The Cotswolds knows how to do Christmas – crisp country walks, sparkling decorations, hot chocolates, pub lunches and nights by the fire. It’s the ideal time for a relaxed short break, either before or after Christmas. But how do you decide what to see if you don’t have much time?
This two-night, three-day itinerary brings together some of the region’s most charming towns along with seasonal highlights like Christmas shopping, light trails and wintery viewpoints. It’s designed to be flexible, so you can add in any special events taking place during your visit.
The itinerary involves travelling by car to give you more flexibility and so you can see more in a short period of time. But there’s also a public transport version if you don’t want to drive.
Planning your Cotswold Christmas trip
Book hotels and restaurants in advance: Christmas in the Cotswolds is getting busier each year. So book accommodation at least a couple of months in advance and make reservations for restaurants – specially at weekends in December and between Christmas and New Year.
If you’re struggling to find somewhere (or at least somewhere affordable) to stay, try one of the less-well-known towns and villages like Northleach, Winchcombe or Painswick. Or base yourself in a larger town or city around the edge of the Cotswolds like Cheltenham or Stratford.
Layer up to keep warm: It’s pretty unusual to see snow in the Cotswolds in December, but it will be cold and often damp. Average high temperatures are 7ºC (45ºF) and lows are 3ºC (37ºF), but if you’re standing around at Christmas markets or carol concerts it can feel a lot colder.
Make sure you have a decent waterproof coat as well as a scarf, hat and gloves. Hand warmers are useful if you’re going to be outside for a long time, like at a light trail. Footpaths can be muddy so pack waterproof and slip-proof shoes if you’re planning on doing any walking.
Plan for short days: The sun rises around 8am and sets at 4pm so winter days are short. But that leaves plenty of time to enjoy the Christmas lights and warm up by a crackling log fire.
Check opening hours: Cafés, restaurants and attractions often change their hours around Christmas – closing earlier or staying open late for special events – so check in advance.
Have a plan B in case it rains: Ideally winter would be non-stop crisp, cold, frosty days, but in reality you’re likely to get some rain. On average there are 18 wet days in December, so it’s useful to have a plan B so you can swap outdoor activities for indoor ones if you need to.
Our guide to things to do in the Cotswolds in the rain has lots of ideas, but some of the best festive ones are visiting a stately home like Dyrham Park or Lacock Abbey which are decorated for Christmas. Go to the theatre for a panto or festive show. Or treat yourself to a spa day.
Parking: You can find details of parking in each stop in our town and village guides.
Ultimate 3-day Cotswolds Christmas itinerary
This three-day itinerary gives you a taste of what makes the Cotswolds so special at Christmas, from cosy pubs to Christmas lights, wintery walks to festive afternoon teas.
The itinerary can be done at any time in December. But there are lots of events taking place during the month, so you can adapt it depending on the dates of your visit to swap days around or add in Christmas markets or events like carol concerts and theatre shows – see our Christmas market guide for the dates of markets and our Christmas in the Cotswolds guide for other events.
Travelling without a car? We’ve included an alternative car-free, three-day Cotswolds Christmas itinerary at the end of the post, which uses public transport to get around instead.
Day 1: Stow on the Wold, The Slaughters and Bourton-on-the-Water
After arriving in the Cotswolds, head to your first stop at Stow-on-the-Wold. This hilltop town is ‘where the wind blows cold’, so don’t forget your scarf! It has lots of antique shops and art galleries to browse, and St Edward’s Church with its famously atmospheric Yew Tree Door.
From Stow, travel south to Upper Slaughter (3.5 miles), which along with its neighbour Lower Slaughter is often rated among the Cotswolds’ prettiest villages. It’s an easy mile-long walk between them along a riverside path. Once you reach Lower Slaughter you can have a festive afternoon tea at The Slaughters Manor House or lunch in traditional pub The Slaughters Country Inn.
