Published on Sep, 2024

We are huge Downton Abbey fans and knew we wanted to visit Highclere Castle on our recent trip to London. Getting there on our own was a challenge, so we found this small coach tour that not only took us to Highclere, but also stopped at several other film sites in the area. We chose this tour because it not only included our entrance tickets into Highclere, but also went to Bampton (Downton Village), Shilton (where Bates worked at the Red Lion Pub in Kirby-Moreside after he was released from prison), Swinbrook (where Sybill & Tom eloped), and is the one of the only tours to also stop at Cogges Manor Farm in Witney (Yew Tree Farm). Our tour guide, Amber (from Texas!), was a wealth of knowledge and had screenshots from the show to help us see where and how the scenes were filmed. Our tour started at the farm, where we had a lot of fun seeing the animals and imagining the film crews and actors running their lines in different scenes. We stopped at the three villages, taking pictures and hopefully not being a nuisance to the residents. Bampton was very fun to see all the sites we are so familiar with, St. Mary's Church and graveyard, Mrs. Crawley's House, and the buildings that were used for the Downton Cottage Hospital (Bampton Library), the Post Office, Grantham Arms, and others I don't recall. The whole village felt so familiar as we wandered around. Then we headed toward Newbury and on to Highclere Castle. It was such a thrill to see the Big House we know and love when we entered the gates and you could almost hear the opening music as we walked up the gravel drive. We enjoyed lunch outside (fighting off the wasps-yikes!) and enjoyed some delicious and refreshing gin cocktails made with Highclere Gin. After lunch, we toured the house, just the parts that were used in filming, and had an opportunity to visit the fascinating Egyptian Exhibition* downstairs. It was a very hot day, so we sought shelter in the peaceful and gorgeous gardens. We found Mary's bench and marvelled at the beautiful grounds and surrounding countryside. We stopped into the gift shop to purchase a photo guide (since we couldn't take pictures inside the house) and found a lot of lovely gift items for sale. We caught a glimpse of Lady Carnarvon taking a group of visitors on a Garden Tour as we were leaving, and wished we'd had time to follow along. It was a lovely, memorable day and I would highly recommend this tour to any Downton Abbey fan. *For more information about the Egyptian connection and why it's tied to Highclere Castle, I recommend watching the 2016 drama series, "Tutankhamun" which explores the 5th Earl of Carnarvon's role in the discovery of King Tut's tomb.

Published on May, 2024

Great tour and our tour guide Andrew was very fun and informative. How can you go wrong with Downton Abbey tour? Only disappointment was the size of our group. We had 46 and two other groups to Downton at the same time as us had 12-14 each. We were under the impression it was to be a small tour bus.

Published on Oct, 2023

We absolutely loved this day tour from London. We were picked up at 7:45am in London and rode in a small (but comfortable) van with about 20 others. Our tour guide provided commentary. We stopped at Coggs Farm, which was a 1000 year old farm. This was charming in and of itself, in addition to the Downton connection. Then we traveled to the small town of Bampton, where we toured the old church and town area. It was easy to visualize the filming of the show here. Then we drove a ways through the Cotswolds, which was charming. Our guide commented on the area. We arrived at Highclere Castle, where we had a tour inside some of the rooms that were on the show. Most notably, the staircase, the library, the dining room, the hallway, and several of the upstairs bedrooms. We learned about the history of the castle along side some of the stories about filming of Downton. It was really a good blend of the "show" as well as history of the mansion and its origination. Another surprise was the Egyptian exhibit, which is in the basement. This exhibit was remarkable and quite unexpected. After the tour, we were given a "high tea" luncheon, which included sandwiches, desserts and tea. We could then explore the outside area. We then left Highclere Castle around 4pm and were in London by 6pm. I thought this day was wonderful, and well worth the price. I am a Downton Abbey fan, but there were a few people on the tour that must watch the show multiple times based upon their knowledge of the locations. Overall, this was a wonderful excursion out of busy London which provided a glimpse into the Cotswolds and the beautiful filming locations. Highly recommend. Loved this day trip!!

Published on Sep, 2023

This was a great tour. The guide was amazing, knowledgeable and fun. Highly recommended, beautiful place even you dont like Downton Abbey (like me).

Published on May, 2023

We had a wonderful day. Went when they had a speaker who did a presentation on Egyptian clothing. It was fascinating. Had 3 boxed teas for lunch which was delightful and more than enough for 5 ppl. People may go to here because of Downtown Abbey. But, you will learn so much more about the people who lived there and the history and how they were part of the story in finding King Tutankhamen. Must go and see.