E-BIKE HIRE AVAILABLE

This tour is well-suited to both regular bikes and pedal assist e-bikes, and you can choose to hire either when you book your tour with us. Confident cyclists will enjoy the boost from a battery for those cheeky climbs, and with less effort required on the bike, you’ll have more energy at the end of the day for off-the-bike activities. You may choose to hire an e-bike on a group or supported tour but bear in mind that the pace will be set to riders without an e-bike.

United Kingdom

Cotswolds - Bourton-on-the-Water

Guided Leisure Cycling Holiday

Grade

Duration

5 days

Prices from

£1,025 P.P.

E-BIKE HIRE AVAILABLE

United Kingdom

Cotswolds - Bourton-on-the-Water

Guided Leisure Cycling Holiday

Grade

Duration

5 days

Prices from

£1,025 P.P.

Summary Itinerary Gallery The Cycling Dates & Prices The Essentials

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As quintessentially English as countryside comes, the Cotswolds are a great destination to explore by bike. Meandering lanes and rolling hills offer up the perfect location for this cycling holiday. Picturesque villages, historic churches and thatched cottages make this holiday one not to miss if you're looking to take in some picture post-card views.

Staying at historic Harrington House, you will enjoy beautiful rolling countryside and picturesque golden stone villages on our leisurely rides.

There is a delight around every corner, and beautiful architecture which spans the centuries: from Tudor through to Georgian and beyond, all to be found in charming market towns along the way.

Over the course of three rides from our base in Bourton-on-the Water, we’ll really get to take in all that the Cotswolds have to offer - heading south for a loop to the wool-working centre of Bibury, north to the timeless towns of Winchcombe and Broadway, and east through the delightful Stow-on the Wold.

Cycling in the Cotswolds is not without its challenges, but for every short climb, there are beautiful views across the rolling and unspoilt ‘wolds’.

Group of cyclists on a guided cycling tour in the Cotswolds

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Holiday Highlights

Staying at Harrington House, a comfortable HF Country House in the centre of picturesque Bourton-on-the-Water
Three days guided cycling with an experienced leader
Enjoying leisurely rides through beautiful rolling countryside
Visiting the famous Cotswold market town of Stow-on-the-Wold
Visiting the historic village of Bibury, famous for its stone cottages which once housed weavers
Cycling through beautiful chocolate box villages

The Cotswold trip was just outstanding! Overall, the trip was very well organised, the rides of around 30-35 miles were well planned and just perfect for this leisure trip.

Chris

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival Bourton-on-the-Water

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Meals: Dinner

Today is set aside to allow you to arrive into Bourton-on-the-Water at your convenience. You will meet your leader and the rest of the group, and enjoy a leisurely evening meal at Harrington House.

Day 2 Bibury Loop

27 Miles / 43 Kms Approx.

Ascent: 490 Metres Approx.

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Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Ascent: 490 Metres Approx.

Our first ride takes us south via the village of Northleach, with its lovely wool church, to the peaceful Coln valley. The key attraction here is the much photographed village of Bibury, whose honey-coloured 17th century stone houses are typical of the area’s rustic settlements.

In the Middle Ages, the Cotswolds were known for the quality of wool produced in the area, and many merchants became rich, building many impressive houses and churches as signs of their wealth. Bibury was built to house cloth weavers who supplied woolen cloth for nearby mills and was described by William Morris as “the most beautiful village in England”, a bold claim you can verify yourself!

Your return to Bourton-on-the-Water is equally picturesque, as you pass through more chocolate box villages and ride past stately homes.

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Day 3 Adlestrop and Stow-on-the-Wold

31 Miles / 50 Kms Approx.

Ascent: 575 Metres Approx.

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Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Ascent: 575 Metres Approx.

Today we’ll head east, crossing the Cotswolds to Shipton-under-Wychwood in the Evenlode Valley. We’ll continue north, passing the sleepy quaint village of Kingham to the village of Adlestrop, made famous by Edward Thomas’ poem.

After lunch in another of the Cotswolds’ picturesque villages surrounded by honey-coloured cottages, we ride into the charming market town of Stow-on-the-Wold, renowned for its independent shops and cafés, and the impressive St Edward’s medieval-built Church.

