Suggested Duration:
7 Days
Countries Visited:
UK, England
Places Visited:
London, Bampton, Oxford, Highclere Castle, Cambridge, Henley-on-Thames.
Departure Dates:
This popular and exclusive vacation is limited by availability of tickets to Highclere Castle. The itinerary can be customized to fit your schedule (e.g. you can...
This private, customizable tour immerses you in early 20th century English society as depicted in Downton Abbey. Visit beautiful Highclere Castle, home of the Crawleys, and the village in Oxfordshire used in the making of the very popular TV series. Discover the beauty of the English countryside as well as the highlights of London. If you love Downton Abbey, this vacation is for you!
Note: DOWNTON ABBEY is a trademark of Carnival Film & Television Limited and/or its affiliates. Neither...
Customize This Trip
Free service - no credit card required
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
London - Beginning Your Downton Excursion
Upon arrival in the England, your driver will be waiting at arrival to assist you with your luggage before whisking you to your London hotel. Your hotel will be a charming boutique with service reminiscent of that found in stately homes in times gone-by.
What's Included:
Day 2
London - Touring Mighty London
Enjoy a full day, private sightseeing tour of this wonderful city. Your driver guide will take you to see all the wonderful landmarks which are known and loved the world over. In theme with your vacation you will also have the chance to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Imperial War Museum, which will give you an insight into the First World War.
What's Included:
Day 3
Bampton, Swinbrook, and Oxford - Oxfordshire: The Charm of Downton Abbey Country
Today your driver guide will take you away from the city to visit Bampton, the Oxfordshire village that turned into a little piece of Yorkshire for the filming of Downton Abbey. See the well-known streets where the series was filmed, and visit the church where the family and staff where put to rest. You can also visit Swinbrook, where Lady Sybil eloped with the chauffeur, Branson.
After lunch, the second part of your day will be spent in the beautiful city of Oxford, a university town where many of the Crawley men would have been educated.
What's Included:
Day 4
Highclere Castle - The Real-World History of the Crawley's Home
After breakfast, your driver guide will be on hand to take you to see the impressive Highclere Castle. This beautiful and historic castle was used during filming as the Crawley’s country home. In the second season of the series, the house was used by the family as a hospital for wounded officers, and in fact, during the First World War, the house was used for this very same purpose. The show's producers used information found in the house archives to help set the stage.
What's Included:
Day 5
Cambridge - Strolling the Grounds of Captivating Cambridge
Leaving the city again today, this time you'll visit another famous university town in England: Cambridge. This intellectual city has a long and very proud history. During your visit, you can do a walking tour around the city and learn about the wonderful history hidden behind the architecture. You will also be able to take to the water for a cruise in one of the many punts that frequent the River Cam, which flows through the town.
What's Included:
Day 6
Henley on Thames and London - Returning to the Capital
For your last day, enjoy a trip to the lovely town of Henley-on-Thames with its rich history and beautiful scenery. This is the home of rowing in England and the Henley Royal Regatta, a highlights of the elite's calendar that takes place each summer, featuring races as well as a summertime favorite: strawberries and cream. You can also visit Grey's Court, depicted as Downton Place in Season 3 -- the home where the Crawley's would have had to move to, if they went bankrupt.
In the afternoon, return to London where you can enjoy a spot of shopping, finished with afternoon tea in Harrods.
What's Included:
Day 7
London - Saying Goodbye to Enchanting England
Sadly, this will be departure day and our driver will ensure that you are transfered to the airport in time to catch your flight.
Photo credit: Highclere Castle by Zen Whisk on Flickr.
