The wonderful countryside, rich in heritage and history is ideal for recreational walking. The breath-taking landscape is cross-crossed by 3,000 miles of historic footpaths, bridleways and trails to explore. Beautiful villages in characteristic honey-coloured stone, nestle between rare grassland habitats, ancient woodlands and wildflower meadows, with 4,000 miles of historic stone walls dividing the landscape. If you step away from the more popular destinations and well-trodden routes, there lies another world. It is to these undiscovered gems and often overlooked beauty of the “real southern Cotswolds” that we would like to take you.
Where does our walk start from?
When you book your private walking tour with us, we will email you details of where and when to meet. Our walking tours are mostly circular in nature, so we will end up at the same place we started!
If you are not travelling by car, we work closely with the following company who can assist you to get to the start point and pick you up afterwards.
Graeme Robertson - 07732 798060
How many people?
Most of our guided walking tours have been for between 2-6 guests, although we also lead groups of 10 and 12 on request.
If you are travelling alone, you can choose to have an exclusive walk tailored to your interests or opt for a small group walk with other independent guests.
Route Grades
Easy – Relaxed walks suitable for walkers with average levels of fitness and generally good health. The walks are usually on maintained paths and tracks with no steep uphill or downhill sections.
Easy to Moderate – These walks are mostly like the Easy walks but may include longer some moderate downhill and uphill sections and steeper parts (up and down). The paths are usually well maintained but could include some rougher ground.
Moderate – These walks are designed for more regular walkers who are generally fit. There will be steeper descents and ascents. The ground may sometimes be rocky and uneven in places.
Moderate to Strenuous – These walks are for those looking for more challenging and demanding routes, and having a corresponding fitness level. There will be steep ups and downs, rough ground, and exposed areas.
Are there any age limits?
We welcome walkers of all ages. There is no upper age limit provided you have adequate insurance to cover all your medical and repatriation needs as appropriate. We will take things at whatever pace you are comfortable with.
How long do the walks last?
A typical walk/hike in the southern Cotswold region is between 2 and 3 hours, although many of our clients opt for longer outings of 5-6 hours. All of our routes take you on some of the best trails in the Cotswolds. We can walk at a relaxed easy pace, or at a brisker speed if you prefer. On the Our Walks page, each suggested route is shown with an estimated duration and level of difficulty.
Do I need to be fit?
The nature of walking in the Cotswolds is that the terrain can vary a lot. The paths can be narrow and uneven, it could be muddy or slippery after rain, and there will certainly be some ups and downs and often quite steep bits to climb or descend. Climbing over stiles (a crossing point between fields) is also a frequent feature of most walks! A certain level of fitness is therefore needed. If you are unsure, we recommend you check first with your doctor.
If you’re not a regular walker, don’t overestimate your capability. Choose one of our shorter and flatter walks. We want you to enjoy yourself, and you do too!
The reward will be stunning views, access to places very few people go, and the opportunity to be at one with nature in peaceful and tranquil places.
On the Our Walks page, each walk is indicated with a difficulty level to guide you further to help you choose the correct level of activity for you. It’s best to be honest with yourself about your capabilities, and do some practice walks if you don’t walk often or far. The more practice you have done, the more you will enjoy walking with us!
We do also offer short walks in the Cotswolds which are mostly “on the level” and suitable for guests seeking a more relaxed stroll in the countryside. It’s our aim to meet your individual needs.
What do I need to bring with me on the walking tour?
We suggest a small backpack with a full water bottle, waterproof jacket, packed lunch (if required), a hat, spare top and sunscreen. You could also bring your mobile phone, and walking poles if you are on a hilly walk! We advise you to wear comfortable clothes and walking boots or comfortable trail shoes or trainers. Please don’t wear jeans as these will stay wet if it rains!
Can we stop for lunch? Are there toilets on the walk?
Most guests like to bring a packed lunch to allow for flexibility on the choice of lunch spot, as well as allow more time for seeing the countryside. Imagine sitting at the top of a hidden valley gazing at the view whilst eating your sandwiches!
