How to Visit Highclere Castle From London (Especially For Downton Abbey Fans)!

Did you know that you can visit Downton Abbey in real life? Yes, you can! And I’m going to tell you exactly how to visit Highclere Castle from London (AKA the real-life Downton Abbey).

I’ve been a huge fan of Downton Abbey since I was in college. I would binge it on my laptop on sleepy Saturday mornings. I loved the “upstairs/downstairs” drama. However, I had no idea that you could actually visit this charming castle in real life.

Fast forward several seasons and a couple of movies of Downton Abbey and me becoming a travel blogger. I wondered if it were possible to visit this iconic estate framed by 2 mighty cedar trees. Turns out you can, and I knew I had to plot my way into going at some point.

That chance came in April 2024. We were planning a trip to England, Ireland, and Scotland (with a quick 2-day stop in Paris, because why not?) with Chris’s parents. We were talking about things we wanted to see and do, and Chris’s mom spoke up saying she’d love to visit wherever Downton Abbey was filmed if possible.

That’s all the motivation I needed! I got to work researching how we could visit Highclere Castle from London as a day trip. Turns out, you definitely can do it on your own in just a day!

So we planned our trip around when Highclere Castle was open for the spring, booked our tickets, and we were off! And it did NOT disappoint. My mother-in-law and I teared up when we walked up the path to the castle, and it felt almost like a homecoming.

And if you’re a fan of Downton Abbey, I’m going to help you plan your perfect visit to Highclere Castle and fulfill your Downton dreams too.

Let’s talk about it. 

Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it here!

Highclere Castle History

First, we need a quick history of Highclere Castle. Before it became the set for the famous show, Downton Abbey, the estate itself actually had origins going as far back as 749 AD when the king granted it to the Bishops of Winchester.

In the 14th century, a Medieval palace was built on the estate, and in 1679 the castle there today was built. It was purchased by Sir Robert Sawyer, who left the estate to his daughter Margaret Sawyer. She then left it to her son Robert Sawyer Herbert, who left the estate to his nephew, Henry Herbert, the 1st Earl of Carnarvon. 

Today, it is owned by the 8th Earl of Carnarvon. 

It then went under a heavy renovation in 1842-1849 by Sir Charles Barry, the architect behind the Houses of Parliament. 

It has seen a lot of history in its day, including being a hospital for wounded soldiers during WWI (similar to in Downton Abbey!) and a shelter for children who were evacuated from London in WWII.

But a significant part of its history is from when the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, George Herbert, sponsored the dig that led to the discovery of King Tutankamen’s Tomb with archeologist Howard Carter.

And even after his death, his wife, Lady Carnarvon helped Howard Carter and continued to support the efforts of finding more artifacts in Egypt.

So when you visit today, there is actually an exhibit dedicated to King Tutankamen’s Tomb in the basement. What you see are replicas, as the artifacts are at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. 

Of course, you likely recognize this famed castle from the show Downton Abbey and its accompanying films.

Can You Visit Downton Abbey From London in a Day?

Yes you can! Obviously (I just mentioned it above), but yes, it is doable to visit Highclere Castle on your own from London.

You can take a self-guided tour of the castle, walk on the grounds, and even see the Egyptian Exhibition in the basement (I’ll talk more about that later). You just need to book in advance.

Where is Highclere Castle Located?

Unlike Downton Abbey, which is located in Yorkshire, the real estate, Highclere Castle, is actually just outside of Newbury, which is only about an hour from London via train.

This makes it really easy for a day trip just outside of London!

Want to listen to our experience at Highclere Castle? Listen to our podcast episode all about it here!

How to Get to Highclere Castle From London

Getting to Highclere Castle from London is actually pretty easy. Here is how to do it:

• Book a train ticket from London Paddington Station to Newbury. 
• Take the Great Western Railway from London Paddington Station to Newbury (approx. 1 hour).
• Get a cab to drive you the 11-25 minutes to Highclere Castle (depending on traffic).

Important: Get the cab driver’s card with phone number (see if they have WhatsApp) and schedule a pick up time to get back to the train station. This is key, as it is harder to get a cab from the castle than the train station. 

An alternative is to book your taxi ahead of time with Go Green Taxis.

