The Cotswold Way is a UK National Trail of roughly 102 miles (about 164 km) end to end. This guide walks you through an 8-day southbound schedule (Chipping Campden to Bath) that lands at about 156 km on the ground - near enough to the full trail length if you skip tiny detours. You will average about 19-20 km per day, but day 8 is 27 km, so do not assume every day feels the same. The route is popular for a reason: stone villages, escarpment views, and history without remote mountain exposure - though mud, short steep pulls, and a long last day are still real.
The overall plan: 8 days, ~156 km
Hike southbound from Chipping Campden to Bath in 8 days. That is the usual direction because Bath is easier for trains and a night out after you finish. In this plan you combine some of the 15 official stages into fuller days instead of ticking every signposted section separately.
Nights are in inns and hotels for comfort and a bit of local life. I'd suggest picking places as you go, or you can browse all options in the planner.
If you land in Chipping Campden in the afternoon or evening, stay the night and start fresh in the morning - rushing straight onto the trail after travel is a bad trade. The town is worth a wander: the market hall on the high street is an easy photo stop. For tea or coffee, The Bromley's of Cotswolds works well.
Stay for the night
Volunteer Inn
£££Volunteer Inn is a 17th-century pub in Chipping Campden with character and history. The inn is ideally located at the start of the Cotswold Way, providing spacious rooms. Guests appreciate the comfortable stay, friendly staff, and good breakfast options. Clean facilities and a homely atmosphere are noted.
Day 1: Chipping Campden to Stanton (16.5 km)
You leave Chipping Campden on the high street and are in fields quickly, then climb gently onto the escarpment. Day 1 is a proper warm-up: farmland, beech woods, and views back over the Vale of Evesham. Dover's Hill is an early viewpoint - the first of many.
You hit Broadway about halfway. Stock up if you need to - cafes, pubs, and shops are there. Stanton at the end is small and very Cotswolds: stone cottages and a village green. I'd stay in Stanton if you can. Accommodation is thin, so another option is overnight in Broadway (Russel's or Crown and Trumpet Inn) and add a few kilometres to day 2.
Stay for the night
Shenberrow B&B
£££Cozy small B&B (only option in Stanton) run by the couple Michael & Angela Neilan. Shenberrow offers true British charm - expect very tastefully decorated rooms, great facilities and overall a good countryside atmosphere.
Day 2: Stanton to Cleeve Hill (22.1 km)
Fields and a small stream crossing bring you toward Stanway House, a Jacobean manor known for its water gardens and a single-jet fountain that reaches over 300 ft (about 91 m) - billed as Britain's tallest. Visiting is optional; check opening hours and tickets (around £12 when we last looked).
You pass through Wood Stanway, then climb steeply onto the escarpment. On the descent you pass Cromwell's Seat and Hailes Abbey. Cromwell's Seat is tied to the story of Cromwell watching the demolition of Hailes Abbey in the Dissolution of the Monasteries - take the tale as local colour. The abbey ruins (founded 1188) are among the more complete Cistercian sites in the area.
Winchcombe is a good break. From there the route goes via the Sudeley Estate, climbs gradually to the Neolithic long barrow at Belas Knap, then drops steeply through Breakheart Plantation past Postlip Hall (community on an old estate), and climbs again to Cleeve Hill Golf Club - watch for stray golf balls near the clubhouse.
Stay for the night
Rising Sun Hotel
£££The Rising Sun is located near the highest point in the Cotswolds, Cleeve Hill. It features a restaurant, bar, and heated garden terrace serving modern and traditional British dishes. Guests have access to free Wi-Fi, and many rooms offer scenic views across the countryside.
Day 3: Cleeve Hill to Birdlip (20.4 km)
You start on the highest ground of the whole trail - the Cotswold escarpment - then roll south over open common with big views toward Cheltenham on a clear day. You pass Bill Smylie's butterfly reserve, use a few quiet lanes, then descend through Dowdeswell Wood to the reservoir. Much of this leg is downhill or rolling, which can feel easy until the next climbs remind you you are not on a flat walk.
Past Dowdeswell the profile gets lumpier: Lineover Wood (beeches, big old trees), then up toward Wistley Plantation, farmland, and Seven Springs - some sources call it a Thames source. After that you climb again onto Charlton Kings Common and along to Leckhampton Hill, with the rock pillar called the Devil's Chimney worth spotting.
You then head toward Crickley Hill Country Park (views and archaeology), cross Barrow Wake, and finish at Birdlip through more woodland and grassland. Varied day - open sky, shade, and a fair bit of up and down.
Stay for the night
Royal George Hotel
£££Set in Birdlip village, Royal George Hotel features free WiFi and serves food throughout the day until 22:00. Rooms include satellite TVs and tea/coffee facilities; some open onto the garden. Guests can dine outdoors or enjoy live music events. The hotel is noted for its friendly staff and hearty breakfast.