On some of our walks, we will pass through villages where there is a pub to stop at for you to buy a drink or a snack, and where there are, of course, toilets. Most of our walks also finish near a pub.
Just tell us what you prefer.
Will there be vegetarian or vegan food options available during our walk?
If we stop at a pub or café during or after our walk, then you will certainly find some kind of vegetarian option(s). Vegans are also well served, and the wider Five Valleys area in particular is a hotbed of vegan and vegetarian food, so you will certainly find some tasty options there.
How do we book our walking tour?
Bookings can be made via this website.
Once paid using the secure online payment system your tour will be instantly reserved and you will receive a booking confirmation by email.
How far in advance do I need to book?
We suggest you book as soon as you decide on your dates. April to October is usually the busiest period but from November to March, the days are of course much shorter, so walking opportunities are reduced and space fills up. We will always try and accommodate your plans whenever you book.
Cancellation
We understand that your commitments might change and there are things which you cannot always control. We recommend that you have insurance to cover cancellation and other eventualities. If you do need to cancel, we will return all monies paid to us, minus a small £5 administrative charge per person. We will happily deduct this amount from a future booking at any time.
Tours will only be cancelled by us due to unavoidable or extraordinary circumstances beyond our control or that might jeopardise your safety. If a tour has to be cancelled, we will notify you as soon as possible and refund you in full.
Can I stop for photos?
Yes, you can do this anytime. There will be many times that you will want to! And please send us a few of your favourite snaps to include on our website!
Do you cancel the walks if the weather is bad?
Unless the weather is particularly bad and walking would be unsafe, our walks will always take place. It’s a good idea to check the weather forecast on the morning of your walk and important to dress appropriately particularly if rain is forecast.
Subject to availability, you can change to the same walk to a different date at no additional cost.
What about insurance?
We strongly recommend that all walkers and hikers have appropriate travel, medical and cancellation insurance. By booking one of our walks, you accept that you and those you have booked on behalf of are taking part in the walk at your/their own risk. Whilst we make every effort to ensure that our walks are safe, including carrying out Risk Assessments for each one, we cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to your possessions or personal injuries sustained whilst on the walks or whilst travelling to and from the walks, and by booking with us, you are deemed to have accepted this for you and your party.
Data Protection
We collect your personal details, name, address, email, telephone number and credit card details when you place a booking, and these details are used for the purposes of managing your booking and receiving your payment. If you’d like your personal details to be removed from our booking database after your walk with us, please send us an email.
If you opt in to our mailing list whilst placing your booking, we will add your name, address and email details to our marketing database, we will use these details in order to communicate with you in the future. All of our marketing emails include the ability to have your data removed from our marketing database.
How do we get to the southern Cotswolds?
If you are coming by car from London, take the M4 and exit at junction 15 to take the A417 to Cirencester and onwards to Stroud, Painswick, etc.
There is also a regular train service from London Paddington to Kemble and Stroud. For more information on train times or travel advice, you’re welcome to contact us.
Can you suggest anywhere to stay?
Send us a brief note telling us the area and type of accommodation you are interested in and we will make some suggestions based on where our previous guests have stayed.
Do you speak other languages?
Tours are conducted in English; however, Rob is happy to converse in Italian or French as well, and tours can be arranged with a Chinese speaker.
Follow-up, feedback and comments
We would love you to give us your feedback. If there are any issues arising, please make them known during the walk. And please do leave us a review!
Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook where we often add photos and information from our latest walks, so please give us a like and share the photos of your walk using the hashtag #CotswoldTrails
Tailor-Made Private Walking Tours
The cost for a private guided walking tour created especially for you and your group only is as follows:
1-2 guests
£175 (half day tour), £295 (full day tour)
3-4 guests
£245 (half day tour), £395 (full day tour)
5-6 guests
£290 (half day tour), £465 (full day tour)
See the 'Our Walks' page for more information about the various walks we provide, or get in touch and we'll be happy to talk you through the options.