To go back to London afterward, you reverse your route. I recommend booking your train tickets ahead of time.

Alternatively, there is a day trip you can book here that includes transportation and stops at a few Downton Abbey filming locations like Cogges Manor Farm (Yew Tree Farm), Bampton Library (Downton Cottage Hospital), and Highclere Castle. This runs on select dates. 

Book it here!

Cost to Visit Highclere Castle

Check out Highclere Castle’s website for all admission information. Here are some important admission prices for popular choices.

• Public Opening Admission For the Castle, Egyptian Exhibition, and Gardens: £29 for adults, £16 for children ages 4-16, £15 for child concession, £79 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children, and £26.50 for those over 65, the disabled, and students. Free for carers and children under 4.

• Public Opening Admission For the Castle & Gardens: £22.50 for adults, £14 for children ages 4-16, £13 for child concession, £63 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children, and £21 for those over 65, the disabled, and students. Free for carers and children under 4.

• Picnic Afternoon Tea Add-On: £75 for 2 people.

With these tickets, you have 3 options for entry times:

• 10 am-12:30 pm
• 12:30 pm-2:30 pm
• 2:30 pm-4 pm

You can show up any time during that window, you just have to be there before the window is over. Final entry to the castle is at 4 pm. 

You can also visit the gardens, shop, and tearooms regardless of your entry time. The gardens, shop, and tearooms close at 5 pm and gates shut at 5:30 pm.

Things to Do at Highclere Castle

If you’re lucky enough to snag a time slot to visit Highclere castle, here are some fun things to do!

Tour the Castle

This is obvious, but yes, you can take a self-guided tour around the castle! Obviously, this is the biggest draw for visiting Highclere Castle.

Explore the great hall, dining room, library, and several of the bedrooms that were used in Downton Abbey. Many will look familiar to you! They also have signs posted with photography and more information about shooting the famed show here.

Sadly, the “downstairs” of Highclere Castle looks wildly different than the kitchens you see in the show. That is because the downstairs part of the castle is home to the Egyptian Exhibition.

Note: Photography inside the castle is prohibited. This is why you don’t see any interior photos on the blog.

Egyptian Exhibition

Make sure you choose the ticket that includes the Egyptian Exhibition, because it’s really cool!

As I said in the history above, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, George Herbert, was part of the team that discovered King Tutankhamun’s tomb. So there is a whole exhibition showing replicas of what they found, what the inside of the tomb looked like as they found it, and information about their digs.

Note that the items are replicas.

Explore the Castle Gardens

Once you’ve had your fill of the castle, you can head outside to explore the grounds. This includes their fabulous gardens. With an herb garden, a rose arbour, and more, you can enjoy the blooms and foliage.

Walk the Castle Grounds

Highclere Castle has some extensive grounds to explore! So you can wander along the footpaths and enjoy!

There is the Temple of Diana to see, a couple of lakes, a chapel, and several wooded areas.

Even closer to the castle itself, you’ll find the famed cedar trees and the bench where many a characters of Downton Abbey have sat and mused. 

For a map of where to walk, check out this guide.

Have Afternoon Tea

I highly recommend booking the afternoon tea box. We ended up having this for lunch, and it included their own Champagne cuvee, finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, and tea. And the food is served in the cutest box.

You can either sit inside or outside depending on the weather.

The food was really good, and it was just incredible to sip Champagne while looking at Highclere Castle. We felt so posh!

Try Highclere Castle’s Drinks

We know that Highclere Castle has its own special Champagne cuvee, but did you know they also have their own gin?

Yes, and it is perfect in a fun cocktail! They also have their own beer! We ended up sampling a few of these during our time here, and it was really fun.

Meet the Butler…and Perhaps the Lady!

During our time at afternoon tea, we met the butler of Highclere Castle, Luis! It was like meeting the real-life Mr. Carson. And he was a delight!

He told us fun stories of the castle, and he even let us try several of the drinks above (most he didn’t even charge us for!). He was so hospitable and kind, and we enjoyed hearing about his time as the butler of Highclere Castle.

And what’s more, he even introduced us to Lady Carnarvon, who was there for lunch! She was so warm and welcoming. If you get a chance to meet the butler and/or the Lady Carnarvon, definitely do it!

