Lunch in the Cotswolds from London

London, United Kingdom

Escape London's crowds for a day trip to the picture-perfect Cotswolds for lunch. You'll visit a region that is forever England, seemingly unchanged by the modern world and famous for its beautiful villages and rolling hills. There will be time to visit the quaint villages of Burford and Stow-on-the-Wold before enjoying a fabulous two-course lunch in a traditional English restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the birthplace of Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Your full day tour of the Cotswolds begins in Burford, where the magnificent High Street features every variety of Cotswold stone. You'll have time to visit the town's small tea houses before heading north to lovely Stow-on-the-Wold.

Lunch beckons and what better way to satisfy your hunger than with a fabulous two-course lunch in the heart of the Cotswolds! The restaurant boasts a spectacular oak-beamed ceiling and a huge stone fireplace bearing witches' marks, and serves a fabulous range of traditional cooking, including classic bread and butter pudding for dessert.

The afternoon is spent exploring Moreton-in-Marsh, a lovely old market town which has a unique buzz and is home to the Cotswolds falconry center. You'll then continue north-west and out of the Cotswolds to delightful Stratford-upon-Avon. Here you will take a small walk through the town center, passing Shakespeare's Birthplace, before enjoying a cream tea in a charming inn.

Hotel pickup is available, please click on 'View Additional Info' below for full list of hotels included.

Special Offer - FREE afternoon refreshments at Knot Garden (retirement home of William Shakespeare) with cream scones and Shrewsbury biscuits served with elder flower juice (April - October only) - Book Now!

USD $120.08

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Mert	April 2012
Cotswolds was just amazing however, this was a very disappointing tour to be perfectly honest. We were very rushed and there was not enough time to see places. The afternoon tea never happened, it was just a scone with whipped cream and a piece of strawberry on it with some orange juice. Not worth to price to my mind. We understood that it was gonna be a taster but this was too rushed.

Review by: Nicki	March 2012
This was not an enjoyable tour. Our tour guide was unpleasant and more importantly, there was little to no time to 'explore' the villages. Everything was rushed. I could do without the rushed lunch -- whole trout complete with bones -- and the very rushed cream tea and scones in exchange for some time to explore, shop and take pictures. My overall sense was that I would love to explore the Cotswolds, but it would be better on a different tour or independently.

Review by: mercedes i	March 2012
loved it!! made my trip to london even better..

Review by: tinwall	March 2012
Great location, history and scenery. Excellent guide and driver service. A lovely change from busy city. Would like a little more time at some stops. seemed a little rushed.

Review by: John B	March 2012
John B from Pender Island BC Canada._br/_ Delightful day with excellent guide Celia and charming driver Joanne. Joanne's dad picked us up at our hotel and gave us an impromptu tour of London. Great guy, would love to tour with him for a day.Enjoyed watching him back a big coach into a small parking place from a narrow road. I was impressed that he did it in one try. A Master is a joy to behold._br/_ A well mapped out day. Would have liked more tim at each location, but glad to have seen as much as we did.Will tour with this company again.

Review by: Donna F	January 2012
A delightful experience throughout. We had a small group of 12, but it appears a group of 40-50 is more normal. The advantage was that we received a far more personalised experience and the guide could engage at a deeper level with both us and the places we visted. Our guide (David) and driver (John) tag-teamed as a comedy routine throughout. David was thoroughly knowledgable and presented in an engaging and fun way poking fun at himself, England and the tour guests. In no way was this offensive, although I imagine those with little humour may have found this tedious. The first 2 stops were the highlights and absolutely delightful - we could have done with more time for free walking about. The lunch stop (2nd stop) was made morememorable by having freshly caught trout, and our guide instructing us on how to eat to eliminate bones. Fascinating, although some warning for vegetarians may have added (the young lady opposite me looked rather white-faced and couldn't eat her pasta meal). The 3rd stop was pretty, but quite and somewhat dead and closed at this time of the year (early January). I imagine in spring/summer it would have more visual appeal, but would be overrun with tourists. Nevertheless, a peacful time spent sitting on a bench beside a clean and shallow stream full of ducks. Stratford upon Avon (stop 4), while interesting, was not particularly memorable. The afternoon tea was ordinary. In summary, worth the cost of the trip and a day of one's life. We would consider doing again.

