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, Evan Evans Tours

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
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
For a wheelchair user : Please inform us in advance if you intend to bring wheelchair.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 52 travelers

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 travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

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

Reviews

4.5

486 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 486 reviews

Great palace Horrible customer service

audrey_c, Sep 2023

Blenheim palace is an amazing place to visit. The property around the palace is beautiful and the interior is fascinating. However this tour operator(EvanEvans) left us because we were late returning to the bus. We were about 6 minutes late, there was no grace period which is totally unlike any tour we have ever been on. The palace is not near any town and the only way we got back to our hotel was because the tour driver of another company (who saw us trying to flag down our bus) gave us a lift to the next town (Oxford) he was going to so we could get a local bus back to London. The tour company of EvanEvans is not one that I would recommend since their tour guides do not provide any grace time, even 5 minutes for the passenger that might be lost or over whelmed by the vast new location they have been taken to to see and enjoy.

The interior of Blenheim...

martin_s, Sep 2023

The interior of Blenheim palace was interesting but the rain was awful and access to the site in the heavy rain was not up to snuff.

A great day

AneyteBerger_B, Sep 2023

Wonderful trip with the best tour guide. Learned a lot from our guide, that made the trip so interessent, and also made my stay in England much more interresting. The places we visited were beautiful.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi AneyteBerger_B, 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

Highly recommend!!

Peter_C, Sep 2023

The tour was well organized and on time. Ursula, the guide, was very knowledgeable and made the tour enjoyable. Beautiful scenery and learnt a lot as well.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Peter_C, Thank you for taking the time to share your opinion about our services. We are glad that our team did a great job. We take pride in providing a clean and comfortable space for all of our guests, so our team appreciates that you noticed. We will pass on the kind words over to Ursula. We hope to welcome you onboard another one of our tours in the future! Best wishes Evan Evans

Tour guide was not that great.

Brian_A, Sep 2023

None really. The whole day was a bit meh. Not a bad day, but the Guide left a lot to be desired. It was nice seeing the countryside.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Brian_A, Thank you for your review. We are sorry to hear you didn't have the best day with us. We have taken your feedback on board and we will make sure that no other customers have these issues. We hope you visit us soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

Cotswold area tour

Dionne_K, Sep 2023

Our tour guide and driver were excellent. The guide gave the perfect amount of information and quiet time during the ride. His details and information were perfect.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Dionne_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

Good day

Dylan_T, Sep 2023

We weren’t Downton fans. We went for the palace and the Cotswolds. Both places were great and gave us a taste of what it was. This is definitely a “sampler” tour so don’t expect 2+ hours in each location. It was 1.5 at the palace, 1.5 at the Cotswolds and like 30 min at the Downton location. Most of the time is the long commute. Very fun and informative.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hello Dylan_T, 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 soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

Cotswolds

Margaret_H, Sep 2023

Visiting a village - Bourton On the Water - where I had been many years ago and it still looked the same and remained as charming as ever. Also, the Downton Abbey Village.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Margaret_H, Thank you for your review, we love to hear from all our customers. It's so lovely to hear you had a great day with us. We hope to see you again soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

We had enough time to...

Maria_B, Sep 2023

We had enough time to explore surroundings. Guide was very helpful. Cotswolts was very nice. Journey was comfortable

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Maria_B, 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

Perfect Cotswold Tour

PatriciaS_E, Sep 2023

First rate tour! Our guide was knowledgeable, told little snippets of stories, just enough, but not constantly (that was my young adult son’s comment). There was enough time at each stop- loved all, Blenheim Palace and Burton-on-Water was perfect Cotswold village. Had just enough time at each stop. Everything was perfectly on time!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi PatriciaS_E, Thank you for leaving us this fantastic 5* review! We work hard to meet expectations like yours, and we’re happy to hear we hit the mark for you. Come back and see us soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

Blenheim Yes - Bampton/Downton Abby No

George_B, Sep 2023

Our guide Kevin was very good. He mixed history with humor and was very engaging. The visit to Blenheim was a highlight. Lunch at Bourton-on-Water in the Cotswold was nice but a little touristy. Disappointed with the visit to Bampton to see where Downton Abby was filmed. Very short with no time to really take in the church and homes or to doing any souvenir shopping. Bampton should not be advertised as a trip feature. It was only a relatively quick stop that was disappointing to the Downton Abby fans in our group.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi George_B, Thank you for leaving us feedback about your tour. Any feedback we get is important for future visits. We are thrilled to see the team provided excellent service especially the tour guide Kevin, we will of course pass on the kind words over to him. We look forward to welcoming you again on another tour. Best wishes Evan Evans

No Downton Abbey village for us 😔

Kathryn_O, Sep 2023

Blenheim Palace was amazing...Cotswolds beautiful but rushed. No Downton Abbey Village visit as "traffic was too busy"! Not good enough when that's all we wanted! Great host and bus driver. Long drive.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Kathryn_O, Thank you for your review, we are so sorry to hear you didn't enjoy you your tour with us. We have taken onboard your feedback and we hope we can improve for all our customers in the future. We hope you try another of our tours soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

Gross bus stop

Amy_C, Sep 2023

The place where the bus meets is filthy stunk so bad just couldn't go the worst place to get on a bus

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Amy_C, Thank you for your review, we appreciate you sharing your experience. We take matters like these very seriously and would like to investigate further. Please email details of your booking to reservations@evanevanstours.co.uk and we will investigate. we hope this hasn't deterred you from travelling with us in the future, we would love to see you on another of our tours soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

Day in the Cotswolds

George_J, Sep 2023

Our guide Chrissy was very professional and pleasant. The stops in the Cotswolds were wonderful and entertaining.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi George_J, Thank you for your fantastic review! We are so glad to hear you had a great experience with us. Our team appreciates that you noticed our efforts. We will pass on your kind words to Chrissy. We hope to see you again soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

I did not get on the bus....

