2-Day Cotswolds, Bath and Oxford Small-Group Tour from London
London, United Kingdom
Escape London for two days on a small-group overnight tour to the Cotswolds, Bath and Oxford. Visit small, beautiful towns where it seems as if time has stood still for 300 years. Full of history and tradition, these towns are where you’ll discover Britain at its best. In a small group of less than 16 people, you are sure to enjoy a personalized and valuable experience with your guide.
Leave the hustle and bustle of London behind for two lovely days in the picturesque English countryside. This two-day tour takes you to the Cotswolds, Bath and Oxford.
Day 1: Your first destination is Wiltshire, a rural county of small villages and scenic landscapes, perfect for a relaxing day in the country. Visit the three stone circles of Avebury, the lesser-known sister of Stonehenge. Stop by the Marlborough White Horse, which is a hill figure, cut in the ground in 1804 by school pupils and the Abbey house, which was once home to the Talbot family. Then head to the village of Lacock, the setting for many TV and film productions, including Pride and Prejudice and the Harry Potter films.
Your guide will then take you to the city of Bath, famous for its Georgian architecture, where you will see the city’s renowned Roman Baths. You'll have enough free time there to explore the town and grab lunch. (at owns expense) Take a deep breath of the hot steam and feel a bit like the Romans felt 2000 years ago.
Your first day ends in Cirencester, a small market town in the heart of the Cotswolds, where you’ll stay the night in your choice of either a 3-star bed and breakfast or 3-star hotel. Your guide will recommend you some local restaurants, where you can enjoy your dinner (at own expense).
Day 2: After breakfast (included), explore more of the Cotswolds. Visit Bibury, a village that typifies the region’; Stow-on-the Wold, a small market town; and Bampton, better known as Downton Village where scenes from the hit Downton Abbey TV series are filmed.
Last but not least, make your way to Oxford and discover the charming college courtyards and winding alleys. Harry Potter fans may recognize a few places used in the films!
Head back to London with a new appreciation for the English countryside.
This is a great tour and is an amazing taster for the cotswolds, oxford and bath! James is a brilliant driver/guide and told us many interesting stories about the places of interest we drove by. Being a 2 day tour only, it doesn't give us a lot of time in each place but is just right to explore the major sights of an area, enjoy the great food there, and soak in the beautiful scenery. I want to suggest Rabbie's tours that they have a 5 day cotswolds, bath and Oxford tour with the same itinerary so that there is more time to spend in certain places at leisure and spend a night in Oxford and Bath as well. The B and B accommodation with no extra cost, included with the tour is exceptional. Surely go for that option as the rooms are large and full English breakfast is super. Being a small group the tour is private and exclusive with not a lot of hustle and noise. The villages of Cotswolds- Bilbury, Stow on Wold etc are gorgeous just like a painting, Oxford is magical and there's a lot to explore in Bath as well.There are great eating options throughout the tour, quaint tea places for cream tea and scones in the cotswolds, old pubs with a brilliant Sunday roast, pie or fish and chips if you fancy. Highly recommend this tour if you have only two days and are keen on exploring these places. It is a great experience,
Review by: henryho14, January 2018
This tour is suitable for those who want to get a flavor of the English countryside as it covers multiple locations that's well spaced out in terms of itinerary. Hence, for each location, you get anything as short as 15minutes for one stop views, up to 3.5hours for large towns like Oxford and Bath. I'm sure you can discuss the options with the driver/guide in advance. The guide/driver we had was quite knowledgeable and gave insightful commentaries on the go. However, it would have been better if he was more engaging with the group as interaction was mostly one way on the intercom. Offline chats with the guide was mostly lacklustre and non reciprocal for me._br/_ The B and B place was basic but charming and breakfast was more than adequate with good spread of traditional English fair. Very friendly lady. Overall, an enjoyable and well paced itinerary.
Review by: Sharon D, November 2017
This was a fabulous tour overall! The one thing I would change would be for the on-ground portion to have some guidance in Bath and the other areas.... I found a store that sold a map of Bath, and with limited time I still saw pretty much everything I wanted to see. But there was anxiety about how far to go and be able to make it back to the bus. I would recommend that you download a map in advance so you can plot your walking tour in advance. The bus dropped off and the guide on the bus left until we were picked up later. I had been to Bath before and had visited the Roman baths, so I didn't include it this time. If you definitely want to see the baths, book a tour that already has tickets for you... otherwise, you won't know if you have time to stand in the line and visit other areas like I went to the Jane Austen museum and wanted to see some of the Georgian architectural areas... but I missed the bridge. I would have preferred a walking tour that made sure to include the highlights and then have some free time. Same thing for Oxford. Or at least tell people in advance that they will be completely on their own.... and give them a map when they get off the bus so you don't spend time looking for the tourist office.
