London

Downton Abbey and Village Small Group Tour from London

Badge of ExcellenceLondon, England

Small Group Tour Downton Abbey and Village Tour of Locations from London

9 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

London, England

Windsor castle private tour

from $1,085.56

Per group

London, England

St James' & Mayfair - Private Tour of London's Royal & Aristocratic Villages

from $279.00

Per group

London, England

Stonehenge tour from London

from $702.42

Per group

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Trace the footsteps of Lady Mary Crawley on a full-day tour of rural ‘Downton Abbey’ locations from London. Rewind to the early 20th-century Britain portrayed in the hit TV period drama, and tour the Oxfordshire village that doubled as Downton as you hear anecdotes about the series and actors. Plus, visit Highclere Castle, the real-life Downton Abbey, to explore its above-stairs rooms and gardens independently. Highclere admission and round-trip transport included.

9-hour ‘Downton Abbey’ country locations tour from London
Travel to the Cotswolds village that doubled as Downton in the hit TV series
See the church and buildings used as the village pub, hospital, and home of Matthew Crawley
Visit the real-life Downton Abbey of Highclere Castle and explore its rooms independently
Hear behind-the-scenes trivia about the actors and making of the series
Highclere admission fee and round-trip transportation included

What's Included

Local guide
Live commentary on board
Entry to Highclere Castle
Transport by Mini Coach

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Gloucester Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 4SF, UK
Please arrive at least 10 minutes early at your meeting point as the tour will leave promptly. The meeting point is at Gloucester Road tube station (Piccadilly, Circle and District Lines). A guide will be waiting for you next to the station exit outside the flower shop (Flowers Inc).

Start time

09:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Make your own way to the meeting point in central London in the morning and settle into your air-conditioned vehicle with your guide and separate driver.

Then, soak in the views as you head toward Oxfordshire. Along the way, admire the rolling pastures and stone villages of the Cotswolds, the quintessentially English region of hills where much of the award-winning Downton Abbey series was filmed.

Arrive in the charming Cotswolds village that doubled as the fictional Downton, and hop out for a guided tour. Stroll through the pretty lanes to see the church and buildings that served as the village pub, the former home of Matthew Crawley, and Downton Cottage Hospital as your guide shares anecdotes and behind-the-scenes gossip about the much-loved series, and its actors and storylines.

After a bit of free time here, continue to Highclere Castle, the beautiful Jacobean-style mansion that served as the Crawleys’ family home in the drama. On route, learn about the castle’s 1,000-year-old history and intriguing snippets about life ‘above and below stairs.’

On arrival, take in the splendid gardens and turreted exterior of the 19th-century house, and head inside. Enjoy ample time to explore the above-stairs rooms independently using a self-guided information sheet, including the main hall, drawing room, and library. Immerse yourself in the world of the Crawley family as you walk around, building a picture of what real life was like here more than 100 years ago, in the era the series was set.

If you wish, visit the café at Highclere for a light lunch, or perhaps bring a picnic to enjoy in the beautiful grounds.

Afterward, relax on your return journey, ending your tour with a drop-off in central London.

Highclere Castle

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Bampton

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

248 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 248 reviews

Tower of London at it’s best.

Ana_L, Apr 2024

The tour, guide, and experience were fascinating. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. Thank you for a great experience.

Amazing trip!

MaryBeth_O, Apr 2024

Wonderful time with our guide Eva and our driver Michael. Very informative and would recommend to everyone.

Must tour for all Downton Abbey fans

Jenni_P, Apr 2024

The guide was great and lively (if I remember correctly, David was his name), he told us many interesting things about the series and making of it. He showed us Downton Abbey series on the way to and from Bamton and Highclere castle to get us all in the mood for great fun. I can really recommend this tour to all Downton fans.

Worth it!

Sarah_C, Apr 2024

Wonderful tour! Every detail was well thought out and user friendly. Not only were the destinations a good experience the tour experience was as well.

What a fabulous experience!

Christina_T, Apr 2024

It was a great experience with Dylan our guide and our driver. It was perfectly presented with just enough time to explore in our own. So happy I signed up and made it to this tour!!

