Cotswold itinerary without a car from Cheltenham (3+ days)

If you’re planning on visiting the Cotswolds without a car, Cheltenham makes an ideal base. As well as being on a direct train line from London, it also has great local bus links. But what are the best and easiest places to visit? This Cotswold itinerary without a car from Cheltenham shows you how to see the region’s highlights by bus, on foot and even by steam train – in three or more days.

Days one, two and three of the itinerary focus on popular towns and villages on the north and central Cotswolds which are easy to reach by public transport from Cheltenham.

Day one covers Bourton-on-the-Water, The Slaughters and Stow-on-the-Wold. Day two visits Northleach, Bibury and Cirencester. And day three focuses on Broadway and Chipping Campden. All are accessible by bus, but we’ve added optional walks if you want to explore on foot.

And if you’re staying in Cheltenham for longer, we’ve also included options for day four and beyond, including other destinations you can reach by bus and train and local walks.

Note: Some of the buses listed don’t run on Sundays, so if you’re visiting the Cotswolds over a weekend you may need to change the order suggested below around.

Day 1: Bourton-on-the-Water, The Slaughters and Stow-on-the-Wold

[This can be done any day of the week including Sundays]

Start the day by taking the Pulhams 801 bus to Bourton-on-the Water. It departs from Cheltenham’s Royal Well Bus Station at 08.20 and arrives in Bourton at 09.15.

Spend the next few hours exploring Bourton-on-the-Water. Busy Bourton is a popular village, with lots of things to do to choose from. See Bourton in miniature at the Model Village, go back in time at the Cotswold Motoring Museum, or visit family-friendly Birdland or the Dragonfly Maze.

There’s also a good choice of cafés where you can stop for a coffee and a snack. Our picks include the Bakery by the Water (especially their sausage rolls), The Den and The Riverside Café.

Walk option: From Bourton, it’s a flat, gentle 1.5-mile walk to Lower Slaughter, which takes around 45 minutes (you can see a map of the route here).

If you don’t want to walk, get back on the Pulhams 801 bus at 12.15 for the short journey to Slaughter Pike, arriving at 12.26. Slaughter Pike [map here] is a 10-minute walk from Lower Slaughter itself – you’ll need to cross the busy A429 then walk down Copsehill Road to reach the village.

Picturesque Lower Slaughter has hardly changed in the last century. Take a walk down Copsehill Road and along the River Eye, admire the Old Mill (which is currently closed for redevelopment), and take a look at the stained glass windows and memorials in St Mary’s Church.

You can also add on a visit to neighbouring Upper Slaughter, which is around a mile or a 20-minute walk away. The route starts behind the Old Mill and follows the river.

Or there are a few possible lunch options in The Slaughters. The Slaughters Country Inn in Lower Slaughter is a more casual pub. Or there are high-end restaurants at two hotels – The Slaughters Manor House in Lower Slaughter and the Lords of the Manor hotel in Upper Slaughter.

Walk option: From Lower Slaughter you can walk on to Stow-on-the-Wold (instructions are for Stow to Bourton but can be reversed). It’s 2.7 miles and takes around an hour.

Otherwise return to Slaughter Pike to pick up the Pulhams 801 bus to Stow-on-the-Wold. The bus departs at 14.26 and only takes six minutes, stopping outside Stow Library.

Spend the rest of the afternoon in Stow-on-the-Wold. Stow’s highlights include St Edward’s Church and its famous Yew Tree Door, the 16th-century buildings and medieval town stocks in the Market Square. There are also plenty of boutique art, antique and interiors shops to browse.

Unfortunately buses don’t run very late so you’ll probably be too early for dinner, but there are some cosy, historic pubs in Stow if you want to call in for a drink before your return journey.

The last Pulhams 801 bus to Cheltenham departs from Stow-on-the-Wold Library at 17.15 (17.05 on Sundays) and arrives at Cheltenham bus station at 18.30 (18.20 on Sundays).

Day 2: Northleach, Bibury and Cirencester

Until mid-December 2025, the Pulhams 855 bus will not stop in Bibury due to water works, so you would need go straight to Cirencester on the 855 from Northleach, then get to and from Bibury using the free hourly shuttle bus from Cirencester.

Begin day two by catching the Stagecoach S2 bus from Cheltenham Royal Well bus station at 08.47, which arrives into Northleach Market Place at 09.21.

Then you have just under an hour until the next bus leaves, so there’s time for a quick look around Northleach. Don’t miss the grand Church of St Peter and St Paul, built with the proceeds of the 15th-century wool trade and known as the ‘Cathedral of the Cotswolds’. There are also pretty half-timbered buildings around the Market Place – and Lynwood & Co do a good coffee.

Then catch the Pulhams 855 bus at 10.15, which arrives at The Square in Bibury at 10.35. Bibury is small and easy to get around on foot, though it can get very busy. You can photograph the cottages on Arlington Row, visit the Trout Farm and walk around the Rack Isle Water Meadows.

Walk option: If you want to get away from the crowds and explore the countryside around Bibury, you could do a 6.7-mile circular walk to Coln St Aldywns, which takes around three hours, and then catch the 14.35 or 15.35 bus to Cirencester.

Next get back on the Pulhams 855 bus at 13.35, which arrives at The Forum in Cirencester at 13.55. Or you could take the 14.35 bus instead if you wanted to have a leisurely lunch in Bibury first – The Swan Brasserie, Catherine Wheel pub and Eleven Bibury café are all good options.

Now you have the rest of the afternoon to explore Cirencester. You can go back in time to the Roman era at the Corinium Museum, climb the tower at the Church of St John the Baptist, pick up local crafts at the New Brewery Arts Centre or visit the town’s fantastic cafés and restaurants.

