Castle Tours in London: The 6 Best for a Short Stay

1.Shared Group Downton Abbey and Highclere Castle Tour from London

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 274 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $282Our pick

Travel by air-conditioned minivan from Marble Arch to Cogges Manor Farm, Bampton, and Highclere Castle. Your guide, possibly Michelle, Amber, Andrew, Tony, or another series fan, adds filming stories and British history. Expect about 11 hours, walking, castle gardens, the Egyptian exhibition, and free time for lunch.

“Really great schedule..plenty of time on your own and plenty of guided walks. Andrew is very knowledgeable.”

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2.Edinburgh Rail Trip from London with Castle entry and Hop-on Hop-off bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 227 reviews · 16 hours (approx.) · from $329

Travel independently from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh by reserved-seat train, then use the hop-on hop-off bus and visit Edinburgh Castle. You have roughly five to six hours in the city, with no guide and a fixed return train. First-class tickets are available, but bring your own food.

“The train rides from London to Edinburgh were way too long and tiresome. My family and I were a bit lost at first with the directions. However we really enjoyed the trip and the scenery in Edinburgh is breathtaking. The hop on hop off rides were great though the timings were too short to cover all the places as we have to rush back to the station for our train ride back to London. Overall, we love it. There was a slight delay with our return train ride.”

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3.Downton Abbey and Highclere Castle Tour from London

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 96 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $254Best value

Travel by air-conditioned coach from central London to Cogges Manor Farm, Bampton village, and Highclere Castle. Expect Downton Abbey trivia, guided village walks, castle rooms, gardens, and free time for food. Guides such as Andrew, Amber, Catherine, and Michelle have made this tour especially engaging, though group sizes can reach 50.

“Great tour and our tour guide Andrew was very fun and informative. How can you go wrong with Downton Abbey tour? Only disappointment was the size of our group. We had 46 and two other groups to Downton at the same time as us had 12-14 each. We were under the impression it was to be a small tour bus.”

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4.Hever Castle – England’s Hidden Gem

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 6 hours (approx.)

Travel from your London hotel to Hever Castle in a private Mercedes S-Class with a guide such as Mark or Gareth. Explore Anne Boleyn’s former home, Tudor rooms, Astor-era interiors, moat, and gardens at your own pace. The roughly six-hour outing includes transport and guiding, but castle admission costs extra.

“Amazing experience! Gareth was super kind, a great conversationalist, and was able to give information about everything we passed by, not just the castle and had a great time. He was extremely gracious about taking pictures and encouraged me to ask him! Really appreciated him helping make memories and photos to send a loved ones.”

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5.Private Chauffeured Tour to Hever Castle from London

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Travel from London to Hever Castle in a Mercedes Class V with a private chauffeur, then spend about four hours exploring Anne Boleyn’s childhood home, Tudor rooms, Italian and Rose gardens, and the lake. Paul or Dariusz may drive, with pickup and return included.

“Dariusz was a delight. He was a good driver, knowledgeable, helpful and took us to a church that we otherwise wouldn't have gone to. I highly recommend him and look forward to seeing him on our next trip, whenever that may be.”

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6.Highclere Castle Private Round Trip Transportation Service

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $393

Travel from central London to Highclere Castle in a private sedan, minivan, or van. Your driver waits while you spend 2 or 3 hours at the Downton Abbey filming location, then returns you to your accommodation. Admission is separate, and castle tickets must be bought ahead from the official website.

“Viator provided the transportation only for this tour. The driver was on time and the outing went well.”

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