Our final stop on today’s ride is in the small but characterful village of Lower Slaughter, situated on the upper reaches of the River Eye. It’s well worth a visit to the 19th-century water mill with an undershot waterwheel, surrounded by limestone cottages on the banks of the gently flowing river. With our ride nearly complete, its only a short distance along the back roads to Bourton-on-the-Water.

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Day 4 Winchcombe & Broadway

35 Miles / 56 Kms Approx.

Ascent: 690 Metres Approx.

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Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Ascent: 690 Metres Approx.

Today is a slightly longer day in the saddle with a bit more climbing, but you’ll be raring to go by now! We’ve got a great ride planned, that takes us into villages off the beaten track as well as the well-known villages of Winchcombe, Broadway and Snowshill, and many more interesting places to explore along the way.

A hilly start, up and then down to Sudeley Castle for our coffee stop is followed by a flatter ride from Winchcombe, passing through the beautiful grounds of Stanway Estate, riding along the base of the Cotswold escarpment, but it’s not long before we’re climbing again, up to the quaint village of Snowshill for lunch. We then follow quiet roads and a ride down our well-earned descent back to Harrington House in Bourton-on-the-Water. You might want to go for a final ice cream or relax with a drink on the banks of the river watching the world go by before our final meal together.

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Day 5 Departure Bourton-on-the-Water

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Meals: Breakfast

Today we’ll have a leisurely breakfast together, and with plenty of miles in our legs and memories made, you’ll set off on your onward journeys home.

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The Cycling

Terrain

The Cotswolds is renowned for its extensive network of rolling country lanes. Generally, these rural lane / roads are narrow and quiet with low traffic, making for a peaceful and relaxed riding experience. However, there are a few short, unavoidable sections of the route where we ride on, or have to cross, busier roads, especially around the region’s lovely small towns and villages

The rural lanes are often very narrow but are, when away from the towns and villages, generally low on traffic, making for a peaceful and relaxed riding experience.

Whilst the roads can be described as mainly rolling, our routes do take in occasional steeper climbs but these are few and far between and are never particularly lengthy.

It is possible to use an e-bike on this holiday. Although there are no significant climbs or long passes on the route, an e-bike could be beneficial to get you up some of the short, steep climbs if you are after a bit of a boost. Please note, e-bikes are generally heavier than standard bikes, so it is worth considering when handling the bike over any rough / uneven terrain.

Please note, if opting for an e-bike, the pace of riding will be set by the hybrid riders.

For more information about riding an electric bike on our holidays please click here

Leisure Cycling Grade

Grade 2-3: Gentle/Moderate

Aspects of both our grade 2 and 3 holidays

Suitable for those looking for some cycle friendly routes

Features some modest climbs

Possibly sections of varying terrain (eg. forest tracks, gravel paths etc).

Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!

For more information about our grading system click here.

Is this suitable for you?

Holidays that are graded as a 2-3, will have aspects of both our grade 2 and 3 holidays. These tours are still suitable for those perhaps who have recently got into cycling, and offer an array of accessible, cycle friendly routes, cycle paths and quiet roads, however there will be some days / sections where you may have to tackle some ups and downs, the occasional steeper climb and perhaps some varying terrain (forest tracks, gravel paths etc). Suitable for those with a decent level of physical fitness, looking for some leisurely rides with occasional (achievable!) challenges along the way.

For more information about the grading of this holiday in particular, please check out the terrain section which will give you some specifics of what to expect on this tour.

The communication with us as “newbies” with your company was flawless. There were no surprises for us, other that the biking trip has exceeded our expectations because of the professionalism of our guides Ezhil and Kate.

Barbara

Dates & Prices

Secure Your Holiday With A Deposit

Book now with a £300 deposit and nothing more to pay until 30 days before departure. Choose a date to start your booking and see all prices, including bike hire and single room supplements.

Select a date to view prices and book

To see the prices for any optional extras, including bike hire, select your date below.

The Essentials

Travel Options

Your destination is Harrington House in Bourton-on-the-Water. If you intend to drive we will provide directions. Parking is available at the accommodation where vehicles can be left at the owners risk.

If you prefer to travel by train the most convenient station is Moreton-in-Marsh. Group train station transfers are included in the holiday price and there will be a Skedaddle transfer at 16.00 from Moreton-in-Marsh train station to Bourton-on-the-Water.

