London & the Cotswolds: Highlights from My 5 Day England Getaway

Last week my husband Steve and I travelled to the UK and spent a whirlwind 5 days in London and The Cotswolds. My husband had meetings in London, Amsterdam and Sweden, and we decided to go together a week early and turn it into a trip, just the two of us! While Steve travels extensively for work, I have done very little European travel.  It is top of my wishlist and something I am desperate to do more of, so when this opportunity presented itself I jumped at the chance! I am so grateful to my sister who stepped in and kept the ship afloat so I could have this precious travel experience!

This was my second time visiting London. We travelled to Greece 3 years ago and stopped through London en route as I had never visited the city before. It just so happened that the weekend we were in London coincided with Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. I will never forget the 24 hour line-up to pass by the Queen’s casket that snaked through the streets of London, as millions of people flocked to the city to pay their respects to such a beloved figure. It was so touching to walk through The Green Park and read some of the handwritten notes left to honor her memory and what she meant to her subjects.

The only downfall was that the city was inundated with visitors and the security protocols were such that it was very hard to get around. Some areas, like Buckingham palace, were inaccessible. While we were grateful to be a part of such a historical moment, it was nice to get to experience the city under more normal circumstances. That being said…we arrived Wednesday and the Tube (Subway) workers were on strike so that caused some chaos and made getting around very challenging. The strike ended day 3 of our trip and apart from almost missing our train to the Cotswolds, we weren’t impacted too greatly. By the time we came back to London for the last leg of our trip, services had resumed and transit was no issue.

Even though I was only in the UK for 5 days (not including travel) Steve and I made the most of every minute and squeezed in so many things. I am excited to share a recap of our trip and the many photos I took of the Cotswolds. Read on for a daily account of our trip.

Day 1: Arrive in London (Wednesday)

We arrived at Heathrow airport Wednesday morning about 9am after travelling from Vancouver via Montreal. The second leg of the journey was an overnight flight, coupled with an 8 hour time difference, so we were tired and a little out of it upon our arrival. Despite my best efforts, I didn’t sleep on the flight at all, so I was very sleep deprived. We took the train to Paddington Station and then had to get a cab, which was an hour long wait thanks to the transit strike! Once we did finally get a cab, the traffic was terrible, but we finally made it to our hotel in South Kensington around noon. We stayed at the 100 Queen’s Gate Hotel which was lovely! Thankfully they had a room ready for us so we could drop our bags and have a nap. We slept for 2 hours and then we dragged ourselves out of bed and out to explore the area. I only had a few shopping destinations on my wish list and one of them was the Varley flagship store located in the Chelsea neighborhood, so that was where we ventured off too. The Varley store was beautful inside, the abstract painting below caught my eye right away! I treated myself to this soft turtleneck sweater and I can’t wait to wear it when the temps cool off.

We did some shopping along the High Street of the Chelsea nieighborhood and then made our way back to our hotel. We grabbed a fast burger and called it a day, we were ready for bed!

Day 2: The Cotswolds (Thursday)

We woke up and realized 1. Our departure time from Paddington Station was much earlier than we thought and 2.because of the strike we were going to have a really hard time even getting to the station. We managed to get an Uber and tried not to dwell on the surge pricing and high fare. We sprinted to our platform and caught our train with literally a minute to spare. After a quick hour and a half scenic ride, we arrived at the Moreton-in Marsh train station and our Cotswolds adventure began!

We walked into the village in search of breakfast and landed at the cutest little cafe called Martha’s. After the terrible train coffee, a latte never tasted so good!

The cafe was charming and the food was amazing, just what we needed after such a hectic start to our day. I fell in love with this little art print hanging on the wall and found a digital downloadable version on Etsy:

After breakfast we wandered around the village. I peeked into the most gorgeous home decor store and fell in love with everything. We found an Uber to take us to our hotel in the neighboring village of Chipping Camden. We stayed at Cotswold House Hotel & Spa, located in the heart of the village.

Our hotel was directly in front of the village "Market Hall", which was built in 1627...it's hard to even wrap your head around how old that is!