Review by: Chantal H, November 2017
Steven is an excellent guide, extremely knowledgeable. He definitely has a storyteller talent. I highly recommend this tour.
Review by: gmuller, October 2017
Jeff was very informative. I loved his jokes and literary references. When my friend lost her phone he went out of his way to help. The personal touch is what makes the tours with Rabbies so special.
Review by: maggierose.muldoon, October 2017
Wonderful tour! Our guide Dean was excellent.
Review by: Timothy W, October 2017
Tour guide Daniel was brilliant. Very knowledgeable, considerate, funny and an excellent driver. The tour was most enjoyable and great value for money.
Review by: Judith K, October 2017
Nigel, our tour manager / driver, was excellent. He gave good information and commentary the entire trip and was accommodating when possible. Tour stops were a good cross-section of the Cotswolds. The one strong suggestion is to have the itinerary arrival timing in both Bath and Oxford adjusted just a little bit to allow for local walking tours. In both cities, had we arrived 15 minutes earlier we could have taken walking tours that started on the hour. We still recommend this 2-day tour and suggest you ask for Nigel to be your driver!
Review by: Judith K, October 2017
Appreciated our driver, Nigel, who was knowledgeable. Recommend this tour.
Review by: psdey2015, September 2017
The idea behind booking this tour was to see the England countryside which was totally successful. We visited several villages and towns. Best part was we got plenty of time to explore the places. Being in a small group makes things easier. James, our guide and driver is absolutely informative.
Review by: Elizabeth F, September 2017
Our tour guide, Nora was EXCELLENT!! She was very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. We saw so much in such a short time! The neolithic and medieval sites were incredible and we so enjoyed Bath and Oxford. HIGHLY recommend. Viator was also wonderful. I had double booked the trip by accident and they immediately refunded me when I explained the situation. Could not have been more pleased.
Review by: Abhishek K, September 2017
This was a great tour and the tour guide was great with a very good knowledge. The places covered in this tour are amazing and feels like you are in some movie specially when you are in the Cotswold region.
Review by: Sheela G, August 2017
Really awesome tour. I would have preferred spending less time at the Cotswolds and more time at Bath and Oxford but overall it was a solid tour.
Review by: Doris J, August 2017
Jaime was a great tour leader..... entertaining, knowledgeable and helpful. It rained both days of our tour but it didn't stop us from from enjoying the sites. The beautiful Cotswold countryside, cottages with lovely thatched roofs and fun shopping made for a delightful trip. During our stay at the Corium Hotel in Cirencester we had a fabulous lamb dinner. We loved the tour!
Review by: PENELOPE C, August 2017
My Mum and I had a great trip. Lots of lovely countryside, pretty villages and stunning architecture. We were very well looked after.
Review by: Wei Ying C, August 2017
Beautiful and interesting villages. Would have enjoyed it better if we have a more friendly tour driver.
Review by: Wei Ying C, July 2017
Beautiful and interesting villages. Would have enjoyed it better if we have a more friendly tour driver.
Review by: margaretrosene8, July 2017
Wonderful trip, well-narrated by our excellent guide, Nigel. He went above and beyond, resolving a misunderstanding at our lovely lodging and arranging for transportation when we needed to hop off the tour to make connections for our next adventure--all without disruption to our experience. The small group experience was also great and we made some good friends on this trip.
Review by: danamichel, June 2017
This tour was beautiful. The small size of our group made for a more relaxed atmosphere. Our guide Hugh was fun and a very safe driver. We visited 7 places in total, with Cirencester and Bibury being my favorites for scenic beauty, and Bath my favorite for shopping. Our Bed and Breakfast in Cirencester was top notch. This tour was worth every penny!
Review by: Claire, June 2017
Thoroughly enjoyed this trip. The Cotswolds was my favourite! If I'd change anything it would be to give. Oxford a miss and spend more time in those amazing little villages. Our guide Sarah was so knowledgeable and welcoming and our driver Sylvia was so lovely and brilliant in both the busy city and very tight back country lanes. Well done Rabbies! These ladies are an asset.
Review by: Johnny, May 2017
Wonderful, well organised tour with an excellent guide in Jamie._br/_ Thanks for the wonderful experience through the beautiful Cotswolds, in Bath and Oxford!_br/_ Highly recommended for everyone who visits London.
