The Cotswold Tour Guide - Cheltenham

Lisa S.

If you’re spending time scrolling and trying to find that perfect solution for touring the Cotswolds, scroll no more! You’ve found THE Cotswold Tour Guide. David Keffler far exceeded our expectations, and he has clearly exceeded the expectations of so many others who went to his TripAdvisor page to so. Check that one out, too. It’s no surprise that he is the only guide accredited by Visit England and that he has won several industry awards. David is a walking history book, and yet his personality is not the least bit “dry”. Our time together included not just learning ALL that we cared to learn, but plenty of small talk and laughter along the way.

When my husband and I began planning our trip to the Cotswolds to celebrate our daughter’s high school graduation, we knew we didn’t want to be part of a group tour with a set itinerary. We wanted a guide who could help us make the most efficient use of our time and see the things she wanted to see but also be surprised with some hidden gems. We also wanted someone who had lived there for an extended period, not just someone with specific talking points but could not go off-script and answer random questions. David delivered on that throughout our trip.

We spent 3 days with David. He and I spent a lot of time upfront collaborating to build an itinerary that was perfect for my daughter (high school graduate, headed to college to study interior architecture and design). He was very patient throughout that process as I came and went, incorporating feedback from my husband and daughter. But, had we booked a day (or several) with David and just shown up, I have full confidence that what he put together would have been perfect! We spent 3 days and could have easily spent several more. My advice would be to splurge on however many days it takes and not try to cram things in. The villages and towns in the Cotswolds can be quite a distance apart. David does an amazing job navigating those one-lane roads with oncoming traffic where everyone seems to be “on a mission”, but there’s only so much that is humanly possible!

We had a wonderful itinerary, but I will touch on a few of our favorites. First, a private castle tour. Everyone knew and clearly adored David, and they took great care of us as a result. It’s also not your typical castle, and that’s what makes it such a treat! We also visited a charming farmhouse that had been the country home of William Morris, master of textiles. The gardens we visited were also well taken care of and in full bloom due to the early June timeframe. My husband pointed out after our trip that, while his original goal for hiring a guide was to simply avoid the headache of renting a car and not being able to experience things as much himself, he cannot imagine having experienced the Cotswolds without David to lead us. It made all the difference.

One component of a successful vacation for our family must include top notch culinary arts experiences, and David’s lunch selections were spot on. Lunch on our final day was absolutely amazing, but I don’t want to let that secret out. Don’t delay any further. Just contact David, and let him handle the rest. It’s an investment you won’t regret!

Chris T. M.

For the TL;DR review - here it is: You must call David if you want a special perspective of the Cotswold region. Safe driver, comfortable and pristine auto, lovely conversation. A day very well spent! Now the “too long” version: My husband and I recently visited the Cotswolds for the first time. We only had three full days and a list of things we were hoping to experience so we decided to hire a driver, hopefully someone with good knowledge of the area and knowledge of some things off the beaten path. Fortunately I came upon David, The Cotswold Tour Guide. His reviews were all tremendously positive so I contacted him via his website. The next day I had a confirmation for the single day we had set aside to see some of the highlights of this beautiful and special area. I had zero knowledge base of what to plan or where to even begin. David sent me a sample itinerary for a days worth of activity. There are so many gorgeous little villages, but we asked specifically to narrow it down to three or maybe four at most. Other requests we had were to visit a church, a small museum in the area if any were available, and maybe a little cemetery to walk through. Maybe strange to some but I love the history in them and try to visit one in any area of historical note I happen to be in. David had our perfect itinerary tightened up by the next day. Having him as our guide brought such incredible enrichment to our short stay. He has such knowledge about the area and has cultivated relationships with many people throughout the villages and those connections truly brought the history of the area to life for us. A little walk from Upper Slaughter to Lower Slaughter(or was it the opposite?) had us walking through fields andgates, through charming little neighborhoods, and past a little mill. Driving through some of the villages and seeing the storybook homes and shops was terrific. We visited the Broadway Tower and learned its history and were treated to the most incredible view at the top - we could see for miles and miles. We had a delicious lunch and some fun conversation in the most beautiful room at the Lygon Arms Hotel in Broadway, a room special to David. After lunch, we had a nice walk through the town where we made an unplanned stop at a little museum of furniture design, focusing on the designer Gordon Russell and his furniture factory which was located there in Broadway at one time. I have a strong interest in architecture and interior design and this was just wow…. Serendipity. For a small museum it had just loads of furniture on view and plenty you could touch and examine with your own hands. What?! Yes! After the museum, we walked to a church nearby; the church was closed, unfortunately, but we were able to walk through its cemetery. I noticed an unusual gravestone - from behind there was a cut out in the stone but it was an odd shape, not a cross but maybe one day long ago it was? So I came around to the front of it and the cut out was actually a primitive owl carving and the headstone had a very unusual font and as it came into focus I realized it was not a very old tombstone at all - it was the grave of the designer whose museum we had just left, Gordon Russell. A coincidental little discovery. We also visited a silver and goldsmith, and another perfect little museum, focusing on the design movement of the early 20th century, which thrived in the area for a period of time. The metal smiths whose work shop we visited were actually the great grandsons of one of the area’s founders. We drove back to Burford as the sun was sinking lower and our perfect day of touring came to an end. Later that evening, my husband spoke the words, “The next time we visit here …..” so there will be a next time and we will be calling David to help us explore a few new towns and a few more churches and museums. We are so very grateful to him.