Feedback from travellers who booked these tours, in their own words. We have kept the criticism in — the timing complaints are the most useful thing on this page if you are choosing between a nine-hour day and an eleven-hour one.
★★★★★
Efficiently organised, and it covered the places I actually wanted to see. Our Highclere Castle tour ended up being the highlight of our time in England. Worth it whether you are a fan of the series or just like a good house.
Christopher W · August 2026
★★★★★
A whole day in Bampton and Highclere Castle without ever feeling rushed. Our guide Ava was excellent company and knew the house properly. We came away having seen everything we hoped to.
John S · August 2026
★★★★
The village was genuinely fun and the timing there was about right. Highclere Castle was interesting too, but honestly an hour less would have suited us. Still a good day out.
Sean B · August 2026
★★★★
Good drive out of London, solid narration and a proper look round Bampton before Highclere. My advice is to plan your free time carefully. There is a long list of things left to it and not quite enough time for all of them.
Lois H · July 2026
★★★★★
I had never watched a single episode before booking. Russell played the first one on the way down, which turned out to be the perfect introduction. A thoroughly enjoyable trip and an excellent guide.
Ron Thurman · First-Timer · August 2026
★★★★★
The best day of our trip, and I am a serious fan of the series. Highclere Castle itself was quite something. We happened to go on the eightieth anniversary of VE Day and the house had laid on displays from the forties.
Catherine · September 2025
★★★★
Overall a good trip, but the stops at the farm and at Highclere Castle both ran longer than we wanted. That made it feel less like value for what we paid. The guiding itself was not the problem.
Cary · July 2026
★★★★★
The most satisfying tour I have taken so far. I was especially grateful that the guide spoke so clearly, which is not always the case. Everything ran to time.
Yurika · May 2026
★★★★★
Ginny was a great guide and the weather was on our side. Beautiful countryside the whole way. A lovely day from start to finish.
Amy · May 2026
★★★★★
A lovely day out to Highclere Castle and a good one for a group of us leaving London together. The only thing I would change is that there was no water offered on the coach. Otherwise no complaints at all.
Barbara · Friends · July 2026
★★★★
I liked that the commentary on the way down covered Upstairs Downstairs and Gosford Park, the things that led Fellowes to write the series at all. The Carnarvon family history was covered properly too. It made the castle mean more when we got there.
Robert · May 2026
★★★★★
Easy to find the meeting point, which is not always true in London. Jed counted everyone in and explained exactly how the day would run. We even watched the first episode on the way.
Elizabeth · April 2026
★★★★★
Chris knew his material and was easy to talk to. He kept us moving without ever making it feel hurried. Well organised throughout.
Beverly · April 2026
★★★★★
Jed found ways to keep everyone engaged, from a quiz to clips of the series between stops. I had worried we would get too little time in Bampton and too much at Highclere Castle. The balance turned out to be right.
Julia · July 2026
★★★★
A friendly guide with plenty of information and stories, particularly about Bampton. Highclere is a beautiful house. The one disappointment is that you cannot take photographs inside it.
Alain · August 2026
★★★★★
We met by the flower shop just outside Gloucester Road station and set off for Bampton, then Highclere Castle. It is a very small village and seeing it in person was the part I enjoyed most. The coach was comfortable for the run down.
Makiko · Group · May 2026
★★★★★
Comfortable seats, air conditioning and Tony driving calmly the whole way. Michael had plenty to say and not only about the series. A very good day.
Leon · August 2026
★★★★★
Greg was superb. My mother is a serious fan of the series and he made sure she saw every filming location on her list, Highclere Castle included. We even met a local woman whose own house had been used for filming, which was a rare bit of luck.
Kristy B · Family · August 2024
★★★
Andrew arrived at our hotel exactly on time and he was funny and well informed about the series. That part was excellent and we were with him for over eight hours on our Highclere Castle tour. The rest of the day did not quite live up to the guiding.
Shea A · September 2019
★★★★★
Andrew knew the countryside we drove through as well as he knew the castle. We fitted in every stop plus a good pub for lunch. I am a slow walker and he made allowances for that without being asked twice.
