If you’re planning to visit the Cotswolds, you may be wondering when is the best season and what you could expect for weather and experiences. Whilst our beautiful part of the English countryside is most often quiet and tranquil, there are busier times of year as more visitors come to experience the Cotswolds. There are also better times of year based on the activities you might like to do. Whether you’re planning on hiking or visiting historic estates, you may want to choose one season over another!
We love sharing our beloved Cotswolds with visitors from near and far. If you’re keen to see this stunning part of England, we would be honoured to take you. Peruse our luxury Cotswolds holiday itineraries to suit your time and interests, or we can craft a tailor-made itinerary just for you. For now, let’s go through the seasons so you know what to expect on your visit to England’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Autumn in the Cotswolds
On the other end of summer, you would certainly be enamoured with a visit to the Cotswolds in autumn. The long hours of daylight are still with us, especially in September, so you can maximise your outdoor time to explore the beautiful countryside. Schools are back in session, so the villages are quiet and the traffic is far less.
The only downside visiting in autumn is that the fields will have been harvested so they won’t be as green and lush as you would have seen earlier in the year. If you come during harvest season itself, be prepared for tractors slowing down the journey! Of course, we don’t mind that at all, as it gives us more time to truly enjoy the views.
Autumn also means changing colours in the trees. A wooded area is simply stunning in autumn, and we would be delighted to take you through such natural beauty during your visit.
Yet another wonderful reason to visit the Cotswolds in autumn: blackberries are prime for the picking! We have them in abundance and there’s nothing quite as delightful as picking them from a perfect hedgerow whilst moseying along a village lane.
Winter in the Cotswolds
While winter in the Cotswolds is not the most popular time to visit, there is so much beauty in a Cotswolds holiday at this time of year. Imagine a quaint, historic village with its Cotswold stone church chiming the bells at Christmastime, fairy lights twinkling in the dark winter evening as they’re draped along the awnings in the village centre. Laughter rolls out of the village pub as another local opens the door to join the jolly festivities and the smell of a log fire drifts through the whole village.
There is true magic to the Cotswolds in wintertime, especially as we draw closer to Christmas and the decorated trees are up in the village squares! If you’re the type who likes to meet the locals and see more of daily life wherever you travel, we think you’d love visiting the Cotswolds in winter. Cuddle up in front of a roaring log fire and let the charm of English country life warm you to the core, or take a trip to the wonderful Blenheim Palace Christmas lights tour.
Spring in the Cotswolds
Springtime in the Cotswolds is a truly special time of year. Emerging from the winter gloom, you’ll see flowers in bloom across the rolling hills and lambs frolicking in the grass. Days getting longer and sunshine being more abundant makes everyone smile. Colourful wisteria, fields of rapeseed and poppy borders, wildflowers aplenty…springtime is truly a lovely experience in the Cotswolds!
May is an especially lovely time to enjoy a visit to the Cotswolds. You’ll see everything alive and in full bloom, the farm fields will be growing and not yet harvested, and the temperatures are perfectly mild for ambling about the countryside. Those looking to do a bit of hillwalking or hiking might prefer later springtime as the trails should be drier.
Visiting while schools are still in session means you’ll see smaller crowds and you’ll get to enjoy a quiet afternoon tea or a peaceful stroll through a village.
Summer in the Cotswolds
The summer months of July and August are certainly a good season to visit the Cotswolds. The days are long, the fields are green, and you might even enjoy sunny days! Of course, this is Britain, so we can never promise constant dry weather. That said, summer is also the peak season for family holidays for both local and international tourists. That means you could experience larger crowds and higher prices.
Of course, the beauty of visiting the Cotswolds is that you’ll be away from the busy city centre and out in the quiet countryside or beside the glistening lakes in the heart of England. When we see crowds in the Cotswolds, it’s usually at the village pub or perhaps along the narrow lanes as more cars try to find parking in our small villages.
Summer is a lovely time to visit, but we do recommend the shoulder seasons for an even more quiet, tranquil experience to enjoy.
Whatever your favourite season for visiting the Cotswolds, we would love to show you around. Let’s plan a custom tour to cater to your interests, crafting a dream trip to the charming, historic Cotswolds.