Louisa_P, Sep 2023

I did not get on the bus. I had an emergency dental appointment early in the morning that ran slightly late. I got to the coach station to the gate that the ticket said & then was directed to another gate. As I was talking to the staff member at the gate the coach pulled out & they would mot stop.it for me to get on.. I tried to call your office on the day & no answer. I have sent an email & no reply. I even found your office address is Soho & came to the office but security would not allow me up. I was trying to contact you to see if I could get back on the tour another day. I am back.in London next week. Kind regards, Louisa Pietersen louloupietersen@gmail.com

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hello Louisa_P, Thank you for your review, we appreciate you sharing your experience. We take matters like these very seriously and would like to investigate further. Please email details of your booking to reservations@evanevanstours.co.uk and we will investigate. we hope this hasn't deterred you from travelling with us in the future, we would love to see you on another of our tours soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

Fantastic Trip

Slavko_V, Sep 2023

Well organised tour, Chrissy the guide was very knowledgable. Zenon was a very experienced and safe bus driver. Blenheim Palace was absolutely amazing and a must see for everyone. Cotswold area was picturesque and didn't disappoint. The English gardens were colourful and quaint and took you back to a time of yesteryear. Evans & Evans tours were very well organised and the Air-conditioned coach was a god send on the very hot day.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Slavko_V, Thank you for taking the time to share your opinion about our services. We are glad that our team did a great job. We take pride in providing a clean and comfortable space for all of our guests, so our team appreciates that you noticed. We will pass on the kind words over to Chrissy and Zenon. We hope to welcome you onboard another one of our tours in the future! Best wishes Evan Evans

Fun time in the Peak District

Abdulrahman_A, Sep 2023

This was a very good tour enjoy it very much I would recommend to get a light jacket for the cavern it’s need and it’s worth it , I went to the castle on the 1st stop which is a steep 10 min walk up might want to skip this one and go check the other things as time is tight , both guide on this tour were excellent and we enjoyed it

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Abdulrahman_A, 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

Too much time on the bus and too little at the sites.

Patsey_B, Sep 2023

At the beginning our guide had some good lines about England and the royalty...so we laughed. However, she had little knowledge about Downton Abby and even asked residents in the streets. As a teacher myself, I felt badly for her as she was obviously unprepared. We spent a long time on the bus...not worth it at all. The day was warm and there was no water for us. I bought the last four bottles of cold water in the small market before departing for London.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Patsey_B, Thank you for your review, we appreciate you taking the time to write to us. We are sorry to hear that you didn't thoroughly enjoy your tour with us. We appreciate you sharing your experience and feedback. We will take on board your comments and speak to our guides to make sure that they are reminded of our standards. We hope to see you soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

A Day in the Cotswolds

Sheryl_R, Sep 2023

Wonderful trip....timing at each stop was perfect...lunch in the little village was amazing!! The Cotswolds were lovely.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

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

Terrible

Melissa_H, Aug 2023

The trip is advertised as 1st Downton Village. When we boarded the bus our guide stated we would probably skip it so we could get back to London on time because of traffic. We didn’t because some of us were upset. But we spent 2 hours on bus with no commentary from driver to Blenheim castle. We had two hours at castle where we could download a self guided tour on our phone but weren’t advised to bring our headphones prior to tour so 26 people in our group all had the volume of phone up to hear your it was hard because you could hear others phones set at different pace than your own. Then back on bus for over hour to 1 very busy Cotswold town of Bourton-on-the-Water where we had exactly 1 hour ten minutes to walk see sites go to toilet and get something to eat. Then back on bus for 45 more minutes to Downton village where we were allowed to spend 30 minutes. The guide did NOT even know where the church from Downton Abbey was located and had to ask people in town then he called Cousin Isabella house “cousin Elizabeth “. He kept saying some of you might have seen show but there’s not much of interest here if you haven’t. Most of you probably haven’t. I’m sorry but the first words when looking at this tour are titled Downton Abbey village! That’s why 90 percent of us were on tour! Guide knew ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the show, filming sites, what scenes were filmed where etc. then rushed back on bus for over two hours back to London! Complete waste of time and money. Do NOT NOT NOT recommend!!!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hello Melissa_H, Thank you for your review, we appreciate you sharing your experience. We take matters like these very seriously and would like to investigate further. Please email details of your booking to reservations@evanevanstours.co.uk and we will investigate. we hope this hasn't deterred you from travelling with us in the future, we would love to see you on another of our tours soon! Best wishes Evan Evans

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