Our verdict
Best overall
Downton Abbey and Village Small Group Tour from London
A small-group day to Downton’s filming locations, rated 4.8★ from 330+ reviews, for about £185. Check whether your date falls inside Highclere’s opening dates before you book.
4.8★ · 333from £185 GetYourGuide →
Best private option
London: Downton Abbey Countryside Black Taxi VIP Tour
A private black cab around the Oxfordshire filming locations, including the Crawleys’ village, church and pubs. It holds 4.9★ from a small base of 22 reviews and costs about £939, so it makes sense for a family or a group of friends sharing the cab.
4.9★ · 22from £939 GetYourGuide →
Best value
Train to Newbury + taxi, on an opening day
Pre-book a £32 castle ticket and take a train from Paddington to Newbury, then a 15-minute taxi. You get as long as you like inside, usually for less than a tour.
Skip it if
You're visiting between autumn and spring
Outside the public openings, no tour can take you inside Highclere. Apart from short Christmas and February guided-tour slots, you’ll only see the village and the gates.
Downton Abbey tours from London: what you can actually see
A Downton Abbey tour from London is built around two places. Highclere Castle, near Newbury, is the house that plays Downton Abbey. Bampton, a stone village in west Oxfordshire, plays Downton village. The catch is Highclere: it’s still the Carnarvon family’s home, and it opens to the public only on set dates. Those are a spring season, a summer season and a few special events. Tickets for public openings must be pre-booked and none are sold on the door.
So the first decision isn’t which tour. It’s whether your trip falls on an opening day.
| When | What’s on at Highclere | What a tour can show you |
|---|---|---|
| Now to early December 2026 | Closed to the public | Bampton and other filming spots, not the castle interior |
| 3–6 December 2026 | Christmas Tours and Carols (pre-booked) | The interior, on special-event tickets |
| February 2027 | Guided tours on set dates | The interior, on guided-tour tickets |
| March–June 2027 | Spring Public Opening, selected dates | Full castle, Egyptian exhibition and gardens |
| 11 July – 2 September 2027 | Summer Public Opening (closed Fri and Sat) | Full castle, Egyptian exhibition and gardens |
Dates are from Highclere’s own ticket shop. Spring 2026 sold out, so book early once you know your dates.
Tour vs DIY: the Highclere ladder
| Option | £ per adult | Time on the road (return) | Time at Highclere | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach tour with Highclere, Bampton & Oxford | ~£155–£160 (next runs late March 2027) | ~3–4 h | A timed visit | Fixed |
| Small-group Downton tour | ~£185 | ~3–4 h | Depends on date; check the listing | Fixed |
| Train Paddington → Newbury + taxi | ~£30–£50 rail (check on the day) + £32 ticket + taxi | ~2 h 30 min | All day until 5pm | Your choice of train |
| Private round-trip transfer to Highclere | ~£500 (check group size on listing) | ~3 h by car | Your choice | High |
| Private black cab, filming locations | ~£939 (check group size on listing) | ~3–4 h | Village and locations | High |
Tour prices are the “from” prices in our partner feed today. Private listings can be priced per person or per vehicle depending on the group size you select, so open the booking page and enter your actual number before comparing.
Downton Abbey tours you can book now
Downton Abbey and Village Small Group Tour from London
from £185
See on GetYourGuide
London: Downton Abbey Countryside Black Taxi VIP Tour
from £939
See on GetYourGuide
From London: Private Round-Trip Transfer to Highclere Castle
from £500
See on GetYourGuidePrices and ratings checked 21 Oct 2026; they change daily.
Which Downton Abbey tour is best?
- For the house itself: a coach tour that names Highclere in the title, on a public opening date. Those in our feed combine it with Bampton and a short stop in Oxford, and come back on sale for spring 2027.
- For the filming locations, any time of year: the small-group tour (4.8★, about £185) or the private black cab (4.9★, about £939). The black cab’s itinerary covers Bampton’s church, the “hospital” and two pubs. Read the itinerary to see whether Highclere is included on your date.
- For a couple who want it simple: the private round-trip transfer (about £500 in our feed) covers the car and you buy your own castle ticket. It only makes sense on an opening day.
Bampton sits at the edge of the Cotswolds. If you’d like stone villages with fewer TV fans, see our Cotswolds tours. Pair it with Oxford on a private day trip, or see Oxford by train on another day. For other screen locations, including Bridgerton’s Bath, see film and TV tours and Bath tours.
Practical tips
- No dogs and no picnics in the grounds, though Highclere sells its own picnic afternoon tea boxes (£89 for two).
- Bring printed tickets. Highclere emails them, and asks visitors to check their junk folder.
- Pick the morning window (10am–12.30pm) if you can. The afternoon window ends with last castle entry at 3.30pm.
- Bampton is a lived-in village. Locations such as the Crawleys’ house are private homes, so photograph from the street.
Questions people ask
When is Highclere Castle open in 2026 and 2027?
How much are Highclere Castle tickets?
How do I get to Highclere Castle from London without a tour?
Do Downton Abbey tours from London go inside Highclere?
Where is the Downton Abbey village?
How far is Highclere Castle from London?
Sources
- Highclere Castle — visit us (seasonal tours, pre-booking) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Highclere Castle shop — Summer Public Opening 2027 (dates, prices, rules) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Highclere Castle shop — Spring Public Opening 2027 (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Highclere Castle shop — Summer Public Opening 2026 (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Highclere Castle shop — Christmas Tours & Carols, 3–6 December 2026 (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Highclere Castle — how to get here (train, taxi) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- Experience Oxfordshire — Downton Abbey filming locations (Bampton) (checked 21 Oct 2026)
- GetYourGuide — Downton Abbey tours from London (partner feed)
Written and checked by the Private Tours London desk