Review by: Ann S, May 2017
A very special two days traveling with Nick- our driver and other passenger. The tour was lovely, Nick is very knowledgeable and also told some very witty stories. The countryside was wonderful, rain or shine. My favourite places were Bibury, Bath and Oxford. I stayed in the Corinium Hotel in Cirencester overnight and it was absolutely charming Four poster bed, en suite extremely comfortable. The hotel also a dining room and bar. Well worth the money. I would definitely use this company again._br/_ Ann Smith
Review by: Msfltatt, April 2017
Jamie our tour guide was amazing ! A weath of information and great sense of humor ! I would highly recommend this tour and especially Jamie . _br/_ The B and B the Bungalow was excellent the owners were very nice and out traditional breakfast was great start to our day !
Review by: Msfltatt, April 2017
On a scale of 1-10 this tour with Jamie as our guide was a 15. We had only 9 people on this tour so it was more personal and Jamie remembered everyone's name . _br/_ We loved the villages we visited and have a load of beautiful pictures to share with family and friends who now want to go on the tour !
Review by: Jennifer M, March 2017
Great way to see a lot of English country side in two days. Small group and great accommodation. The guides were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend this trip for an individual or couple who want to see a lot in a short time without the hassle of driving and booking their own accommodation.
Review by: Stephen F. H, November 2016
What an amazing and interesting tour. By far the best of our entire trip. Sarah our tour guide, didn't miss a beat. She was on top of every detail and was extremely informative and knowledgeable about everything we saw. Sylvia our driver, was great also. Not only a good driver but informative as well. The B and B we stayed at was lovely, very typically British. The breakfast was great and the landlord was a lot of fun. Only one preference, would have liked to spend more time in Bath and less in Oxford. Other than that, tour was definitely worth the money and great way to see that part of England. Highly recommended!!
Review by: Linda S, November 2016
great wonderful and worth the money.
Review by: cyaujones, October 2016
The trip was so so good, I would recommend it to anyone to do, an for sure I do again.Debbie
Review by: Alexandra I, October 2016
Beautiful trip,great guide his name is Hugh, we had an amazing time.
Review by: Joanne H, October 2016
If you manage to get Steve as your Tour Guide all the better. Knowledgeable with just the right amount of info and quiet. Excellent driver. On time and kept the small group of us - 15 together without being officious. Recommend that if you have mobility issues be sure to request that the accommodation selected for you has no or very few stairs. Taking a 90 year old up 4 flights of stairs in a quaint, comfortable Inn was not fun. No other options were available for us. But beware.
Review by: Dianne S, October 2016
This tour was fantastic, Dan was the perfect guide/ driver he was so informative with a great sense of humour and a very diligent safe driver, the group was small which made it even more enjoyable. The accommodation at the bed and breakfast was truly lovely. I know I would have liked to have spent more time in Bath and given Oxford a miss.
Review by: Deborah J, October 2016
Great!! Small group made it very pleasant and allowed access to more areas. Sarah, our guide, was amazing - extremely knowledgeable, great personality, handled every little item that came up easily! My husband was also very impressed with the driver can't remember her name, but she is from Poland. Also, the fact that there was a guide and separate driver was a huge advantage. Best tour we gave ever taken! It was a Rabbie tour.
Review by: Susan S, September 2016
This was a great trip giving a taste of bath and the Cotswolds. Sarah was an excellent guide and Michelle the driver looked after us very well
Review by: Linda S, August 2016
The guild Sara Rose was great and I love the whole tour. Our driver Billy was also great and I would be happy to go on another tour with them any time. A lot of value for the money, nice hotel and a wonderful breakfast.
Review by: reed, July 2016
Great tour! Even better than I had expected. Tour guide was very knowledgable, nice and accommodating. Highly recommend this tour, it's a great mix of villages, history and beautiful cities!
Review by: Serena E, July 2016
The tour was great and the sights were beautiful! The B and B we stayed in was very cute and cozy. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. It was one of the highlights of my trip! I definitely plan on taking another tour the next time we come back!
Review by: Mouktika A, July 2016
This was the highlight of our trip, we had such an amazing time! Lots to see and do, but the pace was manageable and our tour guide, Sarah, was so lovely and informative. The B and B we stayed at was also great. I cannot recommend this enough!
