Experience a wealth of England’s rural and historical treasures, and the fictional ‘Downton Abbey’ village, on this full-day trip from London with an expert guide. Marvel at splendid Blenheim Palace, the UNESCO-protected country house where Sir Winston Churchill was born, and discover the enchanting scenery of the Cotswolds, with visits to an idyllic village: either Bibury or Bourton-on-the-Water. Lastly, explore the pretty village of Bampton to see some of the locations where the much-loved TV series, ‘Downton Abbey’, was filmed, and enjoy time for lunch here before returning to London.

Full-day trip to Blenheim Palace, the Cotswolds, and Downton Abbey village from London, led by an expert guide
Explore Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Sir William Churchill
Revel in the quintessentially English villages and thatched-roof houses of the Cotswolds from the comfort of a luxury coach
Visit the charming village of Bibury or Bourton-on-the-Water
Enjoy a walking tour of the village of Bampton, featured in Downton Abbey as Downton village
Please note a visit to Highclere Castle is not included

What's Included

Professional guide
Air-conditioned vehicle
Free WiFi on coach
Audio guide
Blenheim Palace, State Rooms and Gardens (if option selected)

Optional gratuities
Food and beverages
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

Victoria Coach Station
Victoria Coach Station, 164 Buckingham Palace Rd, London SW1W 9TP, UK
Tour departs at 9 am (boarding at 8.30 am), Victoria Coach Station, Gate 1-5

Start time

09:00 am

End point

15 Victoria St
15 Victoria St, London SW1V 1JU, UK
Tour finishes near Victoria Station

What To Expect

Depart Victoria coach station by comfortable, air-conditioned coach, and travel northwest into scenic Oxfordshire.

After approximately 1.5 hours on the road, stop at UNESCO-listed Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir William Churchill. Head inside, put on your audio headsets to hear commentary from your guide, and stroll around the opulent State Rooms of this magnificent stately house, built in the 1700s. Admire the priceless artworks and tapestries that adorn the walls and view the formal gardens on a leisurely walk in the grounds.
 Back aboard your coach, soak up the views of the gorgeous Cotswolds region, where rolling green hills give way to stone-built market towns and thatched villages. Stop in at one of two charming villages: the picture-postcard hamlet of Bibury, to amble past its famous weavers’ cottages, originally built as a wool store in 1380, and the 12th-century St. Mary's Church.
 Or, drive on to idyllic Bourton-on-the-Water, sometimes known as ‘Little Venice’ for the series of handsome low bridges that cross the Windrush River that flows through the village center. Amble through the lanes and admire the lush greens, quaint shops, and stone banks along the riversides.
 Finally, continue to Bampton, the classic English village that doubled as fictional Downton village in the famous TV drama series of Downton Abbey. View the church where Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley were wed and the house that served as Isobel Crawley’s home. Pass the old school that was Downton Hospital and buildings that starred as two village pubs. While you’re here, take the opportunity to relax over lunch (own expense) at a local restaurant or café, and then return to London where your trip finishes at Westminster.

Blenheim Palace

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Bampton Heritage & Visitor Centre

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bourton on the Water

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Burford Library

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Please Note: this tour does not visit Highclere Castle
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible

Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 52 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Traveller Tips

The trip itself is wisely planned giving you enough time to see the most.

Reviews

4.5

363 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 363 reviews

Good guide

lapidron, May 2023

There was not enough time in Cotswolds. Not even to eat- certainly not enough to wander around. "Downtown Abbey Village" was a misleading description. Would have preferred more time in Cotswolds.

Whatever you do, don’t get lost on the way

Susan_U, May 2023

My husband and I were really looking forward to this tour but didn’t get to go due to getting lost and arriving 5 minutes late. We called the tour company, and he said this “happens all the time” due to confusion about Victoria Station and Victoria Coach Station. Yet they couldn’t wait 5 minutes, offer to reschedule, or refund even part of our $242. I have no idea if the tour is worth the cost since we didn’t get to go. Unless you’re completely certain of finding your way there in time despite vague directions from the operator, try something different so you won’t be out $242 for nothing like we were.

