England · Walking + Reading
The Cotswolds Walking & Reading Retreat
A Cotswolds reading retreat: walk England’s Cotswold Way by day and talk books by night with your hosts Samantha and Deb, co-founders of Book Club Salida. See all dates
Jun 3-10, 2027
7 Nights
18-22
$4,400/pp
Moderate
Inside the Cotswolds Reading Retreat
This Cotswolds reading retreat is hosted by Samantha Bahn and Deb Bass O’Brien, co-founders of Book Club Salida, and pairs relaxed days on England’s Cotswold Way with bookish evenings, historic pubs, and storybook villages. The name Cotswolds comes from the Old English for “sheep hills,” and you’ll see why as we cross open farmland and rolling hills that have looked much the same for centuries.
We begin in Bath, famous for its natural hot springs, Roman origins, Georgian architecture, and literary ties to Jane Austen and Mary Shelley. Then we head into the countryside to walk from Chipping Campden through Broadway, Stanton, and Winchcombe to the hilltop village of Painswick, with luggage transfers so you only carry a day pack.
Walks are intentionally relaxed, usually 4 to 7 miles, leaving plenty of time for bookshops, cafés, and pubs. Love walking but don’t want to do a trip like this solo? We’ll bring together a diverse and interesting group, so you’ll have great company on the trail and around the table.
Retreat at a Glance
Is this retreat right for you?
How active, how pampered, and how social this trip feels, so you can pick the one that fits.
Activity
Active
Comfort
Elevated
Your Time
Balanced
Food
The people behind your week.
Your week is led by Samantha Bahn and Deb Bass O’Brien, co-founders of Book Club Salida, who helped create and lead our Reading Retreat in New Mexico. They’re with you on the trail, around the table, and at every book club.
Samantha Bahn
Bookstore Owner & Co-founder, Book Club Salida
Samantha spent more than 15 years as a public school educator and once worked as a whitewater rafting guide. She owns an independent bookstore, co-founded Book Club Salida, and helped create and lead our Reading Retreat in New Mexico. She can’t wait to share the Cotswolds’ bookshops and villages with you.
Deb Bass O’Brien
Educator & Co-founder, Book Club Salida
With nearly 20 years as an educator, Deb loves the conversations a great book sparks. As co-founder of Book Club Salida, she curates reading lists and hosts literary events, and she helped create and lead our Reading Retreat in New Mexico.
Let us handle it all.
“Booking with Away Retreats was a first for me and definitely won’t be the last. … Take a risk and book the trip! You won’t regret it and meeting new people is such a bonus!!”
– Miranda S., Azores 2025
The Day-to-Day of the Cotswolds
Everything is optional on all of our experiences. This is your retreat. You choose what you’d like to do each day.
Like the sound of this week?
Take a look at the rooms and hold your spot with a deposit. Questions first? Our team is happy to talk it through.
England
What’s Included
What your days actually look like.
Here, the days revolve around beautiful walking, good books, village charm, and the simple pleasure of letting someone else take care of the details.
The Walking
Easygoing Miles
Plan on 4 to 7 miles a day on well-maintained grass, dirt, and gravel footpaths. Sneakers or trail runners work well, or wear hiking boots if you prefer.
Walk Further, or Not
After lunch, keep walking with one of your hosts for a 10 to 12 mile day, or transfer to the village for an afternoon of reading and exploring. Skip any walking day entirely if you like.
Only the Best Stretches
Our team has walked the entire Cotswold Way and picked the highlights. We skip the busy road crossings and the stretches with nowhere to stop for food or drink.
The Reading
Book Club Discussions
We gather several times during the week to talk about books shared before the trip, centered on long-distance walking adventures, historical fiction, and stories set in this region.
Independent Bookshops
Bath and Broadway are home to incredibly well-curated independent bookshops, and we make time to browse them.
Bookish Surprises
Expect a few book-themed surprises along the way, starting with a gift bag waiting for you.
The Villages
Beautiful Bath
Georgian architecture, parks, a riverfront, and a private thermal bath session just for our group, in the city where Jane Austen and Mary Shelley both lived.
Storybook Villages
Golden stone villages like Chipping Campden, Broadway, Stanton, Winchcombe, and Painswick, with fields of grazing sheep and the occasional horse or cow in between.
