Visiting the Cotswolds in February
What is it like to visit the Cotswolds in February?
If you’re planning to visit the UK, or the Cotswolds in February, read our blog post for some important information!
Although many people like to travel in warmer weather seasons, there are so many advantages of winter travel. Perhaps it’s the only time of year you can take a holiday? Perhaps you’re visiting for business, school, or to visit relatives, and want to make the most of your time in this beautiful part of the UK ?
Whatever the reason, Go Cotswolds runs guided tours of the Cotswolds throughout February. We’re one of the only tour companies open at this time of year, and the ONLY local company to provide small group tours. We are also the best (Trip Advisor’s Travellers Choice 2024 and Best Tour Company in the Cotswolds at the Cotswolds Awards 2024) so come and join us!
We love February travel!
As the owners of a tour company, we are very busy in the height of summer so we can’t often get away. Business is often quieter in January and February so for several years in a row, we took a vacation.
In previous years we have skied in Austria and Italy, safaried throughout southern Africa, ate our way across India, and road-tripped around the USA (the pic above is of Monument Valley in Utah, from that trip!). When our daughter came along, we continued our winter travels, visiting Spain in 2019 and Cyprus in 2020.
But thanks to Covid, we were robbed of our winter holiday in 2021. This was extra sad because it was the last one time we could’ve taken a longer winter holiday before our daughter started school!
So now, long winter holidays are out for us. But, the good news is, we are now here in the UK and able to offer fabulous tours of the Cotswolds to all you folks planning a winter trip to the UK!
3 things you need to know about visiting the Cotswolds in February
1. It’s pretty quiet in the Cotswolds in February
One of the best reasons to visit the Cotswolds in February is because everyone else will be visiting in the summer!
Yes, February in the Cotswolds is one of the least busy times of year for tourists, so you’ll have all those beautiful Cotswold villages more-or-less to yourself! Wander the streets of Bibury alone (and get that all important Arlington Row picture!), pick up a bargain at a Stow-on-the-Wold store without getting into a queue, or admire the countryside at Dover’s Hill without another person spoiling your view.
On Valentine’s Day (February 14th), and the weekends either side of it, the Cotswolds can be a little busier, but it’s certainly not ‘crowded’ like it can be in the summer holidays.
There is a school half-term holiday at the end of February, too. That means, family-friendly attractions like the Cotswolds Wildlife Park, Cotswold Farm Park and Birdland are likely to be slightly busier then. But, again, it’s never jam-packed at this time of year. You might find accommodation is a little more expensive during that particular week though.
All that said, we tend to have good availability for our best-selling Cotswolds in a Day and Secret Cotswolds tours in the off-peak season. So come and join us!
2. It’s cold in the Cotswolds in February
I guess each person’s perception of ‘cold’ is different depending on where you’re from. But what I mean is, February is one of the coldest times of year in the UK. The average temperature in the Cotswolds in February is approximately 2-8°C (around 35-46°F).
If you’re lucky, it might even snow – and there is certainly a much greater chance of snow in February than at Christmas-time! (Have I told you before about how I’ve never experienced a White Christmas in England?! It’s true!) But snow in the middle-to-south-west of England is never guaranteed, and is more the exception than the rule!
While it can be cold and damp, the best days in the Cotswolds in February are cold, crisp and clear. The kind of days where your breath freezes and your cheeks are rosy. And the winter sun casts a golden glow over that gorgeous honey-coloured Cotswold stone. The frost and snow makes the Cotswolds look even more like a fairy tale and your photos will look like something from a book.
It’s the perfect weather for wrapping up warm and taking a tour of the beautiful Cotswold villages!
3. It does get dark early in the Cotswolds in February
By February, we are past midwinter and the days are finally starting to get longer. However, February is still relatively dark. There’s an average of just 74 hours of sunshine for the whole month! So, you might want to top up your vitamin D with supplements rather than sunshine!
So when you’re visiting the Cotswolds in February, don’t forget that the days are slightly shorter. We wrap up our Cotswolds tours around 16.30-17.00, when (in winter) it will already be starting to get dark. But, longer nights just give you a great excuse to retire earlier to a cosy pub fireplace with a glass of something warming – and we have the best pubs in the Cotswolds!
Ready to book your tour of the Cotswolds in February?
Our best-selling Cotswolds in a Day tours run on Tuesdays, Thursday and the weekends throughout February, with even more availability in the spring, summer and autumn months. Secret Cotswolds tours will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays in February. Private tours for groups of up to 16 people are also available – click here for our ‘off the shelf’ private tours, or here to read about tailor-made day trips!
Just need group transport, without a guide? Then, check out our minibus hire options.
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