On your departure day, there will be a Skedaddle transfer from Bourton-on-the-Water to Moreton-in-Marsh train station at 09.30. Please do not book any return trains from Moreton-in-Marsh prior to 10.30.

Please check with us before making any travel arrangements to make sure we have reached the minimum number required to guarantee your holiday and to ensure your arrangements fit with our scheduled transfers and logistics.

Please note If you make alternative travel arrangements, which fall outside of the planned train station transfers, there may be an additional charge for individual transfers.

If you are travelling to the UK from overseas and are not a British or Irish national, you will need to apply for either an ETA or a visa depending on your nationality. Please check the relevant state department or foreign office guidance for your country or you can find more information here

Accommodation

On this holiday, you will be based at an HF Country House. HF Holidays run a number of Country Houses around the UK, which are all within National Parks or National Landscapes, and which offer the perfect comfortable environment to return to after a day out on two wheels.

Dating from the Tudor period, and of considerable historic interest, Harrington House mirrors the mellow architectural style of the Cotswolds. Its peaceful atmosphere and proximity to the charming centre of Bourton-on-the-Water make it ideal for those who want to relax after a ride, and explore this charming corner of England.

In the main house there is a small lounge, an attractive dining room and a cosy bar.

At the rear of the house there is an attractive walled garden with a large croquet lawn. This is a perfect spot to relax after a great day in the saddle, assuming that the sun is shining!

Please note – single rooms can be very limited. You are however welcome to share a room with another solo traveller if you’re joining the tour alone.

Bike Hire

If you would like to rent a bike we have hybrid and electric bikes available.

The hybrid bikes are generally Giant Roam (male frame) or Liv Rove (female frame) with flat bars and semi-slick tyres. They are set up with a rear rack, two panniers and at least one bottle cage.

The electric bikes are generally Giant E+ pedal assist bikes with flat bars, step through frames, semi-slick tyres, and batteries suitable for the daily distance on this holiday. They are set up with a rear rack and two panniers and they will either have a bottle cage or you will be able to store a water bottle in the pannier bag.

All of our hire bikes have a wide range of gears, hydraulic disc brakes and offer a comfortable riding position. All bikes have inner tubes and come equipped with a small seat-post bag containing a puncture repair kit, a multitool and a spare tube, as well as a bike pump. Please note, given the variety of shapes and sizes of on-bike luggage and the fact the mechanisms for fitting them vary, we aren’t able to safely accommodate customers’ own frame bags or on-bike luggage on our hire bikes.

We are also able to provide helmets. If you’d like one, please request this at the time of booking. You are welcome to bring along your own saddle and / or own pedals if renting a hybrid bike, but please let us know in advance if you plan to do so. Please note, all our hire bikes come with flat pedals as standard.

If you are planning to bring your own bike, please let us know the make and model and we can check its suitability.

What's Included

A) Shared twin (or double) room (single room may be available on request, for a supplement)

B) Full tour service including guides and a back-up vehicle carrying spares, snacks and extra equipment not needed on your bike

C) At least one leader qualified in First Aid

D) Full-board including picnic lunch and en route refreshments

E) GPX files

F) Secure bike storage and bike wash facilities

G) Group train station collections / drop-offs on scheduled arrival and departure days

H) Financial Protection through ABTOT

What's not Included

A) Bike and helmet rental (available if required)

B) Travel or flight costs or charges for travelling with your bike (if applicable)

C) Meals not stated in the itinerary

D) Single room (available if required)

E) Travel insurance

F) Personal clothing and equipment

G) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)

H) Entrance fees to cultural or historical sites and visitor centres

I) Other optional activities

J) Tips for guides, drivers, support staff

Private Departures

Are you keen to only travel with your family or friends? Struggling to find the right date? Well, we can organise a private departure for this tour and tailor aspects to suit your group's specific needs. Contact our friendly team and we'll help you turn your dream into reality.

Cotswolds - Bourton-on-the-Water FAQs

Can I hire a bike?

Yes, we have a range of high-quality hire bikes available on all of our tours that you can select at the time of booking (you can see more details about our hire bikes in the dedicated section above.) Or, if you prefer the flexibility to bring your own bike, this is also an option.

Do I need to wear a cycle helmet?

Yes. We take very seriously the duty of care we have towards our customers, and we will always ask that you wear a helmet. If you don’t own a helmet, then let us know and we’ll ensure there is one available for you. More about our helmet policy.

