On your arrival into Oxford you’ll check into your accommodation where you will find a welcome pack waiting for you, containing information about your holiday including points of interest, places to eat and drink, and other useful local info.

Oxford offers much to see and the choice is yours. You can explore the historic University of Oxford, the oldest in the English-speaking world, and see its many iconic buildings spread throughout the city centre. You might wish to take in the view from atop St Martin’s Tower (also known as Carfax Tower), to survey the city’s iconic skyline of majestic spires.

The city is a bustling place alive with arts and culture, with numerous museums, galleries, theatres, concert halls and exhibits to choose from. Many are free of admission charges. Oxford Castle has a long and rich history and is well worth a visit. For food and drink the options are plentiful to suit all tastes and budgets, with fine dining options mixed in with fashionable and affordable student favourites.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 250 Metres Approx.

This morning you’ll be met by our local representative who will provide you with your hire bikes, if hiring, as well as an explanation of the days ahead with helpful tips on points of interest along the way. A gentle ride introduces us to the region with only a small amount of climbing today.

Heading north out of Oxford we‘re quickly out of the city and riding along the River Thames toward the ruins of Godstow Abbey. You’ll progress along gentle countryside lanes, through the villages of Wolvercote, Yarnton and Hanborough with a great selection of traditional pubs and cafes along the way as well as numerous galleries and museums (Oxford Bus Museum & Morris Motors Exhibition in Hanborough is worth a stop if open on the day you pass through). After passing Eynsham Hall Park (well worth a diversion) and through North Leigh, Hailey and Crawley you’ll soon finish in the pretty village of Minster Lovell on River Windrush, not far from the market town of Witney.

With three parts, Old Minster, Little Minster and New Minster, there are various sites to explore including the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall, as well as a few traditional inns and a gastropub. Plenty of green and tranquil spots to relax can be found here at the edge of the Cotswolds, providing a nice contrast from the bustle of Oxford.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 350 Metres Approx.

Today you’ll enter the Cotswolds Natural Landscapes and ride through some picturesque Cotswolds villages with architecture dating back to the 11th century. You will encounter some of the first beautiful Cotswolds views of the holiday which invariably means some hills are involved. Rest assured though that today’s ride is still relatively short with little climbing overall.

Numerous pretty villages along today’s route host excellent pubs, cafes and tearooms, whether you stop in Swinbrook, Burford, Barrington or Sherborne. The first half of ride follows the River Windrush until reaching the village of the same name. Approaching Farmington you’ll encounter a climb, before reaching the Golden Jubilee Tree at its summit.

Heading north you climb to the day’s highest point (still only about 200m high), before a fun descent into Bourton-on-the-Water. With plenty of time to explore, take the opportunity to visit Bourton’s many quaint shops, cafes and attractions. Some favourites include the Motoring Museum & Toy Collection, the Model Village, Birdland, or simply picking a comfy seat along the River Windrush and watch the ducks (and the world) go by. Cap off your evening with an ice cream by the river before a good night’s rest.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 600 Metres Approx.

Today’s ride takes you deeper into the heart of the Cotswolds to experience even more outstanding natural beauty and historical wonders dating back to Saxon times. With some of the best views of the holiday, you can expect some cheeky climbs! The hilliest day of the tour still presents a very achievable challenge with plenty of time and stopping points along the way to split up the day.

If setting off a bit later, then it’s worth stopping off for a magnificent lunch at the revered Hollow Bottom Inn at Gutting Power. Soon after you’ll make your way up to Broadway Tower via Snowshill to enjoy the beautiful views before heading through Chipping Campden, famed for the most desirable high street in England and onwards to our final destination, Moreton-in-Marsh, One of the principal market towns of the northern Cotswolds dating back to the 13th century, Moreton has much to see with an abundance of shops and eateries to suit all tastes.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 200 Metres Approx.

From Moreton-in-Marsh we ride on into a more rural side of the Cotswolds, where you can witness the agricultural side of daily Cotswold life. Expect to visit a number of very pretty and quiet villages and enjoy fantastic views across the famed rolling hills.

You will briefly leave behind the Cotswolds whilst exploring Warwickshire and finishing at the birthplace of William Shakespeare in the historic market town of Stratford-upon-Avon. It’s a leisurely ride today, whether you cycle steadily to enjoy a bit more time in Stratford, or choose to go at a very relaxed pace to take in the rural life and scenic villages and towns like Shipston-on-Stour and Ilmington (which comes at the end of the day’s only sustained climb).

For those wanting to take in the theatre in Stratford we strongly recommend pre-booking. In addition to the town’s many theatres there are many historic sights and buildings, guided tours, exhibits and attractions as well as plenty of shopping opportunities. We recommend Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, where Shakespeare’s wife was born and raised – a beautifully preserved old english farmhouse complete with a lovely cottage garden and orchards.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 550 Metres Approx.

Today is the longest cycling day of the holiday and probably one of the most challenging, comparable in distance and climbing to Day 4 riding to Moreton-in-Marsh. From Stratford you will venture back into the heart of the Cotswolds. The riding today offers fantastic views of the unspoilt rolling hills and more chances to visit small picturesque villages, historic settlements, the famed town of Chipping Norton.

Thankfully the first half the ride is relatively flat and undulating, rising subtly until just before the villages of Cherington and Stourton where you re-enter the Cotswolds. Your legs will know you‘re back in the Cotswolds, as you rise further to Whichford and then a cheeky climb straight after.

Passing Little Rollright and the Rollright Stones, you have a chance to explore these neolithic and bronze age boulder monuments before a downhill section and one last climb and descent to the village of Kingham for your overnight stay.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 450 Metres Approx.

Today’s ride is shorter with less climbing overall, but does contain a few cheeky climbs, which thankfully are mostly in the first half the ride. From Kingham you spend the morning riding through the last of the Cotswolds villages you’ll see on this tour, with a few good options to stop for lunch before the terrain flattens out.

Riding on toward Woodstock you take in more pretty countryside and arrive at your destination via an off-road path surrounded by nature. Woodstock is a historic Oxfordshire market town home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Blenheim Palace, the seat of the Duke of Marlborough and one of England’s largest houses. The palace is notable for many reasons, including being the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Those interested in history, fine art, and English history will all find plenty to enjoy and hours can be spent enjoying Capability Brown’s stunningly landscaped park – the quintessential landscape of the english aristocracy. The palace, park and gardens are open to the public for an entry fee.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 100 Metres Approx.

Today is a very easy day providing a chance to enjoy the tranquillity of the canal waterways and to explore a different side of Oxford city.

The aim is to arrive back into Oxford at lunch time, where after lunch there is the opportunity to explore the castle, see more of the dreaming spires and explore any of Oxford’s colleges and attractions you haven’t yet had a chance to see.

After riding through the old part of the city, you’ll finish your tour under Oxford’s own “Bridge of Sighs” (a skyway used by students commuting between lessons over New College Lane, bringing to mind the better known Bridge of Sighs in Venice). It serves as a memorable finish point to your holiday, adding to the many iconic sights you’ve taken in over the last week.

Your local representative will meet you with your luggage, collect hire bikes as needed and wish you a pleasant onward journey or extended stay in Oxford.