Eileen D · August 2024
★★★★★
This had been on my list for years and it lived up to it. Our guide was excellent throughout. We ate in the tea room on the grounds and the food was better than we expected.
Barbara P · September 2024
★★★★★
Highclere was not open to the public on the day we had booked, which was a blow. Barry rebuilt the day around it and we still had a wonderful time. He stopped at several places we would never have found alone.
April A · April 2025
★★★★★
We had booked the Highclere Castle tour with afternoon tea, which takes about three hours. Barry Ivens built the rest of the day around it. My family loved every minute.
Norman B · Family · April 2025
★★★★★
Paula adapted the whole day to us. We asked to leave early in one place and stay longer in another and she simply rearranged it. Nothing was too much trouble.
Rob G · May 2026
★★★★★
Dushi picked us up from our hotel bang on time and was excellent company. She had useful tips for making the most of Highclere Castle. Friendly and professional all day.
Laura B · Couple · September 2025
★★★
The driver got us to Highclere Castle and brought us back, so on that measure it did the job. There was no conversation at all, though. If you want a driver who tells you about the place, this is not that.
Larry D · September 2022
★★★★★
Dushi went well beyond just driving. We asked to be dropped at the Abbey Road crossing after Highclere and she made it happen. Friendly and full of information.
Norma J C · May 2023
★★★★★
Visiting Highclere had been a long-held ambition and it did not disappoint. The castle and grounds were bookended by a comfortable drive each way. Our driver was kind and professional.
Mariah M · March 2023
★★★★★
I was probably the only one there who had never seen the series. The history of Highclere Castle stood up on its own, and the filming side was interesting anyway. A good way to spend a day.
Stephen C · Solo · September 2025
★★★★★
Our driver was excellent and collected us from the hotel door. She had an easy manner and plenty of suggestions for the rest of our stay in London. We would use them again.
Cathy · Couple · September 2025
★★★★★
A very good way of reaching Highclere without driving yourself. Comfortable car and a capable driver. It made the whole day easy.
Susan Tupper · March 2025
Ava, Russell, Jed, Chris, Greg, Andrew, Barry, Paula, Ginny and Dushi all appear by name. On a day this long the guide is most of the experience, and it shows in the ratings.
Several travellers wanted less time at the castle and more in Bampton; others felt unhurried and said so. If two hours inside sounds long, the shorter departures suit you better.
Not being able to photograph the interiors comes up repeatedly. It is the castle's rule, not the operator's, and it applies on every tour.
More than one operator plays the series on the run out of London. Travellers who had never watched it said that was what made the castle land.
These are the operators' own published figures and they move. They appear here as plain text, exactly as each listing states them.
| Tour | Operator | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downton Abbey and Village Small Group Tour from London | Brit Movie Tours | 4.7 | 557 |
| London: Downton Abbey, Cotswolds, and Highclere Castle Tour | International Friends | 4.8 | 522 |
| Downton Abbey and Village Small Group Tour from London | Brit Movie Tours | 4.8 | 330 |
| From London: Downton Abbey and Village Coach Tour | Brit Movie Tours | 4.7 | 268 |
| Downton Abbey and Castle Taxi Tour from London with Hotel Pickup | See More Taxi Tours | 4.9 | 73 |
| Private Guided Full Day Downton Abbey Tour From London | Barry Tours UK | 5.0 | 39 |
| Private Round Trip Transfer : Heathrow or London to Highclere Castle | ATN Cars | 4.9 | 22 |
| London: Private Round Trip Transfer To Highclere Castle | ATN Cars | 5.0 | 9 |
| London: Private Downton Abbey Tour By Black Cab With Lunch Stop | Tours Of The UK | 5.0 | 3 |
The private black cab day with a lunch stop is too new to have gathered much feedback, which is why no quotes from it appear above. A tour with too little to report gets none rather than a padded set. Its own private tour page carries the detail instead, and the FAQs answer what reviewers usually ask.