Last Updated on September 23, 2026 by admin
Bourton-on-the-Water is one of the best-known villages in the Cotswolds, with the River Windrush flowing beneath low stone bridges through the centre. This guide shares my day trip from London, how we reached the village without a car, what we saw, where we ate, and practical ideas for planning your own visit.
Recently I was in London for a couple of weeks and never having visited UK before, I wanted to see some part of the Cotswold as the region is famed for its beautiful villages.
I went online looking for day tours and there were lets of tour on the GetYourGuide site but most of them were day tours that took you to 4 or 5 or even more villages in a day and I had 2 problems with them 1) that they would be very hurried and short tours of each village with no time to see any one place and 2) It was an al day walking tour and I didn’t know if my better half and I would be comfortable with walking miles and miles and not staying in a place long enough to rest.
I wanted to explore 1 or 2 villages at my own pace. Having talked to a few local persons and through online research I decided to visit Bourton-On-The-Water. It is one of the villages that is practically on every Cotswold Day Tour.
How to Get to Bourton-on-the-Water from London
To drive from London to Bourton-on-the-Water, you can take the M40 or M4/M5 motorway routes, which typically takes around 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on traffic, covering approximately 80-100 miles.
However since we didn’t have a car, We took a train from London Paddington Station to Moreton-in-Marsh station which took around 90-100 minutes and costed us around 35 £ per person. Trains run from Paddington to Moreton-in-marsh every hour and for more information about trains and for booking them you can download the very useful Trainline App. The train service was provided by Great Western Railways.
As the train left London and sped into the famed English Countrysde, the scenes looked pretty and very serene..
We also passed Oxford Station, the train almost emptied there.
From Moreton-in-Marsh we took a taxi which covered the distance of around 8 miles to Bourton in around 20 minutes and took 15 £. There are also buses which run from Moreton-in-marsh to Bourton every hour but we didn’t want to wait for the bus . Moreton-in -Marsh is a very small station but there should be a few taxis at most times of the day. There are also some tours of Cotswold which start from the station here.
Exploring Bourton-on-the-Water
The taxi left us in the main village square and I was awestruck by how beautiful the whole place looked.
It was almost as if we were in a Theme Park . There was Windrush River running along the village and there were pretty little shops and gardens with benches to sit all around. There were pretty little stone bridges in places to cross the stream. Even though it was a Friday, the place seemed very busy.
Where to Eat in Bourton-on-the-Water
We were quite hungry and there were little restaurants and cafes everywhere and The Willow seemed like a nice place where lots of people seemed to be eating and as we scanned the menu there there were quite a few vegetarian options for me and my wife. We ordered some Chips ( French Fries with skin on them), cauliflower fritters, pumpkin soup, afternoon tea platter and a few drinks. As it was lunchtime, the place which was quite huge , was quite full and everybody seemed very satisfied with their food and drinks.
Long story short, all the food was quite tasty, the dips, the chips the fritters, everything was top notch. Sorry, couldn’t take any pics of the food as we were really hungry and devoured the food in a jiffy. The lemonades and the Tomato juice were very welcome on a sunny Afternoon.
After this hearty meal we walked around the village square and were still in awe of the place. Just across from the road from the pub was the Edinburgh Woolen Mill and as we went inside it was full of not just woolens but typical British Souvenirs, Candies, Chocolates, Shortbreads, Biscuits, Sweaters , Jackets and the prices seemed quite reasonable to me so if some retail therapy or buying knick knacks ins on your mind, this should be your one stop in Bourton.
Of Course there were many more shops selling everything under the sun and we explored a lot of those shops and all the shops were very well laid out and attractive.
While roaming around the High Street, we had some ice-creams and shakes in the Den and they were amazing in taste.
Cotswold Motoring Museum
After roaming around the village for a few hours and sitting in the garden Benches for some time, we chanced upon Cotswold Motoring Museum next to the Willow Pub and while it looked compact from outside, inside it was quite big with several display rooms and lots of Vintage Cars and related items and the Collection of Vintage Cars was absolutely stunning. The entry fee for adults was £9.5 and for kids it was £6.5 and I thought it was worth every pence…
By the time we finished the tour of the Motor Museum we were quite tired and we wanted to head back to London. We called an uber to take us to Moreton-in-Marsh station which arrived in around 15 minutes . Later I came to know that there is Taxi Rank also in the village but I didn’t see it .
