Free guide

Free things to do in the Cotswolds

2 places in the Cotswolds whose own website says entry is free. Checked 25 Oct 2026.

Facts last checked 25 Oct 2026. Britlens is independent: see our editorial policy.

Places on this page where we hold a photo; the others show sights elsewhere in our guide.

Free means general admission. Special exhibitions and events can be ticketed, some places ask you to book a free slot, and some suggest a donation. Check the venue before you go.

Every entry below is a roman site and museum in our the Cotswolds guide whose own website said, when we read it, that entry is free. We quote what the page said, link the page, and do not give opening hours, because they change. If a venue's page changes, we remove it at the next check.

Free museums, galleries and sites

Free self-guided walks

Following a walk costs nothing, though places you pass may charge. Each walk page has a map, the route, stops and a GPX file.

Getting around the Cotswolds for less

Local transport: Rural buses, rail and a combined rail-and-bus ticket. Cotswolds Tourism says a combined rail-and-bus ticket covers trips to Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton, that the main coach route from London is National Express from Victoria Coach Station, and that the main bus stations in Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds are at Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud.

Fares and tickets: Cotswolds Tourism: by train and bus (opens in new tab). Our getting around guide compares every destination.

Where next in the Cotswolds

Open the The Cotswolds guide for neighbourhoods, eating and getting there. For sights that need a timed ticket, see what to book ahead; for indoor ideas on a wet day, see the rainy-day guide.

Other destinations