Great palace

William_M, May 2023

Blenheim was AMAZING. Our guide and driver was great. Just a wonderful experience. You never go wrong with evan evans

Beautiful Cotswolds

waynehaugh, May 2023

Blenheim Castle is very impressive with beautiful views of its grounds and gardens. Burton on the Water is a quaint, cute village that is a must see when visiting the Cotswolds.

Don't waste your time.

Rocky_A, May 2023

This was the biggest waste of time I have ever had on any site seeing or tourist trip in my 40+ years of travel. So much time in a bus only to walk outside of a Dowton Abbey Church. The ads misleading and misrepresent what we wanted to see.. Just plain horrible.

fantastic attractions! AMAZING guide and driver!

Victoria_V, May 2023

amazing trip, so many amazing places and the tour guide was so helpful and informative! Best stops and recommendations!

Wonderful Tour!

Megan_Y, May 2023

Me and my mother had a wonderful time on our tour yesterday. Our guide Ruth was wonderful and had extensive knowledge on all things in the UK. The only suggestion I would make would be to leave out Downton Abbey Village so more time could be spent at Blenheim Palace

Excellent experience

Glenn_W, May 2023

We loved every stop. The history at the castle was unexpected. The little town was precious. Our guy was a wealth of information and interesting stories.

Response from Host, May 2023

Hello Glenn_W, Thank you so much for this 5-star review. We really appreciate you being a customer and helping to share the word about us. Our team appreciates you noticed all our efforts to make this tour a great experience for you. We hope to see you again on another one of our tours! Best wishes Evan Evans

A very nice day of sightseeing

Kim_L, May 2023

A wonderful visit to Blenheim, the Cotswolds and Downton Abbey Village. Our guide Andy was full of knowledge and anecdotes and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. It’s a lot of time in the the bus, but that can’t be helped.

Response from Host, May 2023

Dear Kim, Thank you so much for the lovely review. We are very pleased that you enjoyed your tour and we will make sure to pass on the kind words to Andy. Please be back soon! Kindest regards, Evan Evans Team

Castle was great.

Dianna_S, May 2023

The castle was lovely and our guides were GREAT. The last two stops were way too fast and we did not get to enjoy the spaces. The TV special section was 12-20 min off the bus and get right back on. The tour to the Cotswold village was so lovely and we had no time to see it as we had to get food, eat and get back on the bus. There was no tour of the wonderful church as we thought.

Response from Host, May 2023

Hello Dianna_S, Thank you for your review, we appreciate the time it's taken to write us. We are so glad to hear you had a great time with us, we understand that you might want more time at Downton Abbey however due to strict time schedules we are limited to how much time we can spend at each location. We appreciate your feedback. All the best Evan Evans

Cotswold Day Tour

Linda_G, May 2023

Palace tour very well done. Nice gift shop. Lunch stop too short. Pub service took up entire time. Tour guide, Chrissy excellent,

Response from Host, May 2023

Hi Linda_G, Thank you for leaving us a fantastic 5* review! We continuously work to create good experiences for our customers, and we are thrilled to see we were able to offer you a memorable day! We hope you come visit us again soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

Trip worth taking!

Lisa_K, May 2023

Our tour guide was 5 star. The experience was super but we felt rushed at each stop. We just wanted more time at the castle and more time in the Cotswolds. It is definitely a trip worth taking!

Response from Host, May 2023

Hello Lisa_K, Thank you so much for this 5-star review. We really appreciate you being a customer and helping to share the word about us. We hope to see you again on another one of our tours! Best wishes Evan Evans

A change is as good as a rest! 😊

Gillian_P, May 2023

I live in London and decided to take a day trip with a bus full of tourists. I had a great day out and it felt like a mini vacation! The exhibition of coronation robes at Blenheim Palace was fantastic, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day, the guide’s interesting commentary and my snooze on the way home!

