Cotswold Journeys was founded by Christopher Knowles who designed most of the original routes that are currently offered by walking tour operators in the Cotswolds of England. Now run by his son Dan, this small company focuses primarily on self-guided and tailor-made private tours in the Cotswolds and the UK, directly operating all of their UK tours from their base in Cheltenham. They also offer a small selection of guided and cycling tours. Trusted by many, this is a family-run company that we are happy to say earns our LOCAL CHOICE for walking holidays in the Cotswolds.
Review of Cotswold Journeys / British & Irish Walks
There are 3 sites for this company. If you know you want to walk in the Cotswolds, go directly to Cotswold Journeys. It is easier to search and includes additional themed day tours that you can add to create a custom trip. If you’re not sure and want to see all the tours they offer, start with their British & Irish Walks site. You have to click on each individual tour to see length of trip and prices (which is annoying and I hope they change this), but otherwise it’s a good site that includes the details you’ll need to make a decision. We only recommend using their 3rd site, World Walks, if you are already a loyal customer and want to see what they offer outside of the UK through their European partners or if you are using it to make a payment.
We especially like the literary-themed tours on British & Irish Walks which include Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Chaucer and Shakespeare.
Things to like about Cotswold Journeys / British & Irish Walks
- Locally-owned, family operated business with 35+ years experience
- Offers literary and culinary themed tours, as well as options to add fishing, clay pigeon shooting and birds of prey activities
- Meets guests in person on arrival day (when possible and only for northern Cotswold walks)
- Trusted by large luxury tour brands who contract them to run tours for their discerning clients
- Can arrange airport transfers (additional cost)
- Consistent 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor, Facebook and Reviews.io (most under World Walks)
- Can provide a free GPS app with turn-by-turn navigation
When it comes to walking holidays in the Cotswolds, you have 2 excellent choices. Cotswold Walks has a slight edge if you want more selection of guided tours or smaller route notes (half-sheet). Cotswold Journeys is the better choice if you want to combine this region with others throughout the UK or Ireland. Their tours are also slightly cheaper.
Route Types
- Inn to inn hiking
Destinations include
- England
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Wales
*More destinations in Europe through partners on their World Walks site.
Great choice for
- Anyone seeking walking holidays in the United Kingdom, especially the Cotswolds
- Bibliophiles who want literary-themed walking tours
Established in 1985
last reviewed July 1 2024