Can I ride an e-bike?

You may hire or bring an e-bike on this tour but please keep in mind that the pace will be set to those not riding an e-bike. Check out our e-bike page for more FAQs about e-bikes.

Can I bring my own e-bike?

Yes, you may bring your own e-bike on this tour but it’s best to chat to our team so we can make sure the bike is legally compliant and that help determine if your bike will have enough power to last each day. We recommend riding with the bike in eco mode, or lower level of pedal assist most of the time, along with other tips to conserve battery life. Remember, if you are flying to your destination, you won’t be able to take a battery on the plane. Check out our e-bike page for more FAQs about e-bikes.

What bike spares should I bring?

If you’re bringing your own bike, it’s a good idea to pack basic tools (tyre levers, pump, chain tool) and a puncture repair kit with a spare inner tube in a saddle bag or day bag. If you’re hiring a bike with us, then we’ll provide you with tools and spares. If you run into problems with your bike or have a mechanical, we’ll always be available to assist.

How many guides will there be and what kind of support do they offer?

Each tour has a minimum of two guides, depending on the group size, with one guide riding and one guide in the support vehicle. Our guides are qualified, experienced and always ready to offer support when needed. Whether fixing a bike mechanical, administering first aid, preparing delicious picnics or simply offering advice and motivation for your ride, they want to make sure every pedal stroke of your trip runs like clockwork.

Is there a support vehicle?

Yes. Each tour has a support vehicle which will typically be there for coffee stops and picnic lunches. The vehicle may not always be with the group for the duration of the riding day, but it’s never too far away and within easy reach, if needed. You’re welcome to leave a day bag in the vehicle with spare clothing and snacks.

Can I use the support vehicle if I need a lift?

Our team are always happy to discuss grades and training so hopefully you’ll be able to complete your tour comfortably. Of course, there may be times when something happens and you’re not able to ride. Our support vehicle is there to help should you feel unwell or unable to ride and we always have further back-up transfers and taxis available should an issue arise.

What are the group sizes?

We deliberately keep our group sizes smaller than you might find with other companies. We typically guarantee group trips to run on a minimum number of five to six riders, and some popular tours can reach 14 or 15 riders.

Can you organise private group tours?

Yes, we can organise private group tours. We usually recommend a minimum group size of 8 to 10 riders for our tailor-made itineraries. Chat to our team to find out more.

Can I join as a solo traveller?

Absolutely! We welcome many solo travellers on our group holidays. It’s a great way to meet like-minded cyclists. Our rooms are allocated on a twin share basis, but you can select a single supplement when you book if you would prefer to have your own room. These are subject to availability.

Do you cater for different dietary needs?

Vegetarians and people with specific dietary requirements will be catered for – please let us know at the time of booking if you have any dietary requirements. Snacks will always be available, but you are also more than welcome to bring any specific foods or energy gels that you prefer. Download the Trip Notes for more information about the local cuisine you can expect on this holiday.

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E-BIKE HIRE AVAILABLE

Cotswolds - Bourton-on-the-Water

Guided Leisure Cycling Holiday

Grade

Duration

Prices from

E-BIKE HIRE AVAILABLE

Cotswolds - Bourton-on-the-Water

Guided Leisure Cycling Holiday

Grade

Duration

Prices from

Holiday Highlights

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival Bourton-on-the-Water

Day 2 Bibury Loop

Day 3 Adlestrop and Stow-on-the-Wold

Day 4 Winchcombe & Broadway

Day 5 Departure Bourton-on-the-Water

Understanding Profiles

Still Thinking It Over?

Gallery

The Cycling

Terrain

Leisure Cycling Grade

Is this suitable for you?

Dates & Prices

Secure Your Holiday With A Deposit

The Essentials

Travel Options

Accommodation

Bike Hire

What's Included

What's not Included

Private Departures

Cotswolds - Bourton-on-the-Water FAQs

Can I hire a bike?

Do I need to wear a cycle helmet?

Can I ride an e-bike?

Can I bring my own e-bike?

What bike spares should I bring?

How many guides will there be and what kind of support do they offer?

Is there a support vehicle?

Can I use the support vehicle if I need a lift?

What are the group sizes?

Can you organise private group tours?

Can I join as a solo traveller?

Do you cater for different dietary needs?

News, Reviews & Stories

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