Review by: fler	January 2012
David was wonderful. So enthusiastic about everything. The towns we visited were quaint and lovely. However, I was expecting to see more thatched roof houses. Never mind the whole experience was worthwhile and I would recommend to everyone.

Review by: Richard P	November 2011
We found this trip most enjoyable. The coach was clean and comfortable and the guide was knowledgeable and not intrusive, obviously very experienced. Given the time constraints we saw enough to satisfy our requirements. Picked up from our hotel which was not on the pickup list. Lunch was satisfying. Overall very satisfactory.

Review by: Kenia B	November 2011
It was a little bit rushed, but it did cover a lot, of beautiful countryside, the tour guide was very informative and kind of entertaining. However, he should have kept his political views to himself, I was somewhat offended by his comments about America. It was a beautiful tour otherwise. Thank you.

Review by: MICHAEL M	October 2011
Country side was beautiful. All the villages were_br/_ very quaint and delightful. Tour Guide PAUL was_br/_ TERRIBLE. No talking while he talked. You will not be late getting back to the buss. Short tempered. Needs to go to anger management training. Great trip inspite of Paul.

Review by: Louis P R	October 2011
tour guide (paul) was terrible. treated us like first-grade students. allowed no conversations if he was speaking. scolded and threatened 3 tourists who were TWO MINUTES LATE!! lunch stop was excellent. promised scones and tea later. stood around with a biscuit, cream and strawberry while paul hovered around then herded us back to the bus. never able to sit. enjoyed stratford when paul not around

Review by: David D	October 2011
This was an excursion both my husband and I were really looking forward to - and we were not disappointed. It was a busy day - but we saw 3 villages in the Cotswolds with a wonderful lunch and then Stratford on Avon - a wonderful day - highly recommended.

Review by: annabelle.61	October 2011
Itinerary was great, towns were delightful and we had a very careful bus driver, our tour guide however was a short tempered with some tourists who got back a couple of minutes late and it wasnt a very relaxing trip.

Review by: Lisa N	October 2011
The tour was great, although the tour company provided no guidance as to the process at Victoria Station, so the morning was chaotic trying to figure out how to get on the tour. Lunch was great, the sites were beautiful, it was overall enjoyable.

Review by: Alison R	October 2011
The tour operator was difficult to understand but the countryside is so lovely, it was easy to overlook the imperfections. The day went smoothly and I loved seeing the different towns all in one day.

Review by: Michelle B	October 2011
Great tour. I would definitely like to go back to this area as some places such as Straford on Avon for one example we needed more time to visit. Lunch and afternoon tea was very nice. Tour company also excellent.

Review by: Jennifer W	September 2011
Pick up was on time which is always a plus especially when we have been let down by another well known tour operator before. Country side was beautiful, and we were fortunate enough to have Sev for this tour as well as our day trip to Paris. She is a most knowledgable guide and lovely lady. Wish we had more time in Stratford Upon Avon, but did enjoy all the stops. Lunch was the only real let down, if you didn't like fish (which more than half our tour didn't) you got stuck with an overcooked no flavoured vegetarian pasta dish. Didn't matter though as the lovely countryside and numerous stops in the quaint villages along the way more than made up for it.

Review by: Leanne gaye B	September 2011
good trip, long day though

Review by: Ruth H	September 2011
This company is very efficient. Pick up was on time and we left for the tour also on time. Cotswoldsvare very quaint and beautiful. My only complaint if you could call it that was that our guide gave very little history and points of interest. She was a very lady but did "waffle" on a bit with no real information. The lunch was very average but for the price of the whole day you could not expect too much more. All in all, not q bad day out but not a greatbone either. Ruth

Review by: Allan John S	September 2011
Yet another wonderful day out and an opportunity to see British countryside and not just the City. Included lunch was also excellent, as were the historic towns along the way. This tour has inspired us to return to England at another date to see more.

Review by: Suziewong	August 2011
This day was enjoyed by all 5 of us travelling together. David the guide was a little annoying, no very annoying. Bus driver was fantastic and lunch delicious.

