Is the Cotswolds Worth Visiting? What I Love (And Don’t)

For years, the Cotswolds was literally my weekend plan: with my boyfriend, with my sister, with friends and sometimes with my whole family. So when people ask me if it’s worth visiting, I’ve got a pretty strong opinion lol.

Is the Cotswolds worth visiting? The short answer is yes, but it’s not perfect because nowhere is (but it does come close). I would say that how much you love it really depends on when you go and how you plan it and so this is my honest take on what’s brilliant, what’s overhyped and who I think it’s for.

My Honest Verdict: Yes, With A Few Catches

For me, absolutely yes. There truly is no nicer place to be around that part of England – I mean come on – it genuinely looks like it’s out of a fairytale book. It’s a protected Cotswolds National Landscape covering around 2,000 square kilometres, so there’s far more to it than the handful of villages on Instagram, and there’s a cosy pub at the end of almost every walk – and literally every single one I’ve been in has a log fire burning during the colder months which is so cosy – just look how happy my face is in that picture above lol.

But it’s not all perfect. The most famous villages get VERY busy, you really need a car to see the best of it, and summer can be expensive. If you go in with the right plan, though, it’s one of my favourite places in the UK, and everything I’ve written about it is in my complete Cotswolds travel guide.

What I Love About The Cotswolds

The Villages

The villages are the reason most people go – myself included – and they deserve the hype. My favourites are the ones I keep going back to, like Broadway, Stanton and Chipping Campden in the north. Broadway is the one I’d choose as a base: it’s small and lively without that overcrowded feeling, and you can walk up to watch the sunset at Broadway Tower. I would say it’s less ‘toy-town’ than places like Castle Combe, but it’s bigger and more to do. The smaller villages really are just pretty photo spots, nice walks and a couple of pubs most of the time – like, Castle Combe is so small that I found some of the shops only take cash!

My guide to the prettiest Cotswold villages has the 11 I love most, with where I park and eat in each one.

The Walks

Walking is honestly one of the best things about the Cotswolds. I’ve done the walk up to Broadway Tower so many times I’ve lost count, and I’ve been at different times of day in every season: sunset wins every single time. I’ve also fallen flat on my bum on that muddy hill more than once, so wear proper boots.

I also did a circular walk around Castle Combe with my sister recently in autumn and the colours were really beautiful. We were slightly late for the colours to be in their prime, but honestly they were still really pretty. My only regret was not wearing more layers because boy was it cold. Thankfully my sister was more prepared than me and had packed a spare jumper!

My 15 favourite Cotswolds walks has routes for every level, most with a pub stop.

The Food And The Pubs

A big part of a Cotswolds weekend for me is the food. Kingham is my idea of a perfect foodie day: Daylesford farm shop in the morning, then the roast chicken at The Wild Rabbit, which is the best roast I’ve had anywhere in the Cotswolds. And in Burford, Huffkins is my favourite for a cream tea – it’s literally such a classic that you just can’t go wrong with getting anything from there. It is a chain too by the way, so I believe there are also a few more dotted around The Cotswolds.

Winter

This might surprise you, but I actually prefer the Cotswolds in winter to summer. The villages feel cosier, the pubs light their fires, and from late November the Christmas lights go up, which really just adds to the magic of the whole place tbh. The Christmas tree in the river at Bourton-on-the-Water is one of my favourite things, especially when the water moves and the lights seem to wobble – although naturally I always think…gosh, surely that’s a safety hazard. My cosy Cotswolds winter guide has all my favourite winter days out.

What I Don’t Love (The Downsides)

The Famous Villages Get Busy

Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, Castle Combe and Broadway get the crowds, especially in August, on bank holiday weekends and over Easter. In Bourton, we always parked a little outside the village and walked in, because trying to park in the middle just isn’t worth the stress. If you want photos without people in them, go early in the morning or late in the afternoon because honestly it’s just kind of unbearable. I literally don’t have any photos from times where I’ve been and it’s busy because I just left lol.

Summer Is The Busiest And Most Expensive Time

Summer is when most people think that the Cotswolds looks like the postcards (even though I would argue that the other seasons do just as much), but it’s also when it’s busiest and most expensive, especially once the schools break up. I don’t really like being there at that time of year as I said. If summer is your only option, you’ll still have a great time, but I’d avoid the weekends like the plague!