Stop By the Gift Shop

The gift shop is honestly so cute. There are tea cups, typical souvenirs, etc. But they also sell their own cuvee of Champagne and their own gin here as well.

Plus, there are just so many cute things in the shop that just scream English countryside aesthetic. We actually ended up picking up the cutest little Advent Calendar while there.

Our Day at Highclere Castle

Okay, we ended up taking an earlish train from Paddington Station to Newbury. We found a cab, got their Whatsapp and scheduled a ride back for later that day, and we were off to Highclere Castle!

We ended up booking the morning tour of the castle, which began at 10 am. Here, we took our time exploring all the rooms and even enjoyed visiting the Egyptian Exhibition in the basement.

After that, we wandered around the grounds for a bit. Saw some spring flowers (we went in April), frolicked in front of the castle, took photos of us sitting in the bench under the cedar tree, and just enjoyed the viewpoints around the castle.

Then, we were feeling peckish and picked up our afternoon tea picnic boxes that we had reserved prior. For us, we had a regular box and a vegan box between the 4 of us. 

We had a blast at lunch as we ate our finger sandwiches, treats, and scones. We sipped our Champagne and tea, and talked with the butler for a long time!

After meeting the lady, we went to the gift shop to pick up a souvenir or two, and then we met our cab driver back at the parking lot. Then, we hopped back on the train in Newbury and made it to London in time for a drink and then dinner.

Hotels Near Highclere Castle

Did you know that you can actually stay on the castle grounds? 

Yes, they have 2 options available. They have the London Lodge and Grotto Lodge. The London Lodge has one bedroom and is bookable for 2 nights. The Grotto Lodge has 2 bedrooms and is bookable for 3 nights. They are both self catering with kitchens. 

Book it here!

While I recommend visiting Highclere Castle as a day trip from London, if you wanted to stay in a hotel nearby, here are some options:

Coat & Bear: This new boutique hotel and restaurant is located in Newbury, just about 5.6 miles from the castle and not far from the Newbury train station. Here, you can walk to nearby restaurants and explore the town before/after visiting Highclere Castle. Plus, the rooms here are chic and fun!

Book it here!

Carnarvon Arms: This smaller boutique hotel has about 18 rooms that are cozy and cute, and you are 1.3 miles away from Highclere Castle. If you feel like it, you could even walk to it from this hotel! This place also has a pub!

Book it here!

Oakley Hall: For a more luxe stay, you can stay here with its beautiful rooms and gorgeous park. They even have a restaurant and a bar to enjoy food and cocktails during your stay, plus they have a picnic menu! Now this is located a bit further away from Highclere Castle. It is about 20 minutes or so via car or 13.4 miles away.

Book it here!

Is Highclere Castle Worth Visiting From London?

If you’re a fan of castles, or you too LOVE Downton Abbey, then yes, Highclere Castle is 1,000% worth visiting.

I almost cried when I walked up the drive! It felt like a homecoming after spending years watching the whole series (multiple times) and the movies. It feels like you’re stepping right into the set of Downton.

Even if you’re not a Downton lover, this is a stunning castle to visit in the UK and a pretty easy day trip to take from London, so why not?

That is everything you need to know about visiting Highclere Castle (AKA Downton Abbey) during your time in the UK. Would you like to visit this incredible place?

Want more fun travel ideas in Europe? Check out these posts!

• 4 Days in London Itinerary
• 5-Day Mini Scotland Road Trip
• 1 Day in Edinburgh
• 4-Day Mini Ireland Road Trip
• 1 Day in Dublin
• 4 Days in Paris Itinerary
• What to Wear in Paris
• How Much Does a Trip to Paris Cost?
• Paris Honeymoon Hotels
• 2 Days in Prague
• 2 Days in Vienna
• 4 Days in Budapest
• 2 Days in Budapest
• Unique 7-Day Italy Itinerary
• 2 Days in Piedmont, Italy
• 2 Days in Bologna, Italy
• Rome Honeymoon Guide
• Romantic Things to Do in Rome
• Italy Honeymoon Itinerary Ideas
• Italy Honeymoon Cost
• How to Spend 3 Days in Stockholm
• 3 Days in Copenhagen
• 7 Days in France
• 7 Days in Greece

Pin it here!