Honey-Stone Villages, Coastal Trails, and Medieval Castles
Hiking the Cotswold Way and Wales
Overview
The idyllic villages of the Cotswolds and wild seascapes of Wales' Pembrokeshire Coast Path grace this spectacular journey. On the Cotswold Way, we'll hike between honey-colored 17th century wool villages tucked among ancient forests and emerald-green meadows. After exploring Jane Austen's beloved city of Bath, we hike right into Wales to reach romantic Tintern Abbey, then along the banks of the lush River Wye and cliff paths of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Overnights are in historic manor houses, a Georgian townhouse, and traditional inns, and our culinary delights range from local Cotswold lamb to Welsh mussels straight from the sea.
Arrive: Stratford-on-Avon, England
Depart: Cardiff, Wales
Highlights
- Hike the most scenic stretches of the Cotswold Way and Pembrokeshire Coast Path
- Meet farmers, storytellers, and historians
- Explore the World Heritage city of Bath, with its Roman spa and Georgian architecture
- Enjoy overnights in historic manor houses and traditional inns
Itinerary
Meeting in the beautiful Cotswold village of Stratford on Avon, we hike the Cotswold Way through Chipping Campden, with its golden limestone buildings dating to the 16th century, and to the archaeological site of Belas Knap, a Neolithic chambered tomb. Our hotel is a historic coaching inn with a welcoming restaurant.
We follow trails through magical English forests to a farm where rare Old Gloucester breeds of cows are raised, visit a prize-winning cheesemaker here, sample his Double Gloucester, then hike to the wool village of Wotton-under-Edge. Our hotel is in the hilltop village of Painswick, a center of the wool trade since the Middle Ages.
We visit the colorful gardens at Highgrove, built in the late 18th century in Georgian neo-classical style, after which we'll head to the World Heritage city of Bath. With its monumental Georgian architecture and original Roman baths, it's easy to see why this city inspired Jane Austen.
A hike across the Anglo-Welsh border brings us to the tranquil Wye Valley and then to magnificent Tintern Abbey, where a monk-historian leads us through the haunted halls. In Brecon Beacons, we'll hike through heather-cloaked hills then explore the book-lover's mecca of Hay-on-Wye.
We'll stop in at the poet Dylan Thomas' home at Laugharne, then hike the dramatic Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, keeping watch for basking seals. Our final hike circles Carreg Cennen, one of Wales' most spectacular castles. Depart from Cardiff on Day 11.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is ratedLevel 3, Moderate, according to our trip grading system. You will need to be comfortable hiking 10 miles a day and being on your feet for up to 7 hours a day. You will need to be able to keep up with the moderate but steady pace of the group as there are no alternative hiking options available. Trail conditions, weather, and the group's level of fitness can affect hiking times and pacing.
Average Hiking Day
Review Trip Level Details
Average Hiking Day
- 7 miles
- 4-5 hours
- 1,000 feet gain and 700 feet loss
- Day 4: 11.3 miles, 4.5-5.5 hours, 1,860 feet gain/1,845 feet loss
The trails along the Cotswold Way are generally well-marked and wide, and they include earthy tracks, grassy paths through fields, wide tractor routes through woodlands, and some short sections on quiet roads. With the exception of the hike in Brecon Beacon National Park where there is a continuous 2,000 foot climb (trip members can elect to be driven halfway up), most days have gentle elevation change throughout the hike. There are sections on some of our hikes that are rocky and rugged, but we will not get too close to the cliff edge. With rainfall, some areas can be muddy.
Even in the summer, the weather in England and Wales can change quickly due to their maritime climate. However, summers are generally mild and fresh with average daytime temperatures around 70°F. Wales tends to be wetter than England, with slightly less sunshine. Showers are usually short lived, but as the weather is unpredictable, it is necessary to bring raingear on every hike.
Our accommodations are in small, quaint hotels that have been selected for their local history and charm. Since they are often in historic buildings, the rooms are not always of uniform or international size. Our leaders do their best to assign rooms in a fair way so that all participants experience an equal advantage throughout the trip as a whole. There are no elevators and many buildings have low beams. Single rooms can be requested but are not always available, due to the limited space in the hotels. If you prefer a single room, please make your request as early as possible.
Lunches will either be at local cafes and pubs or picnic-style during one of our hikes. Dinners will be at a local restaurant or at the hotel. We will have a chance to experience a range of local cuisines, and one of our hotels includes a restaurant with locally-sourced products. Please note that in Europe, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the US. We do our best to secure early reservations for our groups, but most often the evening meal will be at 7:30 pm.
Our van will transport the group's luggage, so you only need to carry a daypack for items you need for the day (rain gear, sweater, camera, water bottle, etc.). Trip members are always free to skip a day's hike and travel to the next destination in the support vehicle (or remain at the hotel if we are not transferring that day).
Other Trips You Might Like
Browse All Trips
Small Group Adventure
England Coast to Coast
England
Level 4+
12 Days
From $6,895
Small Group Adventure
Hiking in Cornwall
England
Level 3+
11 Days
From $6,795
Small Group Adventure
Hiking the Yorkshire Dales Way
England
Level 3
11 Days
From $5,495
Small Group Adventure
Walking England’s Jurassic Coast and Channel Islands
England
Level 2+
9 Days
From $5,995
Book your trip today
Our Area Specialists know every detail about our tours. They will be happy to answer any questions and help you choose the journey that’s right for you. Contact us to learn more or book your trip today!
Itinerary
Submit the form below to download itinerary
Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.
Level 1 – Easiest
Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Level 2 – Easy to Moderate
Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Level 3 – Moderate
Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
- Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
- Argentina: Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
- Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
- Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.
Level 4 – Moderate to Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Level 5 – Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Level 6 – Very Strenuous
Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.