Private Tour
The Cotswold Tour
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Johnnie your local driver and tour guide, has lived and worked in The Cotswolds for three decades. As we navigate the picturesque countryside, Johnnie, with his passion for the Cotswolds and love of local history will provide an informative and interesting commentary. Visitors will be left with cherished memories of this timeless English countryside. Our tours showcase the beauty of the area while minimising time spent in the car and with this in mind, we have carefully chosen the routes and destinations. We aim to show you as much as possible whilst ensuring you have a relaxed and enjoyable experience and time to savour the Cotswolds. There will be plenty of photo opportunities, breaks for a bite to eat, a cream tea, or a pint in a cosy pub, as well as a chance to explore local shops.
This is a private tour and will include only you and your driver.
You will not share the car with anyone else.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Bottled water
Dinner
Snacks
Entrance to any paid attractions on the tour.
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Blockley
We drive from Moreton-in-Marsh via Bourton-on-the-Hill to Blockley, a beautiful village where many of the buildings date to when it was the centre of a silk spinning industry. It is also famous for being a the location of a popular BBC series; Father Brown.
We drive through Broad Campden, a village know for it's abundance of thatched cottages.
Options
The Cotswold Tour
Pickup included
Reviews
79 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Favorite activity on our trip!
Katherine H,
Nov 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing experience! I booked this tour to do with my daughter and sister on a girls trip and it was the perfect activity for us! Johnnie was an amazing tour guide and personalized the experience for things we wanted to see. It was the favorite activity we have done on our trip!
Greta Two Days Touring the Cotswolds
sb73949,
Nov 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My wife and I had a fantastic two days touring the Cotswolds with Johnnie in mid October. . He picked us up in Oxford and we spend 4-5 hours with him each day. At the end of the first day he dropped us off at our hotel in Stow-on-the-Wald. He planned the itinerary based on our preferences , and we were very happy with it. He included out of the way less touristy places, but we also covered all the major towns and villages. He is quite knowledgeable about the area and history. We throughly enjoyed our time with Johnnie and would highly recommend a tour with his company.
The ultimate guide!
F4374LMjuliej,
Oct 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic day with Johnnie. He was a fantastic guide providing us with history, fun facts, and pop culture references! He made our tour feel tailor made to our foursome. Highly recommend.
Amazing tour of the Cotswolds
Poppy5055,
Oct 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had such an incredible day exploring the Cotswolds with Johnnie! He was knowledgeable, friendly, and so easy to spend the day with. From the very start, he listened to what we were most interested in and tailored the tour perfectly to match our pace and preferences. Johnnie’s deep knowledge of the region, paired with his personal anecdotes and stories, brought every village and landscape to life. He shared fascinating insights about the history, culture, and local life in such an engaging way that we felt like we were traveling with an old friend rather than a guide. He went above and beyond to make sure we had a memorable experience — even adding a few spontaneous stops that ended up being our favorite moments of the day. If you’re visiting the Cotswolds, we couldn’t recommend Johnnie more highly. A truly special and memorable experience from start to finish!
A gorgeous and peaceful drive through the Cotswolds
ruaduck,
Oct 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Johnnie was a fantastic guide. He provided historical and relevant stories and showed us many spots used in tv and movie magic. Transportation was comfortable and prompt. A lovely time.
Lovely tour with John
nancygT6347UL,
Oct 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an absolutely exceptional day touring the Cotswolds with John Loader — truly one of the best guides we’ve ever experienced. From the very start, John made the experience deeply personal and engaging. We had mentioned our interest in visiting some of the Father Brown filming locations, and he went above and beyond to make that happen. He shared fascinating local stories about the filming process, the actors, and even showed us personal photos from his time around the sets. It was such a thoughtful touch that brought everything to life and made us feel genuinely connected to the area. Beyond the film sites, John gave us a real insight into local life — from the realities of private estate ownership to the history behind the landscape itself. He explained everything from how hedges and hurdles are built to the origins of the unique place names throughout the region. His knowledge of local history runs deep, and it’s clear he has a genuine love for the Cotswolds, having lived there for decades. We really appreciated that he not only took us to every location on our (rather ambitious!) list, but also added a number of hidden gems that he thought we’d enjoy. Many of these were peaceful, scenic spots away from the crowds, allowing us to experience a more relaxed and authentic side of the Cotswolds. John was personable, funny, and incredibly easy to spend the day with. He shared wonderful anecdotes — both historical and personal — and also took the time to get to know us, which made the experience feel all the more special. Despite having only one day, John somehow managed to fit in everything we wanted to see (and more), without ever making the day feel rushed. He even spent extra time with us to make sure we didn’t miss anything, which we truly appreciated. If you’re considering a Cotswolds tour, look no further than John Loader. His knowledge, warmth, and storytelling made this an unforgettable highlight of our trip.
Storybook magic through the Cotswolds!
Q2228KQlaurag,
Oct 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic tour. Johnnie is quickly responsive to email inquiries and set up a custom 8 hour tour for us. I can't count how many Cotswold villages he took us to! He has a huge knowledge base and passionately shared history with us. He even has a couple surprises on the tour which made it that much more fun. So personable. We didn't want to leave!
Exactly the Cotswold Tour We Wanted!
Corgimama34,
Sep 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Booking a tour with Johnnie is the absolute best, easiest, and most enjoyable way to see and learn everything you want about the Cotswolds - and more! Johnnie was very responsive and flexible when I was scheduling our tour. We took an early morning train from London, and he was waiting for us outside the Moreton-in-Marsh station when we arrived. Into his comfortable car we went for our adventure through the idyllic Costwolds. Although "tour guide" is a second career for Johnnie, you would think he has done this all his life. He is so knowledgable about history, culture, tradition, nature, topography, current events, and all-things-British, plus he has lived in the Cotswolds for decades, so he can speak to any perspective about them and answer all questions. As he drove us through tiny villages and larger areas, he shared such fun and insightful stories and information (including modern day personalities and events), well beyond what we would have learned on our own or in a larger tour where we couldn't have asked so many of our own questions. He customized our tour at our request so that we spent more time seeing the unique, lesser-known spots and less time in the more crowded touristy villages. He brought us to a fabulous gourmet pub for lunch with a view of sheep grazing in a field across the street. No doubt we were in the Cotswolds! At the suggestion of another reviewer, we stopped at the gorgeous Donnington Brewery (a 700 yr old converted mill with an honor box to try their beer) and bought delicious ice cream from the roadside vending machine at an organic regenerative farm. After our return, Johnnie emailed us a list of all the villages and sights we visited (26!!) with a short commentary on what was memorable/important about each. Thank you Johnnie for the precious memories of our day touring the Costwolds. We couldn't have asked for anything better!
John was an absolutely fantastic guide. Do yourself a favor and book this immediately!
ChrisATX23,
Sep 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00One of the best experiences we had on our trip to England. John is a smart funny knowledgeable guy that gives you the cool interesting bits along with the crowd-pleasing photo ops. I cannot recommend him highly enough - 5 stars aren’t even enough!!!
Excellent Tour of the Cotswolds
P9471VSlisah,
Sep 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Johnnie made our trip to the Cotswolds absolutely fabulous! We had one day to tour the area and after reading reviews we decided to go with Johnnie and we are so happy we did. He is professional, knowledgeable, friendly and engaging and his car was clean and comfortable. Through conversation he got to know us and tailored the tour to our interests with some surprises along the way - it did not feel like a "cookie cutter" tour. He showed us areas we would not have seen on our own and he is well versed in the history of the area. I highly recommend Johnnie. I would give him a 10 if I could.
Related Experiences
Operated by The Cotswold Tour Co.