Review by: iran, July 2016
I arrived on site on schedule and had several mixed companies and sought information with an attendant who told me to stay in a wrong line and thought the bus was late. I was wrong to trust, but when I went to the representative of the correct agency, she was extremely aggressive, yelled at me saying it was not mistake the company, in fact not was not but it was a terrible indelizadeza, besides losing my trip I programmed for more than five months I was humbled by the English resposavel on site. I never come back to buy something with this company because the service of a non-qualified staff to meet tourists, bad signage, so this company should meet English tourists. I do not recommend. The fame that the English are cold was proven, people without psychological preparation to meet customers.
Review by: Anne N, June 2016
Great trip! Loved the itinerary! Our guide Sarah was terrific. Very bright and definitely a great guide which really makes the trip so memorable. Michelle our driver also delightful. Thanks for a great memory!
Review by: MICHELE J, June 2016
This tour was an excellent introduction to the Cotswolds - very well organized. Our guide, Dan, was fantastic - full of interesting anecdotes, very attentive and personable. Would have liked an extra day to see a little more of the area.
Review by: Michelle L, June 2016
Fantastic tour. Our tour guide Andy was the best. Well prepared, friendly, and helpful Andy was a delight, he certainly Made a diffrence.
Review by: hocking_julie, June 2016
We had a wonderful guide on our small bus of 14 ,his name was Dan,a charming fellow full of knowledge on the areas we visited._br/_ Our overnight Guest House stay was pristine and very comfortable ,the Host and Hostess were delightful people and very helpful in settling us in for a comfortable stay after our long day out .The guest house was called The Old Bungalow. Our Breakfast was included and huge amount of food ._br/_ The places we stopped at were absolutely beautiful and overall it was a fantastic trip.Im not sure what I loved the most. Bath or Cotswolds or the most beautiful village in the Cotswolds. Dan was a great driver and we covered a lot of country in this 2day trip. _br/_ My only down part was the airconditioning in the bus. But that wouldn't put me off going on this trip again .
Review by: hocking_julie, June 2016
This was a fantastic tour and our guide. Dan, was a great guide. He made the trip a great success with his full on knowledge of the places we went and went overboard with the extras he knew of different areas we visited .A genuinely friendly fellow,full of knowledge .Our accomodation at the Old Bungalow was 11out of 10 .I would definitely book this tour again and hope I had Dan as tour guide again and stayed at the Old Bungalow.
Review by: billy, June 2016
The country side was just so beautiful. My whole family enjoyed the scenery very much. We wish we could spend more time in Bibury as the place was just enchanting. Our night stay at the Corinium Hotel was memorable, as it was our first time staying in a 16th building. Special praise to our excellent guide who took extra effort to take care of us, making this tour a very friendly trip. We had a nice couple from San Francisco and two wonderful ladies from Auckland in our group, and we got along very well. I must say this is by far the best trip I have taken. Kudos.
Review by: Roberta S, May 2016
Springtime, sunshine and the magic of the Cotswolds and cities visited made for a wonderful trip. Our guide, Jamie, was a font of knowledge and fun trivia as well. Once we were off the bus, we were free to wander on our own after given top tips by Jamie.
Review by: Holly, May 2016
This certainly was a tour worth taking. Due to the small size of the van, we were able to go off the beaten path and travel to areas that no larger vehicles could visit. This was such a plus as there were lovely villages where we were the only visitors. Jeff was a knowledgebale guide and was such a curteous and patient driver that we never felt unsafe or that he was rushing to get us through the tour. My only reason for 4 stars versus 5 was due to our overnight accomodations. While the accomodations themselves were just fine, the entire group 14 of us were split up in different locations for the night. I was in a guest house all by myself with no one to dine with at night so I was wandering around the city by myself. I really feel that they could do a better job of keeping the group together or at the very least not have a single person stranded by themselves. Other than that, I can't say enough about this overnight tour!
Review by: Ikuko B, April 2016
It was a wonderful trip. Jeremy and Andy were very knowledgeable. I enjoyed taking photos of old buildings in Cotsworlds towns.
Review by: neil j, April 2016
great trip , well managed by tour leader ,Glen, well informed and good fun
Review by: neil j, April 2016
Great trip, very well managed by tour leader ,good fun
Review by: Ian M, April 2016
Such a wonderful 2 days spent enjoying this serene and peaceful part of England. Lush green rolling fields with Daffodils popping up everywhere as is Spring. The villages visited out of picture books with magnificent stone buildings. Great thatched hedging along the roadways. The Hotel Corinium in Cirencester so traditional and welcoming. Visiting Oxford and Bath you were given ample time to enjoy the towns and feel the ambience. A very comfortable 16 seater Mercedes van offered terrific viewing as you were up high. Ambrose our guide/driver very good. Very good value for money...
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