Review by: David E C	August 2011
coach trip too long _br/_ not enough thatched cottages

Review by: Belinda N	August 2011
It was a long but beutifull day out the towns were lovely; and lunch was ok. :-)

Review by: Geoffrey B	August 2011
If the bus we were in didn't brake down the day would have been great.We were held up just off the motorway for over an hour while they sourced another Bus, which in the end lost that time on the tour, we were not happy.

Review by: Modonoko	August 2011
Too much time spend traveling on the bus. Wish we had more time at Burford. I thought we get to see thatched cottages, but we didn't~ Overall the sceneries are rewarding. P/S: Do not choose vegetarian pasta for lunch.

Review by: Heather R	July 2011
The guide, David and driver, Malcolm gave us a great day...thanks

Review by: Stacy P	July 2011
This tour was wonderful, capturing the essence of the Cotswolds along with a delicious lunch at an exclusive hotel. A perfect opportunity to explore a different side of the country.

Review by: Cindy D	July 2011
Great day, one of the nicest parts of england would like more time but can see why it was limited, Dinner and afternoon tea all great value.

Review by: Jim	July 2011
David was our guide. It was certainly one of the most entertaining and informative tours we've ever taken._br/_ His depth of knowledge added so much to the tour. And, he taught us to filet trout! _br/_ David and our driver went the extra mile for my family when we returned to London.

Review by: Laurel B	July 2011
I went on this day trip in late June with my father. We absolutely loved it! If you want to see quaint English cottages and several of them - then this is the tour for you. I lived in England for a year and never got to this area of the country so it was lovely to see. My Dad - who is an avid gardener - loved every minute of it. Each town we stopped at seemed to be more beautiful than the last!_br/_ Our tour guide was David - a wonderfully polite and knowledgeable ex-teacher who gave us a really interesting commentary as soon as we left the bus depot. I have nothing but praise for him._br/_ There are 2 things that could be improved however:_br/_ 1) The pick-up process in the morning. We were not aware that we'd be taken somewhere else and then "herded" into a crammed bus depot to be called onto our specific tour. We had assumed that the bus picking us up in the morning would be the one we were on for the rest of the day! I can see why they do it that way, but we would've handled it better if this was explained on the voucher?_br/_ 2) We were very disappointed in the lunch - the choice is trout or vegetarian. Neither my father or myself like fish and we are not vegetarians. We had been looking forward to a more traditional pub lunch like it was explained in the itinerary - not aware that we didn't really have a choice. It was an absolute waste of food for many of the people that were sitting at our table (not just us) who felt the same way._br/_ Fix this and the day would be perfect!

Review by: Pamela H	July 2011
We arrived at the coach station and were left until late before someone came to get us to go on the bus which was very full and we were not able to sit together. The tour guide had to keep translating for some of the people on the tour and see spent more time with them than others and did not explain thing very well to us. We were not told prior the the tour that we would have trout for lunch and that the only other thing for lunch was a small plate of paste with sauce and not meat. The menu was very poor for the money we paid for this tour. It would have been a nice day out if we had a better tour guide.

Review by: Dorothy S	July 2011
I took a bus tour to the Cotswolds in late June. The scenery is beautiful; the tour guide was pleasant with lots of history knowledge. It is a very long day but well worth it. My particular tour had the misfortune of a traffic delay which really extended our return time. I loved being outside the city limits...

Review by: James G	July 2011
We really enjoyed going to this area of England. The pickup at our hotel was convenient, and the drive was very pleasant. I felt the guide did not do the Cotswolds often enough and did not offer enough information about the area. We definitely enjoed the area, and lunch at the Swan Hotel was excellent. I recommend this tour!

Review by: Lawrence P	June 2011
Our 'Lunch in the Cotswolds' tour was a wonderful experience. We had an amazing time from the moment we were picked up at Paddington by the old Red Double Decker which took us to Victoria Coach Station to the moment we were dropped off by the Tour Coach at the same spot at the end of the day. We credit this to our Tour Guide David (The energetic, enthusiastic School Teacher). He was on the Old Red Bus at the start and changed to the Coach to be our guide. We had just completed a 4 week self drive through South Wales, The Lakes District, Yorkshire Dales, Yorkshire Moors, Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay,and Derbyshire and the Cotswolds was a perfect rounding off. The day tour was value packed and not a moment lost in boredom thanks to David. The Cotswolds sell themselves but when there is someone there to guide you through the history and local colour with such enthusiasm and verve it makes all the difference. Thoroughly enjoyed the package and recommend it without hesitation. Enquire if David is likely to be the guide. You wont regret it.

