The Cotswolds are a picturesque part of England, and definitely one of the highlights of United Kingdom tours. The region was once influential for its wool industry, bringing wealth and importance to the small villages. Of these villages, Chipping Campden was considered one of the wealthiest.
Today, these limestone covered villages are home to gift shops, restaurants, hotels, and holiday cottages. There are several villages you could stay in or visit, which we highlight the differences between here. We chose to stay in Chipping Campden for its variety of restaurants, hotels and holiday cottages. Chipping Campden offers our favorite of the High Streets (main street) in the Cotswolds. Plus, Chipping Campden is unique because of its mix of tourists and locals. Whereas many towns are completely over-run during busy seasons with tourists, Chipping Campden provides a better balance (as can be seen by the active schools and the grocery store in the town center).
We chose to pair our time in Chipping Campden to a larger road trip of the UK, including stops in Conwy, Wales and York, England. This allowed us to see a wide variety of the UK’s history. To find out more about our favorite parts of Chipping Campden, keep reading!
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Where to Stay in Chipping Campden, Cotswolds:
Throughout the Cotswolds, you can choose to stay in holiday cottages, B&B’s, country hotels, or hotels in town. We chose to stay in a holiday cottage in Chipping Campden. This allowed us to stay in the center of town while still having plenty of space for the whole family. You can also choose to stay at the Cotswold House Hotel in Chipping Campden, which is a very nice four star hotel that offers a great location and wonderful amenities.
Rent a House
We hardly ever choose to rent a house rather than stay in a hotel, because we prefer the amenities and local recommendations that are unique to a hotel. However, we chose to make an exception in the Cotswolds. We felt that the unique homes in the Cotswolds could only be fully appreciated by staying in one! We also chose a house because it provided laundry, a kitchen, and extra space.
Our property was rented through Airbnb. We chose this property because it was well rated. We also felt confident in this rental because the property was managed by a company called Rural Retreats. Rural Retreats is a professional vacation rental manager. They offered fun amenities such as a welcome basket full of ingredients for breakfast, and board games for your family to enjoy while there.
By staying in a vacation rental, we were able to stay in the center of Chipping Campden (on High Street) while enjoying quintessential English charm and extra space for the whole family. For the Cotswolds specifically, we highly suggest checking Airbnb and the Rural Retreats website for homes for rent in the area.
The Cotswold House Hotel
For those who would rather stay in a full-service hotel, the Cotswold House offers the same awesome location in the heart of Chipping Campden with the added bonus of a four-star hotel. The hotel offers amenities such as a spa and friendly hotel staff. In addition, guests can add breakfast (which includes a full English breakfast or lighter continental options).
Where to Eat in Chipping Campden, Cotswolds:
We suggest eating breakfast and dinner in Chipping Campden, and then eat lunch either as a picnic while exploring the Cotswold countryside, or eating at a pub in neighboring villages. Here are our favorite restaurants from our time in the Cotswolds:
Best for Coffee and Breakfast: Victor’s
Located on High Street, Victor’s is a coffee and sandwich shop. From cappuccinos to Americano’s they offer a full menu of coffee options. Plus, they have an extensive menu of sandwiches, from “Breakfast Buttys” (sandwiches on a baguette with your choice of eggs, bacon, mushrooms, and several other ingredients), to lunch paninis! We especially enjoyed picking up breakfast at Victor’s to enjoy on a bench in the center of town. We also grabbed sandwiches at Victor’s to eat on a picnic while walking on the Cotswolds famous trails and paths.
Fig and Bistro at the Cotswold House Hotel
If you are looking for a full sit down breakfast, consider eating at the Cotswold House Hotel. You can book packages that include breakfast if you are a hotel guest. If you are staying elsewhere in Chipping Campden, call the hotel to see if they can accommodate you for breakfast. While they prioritize hotel guests, they may have availability for non-guests. The Cotswold House restaurant offers full English Breakfasts, Continental Breakfast options, as well as other options.