Great tour to Highclere Castle and the town of Bampton

Susan_S, Apr 2024

Last week my husband and I took this tour. Our tour guide, Rory, was fantastic. There were about 9 people on our tour, so a very intimate group. Rory was very informative and answered all of our questions. I highly recommend this tour!

A Wonderful Day of Downton

Karen_J, Apr 2024

We had a great tour, stopping in Bampton before traveling on to Highclere Castle. Our guide pointed out places in the village of Bampton and had a book of photos showing the locations being used in the show. We had 2 hours at Highclere which didn't allow us time to do all that was available. We were able to tour the castle, take photos at Lady Mary's bench, and visit the gift shop. Unfortunately, we missed the gardens but as they are not related to the show, we feel we got a full Downton experience.

Awesome Downton Abbey Tour!

Emery_T, Apr 2024

Great tour, very knowledgeable and enjoyable. Wish we would have been able to take pictures but totally understandable we weren't able to.

No audio. Disappointed.

Rebecca_D, Apr 2024

This was a very expensive tour. We go on tours rather than on our own primarily in order to learn from the guides. On our tour the microphone on the bus did not work so we missed out on 75% of the learning. For the price, to receive so little information was highly disappointing. Our Guide was wonderful for the times out of the coach but that was little compared to the length of the day.

Great Tour, Uncomfortable Ride

Kathi_E, Sep 2023

Loved the tour as visiting the Downton sites was the number 1 reason for our vacation. The tour guide was ok, although I knew more about Downton Abbey than he did. The visit to Brampton and Highclere were great, despite the heat. My only complaint was that the mini bus/coach we rode in was extremely uncomfortable and not appropriate for anyone over 5'6" tall. Luckily, I was able to swap seats that afforded me more leg room or I would not have been able to walk at all after the trip.

A glorious day we will never forget

Tammy_R, Sep 2023

An absolutely gorgeous day, walking down the path to the castle we felt as if we were in the show itself. So lovely to see it as it was on TV, not much changed except a few furniture arranging. And the grounds surrounding are breathtaking

Family trip to Downton

Paul_R, Sep 2023

Loved the fact the HighClere Castle was just as beautiful and picturesque as in the show Wether your a fan or not I would recommend this tour

Great guide

Kevin_F, Sep 2023

Eva was an excellent guide. She provided a lot of context and told great stories. Highly recommend if you are a fan of Downton.

Exquisite!

Karin_W, Sep 2023

The details of wall hangings, furniture, and marble fireplace mantels make this visit all the more worthwhile!

Everything Downton

John_M, Sep 2023

Not even a chilly and rainy day could ruin our fun and informative bucket list tour. Eva, our tour guide, was fantastic.

Perfect trip!!!

Pamela_C, Aug 2023

Happy to see the village and the castle is beautiful. Would have liked more time to visit the grounds.

Dream Come True!

MaryEllen_W, Aug 2023

For my 80th birthday, I wanted to visit Highclere Castle! Our guide, Jed, gave us a lot of historical Information about Bampton and Highclere Castle. He showed certain solidifies of DA for reference! We walked around Bampton as he talked and pointed out different things, like a thatched roof. We visited the Church and then returned to the bus after about 20-30 minutes of free time to explore. Then on to Highclere Castle! It was all I expected! Walking up the drive, and seeing the Castle looming in the distance was magnificent! The Castle looks lived in , a bit shabby in spots, but that is part of the charm! It was a great day, tour and guide. The bus driver got us all around perfectly!

Such a memorable experience!

Rebecca_E, Aug 2023

Tour guide was informative about the show. Walked us around the village of Bampton and then we headed to Highclere Castle. The grounds are gorgeous and the castle was filled with lots of memories from the show. Great experience. Our tour guide also played Downton abbey episodes while traveling in the bus.

Great experience and plenty of time

Thomas_V, Aug 2023

Plenty of time to do everything. Great tour. Highclere Castle did not disappoint at all. Wonderful experience

Definitely worth the time

Nancy_S, Aug 2023

We loved being able to visit and tour Highclere Castle. Also seeing the places in Bampton Village makes watching Downton Abbey (again) more fun as we can visualize where it was filmed. Jed was a great guide!

...