Review by: susana m	June 2011
great trip and a perfect choise to have David as the presenter of this tour, it couldnt have been better, hiis stories and he is a charming guy.Congratulations.

Review by: Robert A	June 2011
A perfect day to end our London adventure. The Cotswolds were all we had dreamt about. Our guide David and Driver Paul made the day with their wealth of info and great humuor..(us Aussies love that!!) The restaurant was superb with beautifully cooked fresh trout, apple crumble and lovely glass wine. Picture postcard day!!!!!

Review by: Sandy	June 2011
A disappointment. Lunch was very good but no tea. The description said we would have cream tea in the afternoon but instead we had a snack, standing in the home of Shakespear's granddaughter. Too long on the bus and not enough time at the stops. Not worth the money.

Review by: gail.thompson	May 2011
Truly a beautiful part of England. The stops made in the small villages were very rushed. Maybe we would have had more time if our guide didn't have to speak in both English and Japanese. Also, the start time noted on the site is 8:15am however we did not depart the bus depot until 30 minutes later. Time alotted for lunch was good. Not liking fish, I selected the risotto. Too bad I didn't like fish. Pick up at hotel is included while the drop off is only at selected points which caused anxiety for some. The guide did an excellent job of getting people to the best drop off point and then giving directions. Both the driver and guide were professional and courteous. The tour was well organized, (except the late start) the bus clean and people friendly. Be prepared to hoof it if you want to shop or explore. It was a beautiful warm sunny day and we're glad to have experienced the Cotswolds.

Review by: Ronal A	May 2011
I enjoyed the trip so much and the guide Nick and the driver Malcolm were great and funny. Cotswolds is a little piece of heaven and I wish the trip lasted longer than that. My advise is you can make a separate tour for the Shakespeare tour, because it's like cramming two very good trips to one day and the result is we don't get much time enjoying both. Especially Cotswolds because you'd need to sit and relax in order to appreciate this extraordinarily beautiful place.

Review by: JUDY C C	April 2011
I really enjoyed our tour of the Cotswolds. The company was efficient and friendly. The guide was very good.

Review by: Dennis S	March 2011
Beautiful scenery, very good tour guide, great lunch!

Review by: Santo F	March 2011
Relaxing day trip. Would have liked more options for lunch than just trout and vegetarian. Would have liked more time to browse around Stratford Upon Avon. The afternoon cream tea was excellent!

Review by: Constance S	October 2010
I enjoyed it thoroughly. I have a life time of good memories from it. Our guide Celia was excellent.

Review by: Dan N, United States of America	August 2010
Wonderful trip. Beautiful country, charming villages and a nice meal.

Review by: Anonymous, Australia	July 2010
Fabulous day trip excellent tour guide in Ursula wonderful scenery picture perfect villages and a great lunch. Would have liked some free time in Stratford upon Avon we only had time for afternoon tea it was a lovely looking town. Great lunch at a lovely place. Highly recommended.

Review by: Natalie C, Australia	June 2010
This day trip was one of the highlights of my os trip. A lovely day in beautiful surroundings, all efficiently organised through the Viator operator, Natalie C

Review by: Suzanne R, Australia	June 2010
The Cotswolds is a beautiful area and this tour allows you to visit different villages long enough to see the village. The lunch was great. The time at Stratford on Avon could have been longer to give us time to visit Shakespeare's birth place.

Review by: Sandra W, New Zealand	April 2010
If you have limited time and want to see the Cotswolds and Stratford on Avon then this is the trip for you. Our guide was exceptionally gracious and very knowledgable. Weather was not that good but the day was still pleasant and a nice way to unwind.

Review by: William W, Malta	April 2010
Stops at villages too short,and rushed by tour leader.We were not returned to original pickup point.

Review by: Frances W, United Kingdom	February 2010
An unforgettable day in the English country side, the Cotswolds are beautiful – even in the rain! Highly recommended tour if you want to get out of London and see the best of the British countryside.