What's Included:
Trip Highlights
- Visit some of your favorite scenes from the show, like the magnificent Highclere Castle and the winding streets and darling edifices of Bampton
- Tour southern England – the home of Downton Abbey and centuries of engaging and fascinating history – with your own private driver, who also happens to be an expert on World War I and the British nobility and who will give you one-of-a-kind insight into the real events of the Downton Abbey period
- Walk the streets of lively London, the capital of the United Kingdom and the center of the world for centuries, and take in some of the city’s renowned museums, like the Victoria and Albert Museum and the impressive Imperial War Museum
- Stroll the quads of some of the world’s most august and revered institutions of higher learning, from the Radcliffe Camera of Oxford University to the world’s largest fan vault in King’s College Chapel at the University of Cambridge
- Delight in the country charm of some of southern England’s quaintest village and wind through some of its best countryside as you make your way through the ancestral home of the English nobility
- We can offer unique luxury experiences with special access, ranging from private visits to private afternoon tea at Highclere, served by the staff for a full experience as if you were the Crawleys.
Detailed Description
Downton Abbey has swept the country into a period-piece mania, regaling the peaks and valleys of the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family in a way that has left millions entranced with its stirring drama, beautiful costumes and stunning scenery. This seven-day customizable tour is for everyone who’s ever wanted to walk the halls of Downton or visit the winding roads to where the servants spend their evenings, and it’s for everyone who’s wanted a unique experience of England, filled with breathtaking landscapes and engaging locals anxious to show you all the charms of their inimitable country. It is a trip truly unlike any other, and it’s sure to be one you’ll never forget.
The highlights include visiting the real Oxfordshire village (used for the village scenes in the series and home to the church used in the filming) as well as Highclere Castle, which was used as the Crawley's home and where most of the drama unfolds. Enjoy visits to Oxford and Cambridge to experience some of the most beautiful small cities of England, both of which have a long and outstanding history of being the education centers for Britain's best and brightest, from Sir Isaac Newton to J.R.R. Tolkien!
Begin your adventure in puissant London, the center of the Empire in the Crawley’s day and one of the greatest cities on Earth, where you’ll explore all of the finest museums and best attractions in the City of the Thames.
Chosen for their expertise in British noble society and history during the World War I period, this tour offers the best private guides who will regale you with stories of turn-of-the-century England and the class struggles that form a center point of the show as you make your way through the delightful English countryside.
Walk the halls of the venerated Oxbridge institutions that would have been the alma maters for all of the Crawley men, from ancient Oxford to renowned Cambridge. And revel in your exploration of the sets of your favorite British period piece, from the cobblestone streets of Bampton – which served as the set for most of the village scenes – to Grey’s Court, the country house romanticized as Downton Place in Season 3, to the romantic seclusion of Swinbrook – the site of Lady Sybil’s scandalous elopement – to the astounding Highclere Castle, the titular home where you will while the afternoon away in truly noble fashion.
From the dry wit of the Dowager Countess to the heartbreaking love of Mary and Matthew, from the dedication of Edith to the caring of Sybil to the stolid bravery of the Earl of Grantham, Downton Abbey is a show that explores the strength of the human spirit in the heart of inspiring scenery. If you’ve ever longed to take a vacation to this unforgettable setting, or to get knee-deep in the history and culture of the show you can’t wait to watch, or to live like a Crawley – if just for a short while – this is the trip that will give you it all.
Itinerary and visits to other filming locations are all customizable and on a flexible schedule. The entire itinerary can be customized according to travelers' interests, with all hotels, transportation, and guiding arranged and hassle-free.
NOTE: You might also be interested in our Downton Abbey: The Season 3 Tour or the Downton Abbey Season 4 Tour.
Note: DOWNTON ABBEY is a trademark of Carnival Film & Television Limited and/or its affiliates. Neither the "Downton Abbey Tour" nor this website is in any way affiliated with, related to or authorized by Carnival, nor any officially licensed or authorized DOWNTON ABBEY tours or other goods or services.
Starting Price
$4,489 per person (excluding international flights)
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all guided tours and activities (dependent on season)
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates. Note: DOWNTON ABBEY is a trademark of Carnival Film & Television Limited and/or its affiliates. Neither the "Downton Abbey Tour" nor this website is in any way affiliated with, related to or authorized by Carnival, nor any officially licensed or authorized DOWNTON ABBEY tours or other goods or services.
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