Day 4: Birdlip to Painswick (11.7 km)
Short on distance - use it as a lighter day or stack sightseeing. Beech woods lead to Cooper's Hill, known for the annual cheese roll on Spring Bank Holiday: people chase a cheese wheel down a very steep slope. Short overview here - you do not need to enter formally to take part on the day, but it is not a calm event.
A few kilometres on, Painswick Beacon is a natural stop, with Iron Age earthworks still visible. Then it is mostly downhill into Painswick - roughly halfway along the Cotswold Way - with stone cottages and the Rococo Garden as the headline draw. This stage has almost twice as much descent as ascent, which your knees may notice in a good way.
Stay for the night
Troy House
£££Troy House in Painswick offers a bed and breakfast experience with amenities including free WiFi and private bathrooms. Guests mention the friendly host and the delicious breakfast. Located near Kingsholm Stadium and Cotswold Water Park.
Day 5: Painswick to King's Stanley (14.5 km)
The trail drops to Wash Brook, climbs to Edge Common (good look back at Painswick), then dips into woodland before Haresfield Beacon - another Iron Age hill fort with views along the escarpment and toward the Severn.
Standish Woods can be full of bluebells and wood anemones in spring. You emerge into pasture, meet the Stroudwater Navigation, and reach King's Stanley. My pick for the night, Greencourt Loft, sits just across from King's Stanley.
Stay for the night
Greencourt Loft
£££Greencourt Loft in Stonehouse has spacious, pet-friendly rooms that come with private balconies and kitchenettes. Guests can access a sun terrace, outdoor seating, and free WiFi. A variety of breakfast options are prepared ahead of arrival, and the loft is known for its helpful host and quiet location.
Day 6: King's Stanley to Wotton-under-Edge (19.6 km)
Through Middleyard, then up into Pen Wood and along the escarpment edge to Coaley Peak - a classic picnic viewpoint over the Severn Vale. Past a disused quarry with obvious rock layers, the route winds through woods and valleys; one climb is short but steep and opens into wide panoramas before you drop to Farfield and reach Dursley.
From Dursley you climb onto Stinchcombe Hill, drop through woods and farmland to North Nibley, then climb steeply to the Tyndale Monument. Beyond that you cross grass and woodland to Wotton Hill, pass a walled tree enclosure planted after Waterloo in 1815, and descend into Wotton-under-Edge.
Stay for the night
Swan Hotel
£££Located in Wotton under Edge, Swan Hotel has family rooms with private bathrooms and free WiFi. The restaurant serves British and local dishes and offers vegetarian and gluten-free options. Guests can relax at the bar or coffee shop. The staff is noted for being friendly and attentive, particularly during breakfast.
Day 7: Wotton-under-Edge to Tormarton (24.4 km)
You follow a stream out of town, climb back to the escarpment, pass near Newark Park, then drop on a sunken track into Alderley. Medieval ridge-and-furrow fields and a millstream near Lower Kilcott lead up to the Somerset Monument, then on toward Hawkesbury Upton. This leg has more ascent than descent overall - a solid day.
From Hawkesbury Upton you pass a drovers' pond, climb toward Horton Fort for Severn views, then walk farmland through Horton and Old Sodbury, cross parkland at Dodington Park, and finish in Tormarton. Slightly gentler second half than the first.
Stay for the night
Crown Inn at Tolldown
£££Crown Inn at Tolldown offers stylish self-contained rooms and a restaurant featuring regional dishes. The hotel has easy access to Cotswold Way for hiking. Rooms have flat-screen TVs and tea/coffee facilities. Pets are allowed with amenities for them.
Day 8: Tormarton to Bath (27.0 km)
Longest day of the itinerary - start early if you are not used to 25 km+ with hills. From Tormarton you follow Marshfield Road, cross fields to Dyrham Park (William and Mary house, deer park), go through Dyrham village and Dyrham Woods, then farmland to Cold Ashton.
From Cold Ashton you drop to Lower Hamswell, climb to Lansdown (Civil War associations; sculptures near Lansdown Golf Club), cross open ground past Little Down and Bath Racecourse, and get your first clear views of Bath at Prospect Stile. After farmland and Weston the walking turns urban and ends at Bath Abbey and the trail's stone marker.
Bath has plenty of places to stay. After 8 days I'd spend a bit more on the last night if the budget allows - Harington's Boutique Hotel and Dukes Bath are two options worth a look.
Stay for the night
Abbey Hotel Bath
£££Located in Bath, Abbey Hotel Bath is housed in a historic building just a short walk from Bath Abbey and The Roman Baths. Rooms feature air-conditioning, private bathrooms, and free WiFi. The restaurant serves British cuisine with various dietary options. Convenient amenities include tea and coffee makers, and hairdryers.
