I may be a New Yorker, but the English countryside has my heart. Dreamy, idyllic, and whimsical, the Cotswolds has been on my bucket list for ages and I wasn’t going to leave London without taking a trip!
In an ideal world, I would’ve rented a (preferably vintage) car and driven around the Cotswolds, living out my cottagecore dreams and pretending I was in The Holiday. But alas, I have neither the budget nor the acting skills, so I decided to book a private tour instead. With only a short stay in London, I figured this was my only way of getting to visit and I wanted to make the most of it. Along with 10 other tourists from around the world, we hopped on a minibus and drove from London to the 3 B’s: Burford, Bibury, and Bourton-On-The-Water. While I would’ve loved to explore the Cotswolds on my own, this was a fantastic introduction and the perfect way to get a glimpse of all the beauty this region has to offer.
From local shops selling delicious homemade pastries to picturesque honey-hued cottages, I could spend hours wandering around each of these little villages. Even the drives themselves were so scenic — we spotted so many animals along the way! Our first stop was Burford, also known as the entryway to the Cotswolds. Everything in the galleries and antique stores were so cute, I wanted to bring so many souvenirs back with me!
Next, we headed to Bibury, home to Arlington Row. When you picture the Cotswolds, this is probably what comes to mind. It’s such an iconic spot that it’s actually one of the photos in the British passport! Oh, what it must be like to live in one of these cottages… a girl can dream. 🙂
After a lunch stop at Bourton-on-the-Water, we explored Stow-on-the-Wold. Fun fact: St. Edward’s Church is rumored to have inspired Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings! Can you see the resemblance?
While it was a quick day trip to the Cotswolds, it was just what I needed amidst this hectic summer. I can’t wait to come back, properly explore each of the villages, and simply relax — perhaps stay at a quaint little inn, eat at a local bakery, frolic in the flower fields among the animals. But for now, I find comfort knowing that no matter how overwhelming life can get, there will always be a peaceful part of the world here waiting for me to return.
