Cheltenham Festival: Things to Do Beyond the Races
The Festival draws 250,000 people but most never leave the racecourse. Here's a local's guide to where to eat, drink, walk, and explore during race week.
The Cheltenham Festival draws roughly 250,000 people across four days in March. That's more than double the town's population. And yet the vast majority of visitors arrive at the racecourse, spend the day there, and leave without ever seeing the town itself.
That's a missed opportunity. Cheltenham is far more than a racecourse. It's a Regency spa town with genuine character — excellent restaurants, independent bars, beautiful architecture, and neighbourhoods worth exploring on foot. The Festival is the reason you're here, but the town is the reason you'll want to come back.
This is a guide to the best Cheltenham Festival things to do when you're not watching the racing. Before the first race, after the last, or on a rest day — here's how to make the most of it.
The Town is Worth Your Time
Most Festival visitors stick to the racecourse and their hotel. If that's your plan, you're missing out. Cheltenham is compact, walkable, and properly impressive once you step off the main drag.
The Promenade and Regency Architecture
Cheltenham is Britain's most complete Regency town. The architecture alone justifies an hour of wandering. The Promenade — regularly voted one of the finest streets in the country — is wide, tree-lined, and flanked by elegant stone buildings with ornate ironwork balconies.
Walk from the High Street down towards Montpellier and you'll pass Neptune's Fountain, the Hare and Minotaur sculpture, and some of the most handsome Regency façades in England. It's free, it takes twenty minutes, and it'll change how you think about the town.
Montpellier — Cheltenham's Best Neighbourhood for an Evening Out
If you're only going to explore one area beyond the town centre, make it Montpellier. It's the epicentre of independent Cheltenham — tree-lined streets packed with restaurants, wine bars, boutiques, and galleries, all within easy walking distance of each other.
It's the kind of area where you can wander without a plan and stumble into something brilliant. During Festival week, Montpellier comes alive in the evenings. Book a table, order something good, and enjoy the atmosphere.
Where to Eat During Cheltenham Festival Week
Cheltenham's restaurant scene has grown significantly over the past decade. The town now offers dining across a wide range of cuisines and price points that would hold its own in any major UK city. Festival week is the busiest time of the year for local restaurants — and the best ones know it.
Book Ahead — The Best Restaurants Fill Up Fast
This is not optional. During race week, restaurants accept bookings weeks in advance and the better places are fully booked by mid-February. If you're reading this with a few weeks to spare, get on the phone now.
Browse the best restaurants in Cheltenham for editorially scored options across every cuisine and price range — from fine dining to neighbourhood bistros that are just as rewarding.
Breakfast and Brunch Before the Races
Gates open at 10:30am and the first race isn't until 1:30pm, so there's plenty of time for a proper breakfast in town before heading to the course. Race week breakfasts are something of a Cheltenham tradition — several cafés and restaurants put on special menus for the occasion, and the atmosphere is excellent.
Check Cheltenham's best bars and coffee shops for independent spots that do breakfast well.
What Are the Best Cheltenham Festival Things to Do After the Last Race?
The last race finishes around 5:30pm each day. What you do next is what separates a good Festival trip from a great one.
Pubs across Cheltenham prepare for Festival week like no other time of year. Many open early and stay open late, with extended menus and a buzzing atmosphere that spills onto the streets — particularly in the town centre and Montpellier.
If you want something more than a pint, Cheltenham's cocktail bars and wine bars are genuinely good. The town has an unusually high concentration of quality independent drinking spots relative to its size. You won't struggle to find somewhere with character.
The smart move: pick a restaurant for dinner and a bar for afterwards, both within walking distance of each other. Montpellier and the town centre are your best bets. Browse Cheltenham's best bars and pubs for somewhere that suits your evening.
Where Should You Stay for the Cheltenham Festival?
Accommodation books up months in advance for Festival week — sometimes a year ahead for the best spots. If you haven't sorted this yet, act fast.
The best approach is to stay within walking distance of the town centre. That way you're close to the restaurants, bars, and shops — and you can get a shuttle bus or taxi to the racecourse without worrying about driving.
Boutique and independent hotels tend to offer a better experience than the chains, and Cheltenham has a solid selection. Check where to stay in Cheltenham for editorially scored options across different budgets.
Prestbury and Pittville are also worth considering — both are close to the racecourse and have a quieter feel in the evenings.
Things to Do on a Non-Race Day in Cheltenham
Not everyone goes to the racecourse all four days. If you've got a morning free, or you're travelling with someone who isn't into the racing, Cheltenham has more than enough to fill the time.
Parks, Walks, and Fresh Air
Pittville Park is one of Cheltenham's great assets — a large, beautifully maintained green space with a boating lake and the striking Pittville Pump Room at its centre. It's a fifteen-minute walk from the town centre and feels a world away from the Festival crowds.
For something more ambitious, Leckhampton Hill and Cleeve Hill are both a short drive from town and offer proper countryside walks with panoramic views across the Cotswolds. Check Cheltenham's top attractions for more ideas.
Shopping and Culture
Cheltenham is a strong shopping town, particularly for independents. Montpellier and the Promenade are the main areas — expect boutiques, galleries, and specialist retailers rather than the usual high street names.
The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum sits in the heart of the town centre and houses an impressive collection including works by the Arts and Crafts designer William Morris. It's free to enter and worth an hour of your time.
Remember, Cheltenham isn't just a racing town. It hosts five major festivals across the year — Literature, Jazz, Science, Music, and Racing — and has a cultural life that runs far deeper than four days in March.
Make the Most of Your Visit
The Cheltenham Festival is one of the great events in the British sporting calendar. But the town around it is genuinely worth your attention.
Walk the Promenade. Book a proper dinner. Explore Montpellier in the evening. Give yourself time to see what Cheltenham actually is — not just a racecourse, but a town with real character and substance.
Best of Cheltenham is your guide to the best restaurants, bars, hotels, and attractions in town — all editorially scored, no paid listings. Use it to plan your Festival week and you'll get far more out of the trip.
