Photo: Mark Boston (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in Cotswolds
Wondering what to do in Cotswolds? This guide lists the area's attractions — zoos, museums, theme parks and more — with distances, so you can plan every day of your trip.
🎟️ This weekend near Cotswolds
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 18:00
Phantom & West End Classics
Church Of St Gregory The Great, Cheltenham · 11.0 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 18:30
Coki & Lemon D at DEYA Brewery
DEYA Brewing Company, Cheltenham · 11.7 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 20:00
Funhouse Comedy Club - Comedy Night
Ingleside House, Cirencester · 9.1 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 12:00
Gloucester Audio Tour: A Timeless Journey Through Landmarks
Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester · 16.6 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Museums & Galleries
5.4 mi from Cotswolds
Cotswold Motoring Museum & Toy Collection
Museum in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, England, UK
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9.2 mi from Cotswolds
Tolsey Museum
The Tolsey Museum occupies the historic Tolsey building on Burford's High Street, built in the early 1500s as the town's market house and home to the Borough Court. Inside, themed...
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9.3 mi from Cotswolds
Corinium Museum
Corinium Museum sits in the heart of Cirencester and tells the story of the Cotswolds from prehistory to the present, with a principal collection of highly significant finds from t...
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9.8 mi from Cotswolds
Winchcombe Museum
Winchcombe Museum, housed in the town's former Victorian Town Hall, brings the story of Winchcombe to life through a volunteer-led collection that includes fragments of the UK's mo...
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10.2 mi from Cotswolds
Hailes Abbey
Hailes Abbey was once one of medieval England's most celebrated pilgrimage sites, drawn to fame in 1270 when it received a relic said to be a phial of Christ's blood; pilgrims' don...
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10.5 mi from Cotswolds
Swinford Museum
Swinford Museum is a small local museum in the village of Filkins, west Oxfordshire, England. — Wikipedia
10.7 mi from Cotswolds
Holst Victorian House
Holst Victorian House is the Cheltenham birthplace of composer Gustav Holst, set out as an authentic Victorian home showing middle-class life in the 1870s. You can wander through p...
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10.9 mi from Cotswolds
The Wilson
The Wilson is an art gallery and museum on Clarence Street in Cheltenham, currently hosting an exhibition called The Art of Looking, spanning Dutch Masters to Modern Britain, runni...
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14.2 mi from Cotswolds
Broadway Museum and Art Gallery
Broadway Museum and Art Gallery sits in a Grade II* listed building on the High Street in Broadway, Wychavon, Gloucestershire, and tells the story of the village through changing e...
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14.6 mi from Cotswolds
Jet Age Museum
Jet Age Museum, in Churchdown near Tewkesbury, tells the story of Gloucestershire's aviation history, from early flight through the birth of the Jet Age to today's aerospace indust...
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15.2 mi from Cotswolds
RMC: The Cave
RMC: The Cave is a hands-on museum of video gaming history in Chalford, Stroud, letting you play consoles, home computers and arcade cabinets from the 1970s to the early 2000s. You...
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15.2 mi from Cotswolds
Arcade Archive
Arcade Archive is a museum in Chalford, near Stroud, dedicated to the golden age of video arcade history. You can explore replica early coin-op machines like Computer Space and Spa...
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Theme Parks
29.2 mi from Cotswolds
Go Ape Forest of Dean Mallards Pike
Go Ape Mallards Pike sits within one of England's largest ancient forests, offering the Forest of Dean's toughest Go Ape with two Tarzan Swings and zips up to 180 metres through th...
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Water Parks
Zoos & Wildlife
11.9 mi from Cotswolds
Crocodiles of the World
Crocodiles of the World is the UK's only crocodile zoo, found in Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire. Inside its tropical indoor areas you can see species from around the world,...
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24.5 mi from Cotswolds
Slimbridge Wetland Centre
Slimbridge Wetland Centre is a wildlife reserve and visitor attraction where you can explore adventure play areas, take a canoe safari, join expert-led talks and tours, and visit S...
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Where to stay near Cotswolds
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
The Cotswolds stretches further than most people expect, which is good news for a days-out list: you can build one day around Oxford, another around Gloucestershire, and a third around Cheltenham without ever feeling you've driven the long way round. The sensible approach is to group places by where they are rather than by what they are, and to keep one indoor option in reserve for the day the weather turns.
Family days out
If the children need to burn off energy, the two water parks do the heavy lifting: Wet n Wild Oxford and Aquaventure, the latter within the Cotswolds itself. Both suit a half-day rather than a full one, which leaves room for something quieter afterwards.
For a change of pace, Arcade Archive in Gloucestershire tends to hold the attention of older children and a fair few adults, while The Signalling Centre in Oxford is a good choice for anyone who likes levers, switches and the mechanics of how railways actually worked. Swinford Museum in Bourton-on-the-Water and History Hut in Oxfordshire are both small-scale, which can be a virtue with younger ones: you're in, interested, and out again before patience runs short.