Head back to Upper Slaughter to pick up your car and travel on to Bourton-on-the-Water (3 miles). Bourton is one of the most popular spots in the Cotswolds, but the crowds aren’t so bad in winter, especially on weekdays. So it’s a good time to visit the Cotswold Motoring Museum or Model Village. And don’t miss the Victorian Christmas Shop, where it’s Christmas year-round.
Bourton’s spectacular Christmas tree is set up in the middle of the River Windrush so the lights reflect in the water below after dark. Warm up with a drink in one of Bourton’s pubs before having dinner – The Dial House and the Mousetrap Inn are a couple of our festive favourites.
Day 2: Chipping Campden and Broadway
Day two of this festive itinerary starts in Chipping Campden. Chipping Campden is beautiful year-round, but the Christmas tree, door wreaths and decorations make it extra special. There are lots of independent shops too if you’re looking for unique Christmas present ideas.
Then drive on from Chipping Campden to Broadway (4.5 miles). If the sun’s shining it’s well worth visiting the Broadway Tower, a fairytale folly which has panoramic views out across the Cotswold Hills on a clear day. The Tower is open daily in December except for the 25th–26th.
To get there, take a slightly longer route from Chipping Campden via Fish Hill. Or why not head into Broadway village first and then follow our 4.4-mile circular walk, which climbs up to the Tower and through the deer park? You can call into the Morris & Brown café at the top for a hot chocolate by the fire before heading back down to the village along a stretch of the Cotswold Way.
If you’re visiting the Cotswolds between Christmas and New Year, you could also add on a trip on board the Gloucestershire–Warwickshire Steam Railway. This charming heritage railway runs steam and vintage diesel trains from Broadway to Winchcombe and Cheltenham.
Their pre-Christmas Santa Express trips sell out fast, but they also run Mince Pie Specials after Christmas (from 27 December–1 January and 3–4 January 2026), so you could take an afternoon trip to Cheltenham and back, or go earlier and stop off to explore for a few hours.
Broadway is a lovely village to wander around, with lots of great places to eat, drink and shop. After dark you can see white lights sparkling from the trees, lavish window displays and the Tree of Light which commemorates lost loved ones. Good spots for dinner include the James Martin Grill at the Lygon Arms, Tattersalls Brasserie, Russell’s and The Broadbean for tapas.
Day 3: Daylesford, Burford and Blenheim Palace
Check out of your hotel and start the day at Daylesford. It’s less a farm shop and more an organic emporium, complete with shops, cafés, restaurants and a spa. At Christmas it’s decked out with lavish decorations and has plenty of tasty (if pricey) treats in the food hall. You can also sign up for special events and classes like wreath-making or the chance to meet Father Christmas.
Next travel south to Burford (11 miles), another excellent place for shopping with a quirky mix of businesses on the High Street, including a brush shop, old-fashioned sweet store, home and gift shops. And Burford Garden Centre is on the edge of town if you don’t have your tree yet.
Stop off for lunch in Burford – good wintery options include The Royal Oak for its homemade pies, The Angel for gastropub dishes and Toro at Highway for warming tapas and red wine.
Finally, it’s 15 miles to your last stop at Blenheim Palace. This grand palace goes all out for Christmas and you can easily spend half a day there. Start inside, where the Palace is decorated with a ‘Palace of Oz’ theme as you follow the yellow brick road through its ornate rooms.
Outside there’s a Christmas market and the Great Skate ice rink in the Great Court. Then after the sun sets around 4pm, follow the Illuminated Light Trail through the palace grounds. It covers 1.8 miles and takes 90 minutes–two hours to walk, decorated with giant light sculptures, projections and lasers set to music for the perfect end to a trip to the Cotswolds at Christmas.
Where to stay in the Cotswolds at Christmas
The ideal hotel for a Christmas stay is somewhere cosy and comfortable, packed with traditional festive charm and centrally located so it’s easy to get around and you don’t have long drives in the dark. These all fit the bill, or if you’re after extra luxury then try our stately home hotels.