This town was absolutely idyllic and the photo opportunities were endless. We spent a few hours walking around, both the village and the little residential area just off the High Street. Everything was made out of the classic Cotswold stone, and we found some cottages and houses with straw thatched roofs. This is what people mean when they say being in the Cotswolds feels like the pages of a fairy tale come to life!

For lunch we visited a cafe, and I was delighted to see gluten-free scones with clotted cream and jam on the menu. I wasn’t that hungry so I shared a scone with Steve, but promptly wished I had ordered my own-it was so delicious!

After lunch we found another Uber and went to a nearby town called Broadway Village. This was also a very cute town, with shops, bakeries, and several Pubs, very similar to Chipping Camden. In hindsight, I wish we had visited the Cotswold Farm Park instead of going to Broadway Village. The tour we booked for the next day included stops in five key Cotswold villages, so visiting the farm would have offered a completely different experience and some greater perspective on the history of the region. 80% of the Cotswolds are made up of farmland and agriculture is truly the backbone of the region’s culture — especially sheep farming, which has deep historic roots here. But you know what they say about hindsight (it’s 20/20)  so we will have to add this excursion to the list for our next visit. If you are reading this in preparation for a trip to the Cotswolds, you can learn from our misstep! That being said, Broadway village was very charming, and we wandered the High Street and visited a museum.

We stayed in Broadway village for dinner and we finally got to experience some pub culture! We went to The Swan Pub and I can see why pubs are such a way of life in England. The atmosphere is friendly, cozy and casual, and our food and drinks were quite good. We loved that dogs are welcome in the pubs and are a pretty regular fixture! It sure does enhance the experience and make it feel homey! 

We headed back to our hotel and unfortunately missed the opportunity to take in the spa and hot tub as it closed at 6pm. So we decided to relax in our room, which was really lovely with a sitting area, fireplace, cute balcony and huge bathroom with a giant tub!

Day 3: Cotswolds Day Tour (Friday)

We woke up excited about the day tour we had booked, but then excitement turned to panic when the Uber we booked to drive us to the Tour pick-up spot didn’t show up. We had used Uber the day before with no problems whatsoever, but in speaking with the hotel staff, apparently we should have booked a taxi the night before. This is the thing about travel - you don’t know what you don’t know! We launched into problem solving mode and called the tour operator. Turns out the town we were staying in was the first stop after pick up at the Moreton in Marsh train station, and we could just join the tour right in front of our hotel. The best part about this turn of events was that we had time to hit up the cafe across the street for another gluten-free scone with clotted cream and jam, talk about a happy accident!

Bantam Tea Room, Chipping Camden

Mid-morning, we joined our tour group and spent the rest of the day travelling the gorgeous countryside and visiting some of the most notable villages of the region.  If you are visiting the area, I highly recommend booking the “Cotswolds in a day” tour with the “Go Cotswolds” group.

Each village is similar in that they are hundreds of years old, made out of the traditional Cotswold stone, and comprised of local small businesses, some of which have been around forever. Like the Porch House Pub established in 947 AD! It feels like you have travelled back in time and you feel immersed in history. You will not see a starbucks or a chain store anywhere in the Cotswolds, as the government has taken many measures to preserve the authenticity of the Cotswolds. Let me take you on a photo tour of the towns we visited!

Snowshill 

One of my all-time favorite movies, Bridget Jones Diary, was filmed here. The opening scene of Bridget visiting her parents at Christmas time! I actually watched the newest Bridget Jones movie ‘About the Boy” on the plane ride over, it was really good! Okay, photos:

Next town was Stow-on-the Wold

The pub that I mentioned above - England's oldest Pub - is in this town. On the advice from our tour guide we had lunch at the Queens Head Pub, to conserve time.

Then on to Bibury

Bibury is one of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds, best known for Arlington Row, a row of 17th-century weavers’ cottages with steeply pitched stone roofs, which has become one of the most photographed spots in England. The cottages were originally built in the 1300s as a monastic wool store and later converted into homes for weavers supplying the nearby Arlington Mill.

Last stop Bourton-on-the-Water

Known as the “Venice of the Cotswolds,” Bourton-on-the-Water is a charming village where low stone bridges cross the gently flowing River Windrush.

