The home of National Hunt racing, set at the foot of Cleeve Hill with the Cotswold escarpment as a dramatic backdrop. The course hosts seventeen race days a year, with the Cheltenham Festival in March the undisputed highlight — four days of the highest-quality jump racing in the world, attended by around 250,000 people and watched by millions on television.
If you cannot make a race day, the course and stands are still worth seeing from the outside. There are occasional tours, and the site includes a visitor centre with racing memorabilia. The town fills completely during the Festival, accommodation prices multiply, and Irish accents take over the pubs — budget accordingly if you are planning to be there.