Description
- Discover our Castle Combe & Bath Christmas Market tour!
- Traveling alone, with a partner, or a small group?
- Looking for a fun, car-free way to visit Bath Christmas Market?
Then our Castle Combe and Bath Christmas Market tour is for you!
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly, shared, small-group tour with a little extra Christmas sparkle, then look no further than Go Cotswolds! We’re the original and best Cotswolds guided tour company in Stratford-upon-Avon and Moreton-in-Marsh.
On our Castle Combe & Bath Christmas Market tour, first you’ll visit “the prettiest village in England”, Castle Combe. Then, you’ll have plenty of free time to explore and enjoy the UNESCO World Heritage city of Bath, including its fabulously festive Christmas Market – one of the best in the country!
Our Castle Combe & Bath Christmas market tour is fantastic as a stand-alone tour, but is also great paired with one or more of our other small group tours. Add our ‘Cotswolds in a Day‘ tour, or our ‘Secret Cotswolds‘ tour for a fantastic two-day itinerary – or even do all three!
Itinerary for the Castle Combe & Bath Christmas Market tour
After joining the tour in either Stratford-upon-Avon (9.00AM) or Moreton-in-Marsh (9.30AM), you’ll travel in comfort and style through the narrow country lanes of the beautiful Cotswolds. It takes around 1 hour 45 minutes to travel between Moreton-in-Marsh and Castle Combe (timings are approximate and may vary):
- Castle Combe (30 minutes). After a beautifully scenic drive through the Cotswolds countryside, you’ll arrive in Castle Combe, often considered to be “the prettiest village in England”. 30 minutes is plenty of time to wander the little streets of this tiny, picturesque village, where time seems to stand still.
- Bath city centre (4 hours 30 minutes). The scenic drive from Castle Combe to Bath takes approximately 40 minutes, so we’ll arrive in Bath at around 12.30. You’ll have 4.5 hours of free time here – plenty of time to discover this beautiful city UNESCO World Heritage City! Get into the festive spirit by exploring Bath’s famous Christmas Market – stalls selling food, drinks and gifts will line several streets across the city. If you’d like to visit the famous Roman Baths while you’re here, please pre-book tickets before you arrive (entry not included in the tour price).
- We’ll depart Bath at approximately 17.00 – it’ll be dark by then, so you can enjoy the lovely Christmas lights before we leave! From Bath, it takes around 1 hour 45 minutes to get back to Moreton-in-Marsh, and a further 30 minutes to return to Stratford-upon-Avon. You’ll probably be tired after all your exploring and shopping, so sit back and relax!
Pick up times and locations
- 09.00: Stratford-upon-Avon – Shakespeare’s Birthplace Coach Terminal, Windsor Street, Stratford-upon-Avon
- 09.30: Moreton-in-Marsh – Moreton-in-Marsh railway station (wait in the car park near the ticket office)
If you would like to change your pick up point after booking, you can do so using the ‘Manage this purchase’ link in your confirmation email, or by contacting Go Cotswolds. If you’re not sure which pick up point to choose, please ask!
Drop-off times and locations:
- 18.45 – Moreton-in-Marsh train station
- 19.15 – Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s Birthplace Coach Terminal
If you would like to be picked up in Stratford-upon-Avon and dropped off in Moreton-in-Marsh, or vice versa, no problem!
Train travel
From London (Paddington station), Reading, Oxford, Charlbury, Kingham, Honeybourne, Evesham or Worcester, take a direct train to Moreton-in-Marsh. We’ll pick you up from right outside Moreton-in-Marsh train station.
From Birmingham, take a direct train to Stratford-upon-Avon – our pick up point is just a 5-10 minute walk from Stratford-upon-Avon train station. (See this Google Map for walking directions.)
We always recommend you buy a flexible ‘anytime’ ticket that allows you to take any train. The times stated above are usually the latest we expect to get to the drop-off points – we are often a few minutes earlier, but we can never 100% guarantee this. If you have a flexible ticket, then you can take an earlier train and won’t have to wait around.
However, if you wish to book a particular train to take advantage of cheaper ‘advance single’ tickets, then we recommend you plan to depart after the drop-off times stated above.
We recommend The Trainline* for online train ticket bookings. Book tickets 6-8 weeks ahead of the travel date for the best prices.
What to wear?
This is a winter tour, so please dress in comfortable clothes that are appropriate for the weather conditions. Bring a raincoat or umbrella if it’s raining. Wear comfortable shoes.
What’s included in the Castle Combe & Bath Christmas Market tour?
- Transport in an executive class, air-conditioned 16-passenger seat Mercedes minibus.
- Plenty of free time, so you can explore Castle Combe and the city of Bath in one day.
- Map of Bath, so you don’t get lost!
- Expert insights from one of our fun, friendly driver-guides.
What’s not included in the Castle Combe & Bath Christmas Market tour?
- Lunch and refreshments – bring your own picnic, or purchase food and drinks in Bath. There will be plenty of food and drink stalls at the Christmas Market!
- Admission to any attractions you may wish to visit. If you’d like to visit the Roman Baths or the Jane Austen Centre, please book and pay for your tickets in advance, and make sure you allow sufficient time to complete your visit before the tour departure time of 17.00. Entry to Bath Abbey can be purchased on arrival.
Cancellation policy, terms and conditions:
Our Castle Combe & Bath Christmas Market tour may be amended, or cancelled for a full refund, up to 24 hours before departure. No refunds are given for no-shows or cancellations made within 24 hours of the tour start time.
We’re sorry, children under 3 are not permitted on this tour.
