Slaughter.
Depending on what tour you take you may have time to enjoy a delicious Cotswolds cream tea or lunch.
Another option is to choose a tour with much less emphasis on the Cotswolds, some of which may only be a quick stop in one village, or alternatively a scenic drive through the region. These tours will feature nearby destinations such as Warwick Castle, Blenheim Palace, Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon, or even further afield to somewhere like Stonehenge or Bath.
Best Cotswolds tours from London
See below for a selection of the best Cotswolds day tours from London. These are full size coach tours with frequent tours generally leaving several times a week throughout the year.
The first few tours spend longer in the Cotswolds; other tours offer a full day out to top destinations, such as Oxford, Blenheim Palace, Stonehenge or Bath, with a scenic drive through the Cotswolds.
Finally, Lacock is a pretty medieval village on the edge of the Cotswolds. Many of the coach tours leaving from London feature Lacock as a stopping place for lunch for example, but these tours do not venture to the Central Cotswolds region which is further north.
Cotswolds & pub lunch
Enjoy a 2-course lunch at a traditional Cotswolds pub and popular villages.
Stratford, Bath & Stonehenge
'England in one day.' Top destinations plus drive through Cotswolds.
Stonehenge, Bath, Windsor & Lacock
The Big 3 destinations with tranquil Lacock for pub lunch.
Downton Abbey/Highclere Castle tours from London
If you want to visit Highclere Castle where the popular TV and film series Downton Abbey was filmed, there are many tours leaving from London that will take you there.
Tours to "Downton Abbey" sell out incredibly quickly and are very popular; so you need to book usually some time in advance before you intend to visit.
One reason for restricted ticket availability is because Highclere Castle tickets are not available all year round; Highclere is only open for restricted periods from April to around October; see our Downton Abbey page for more information.
Look out for tour dates for the following season becoming available from November of the year before you intend to visit. We explain more about Downton Abbey tour dates on our page when you click the link below.
Tours vary from Small Group tours to full coach tours and usually combine some other destinations, for example a guided visit to Oxford, or the village of Bampton where some of the filming for Downton Abbey took place.
The third tour below does not visit Highclere Castle but instead substitutes the Castle for Blenheim Palace, with a visit to Bampton Village in the Cotswolds where much of the filming for the Downton Abbey TV series took place. This tour unlike the others does run all year round.
Oxford, Bampton &
Highclere Castle
Enjoy a walking tour of Oxford with expert guide, plus "Downton Abbey Village" (Bampton), entrance to Highclere Castle & get a copy of one of Lady Carnarvon's books
Film locations, Cotswolds & Highclere Castle
On this personalised Small Group tour you will have a guided tour round Highclere Castle plus "Downton Abbey Village" & sites in Hampshire & Cotswolds.
Blenheim Palace, "Downton Abbey Village" & Cotswolds
Running all year round, this tour doesn't visit Highclere Castle but instead makes a visit to the beautiful Blenheim Palace.
Highclere Castle Express
Round trip transfers from London in an executive vehicle with entry to Highclere Castle and Grounds (Downton Abbey) with guides available in the rooms to explain your visit.
Small Group Cotswolds tours & private Cotswolds tours
Small Group tours from London to the Cotswolds are very popular. In a comfortable small minibus you will join no more than 15 other people as you head towards the beautiful and tranquil Cotswolds region.
Private tours are also available. With this option you hire a driver/guide for the day and travel in the comfort of an executive air-conditioned vehicle.
Both options include guiding with your knowledgeable guide on hand to inform and entertain you on your day out in the Cotswolds.
Cotswolds, Oxford & Stratford
Shakespeare's Birthplace plus walking tour Oxford & Cotswolds.
Bath, Stonehenge, Lacock & Avebury
Admission to Stonehenge & Bath, visit to Lacock & Avebury.
Private Cotswolds
Burford, Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, The Slaughters and more with a private day tour.
Private Bath, Stonehenge, Lacock, Avebury
Private tour visiting top destinations in the West.