The Lygon Arms* in Broadway is full of character, with a row of Christmas trees lined up outside and wood panelled walls, beamed ceilings and roaring fires inside. There’s a mix of rooms and suites – including dog-friendly rooms – plus a spa with special Christmas offers available.
The Porch House* in Stow-on-the-Wold is another historic building, which might even be the oldest inn in Britain, with beams carbon-dated to over 1000 years old. Its 13 bedrooms range from compact cosy rooms to a two-floor suite with roll-top bath and antique furniture.
For a classic manor house experience, head to Ellenborough Park* just outside Cheltenham. It’s gorgeous at Christmas, with glittering lights, decorations and afternoon teas by the fire. Rooms are spread across several different buildings and there’s a spa, restaurant and bar.
Or the Manor House* in Moreton-in-Marsh is a good option if you’re visiting without a car as it’s a short walk to Moreton train station. This 16th-century country house hotel has 16 bedrooms, some with four-poster beds or freestanding baths, plus a restaurant and snug library and lounge.
3-day Cotswolds Christmas itinerary without a car
If you’re visiting the Cotswolds at Christmas without car, it is possible to explore by public transport instead. You might not be able to see quite as much since buses and trains are slower and less flexible, but you can still tick off all the essential Cotswold Christmas experiences.
One of the most important things when you’re planning a car-free trip to the Cotswolds is deciding where to stay. Moreton-in-Marsh is on a direct train line from Oxford and London so it’s easy to get to, and has good bus and train links out to our main festive destinations.
This itinerary shows you how to plan a festive Cotswold trip by public transport. Beware that bus and train times may vary on Sundays and bank holidays. And you may want to swap days around depending on what days you’re visiting and if there are special events on during your stay.
Day 1: Stow on the Wold, The Slaughters and Bourton-on-the-Water
After arriving at Moreton-in-Marsh by train and leaving your bags at your hotel, take a Pulhams 801 bus from Moreton train station to Stow-on-the-Wold. The bus takes 20 minutes and runs around once an hour every day, so you can plan your schedule today to suit your arrival time.
After exploring Stow, get back on board the Pulhams 801 for the short bus journey to Slaughter Pike, which takes six minutes. Slaughter Pike [map here] is a 10-minute walk from Lower Slaughter. You can have lunch or afternoon tea here or it’s a mile walk on to Upper Slaughter.
It’s a flat, gentle 1.5-mile walk from Lower Slaughter to Bourton-on-the-Water, which takes around 45 minutes (you can see a map of the route here). Otherwise retrace your steps to Slaughter Pike where you can pick up the Pulhams 801 bus to Bourton which takes 11 minutes.
After an afternoon in Bourton, catch the Pulhams 801 bus back to Moreton train station. The last bus departs from Bourton at 19.15 (17.15 on Sundays) and the journey takes 30 minutes.
Day 2: Chipping Campden and Broadway
Start the day by catching the Stagecoach 1 bus (Monday–Saturday) from Moreton at 09.23, arriving in Chipping Campden at 10.11. You have a few hours to look around Chipping Campden and have lunch – or there’s a 4.1-mile circular walk to Dover’s Hill if the weather is good.
Get back on board a Stagecoach 1 bus to Broadway at 13.45, which arrives at 14.05. Spend the rest of the day visiting Broadway’s museums, shops and admiring the Christmas lights. Then catch the Stagecoach 1A back to Moreton – the last bus leaves at 18.10 and takes 30 minutes.
Day 3: Blenheim Palace
Today you have a couple of different options. Depending on the date you could take one of Go Cotswolds’ seasonal tours, which visit various different Christmas markets.
Or catch a train from Moreton-in-Marsh to Hanborough – trains run once an hour and take around 25 minutes. From Hanborough you can take the Stagecoach S7 bus (every day) to Woodstock in 10 minutes. Then it’s a 10-minute walk across the park to Blenheim Palace entrance.
Buses to Hanborough and Oxford run until late at night so you can catch a train home.
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