London

Downton Abbey and Highclere Castle Tour from London

London, England

10 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Follow in the footsteps of the Dowager Countess of Grantham and other much-loved ‘Downton Abbey’ characters on this day trip to the hit British TV series’ most famous filming locations. Departing from London, this tour takes you into beautiful Oxfordshire, where you’ll visit Downton village, Cogges Manor Farm, and the magnificent Highclere Castle.

Full-day 'Downton Abbey' filming locations tour including Highclere Castle, narrated by a knowledgeable guide
Travel from London to Oxfordshire to see a collection of sites used in the popular TV drama
Hear trivia and insider gossip about the 'Downton Abbey' series and characters such as Lady Mary
Visit a farm near Cogges and wander around the Cotswolds village of Bampton that was featured as Downton village
Explore the grounds and state rooms of Highclere Castle including the bedrooms and the music room

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle
Professional guide
Entry to Highclere Castle
Entry to Cogges Manor Farm
Guided tour of Bampton

Food and drinks
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

The Cumberland Hotel, London
Great Cumberland Pl, London W1H 7DL, UK
Please ensure you arrive at the meeting point at least 10 minutes prior to the pick up time. This tour will depart at 07.30am. Please wait outside the Cumberland Hotel main entrance, Marble Arch (formerly the Hard Rock Hotel), Nearest tube station is Marble Arch

Start time

07:30 AM

End point

Victoria station
London SW1W 0SR, UK
Returns to London Victoria Station at approximately 6.30pm.

What To Expect

Depart from central London in a comfortable, climate-controlled coach and travel to Oxfordshire, where much of the hit British television series 'Downton Abbey' was filmed. As you travel, hear trivia about the show, which follows the lives and scandals of the fictional Crawley family and their staff, from your guide.

Stop first at Cogges Manor Farm, where you’ll stop for a hot drink in the on-site cafe (own expense) and see some locations featured on the show. Then, continue to the village of Bampton, a picturesque Cotswolds’ village that was used as Downton village. Explore on foot with your guide and see the church where Lady Mary wed Matthew Crawley, the Grantham Arms pub, and other recognizable filming sites.

Continue to Highclere Castle, arguably the most famous 'Downton Abbey' site. With your guide, you’ll explore the grand estate, which features as Downton Abbey itself, and its grounds. Wander around the Monk’s Garden, White Border, Wood of Goodwill, and the Secret Garden. Then enjoy free time for lunch at the tea rooms (own expense) before heading inside Highclere to the lavishly decorated staterooms.

See the Red Stairs, saloon, gallery, and bedrooms that have been appeared on screen, and hear about popular characters, such as Lady Edith and the Dowager Countess of Grantham, as well as the real-life family who have owned Highclere Castle for centuries.

Your day trip then concludes with a drop-off at in central London.

Cogges Manor Farm

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Bampton Library

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Highclere Castle

4 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Most travelers can participate
Please note: Once the booking is submitted all sales are final, non-changeable, non-transferable and incur 100% cancellation penalties.
British weather can be variable and so guests are advised to check the weather forecast and dress appropriately. It is recommended to bring some warm clothes with you especially in the winter months and layers are good for adapting to the ever-changing weather conditions. It is a good idea to wear appropriate footwear as there is walking involved on our tours. England is known for its rain so it is advisable to bring a waterproof jacket or umbrella with you.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

85 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 85 reviews

a great trip

michael_M, Jul 2022

wonderful trip. everything that we expected and more. Our tour guide Michelle was entertaining and informative.

Best trip ever!

Cynthia_R, Jul 2022

First of all let me say that our tour guide, Catherine, ABSOLUTELY made this trip PERFECT! We LOVED her! I would go on any trip she was leading. The castle and the town was all amazing!! We would do this trip 100 times over! ❤️

Fabulous tour of our beloved show!

Frank_V, Sep 2021

Actually seeing where this series took place was amazing! We loved the grounds and felt connected to the show.

Tour of a Lifetime!!

MaryKay_R, Nov 2019

This tour was an absolute wonderful experience!! It was especially made so by our amazing tour guide! She’d been doing it for so long and knew all the great spots to point out, take pictures, recall scenes in the show, and showed us her special photo album. She made the tour even more special by playing the last episode while traveling to and from. And especially knocked it out of the park by queuing the DA theme as we approached the castle. It was breathtaking and gave you chills!! We were able to stroll the grounds at leisure, shop, eat and then walk around the house when your specific entrance time was called. If you loved DA, this is especially the tour for you!! It was absolutely wonderful!!