Room to Wander
Stops might be for a bookshop, a bakery, a milk vending machine, a garden, or a scenic bench. Afternoons leave time to read, relax, or have a pint at a local pub.
The Details
Gastropub Meals
Meals are a highlight. We eat in historic pubs full of character that take pride in farm-to-table cooking, with a few stops off the trail at some of the region’s best gastropubs.
Luggage Transfer
Nobody carries a heavy pack on this walk. Your larger bag travels ahead each walking day, so you only need water, snacks, sunscreen, and layers.
We Handle It All
Point-to-point walks can be complex. We take care of hotels, restaurant reservations, and taxi transfers, so you can just show up and enjoy the scenery and company.
Make It Yours
Pre-Retreat Virtual Book Club with Anna
Reading the same book before we travel gives us a shared starting point and sparks conversation before we even arrive. Join Anna, creator of @alltoo.wellread, and the rest of the group for a virtual book club discussion.
Vote on the book from a curated shortlist. About four months before the retreat, we’ll mail a copy to your door. About two months before departure, we meet online to talk it through. Anna won’t be in England with us, but we love connecting with her before we go.
As with everything, you choose whether to join. Follow Anna on Instagram
What to Do With Your Free Time
You’ll have plenty of open time on this retreat. Here are a few things we love nearby. None of it is required. Let us know what you’re interested in during your retreat, and we’ll help you plan it.
Save your spot, or just say hello.
Pick your room and hold it with a deposit, or book a quick call first. We’re happy to talk through the details, the group, and whether this trip is the right fit.
Choose your room.
Boutique hotels that are welcoming, full of character, and well located in each village. We stay at four hotels over seven nights, with two nights in most places, so you’re not packing up every day. Each hotel is very different. All prices are per person for the full retreat, and a deposit holds your spot.
June 3-10, 2027 | 7 Nights
Shared Rooms
TWIN BEDS
Twin Beds, Shared Room
Share a room with a friend or partner and still have your own bed. Expect two twin beds, which can be pushed together for a couple.
Per person, shared
$4,400
DELUXE
Deluxe Room, Shared Bed
Book with a friend or partner and plan to share a bed. Deluxe rooms typically offer a king bed and are spacious by European standards.
Per person, shared
$4,400
DELUXE + SUITE
Deluxe Room Plus Suite, Shared Bed
Book with a friend or partner and plan to share a bed. Stay in deluxe rooms all week, then enjoy a fantastic suite with its own living room for the last two nights.
Per person, shared
$5,900
Single Rooms
STANDARD
Single Standard Room
A room of your own with a double bed and a bit more space than a cozy room, at all four hotels.
Solo, per person
$5,400
DELUXE
Single Deluxe Room
A spacious deluxe room all to yourself, typically with a king bed and plenty of room to spread out.
Solo, per person
$6,400
Not the right dates or room?
Same villages, same trail, same bookish evenings. Each date has its own hosts, book club partner, and room options, so pick the week that fits you best.
HOSTED BY AMY HEINEMANN
June 1-8, 2027
Guided by Amy Heinemann, back for her second Cotswold Way retreat, plus a second Away guide. Read along before you go with Anna from AllTooWellRead.
From, per person
$4,000
WITH BOOK CLUB SALIDA
June 3-10, 2027
Hosted by Samantha Bahn and Deb Bass O’Brien, co-founders of Book Club Salida and hosts of our New Mexico Reading Retreat. Read along before you go with Anna from AllTooWellRead.
From, per person
$4,400
AUTUMN IN THE COTSWOLDS
September 23-30, 2027
Guided by returning Away guide Brittany Mora, plus a second Away guide, as the Cotswolds cool into autumn. Read along before you go with Daphne from daphsreads.
From, per person
$4,400
Every trip gives back!
Every Away retreat gives back. As part of this experience, Away Retreats makes a donation to a non-profit in England, so our time walking through these villages leaves something good behind. We’ll share this retreat’s partner here soon.
We are here for Every Question
“Two countries, two entirely different environments, different activities, but the same feeling of acceptance, community, connection and just effortlessly ‘being.’ Looking forward to what my next AWAY Retreat might be!”
– Elizabeth V., Costa Rica 2025 and Portugal 2026
England
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