It’s hard not to fall in love with the Cotswolds. From picture perfect towns and villages to glorious landscapes and intriguing history, there is so much to see and do.
 
Although the natural beauty is certainly enough, the Cotswolds has so much more to offer and is brimming with attractions for you to discover and explore, perfect for all the family. Why not check out our top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds and make your next break the most memorable one yet.

1 Batsford Arboretum

Top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds - © Batsford Arboretum

Where: Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 9QB
Details: Batsford Arboretum is a must-see for all the family, from nature-lovers to kids eager to explore the great outdoors! The arboretum and woodland garden is one of our top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds. It's a lovely place to walk, with beautiful colours throughout the year. Open every day except Christmas Day, it boasts a unique collection of trees and plants from all over the world and is heaving with wildlife. Follow winding streams and watch the pondlife, set out to find hidden creatures and dodge the waterfall! The arboretum has a lovely annual programme of events too. Follow up with lunch or afternoon tea in the Garden Terrace Café and a spot of retail therapy in the gift and garden shops. Plan a full day if you plan to visit the Cotswold Falconry Centre right on the doorstep.

2 Blenheim Palace

Top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds - © Blenheim Palace

Where: Woodstock OX20 1PP
Details: Birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and home to the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace is a wonderful place for children and adults alike and definitely makes our top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds. Spend anything from a few hours to a whole day here and leave feeling that you have experienced a piece of British history. Apart from guided tours of the magnificent palace and the permanent Churchill exhibition, the ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland contains formal and pleasure gardens which are beautiful to wander through and perfect for a picnic. There is a huge range of children’s activities including the miniature ‘Sir Winston Churchill’ train, a maze, butterfly house and an excellent adventure playground. Kids love the seasonal events too, including jousting in the grounds. In 2016, the palace is celebrating 300 years of ‘Capability’ Brown too with a number of special activities.

3 Broadway Tower & Country Park

Top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds - © Broadway Tower

Where: Broadway WR12 7LB
Details: Broadway Tower is a cherished historic icon which has been looking over Broadway village’s shoulder for the last two centuries. It houses exhibitions on three floors about the history of its occupants and colourful past. Displaying works from the designer William Morris (who visited here on holiday) and, intriguingly, on the nuclear bunkers of the Royal Observer Corps, one such bunker is on site and open to visitors on weekends. Crown your visit with breathtaking views from the roof platform that stretch as far as the Welsh Mountains. The tower is surrounded by a 35-acre country park inhabited by red deer, making it a wonderful place for a picnic. And no visit is complete without calling in at the stylish and contemporary Morris and Brown café and gift shop.

4 Cotswold Birdland Park & Gardens

 Top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds - © Birdland

Where: Bourton-on-the-Water GL54 2BN
Details: Gather up your flock and head to Birdland to enjoy an informative top day out in the Cotswolds in the company of some feathered friends, including pelicans, flamingos, penguins, parrots and owls. With its combination of woodland, riverside and water gardens, the beautiful and natural setting is inhabited by over 500 birds and is the only venue to have a group of King Penguins in the country. The whole park is laid out with the greatest respect for the birds while still allowing plenty of interaction, so you can get up close and personal – the penguins love to meet the kids! Come face to face too with egg-laying creatures including fish, lizards and snakes in the indoor Discovery Zone. There’s also a soft play area and designated areas to unpack a picnic, or refuel in the Flamingo Point Café.

5 Cotswold Falconry Centre

Top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds - Cotswold Falconry Centre Dave Banks

Where: Batsford Park, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 9AB
Details: Falconry is booming and this is one of the best places to find out what it’s all about! Housing around 150 birds of prey, the Cotswold Falconry Centre is one of our top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds. It aims to promote a greater understanding of these magnificent creatures, through education and fun. Admission includes four different one hour free flying displays, each using four different birds from their raptor squadron of falcons, hawks, eagles, kites, buzzards, owls, caracaras and vultures. You can book a course too, from starter experiences to owl evenings and eagle days. Explore ‘Owl Wood’, where the birds can be seen in their natural habitat, with CCTV cameras allowing visitors to watch nests in spring. You can leave and re-enter throughout the day, great if you want to combine your visit with Batsford Arboretum.