The Cotswold House Restaurant also offers lunch and dinner. We enjoyed the carefully prepared dishes, which were tastier and lighter than some of the pub food we had been feasting on! From juicy chicken dishes to tasty fish options, the Fig restaurant at the Cotswold House Hotel is a great restaurant.
Da Luigi’s Italian
The Italian restaurant in Chipping Campden boasts delicious pizzas, pastas, and meat dishes. The menu rotates by the season, but we enjoyed creamy chicken dishes with roasted potatoes, hearty pastas with slow-cooked beef, and tasty pizzas. Plus, the restaurant’s desserts include Italian gelato, which definitely tops off a great meal!
The restaurant offers seating on a back patio, on the street front, and inside on the main floor or downstairs. From the warm ambience to fantastic food, Da Luigi’s is definitely our favorite restaurant in Chipping Campden. In fact, we liked Da Luigi’s so much that we went back for a second dinner while in Chipping Campden!
Pubs Throughout the Region
While exploring the Cotswolds, we encourage you to check out the pubs in the different villages. While some may be best just for a pint of beer, others will offer surprisingly good food (as we experienced at the Highway Inn in Buford). Ask locals or look online to see if the villages you are visiting have good pubs for lunch. However, if the villages you are planning to visit are smaller and don’t have a pub, pick up a sandwich at Victor’s to be safe.
Things to Do in Chipping Campden
The Cotswold Villages are some of England’s most popular tourist destinations. Because of this, there are a ton of ways to fill your time while there. Here are the top activities we suggest to help inspire your time in and around Chipping Campden:
Explore Chipping Campden
Of course, you should spend some time exploring Chipping Campden before you venture out further into the Cotswolds. We really enjoyed following the Rick Steve’s walking tour of Chipping Campden in order to better appreciate the history of the town. You can find the tour in his Great Britain Book. Also be sure to visit the shops along High Street, which offer a range of items from sheep-themed souvenirs to clothing and jewelry. You may also consider stopping by the tourist information center in town to gather information about Chipping Campden’s history (and get suggestions for nearby walks).
Visit Nearby Cotswold Villages
It is impossible to get a good grasp of the beauty and uniqueness of the Cotswolds until you visit multiple villages in the area. Avid walkers can visit many of these villages by walking the Cotswold Way or other pathways throughout the region. However, if you have limited time in your itinerary, consider scheduling a driving tour with a private guide. We spent one of our days in the Cotswolds with Mark at Cotswold Private Hire & Tours, who was able to show us seven different towns in just a few hours. Plus, we got to eat lunch and visit some of the gift shops in the different towns.
To help you prioritize what towns you would like to see while touring, we have put together a description of the different villages we visited, which you can find here. Hopefully, this list will help inspire you as you plan your trip to the Cotswolds!
Mark offers tours of the Cotswolds from one hour to all day. We suggest spending at least a few hours with him so that he can show you his favorite towns in the Northern Cotswolds. To explore his suggested tour itineraries, check out his website here.
Walk the Trails in the Cotswolds:
By far one of the most popular parts of the Cotswolds is the huge variety of walking paths throughout the region. Options range from short walks between Chipping Campden and Broad Campden to parts (or all) of the 100-mile long Cotswold Way, which runs from Chipping Campden to Bath. Check with locals for their favorite routes (or check with the tourist office in town).
If you choose to do a multi-day trek of the Cotswold Way, consider utilizing a baggage transfer service (or pack really light!) to minimize what you have to carry each day. You can also join a walking tour through local companies. These tours will help you pace your days, choose your accommodations each night, and coordinate your baggage transfers.
Visit Stratford-upon-Avon
One final day trip idea from Chipping Campden is to visit Stratford-upon-Avon. This town is famously the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Stratford-upon-Avon offers cute shops and a fun waterfront area to explore. Visitors can also enjoy the hour-long cruise tour of the town. Shakespeare lovers will enjoy the museums in town that honor his life and work. It’s only 25 minutes away from Chipping Campden by car, and while not in the Cotswolds, it is a historic and fun place to visit while in England.
We hope these recommendations help you plan your next trip to Chipping Campden, England! If you have any questions or want help planning your next Creative Journey, please feel free to contact us.