Response from Host, May 2023

Dear Gillian, Thank you so much for the 5* review. We are very happy that you enjoyed your tour. We can't wait to welcome you on board soon. Kindest regards, Evan Evans Team

Waste of time

Jo_L, May 2023

Ok overall this trip was poor .Blenheim Palace was excellent but the rest of the trip was poor I should have done more research as I thought the cotsworlds was a village- instead we where taken on a bus thru several villages and stopped at a village that was a tourist trap Would not recommend also states the bus would have wi fi yet again no wi fi I’m sure this post will not be posted

Response from Host, May 2023

Hello Jo_L, Thank you for your review. We appreciate the time it takes to write this. We are glad you enjoyed the trip overall. We're sorry to hear you were disappointed with the Cotswolds, we do have a villages of the Cotswolds tour which goes more in detail of the Cotswolds if you are interested. We appreciate your comments and feedback. Thank you for travelling with us Evan Evans

Cute tour!

Giacinta_P, May 2023

Great Guide, really passionate about her work. 15 minutes extra in the first two places and 10 minutes less in the last would be better. Would like to have seen Churchill grave!

Response from Host, May 2023

Hi Giacinta_P, Thank you so much for this 5-star review. We really appreciate you being a customer and helping to share the word about us. We hope to see you again on another one of our tours! Best wishes Evan Evans

A wonderful time in the Cotswolds

Kathy_M, May 2023

A wonderful excursion! The scenery and estate were beautiful. The pace of the tour was just right and Chrissy our guide was knowledgeable, courteous and accommodating. I highly recommend this tour to get yourself out of the hustle and bustle London atmosphere. Enjoy!

Response from Host, May 2023

Hi Kathy_M, Thank you for leaving us feedback about the tour. We are glad that our team did a great job. We work very hard to ensure that our customers get outstanding service, and it makes us very happy that it reflected during your recent visit. Best wishes Evan Evans

A relaxing trip

Gary_S, May 2023

We liked the Cotswold village with stream the best. Wished we had more time to explore that one (less time at Blenheim maybe?)

Response from Host, May 2023

Hi Gary_S, Thank you for leaving us feedback. Seeing that you had a 5-Star experience is the best thing we could hope. While we do agree that we would like to give more time to our guests at each location, we have strict timings to arrive at each venue otherwise entry would not be permissible. However, we do have other tours that cover only two venues in a day which allow more time to explore, please visit our website for more information. We hope you come visit us again soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

Solo trip was delightful

Amy_S, May 2023

Spent a wonderful day to Blenheim Palace and the Cotswolds with a final stop at Brampton the Downton Abbey village. Make no mistake, it was a beautiful day with a taste of the area and it left me wanting to return for a week or more. Our guide was Crissy and driver Paul were knowledgeable and an absolute delight.

Response from Host, May 2023

Hello Amy_s, We would like to thank you for your kind words and for sharing it with the rest of the community. Our team works very hard to provide the best service and it makes us very happy that it reflected during your visit to our establishment. We hope you come visit us again soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

Great but not what I expected

Tracey_O, May 2023

Blenheim palace and cotswold was great but downton abbey village was not what I expected. Everything was closed. Guide and driver were terrific. Very informative. Enjoyable but should not include downton

Response from Host, May 2023

Hello Tracey_O, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are glad that you found the trip very nice and comfortable, and welcome your feedback. In general, Downtown Abbey Village is a very popular inclusion on this tour as fans of the TV series have the opportunity to see some real life filming locations, although we appreciate this might not be as interesting for those who are not fans of Downtown Abbey, the village itself is incredibly beautiful and we usually spend 30 minutes there. All the very best, Evan Evans

an interesting trip but a lot of driving and the tour was not really guided.

YanQing_T, May 2023

Blenheim Palace is excellent. However, it would be better if the tour is guided because the audio is not very helpful. Cotswolds is not that interesting. It was also extremely crowded because we happened to be there on a holiday.

Response from Host, May 2023

Hi YanQing_T, Thanks so much for giving us your take on how we are doing. We will take your comments and hope they improve the experience for other guests. We're glad that customers like you are having a great experience! We thank you for the recommendations and we hope to see you again soon! Best wishes Evan Evans Team

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