More Things to Do in Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton-on-the-Water is compact enough to explore on foot, so it is easy to combine its riverside centre with one or two nearby attractions. The Model Village recreates the village in miniature, while Birdland Park is a family-friendly wildlife stop. The Cotswold Perfumery offers a small specialist shop, and the Dragonfly Maze adds a playful challenge for visitors who enjoy puzzles.
The Cotswold Motoring Museum, beside the river, is another easy addition for classic-car fans; its 2026 adult admission is £9.95 and child tickets (ages 5–16) are £6.95. Check current opening times before setting out, as attractions may operate seasonal schedules.
For a relaxed day trip, arrive early to enjoy the bridges and river before the busiest part of the day, then choose a museum or garden visit and leave time for lunch and a slow wander along the High Street. The village can become crowded on sunny weekends and bank holidays, so an early train and bus or a pre-booked taxi from Moreton-in-Marsh can make the journey smoother. If you have extra time, staying overnight lets you explore after day visitors leave and use Bourton as a base for nearby Cotswold villages.
As we reached back to Moreton-in-Marsh station to go back to London Paddington Station we climbed the bridge across to Platform 2, there is no Lift here, and after waiting for around 20 mins we caught the train back to London Paddington Station.
Where to Stay in Bourton-on-the-Water
If you decide to stay overnight rather than visit on a day trip, these five researched options offer different ways to experience the village:
- The Lansdowne is a quiet, adults-only boutique B&B a few minutes’ walk from the centre, with individually styled rooms, breakfast and on-site parking; it suits couples who want a calm base.
- Chester House Hotel is the convenient central choice, with a relaxed country-house feel and an on-site restaurant, making it useful for travellers who want to step straight into the village.
- Southlands B&B is a small, adult-only property on Rissington Road, with secure parking and cycle storage. It is particularly practical for walkers, cyclists and drivers exploring beyond Bourton.
- The Old New Inn combines nine characterful en-suite rooms with an 18th-century setting in the middle of the village. Direct bookings include entry to the on-site Model Village, subject to the property’s current terms.
- The Old Manse Hotel is the riverside country-inn option, with Cotswold-stone character, a pub and restaurant, and limited dog-friendly rooms; reserve early if parking or bringing a dog matters.
Check the latest room type, accessibility details, parking and cancellation policy before booking, especially for weekends and summer dates.
More Places to Eat in Bourton-on-the-Water
Beyond the places already mentioned in this story, these six options give you a useful range of meals in and around the village centre:
- The Mousetrap Inn is a welcoming 19th-century inn for comforting food and craft beer. It is a strong choice for an unfussy pub dinner, and booking a table is wise at busy times.
- Smiths of Bourton is the more casual pick for handmade burgers and cocktails, useful when you want a lively evening meal rather than a traditional pub menu.
- L’Anatra at Chester House is a good option for Italian-style dining in a relaxed hotel-restaurant setting; it suits a slower lunch or dinner close to the centre.
- The Old New Inn Tap Room & Restaurant serves country-inn classics shaped by seasonal, local ingredients, with a dedicated Sunday lunch menu for a traditional Cotswolds meal.
- The Old Manse Hotel offers British pub classics, real ales and a terrace looking towards the River Windrush, making it a particularly pleasant choice on a fine day.
- Aroma Indian Restaurant & Takeaway is a relaxed Indian and Bangladeshi option on Station Road, handy for a curry after exploring the village. Budget around £25 per person for a meal. Plain naan is £2.50 and garlic naan is £3.25.
Opening hours, menus and reservations change with the season, so check each venue’s latest listing before making a special trip.
Is Bourton-on-the-Water Worth Visiting?
I felt visiting Bourton-on-the-Water on our own without a tour was very wise, it gave us a chance to explore the village at leisure at our own pace and the train and Taxi journey was quite convenient, avoiding the Traffic and hassle of getting out of London by car/bus.
If you are in London and have a day to spare, I very strongly recommend you visit Bourton-On-The -Water, its a Fairytale Village.
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Continue your UK planning with my guides to Notting Hill and Camden Market, Covent Garden, Borough Market and Spitalfields, the National Gallery, and a London Eye river cruise.
Here are some of the pics I took that day, do let me know what you think of the pics and my trip report in the comments below.