Rainy day options
There is no shortage of cover here. In Oxford, the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments and the ST Lee Gallery and Treasury are easy to pair, and both work whatever the forecast. The Cirencester Air Raid Shelter is a genuinely different sort of visit, and a reminder of how recent some of this history is. Further afield, the RSC Costume Workshop at Stratford-upon-Avon shows the practical craft behind what you see on stage, and the Discovery Centre at the Museum of Gloucester is a solid wet-afternoon choice. The Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre suits anyone chasing family records or local history in more depth.
Getting outdoors
The Cotswolds is a designated scenic area, and much of the pleasure is simply in the walking and the views between the stops. The Earth Trust Centre near Oxford combines the indoor and the outdoor, and The Lodge, in the care of the National Trust, is worth building a morning around. For a countryside theme without the weather risk, the John Moore Countryside Museum in Cheltenham and the Dean Heritage Museum in Gloucestershire both look at how people lived and worked on this land.
Heritage and old stones
Chedworth Roman Villa, also National Trust, is the standout for anyone interested in how far back occupation here goes. Hailes Abbey near Cheltenham makes a natural companion if you want ruins and quiet in the same day. Stanway House offers the stately home side of things, and The Old Prison takes you somewhere rather less comfortable. The Almonry Museum and Heritage Centre in Cheltenham rounds out the picture.
Three days that work on a map
- Oxford day: the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments and the ST Lee Gallery and Treasury in the morning, the Earth Trust Centre or The Signalling Centre in the afternoon, with Wet n Wild Oxford swapped in if the children are in charge.
- Gloucestershire day: the Discovery Centre at the Museum of Gloucester, then the Dean Heritage Museum, with Arcade Archive held back as a reward or a rain plan.
- Cheltenham and Cotswolds day: Hailes Abbey and the Almonry Museum and Heritage Centre, then Chedworth Roman Villa or Stanway House, finishing with a wander in Bourton-on-the-Water and a look at Swinford Museum.
Where to eat
All of the following hold five-star hygiene ratings, which is a reasonable first filter when you're somewhere unfamiliar. The Monastery Café, Café au Chocolat and Rosado Lounge are tea rooms, so they suit the mid-walk stop or a late breakfast before a museum. Miss Muffet's Delicatessen is the one to find if you'd rather assemble a picnic and eat it outdoors, which makes sense on a Chedworth Roman Villa or Hailes Abbey sort of day. Creams is the obvious bribe after a water park.
Turning it into a short break
Two nights gives you three usable days, and that is roughly the right length to cover one city day, one countryside day and one heritage day without rushing. There are 82 places to stay on BritStays across the region, so base yourself near whichever of the three days you most want to do properly and accept a little driving for the others.
Before you set off
Check opening days directly with each attraction, particularly the smaller museums, which often run on volunteer hours and may close out of season. Book water park sessions ahead in school holidays. Carry waterproofs even on a settled forecast, since several of these sites are outdoors with little shelter, and keep one indoor option unbooked so you have somewhere to go if the day turns.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best things to do in the Cotswolds with children?
Wet n Wild Oxford and Aquaventure are the two water parks in the region and suit a half-day each. Arcade Archive in Gloucestershire is good for older children, The Signalling Centre in Oxford appeals to anyone interested in railways, and smaller stops such as Swinford Museum in Bourton-on-the-Water and History Hut in Oxfordshire work well with younger ones who tire quickly.
Where can I go in the Cotswolds when it rains?
There are plenty of indoor options. In Oxford, try the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments or the ST Lee Gallery and Treasury. Elsewhere, consider the Cirencester Air Raid Shelter, the Discovery Centre at the Museum of Gloucester, the RSC Costume Workshop at Stratford-upon-Avon, or the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre if you want local history in more depth.
Are there any National Trust places to visit in the Cotswolds?
Yes, two are listed for the region: Chedworth Roman Villa and The Lodge. Chedworth Roman Villa is the one to pick if you are interested in how far back occupation of this landscape goes, while The Lodge is worth building a morning around.
What heritage sites should I see in the Cotswolds?
Hailes Abbey near Cheltenham and Chedworth Roman Villa are the main historic sites, with Stanway House covering the stately home side of things. The Old Prison and the Almonry Museum and Heritage Centre in Cheltenham add a different angle on local history.
Where can I eat in the Cotswolds with a five-star hygiene rating?
The Monastery Café, Café au Chocolat and Rosado Lounge are all tea rooms with five-star hygiene ratings. Miss Muffet's Delicatessen is useful for putting together a picnic, and Creams is an ice cream and creamery stop, which tends to go down well after a water park.
How long should a short break in the Cotswolds be?
Two nights gives you three usable days, which is enough for one city day around Oxford, one countryside or Gloucestershire day, and one heritage day around Cheltenham and the Cotswolds themselves. There are 82 places to stay on BritStays in the region, so base yourself near whichever day matters most to you.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in Cotswolds.