You Really Need A Car

The villages are spread out and the buses are patchy, so a car makes it SO much easier. You can absolutely do it without one, but you’ll see fewer places for sure. If you’d rather not drive at all, you can do a small-group Cotswolds day tour from London instead, or compare Cotswolds car hire if you need one. I’ve done it by car many many times, and also a bit by train, but my guide to getting around the Cotswolds has the trains, buses and the best car-free base.

The Weather And The Mud

Let’s be honest – this is England, so you never really know what you’re going to get, and it’s worth checking the Met Office weather forecast the day before you go. Sometimes I’ve been in the UK and having a BBQ in March, and other times I’ve been putting my woolly hat on to go out in the snow – IN THE SAME MONTH. In winter the paths get VERY muddy, and on the really cold days I always walk less and spend more time in the pubs, because it stops being enjoyable when it’s that cold. I’m really not made for being outside in the cold for long though, so that might be a me problem.

Who The Cotswolds Is (And Isn’t) For

It’s great for	It’s not ideal for
Couples wanting a cosy weekend away	Anyone after nightlife
Walkers and countryside lovers	Travellers who don’t want to drive and won’t plan around buses
Foodies and pub lovers	Big-city sightseeing
Christmas markets and light trails	Anyone who hates crowds in August

When I’d Go

Despite what I said about not being made for the cold, if I had to pick, I’d still go in winter, especially late November to mid-December, when the colours are still somewhat pretty and the Christmas lights start to go – a) because it’s quieter and b) because I think it just looks and feels so much more mystical.

September is the sweet spot if you want the summer look without the summer crowds, and October is all about the autumn colours. My month-by-month Cotswolds guide goes through every month.

How Long To Spend There

I’d say three days is ideal (I’ve gone into how long to spend in the Cotswolds in more detail). Two days or a weekend works too, as long as you stick to one area, like Broadway and the north Cotswolds. We’ve driven from one end of the Cotswolds to the other, and it takes about an hour and a half to two hours, so it’s really doable with lots of little stops. My perfect 3-day Cotswolds itinerary has the route I’d do. When we based ourselves in Broadway, we stayed at The Broadway Hotel.

Is The Cotswolds Worth Visiting? FAQs

Is the Cotswolds worth visiting for a weekend?

Yes. A weekend is enough to see a handful of villages and do a walk, as long as you base yourself in one area, like Broadway and the north Cotswolds, so you’re not spending half the time in the car.

Is the Cotswolds overrated?

The most famous villages can feel crowded and touristy at peak times, but the Cotswolds as a whole isn’t overrated. Go out of season, visit early in the day and mix the famous villages with quieter ones like Stanton, Snowshill and Blockley.

Is the Cotswolds expensive?

It can be, mostly because of the hotels, which are priciest in summer and over Christmas. Food and parking cost about what you’d pay anywhere touristy in England, and the walks, views and villages are free, so where you sleep and when you go makes the biggest difference.

What is the prettiest village in the Cotswolds?

It’s personal, but Bibury, Castle Combe, Lower Slaughter and Broadway are the ones people usually mean. The Cotswolds covers around 2,000 square kilometres across six counties, so there are plenty of quieter villages that are just as pretty.

Is the Cotswolds worth visiting in winter?

Yes. Winter is quieter, cosier and cheaper than summer, and late November to December has Christmas markets and light trails. The days are short and the paths get muddy, so plan pub stops and wear boots.

Where is the best place to visit in the Cotswolds?

For a first visit, I’d base myself in Broadway and the north Cotswolds, so Broadway, Stanton and Chipping Campden are all close by, then add a day around Bourton-on-the-Water and the Slaughters. Castle Combe in the south is beautiful too, but it’s small, so it works best as a stop rather than a base.

My Final Verdict

For me, the Cotswolds is absolutely worth visiting, just maybe not on an August bank holiday weekend lol. Go out of season, base yourself in one area like Broadway, and finish every muddy walk in a cosy pub by the fire, and I think you’ll love it as much as I do.

More Cotswolds Guides

All my Cotswolds posts are in one place in my Cotswolds travel guide, and these are the ones to read next:

• A perfect 3-day Cotswolds itinerary
• The prettiest Cotswold villages
• My honest Broadway Tower review
• Getting around the Cotswolds