6 Cotswold Farm Park

Top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds - Cotswold Farm Park Jennie Rainsford

Where: Bemborough Farm, Kineton GL54 5UG
Details: This bucolic farm park, run by farmer and Countryfile presenter Adam Henson, offers youngsters a real taste of farm life, with its prolific collection of rare breed animals and stacks of family activities. Watch a sheep being sheared; pet baby chicks, guinea pigs and rabbits; bottle feed lambs and goats; see cows being milked; and feed the big animals through fences outside …all up close and personal. Don’t miss a tour on the Farm Safari Ride and – oh yes – let them loose on the mini tractors! If they’re still bursting with energy, there’s the soft play area and adventure playground or lose them in The Maze. There are plenty of eating options – from picnic spots to Adam’s Kitchen and a bistro open in high season. Check out too the special events which take place throughout the year.

7 Cotswold Motoring Museum

Top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds - © Cotswold Motoring Museum

Where: Bourton-on-the-Water GL54 2BY
Details: Win lots of Brownie points by taking your little ones to the home of Brum, the super hero car from the children’s TV series. Kids (or overgrown ones) who love all things mobile will be in their element at the Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection. Admire vintage and classic cars, motorcycles and quaint caravans displayed with all kinds of motoring curiosities, as well as one of the largest collections of metal motoring signs. There’s also a toy collection – including teddy bears, aeroplanes and a collection of rare pedal cars – that will have kids marveling and adults reminiscing. It’s a fascinating journey through the 20th century, with something for everyone.

8 Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens

Top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds - © Cotswold Wildlife Park & Garden

Where: Burford OX18
Details: Animal-loving kids (and big kids) will adore this wildlife park, home to over 200 animal species set in extensive parkland and beautiful gardens around a listed Victorian Manor House. Get up close with the lemurs in their free-roaming Madagascar enclosure and discover meerkats, penguins and tropical birds in the exotically landscaped Walled Gardens. See eye to eye with the giraffes on the raised walkway, view the Asiatic lions and mingle with the park’s famous rhinos. Let your kids make new animal friends in the farmyard, hop on the free road train and schedule in some of the daily ‘animal encounters’. With picnic areas, and an on-site café, as well as two excellent adventure playgrounds for kids to let off steam, it’s a packed day out!

9 Dragonfly Maze

 
Where: Bourton-on-the-Water GL54 2EE
Details: Tell the kids to ‘get lost’ at the a’maze’ing Dragonfly Maze! Not just an ordinary maze though, as puzzles within puzzles hide a golden treasure. A challenge for both your sense of direction and your reasoning skills, your mission is to pick up clues while you find your way around the half mile of winding yew hedges. Translate the brainteasers into a word, which, when placed in numerical order, reveals a poem which reveals the hiding place of the dragonfly inside the Minotoad’s lair. Kit Williams, who wrote the cult book ‘Masquerade’ in the late 1970’s, designed the gorgeous roundhouse in the centre of the maze as well as the dragonfly itself. There’s a bonus puzzle you can request if you’ve already done it once. So obviously you have to go back!

10 Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway

Top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds - GWR by Tony Hisgett

Where: The Railway Station, Toddington GL54 5DT
Details: Hop on board this award-winning heritage railway offering a 20-mile scenic round trip between Toddington and Cheltenham Race Course. A traditional engine pulls elegant carriages through some spectacular scenery, running over viaducts and through tunnels. On your return to Toddington, pop into the Flag and Whistle Café, gift shop and model railway shop for a well-earned breather. There are many special weekends with fantastic activities for children throughout the year too, including Easter egg competitions, visits from Thomas the Tank engine, and, of course, the popular Santa Specials! This fun attracktion is sure to be a hit with the whole family!

Our top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds

Our top 10 things to do in the Cotswolds are just a selection of some of the fantastic attractions waiting for you. Take a look at our luxury holiday cottages in the Cotswolds, and, for more attractions and experiences, browse our ‘Things to Do & Events’ section for each property listing.