Highclere Castle tours from London - full details & reservations
It should be emphasised that this tour doesn't visit Highclere Castle, Downton Abbey itself - there are separate tours to Highclere but because of the limited availability of tickets these tours are not very frequent and normally sell out very quickly, almost as soon as they become available.
This Small Group Downton Abbey Filming Locations tour visits many filming locations used in the Downton Abbey TV series that will be familiar with you if you are a fan.
A visit is also made to Blenheim Palace where you can become acquainted with the upstairs and downstairs of class conscious life of the Downton Abbey era.
Discover how the aristocracy lived and see how servants interacted with their masters and employers learning of the strict social standards that needed to be maintained.
Tour of Downton Abbey film locations, Cotswolds and Blenheim Palace - International Friends
Flexi adult from £174 • Best rate adult from £156.60 • Flexi child (3-15 years) from £154 • Best rate child from £138.60
• Private visit to Yew Tree Farm • Entry to Bampton library • Entry & tour of Blenheim Palace • Churchill's grave at Bladon • Small group - max 16 people
Operate on Mondays when Highclere is closed from April to late October only.
Pickups in London between 7.15am and 7.45am
The tour returns to London by around 6.30pm
Leaving London behind we drive direct to the Oxfordshire Cotswolds to see key filming sites of Downton Abbey.
Our first stop is a visit to Yew Tree Farm (Cogges Manor Farm) which first appeared in series 4 with Mr Drewe as the tenant farmer.
After a tea/coffee break in the delightfully refurbished rustic cow shed Cogges Cafe, we take a tour filled with the sound of animals and surrounded by orchards and ancient ridge and furrow fields, and learn of the relationship between the tenant farmers and landowners.
Customers enjoy a private tour of Yew Tree Farm Manor House (Cogges Manor) before it opens to the public.
After the tour we take the short drive to Bampton, a beautiful Oxfordshire Cotswolds village.
Bampton Library was used for Downton Cottage Hospital and Doctors surgery; St. Mary’s Church became Downton Church and Church Square; Churchgate House was used for exterior shots for the Crawley family home; and we walk along the street which has been used for shops, the post office and the Grantham Arms.
We then enjoy a scenic drive through the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, driving by centuries old cottages untouched by the modern world, on roads large coaches would simply never be able to travel on.
We take a photo stop in the picturesque historical village of Shilton. The village, with a few cosmetic adjustments, provided Downton Abbey with a scene for a village pub (in reality this was the forge) as well as some settings for rural scenes. Our guide will explain to you how the forge was transformed into the village pub!
From Shilton we continue to Swinbrook for a short photo stop. The Swan Inn in Swinbrook hosted the elopement of Lady Sybil with Branson the family chauffeur!
We then travel to Woodstock, a fine Georgian town with a distinct Royal Heritage. En route we make a stop in the village of Bladon to see the graves of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill. Woodstock, home to Blenheim Palace, is famous for its selection of small independent shops, and a fantastic selection of English pubs and restaurants. This is where we stop for our lunch break.
At Blenheim Palace your tour begins with an introduction to the upstairs and downstairs of class conscious life. Discover how the aristocracy lived and how the state apartments increased in importance as we move from room to room. We see how servants interacted with their masters and employers and learn of the strict social standards that needed to be maintained.
The tour makes several pick-ups at key strategic locations through major hotel districts in London
7.15am - Great Russell Street, outside British Museum main entrance (nearest Underground Russell Square)
7.30am - Outside Hard Rock Hotel (Cumberland Hotel), Marble Arch (nearest Underground Marble Arch)
7.45am - Outside Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, 97 Cromwell Road, Kensington
9.15am - Outside Oxford Visitor Information Centre, 15-16 Broad Street, Oxford. OX1 3AS
The tour returns to London Victoria Train Station by around 6.30pm normally with stops offered in Kensington too around Gloucester Road Underground Station.
Victoria Train Station is one of the largest transport stations in London, with excellent connections to all parts of London and beyond.
This is a similar tour to the above but uses a full sized touring coach and as such is a bit cheaper.
This tour replaces Bladon and Cogges Manor Farm with a visit to the stunning Cotswolds riverside village of Bourton-on-the-Water.
Blenheim Palace, Downton Village and Cotswolds Day Tour from London
Adult from £72
• Option to add on Blenheim Palace & Gardens • Walking Tour of Bampton - 'Downton Village' • Visit to riverside Bourton-on-the-Water • Return transport from London • Expert guide
ALL TOURS |
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Available dates |
Oxford, Bampton & Highclere |
Blenheim Palace, Downton Abbey Village & Cotswolds (no visit to Highclere Castle) |
Highclere Castle Express |
Downton Abbey filming locations and Highclere Castle (Small Group) |
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Jan 24 | N/A | 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22, 26, 28, 29 | N/A | N/A | |
Feb 24 | N/A | 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 23, 25, 26 | N/A | N/A | |
Mar 24 | 30, 31 | 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 18, 22, 24, 25, 29, 31 | N/A | 30, 31 | |
Apr 24 | 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 | 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29 | N/A | 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 | |
May 24 | 4, 5, 6, 7, 28, 29 | 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31 | 26, 29 | 4, 5, 6, 7, 26, 27, 28, 29 | |
Jun 24 | N/A | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30 | N/A | N/A | |
Jul 24 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31 | 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31 | 8, 15, 22, 29 | 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31 | |
Aug 24 | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31 | 5, 12, 19, 26 | 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 | |
Sep 24 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30 | 2 | 3, 4 | |
Oct 24 | N/A | 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30 | N/A | N/A | |
Nov 24 | N/A | 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, 18, 22, 24, 25, 29 | N/A | N/A | |
Dec 24 | N/A | 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 20, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30 | N/A | N/A | |
Blenheim Palace, Bampton ("Downton Abbey Village") & Cotswolds |
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Highclere Castle day tours from London are few and far between, normally opening dates are restricted to the month of April, with a couple of dates in May then July and August and just into September. If you want to visit Highclere on a day tour from London it is not a matter of picking and choosing your tour, it's just grab the tour when available for your dates before it sells out! |