Then finally catch the Stagecoach 51 bus back to Cheltenham, which leaves from outside Bingham House in Cirencester Market Place. Buses are hourly, with the last leaving Cirencester at 18.27 (18.10 on Saturdays) and arriving at Cheltenham Promenade at 19.10 (19.00 on Saturdays).

Day 3: Broadway and Chipping Campden

There are a couple of different options for day three – one by bus and the other using the Gloucestershire–Warwickshire steam railway. The bus route is quite slow but runs year-round from Monday to Saturday. The steam train is a relaxing, scenic way to travel, but only runs on selected dates, and stations are on the edge of town so you only get a short time in each place.

Option 1 (by bus)

[This can be only be done on Monday–Saturday as the Pulhams 606 doesn’t run on Sundays]

Start by catching the first Pulhams 606 bus of the day, which departs from Pittville Street in Cheltenham at 08.40 and arrives at the Lygon Arms in Broadway at 10.18.

Broadway is a great place for a wander, with lots of beautiful buildings. There’s the Broadway Museum and the Gordon Russell Design Museum, dedicated to a local furniture designer. It also has some of the Cotswolds’ best independent shops if you’re looking for gifts or souvenirs.

Walk option: If you’d like to visit the hilltop Broadway Tower, you can get there on our 4.4-mile circular walk, which takes around two hours (plus time to visit the tower).

If you’d like to have brunch or lunch in Broadway, some of our favourites are the Broadway Deli, Cotswold Lardery Cakery for sweet treats, Flipside burgers and Russell’s fish and chips.

After lunch, get back on board the Pulhams 606 bus for the short journey on to Chipping Campden, which departs at 14.33 and arrives outside the Noel Arms Hotel at 14.47.

You now have a few hours to look around Chipping Campden. You can learn about its links with the Arts and Crafts Movement at the Court Barn Museum, take a look around the Market House and St James’ Church, and meet local craftspeople at the Old Silk Mill. It’s also a good spot for tea, with the Bantam Tea Rooms and Cotswold House Hotel both serving traditional afternoon teas.

Then take the last Pulhams 606 bus from Chipping Campden back to Cheltenham. It leaves from the Noel Arms Hotel at 17.19 and arrives at Pittville Street in Cheltenham at 19.10.

Option 2 (by steam train)

[The GSWR only runs on selected days and timetables change through the year. We’ve suggested times based on their summer timetables but double check current times online]

Start by catching the first train of the day from Cheltenham to Broadway, which departs from Cheltenham Racecourse station at 10.15 and arrives into Broadway at 11.16. Note that some trains are steam-hauled and others use diesel engines – details are shown on the timetables.

Cheltenham Racecourse station is on the northern edge of town. You can get there using the Stagecoach D or E bus (daily) from the High Street or Cheltenham’s main railway station. The bus stops at the Racecourse Park and Ride, a 15-minute walk from the GSWR station.

From Broadway station, it’s a 15-minute walk into the village centre. There’s around 4.5 hours until the last return train, so you could spend all your time exploring Broadway. Or you could get the bus to Chipping Campden (Monday–Saturday only), but it’s fairly tight on time.

For Chipping Campden, you can catch the Pulhams 606 bus from The Lygon Arms in Broadway at 12.33, arriving at the Noel Arms at 12.47. You’ll have time for a quick look around Chipping Campden before catching the 13.45 Stagecoach 1 bus back to Broadway, arriving at 14.05.

The latest train back to Cheltenham leaves Broadway at 15.40 (make sure to allow plenty of time to get back to the station), arriving back at Cheltenham Racecourse at 16.41.

Day 4 onwards

If you’re staying longer, there are several different options you can choose from for our Cotswold itinerary without a car from Cheltenham, depending on what interests you. Don’t forget to allow some time to explore Cheltenham itself – there’s Holst Victorian House, the Wilson Museum and Art Gallery, Pittville Park and Pump Room, a Public Art Trail, theatres and regular festivals.

Option 1: More destinations by bus/train

There are several other Cotswold towns and villages you can visit by bus or train from Cheltenham as well as those included in days one to three. These can all easily be done in a day.

The Stagecoach 66 bus (daily) connects Cheltenham with Painswick, where you can visit the Rococo Garden and count yew trees at St Mary’s Church. It also continues to Stroud (which you can reach by direct train from Cheltenham too), which has a brilliant Saturday Farmers’ Market.

You can also visit Winchcombe and Sudeley Castle on the Stagecoach W or slower Pulhams 606 (both Monday–Saturday). Or travel to Burford and Oxford on the Stagecoach S2 (daily).

And you can visit Bath by train (daily), though you need to change at Bristol Temple Meads.

Option 2: Walks

If you want to get out and explore the Cotswold countryside, there are several scenic walks within easy reach of Cheltenham which you can access using public transport.

Two hill walks on the edge of town both come with panoramic views – a 3-mile circular route around Leckhampton Hill (get to the start by catching the Pulhams L bus to Leckhampton Hill Foot) and a 6-mile loop around Cleeve Hill (catch the Stagecoach W bus to the Malvern View stop).

Cheltenham is also just off the route of the Cotswold Way long distance hiking route, so you could walk a section of it. It’s around 12 miles to Winchcombe or 19 miles to Painswick.

You could also get the Stagecoach 61 bus to Painswick for circular walks to Painswick Beacon (4.4 miles) or through the Slad Valley (7.3 miles). Or take a Stagecoach W or Pulhams 606 bus to Winchcombe for routes to Sudeley Castle or Neolithic burial site Belas Knap.

Do you have questions about exploring the Cotswolds without a car? Join our Facebook group for Cotswold public transport news, tips and advice.

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