A Very Downton Day

Lorita_J, Jun 2019

So fun to see Downton Abbey locations, including the real-life farm that stands in for Yew Tree Farm in the show, the town where the village scenes were filmed, and of course Highclere Castle itself. The tour was well-organized and our guide was knowledgeable and helpful. Tour bus was comfortable, with cushioned seats and large windows for easy viewing. We had a great time!

Awesome Tour for Downton Abbey fanss!

rosemarya954, May 2019

This tour is a must for Downton Abbey fans! Our guide, Andrew was awesome and told great stories along the way. We loved it!!

Downtown Fans Will Love This Tour!

Deborah_M, Sep 2018

Andrew, tour guide, very knowledgeable. Downton Abbry does not disappoint. Countryside is so beautiful. Worth every penny!

Downton Abbey Delight

tripperSC, Sep 2018

we could not have asked for a better way to experience the sights of the Downton Abbey world. The guide was impeccable in his knowledge and kindness.

If you love Downton Abbey you will love this tour!

415greg, Jul 2018

Andrew our guide was outstanding! The stops were along the way were great. But getting to Highclere was the highlight. Loved the entire experience!

40th Wedding Anniversary

Jeffrey_F, Jul 2018

Outstanding. Great guide enjoyed every minute. Our guy was so well informed and knew the show forward and backwards. We had a fabulous time and saw so much.

An incredible tour for the Downton...

Malinda P, Dec 2017

An incredible tour for the Downton Abbey lover! A full day packed with history and beauty. I highly recommend it!

FANTASTIC TOUR!!! Apart from the...

Katherine C, Oct 2017

FANTASTIC TOUR!!! Apart from the very early start. But really, if you love Downton Abbey, you must do this tour. Definitely spent alot of time in and around the house and gardens. The lunch and morning tea was very nice too. Do yourself a favour and book the tour.

Comfortable ride, knowledgeable guide...

Charles K, Oct 2017

Comfortable ride, knowledgeable guide, adequate time at each locale.

Seeing Highclere, in person, was...

Dave C, Sep 2017

Seeing Highclere, in person, was definitely a highlight of my stay in England. I highly recommend this tour!

I enjoyed this tour because I really...

Dianne, Sep 2017

I enjoyed this tour because I really wanted to visit Highclere Castle, but I was disappointed in its execution. The bus was late to pick us up from the specified location and then we spent another hour traveling to other locations in London to pick up other passengers. Interestingly, those of us who were at the original location were not given any other option so when the bus went by my hotel 45 minutes later I wondered why I could not have been picked up there. I wish we could have had more time at Highclere with more information about the surroundings and perhaps a guided tour of that area. Brampton and the farm were not as important to me and we could have spent less time in those locations. Our guide was good . Our driver managed the bus through the traffic, but made me nervous by carrying on a conversation with one of the passengers. When he stood up while driving to get her a phone charger I will admit I was a bit unnerved. I felt that overall it was a lot of money to pay for a fairly bare bones tour.

Lovely to see where it all happened...

Frances B, Sep 2017

Lovely to see where it all happened. Would recommend going in the off season if possible as it was crowded and hard to spend any time in a particular place. Amazing grounds and gardens. Would be nice to have some souvenirs with the Downton Abbey label.

This tour was really nice. Andrew...

James H, Jul 2017

This tour was really nice. Andrew was very knowledgeable and very personable. Locations were very cool and we could see the spots from the show. Worth the money.

As a Downton fan, this was one of my...

azank, Jul 2017

As a Downton fan, this was one of my favorites in my recent trip back to the U.K. The grounds are gorgeous.

If you are a fan of Downtown Abbey...

Cecilia M, Jul 2017

If you are a fan of Downtown Abbey, this is a perfect tour for you. We visited other places where Downtown Abbey was shot too.

The tour itinerary itself was great...

Donna W, Jun 2017

The tour itinerary itself was great but the tour guide was not. When we arrived at the meeting place to catch the bus, we discovered that the group had been split with half of the people assigned to a bus with Andrew and the other half assigned to a bus with tour guide, Maria. Andrew and his bus arrived at the appointed time while the bus we were assigned to with Maria was 45 minutes late. This also put us late in returning to London. Also, Maria gave us minimal information on the bus about what we would see, etc. While we were at the Bampton stop and the farm, we noticed tour guide, Andrew, actually guiding his group around, explaining what they were seeing. I really got the impression that Maria had never seen Downton Abbey as our group had to tell character names when she attempted to speak about the show at all. In summary, the tour itself was very good but would have been fantastic with a better, more informed and engaged tour guide.

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