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and the guide was kind enough to drop us back off at our hotel on his way home! The customer service was above and beyond with Colin. He even gave me change for the coin-operated bathrooms at Bourton-on-the-Water, lol.

Once back in Chipping Camden, Steve and I decided to wander up to visit the beautiful St. James’s church before hitting the Red Lion Tavern for a drink, then on to dinner at La Luigi Bistro. That was a wrap on Cotswolds Day 2, and our hearts and tummies were full!

Day 4: Back to London (Saturday)

Saturday morning we travelled via train, back to London. Luckily with the Tube strike over, we were able to get from Paddington station to our hotel with no issues at all. We stayed at the Westin London City and it was a great location, very close to the Thames. We took advantage of the location and walked to the river, took an Uber boat ride and then made our way to Borough Market in search of lunch.

It was just about as busy as one would expect on a Saturday, and we found ourselves hungry and aimlessly walking around feeling overwhelmed by the choices. We finally decided to have Thai food and ordered some Pad Thai from a vendor and found a space on the benches to eat. 

Saturday night was special because we had tickets to Hamilton! We went to dinner at The Ivy Victoria, which was conveniently located by the the Victoria Palace Theatre. Our food was beyond delicious and the ambiance of the restaurant was so fun! I appreciated the decor which was typically British with lots of layers - fun wallpaper, colorful walls and even a faux floral installation covering the entire bathroom ceiling! I had a Champagne Pear Mojito and it was just as delicious as it sounds!

I have been waiting years and years to be able to see Hamilton Live and it was so worth the hype. Steve and I enjoyed this musical so much, it’s award winning for good reason. I laughed, I cried, I was mesmerized from start to finish!

Day 5: Last day in London (Sunday)

We woke up and enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet at the Westin, highly recommend if you stay at this hotel. An omelet station, mini chia seed puddings, fresh fruit and so much more, I had no idea the Westin could put on such a spread!

Our goal for the day was to hit the London highlights and do some shopping. When we are visiting a major city, we always do a hop-on/hop-off bus tour because it is an affordable way to get around and see the main attractions while listening to the audio and learning some local history and fun facts. We have done these tours in San Francisco, Chicago and this was our second time doing it in London. 

We hopped on the bus near our hotel and rode the route until we got to Big Ben. We hopped off there and explored that area, then walked through St James’s Park (love this place so much) to Buckingham Palace. 

We then jumped back on the bus to head to Regent Street for some shopping. My favourite store to visit is Liberty, which is an iconic luxury department store established in 1875.

The store itself is historic and beautifully designed, from the moment you walk through the front doors. I love the flower market located at the entry, it definitely sets the tone!

There are 4 floors showcasing everything from clothing, gifts, make-up and home decor. Each floor is connected by elevator but also the most beautiful wooden staircases. The long hanging chandelier was a real wow-moment for me!

So what did I buy at Liberty you might wonder? Well, considering I was travelling carry-on only, space was very limited. I bought a fabric tote bag in a classic Liberty print, a cute card featuring an artistic rendering of the store, a Jellycat Corgi stuffie for Stella, and some chocolates. 

Another store that I visited worth mentioning was a stand-alone H&M boutique, a first time experience! I have shopped at H&M clothing stores and even visited one that had a home section but never a store dedicated to their stylish and affordable home decor collection!

Just like at Liberty, they had a fresh flower section at the entry where you could craft a gorgeous flower arrangement. In stark contrast to Liberty? The price point! All of the decor items are reasonably priced, just like their clothing.

For our last dinner in London, we met with some work colleagues of Steve’s who had just arrived for the meetings taking place that week. We ended up going to another Ivy restaurant, this one in a different location. Just like the previous night, the food and ambience were wonderful and we enjoyed our second experience just as much!

Day 6: Time to Fly home to Vancouver!

That is a wrap on my quick London Cotswold gettaway. I had such a wonderful time and can't believe how much we were able to pack into such a short time. I took so many photos, honestly I only shared about half of them in this post!

I am already dreaming of visiting the UK again, there are still so many aread that I want to explore. If you have any questions about our trip or places you recommend I visit next time, drop me a comment below!

Thanks for reading, Cheerio!

Kerri