Bourton-on-the-Water Itineraries

Half a day or a full weekend. Here are the best ways to spend your time in Bourton-on-the-Water, planned step by step.

Whether you have a few hours or a full weekend to explore, these itineraries give you a local’s route through Bourton-on-the-Water. Each one links directly to the restaurants and activities along the way.

Half a day in Bourton·Half day, about 4 hours A full day: Bourton and the Slaughters·Full day, about 8 hours

Half a day in Bourton

Half day, about 4 hoursYear-round

A flat, on-foot morning that starts early to beat the crowds on the green, takes in the Model Village and the river, and ends with lunch. Every stop is within a few hundred metres of the Rissington Road car park and of the 801 bus stops in the village.

First time visitorsFamiliesArriving by busDay trippers

1
9.00·30 minutes
Coffee and a pastry by the river
Bakery on the Water opens at 8am. Take something to the bank and watch the village wake up before the day visitors arrive.
View Bakery on the Water
2
9.30·30 minutes
Walk the Windrush and the bridges
Start at Mill Bridge by the Motoring Museum and walk down the green past High Bridge to New Bridge and the Coronation footbridge opposite the Old New Inn.
View The River Windrush and the bridges
3
10.00·45 minutes
The Model Village
Opens at 10am. Pay on the gate by card and find the model of the model inside the model.
View The Model Village
4
11.00·1 hour 15 minutes
Penguins at Birdland, or the Motoring Museum
Birdland's small penguin feed is at 11am; it is beside the Rissington Road car park. On a wet day go to the Motoring Museum in the old mill instead.
View Birdland Park and Gardens
5
12.30·1 hour
Lunch
Walk in for a burger at Smiths of Bourton (lunch is walk-in only), or book the Old New Inn's day menu.
View Smiths of Bourton

A full day: Bourton and the Slaughters

Full day, about 8 hoursBest spring to autumn

The village early, a walk across the fields to Lower and Upper Slaughter in the middle of the day, and an evening meal back in Bourton. Book dinner ahead: the Mousetrap strongly recommends it and Smiths takes evening diners by booking only.

WalkersOvernight visitorsCouplesDog owners

1
9.00·45 minutes
Breakfast
Breakfast at Bakery on the Water by the river, or at the Mousetrap, which serves breakfast from 8am to 10am.
View Bakery on the Water
2
9.45·1 hour 15 minutes
The river and the Model Village
Walk the green and the bridges, then the Model Village when it opens at 10am.
View The Model Village
3
11.00·20 minutes
St Lawrence's Church
On the High Street: a 1328 chancel, a 1784 tower and a Victorian nave.
View St Lawrence's Church
4
11.30·2 hours 30 minutes
Walk to Lower Slaughter
Out across the fields to Lower Slaughter, about two kilometres away, and the stream and the Old Mill there. Take a picnic from the bakery.
View Walk to Lower and Upper Slaughter
5
14.00·2 hours
On to Upper Slaughter and back
About a kilometre further up the River Eye to Upper Slaughter, then back the way you came. Allow plenty of time; there is no bus back.
View Walk to Lower and Upper Slaughter
6
16.30·1 hour
The Motoring Museum
Last admission is 5.15pm. Cars, caravans and toys under cover in the old mill.
View Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection
7
18.00·1 hour 45 minutes
Dinner
Dinner at the Mousetrap Inn on Lansdowne (booked ahead; card only), or at the Old New Inn, whose kitchen serves until 8.30pm.
View The Mousetrap Inn

Ready to plan your visit?

Check the weather forecast before you head out.

Planning Tips & Packing Guide Getting to Bourton-on-the-Water