Private Small Group Tour to Downton Abbey Filming locations, Cotswolds and Blenheim Palace

- Fully refundable and amendable up until 14 days before travel
- Preview your day trip adventure here

Booking a private small group tour with International Friends gives you flexibility to visit your destinations at your own pace, with the added support of expert advice and guidance.

Highlights

Exclusive use of an executive touring vehicle for 11 hours
Expert staff on hand to help plan your itinerary & ensure you make the most of your day
Door to door service. We collect from all central London & Heathrow addresses, other pick ups available on request.
Optional service of an expert guide to accompany you for the day
All vehicles deep cleaned daily.
Flexible booking guarantee

Service Options

We have three services, tailored to cater to a range of budgets. The services below do not include entries or meals, but we are of course very happy to help with this - should you wish to include entry tickets or meal bookings please see our FAQs tab.

Driver only
An experienced driver who is familiar with our touring routes, but does not guide. Should you book this service, you will visit Cogges Manor Farm, Bampton & Blenheim Palace independently.

Driver/guide
An experienced driver who can guide from the vehicle. Please note guiding is not permitted inside Blenheim Palace, but audio guides can be purchased on site, subject to availability.

Driver with guide
Our most popular option. An experienced driver and a separate professional guide who can guide from the vehicle and lead walking tours in destination. Please note guiding is not permitted inside Blenheim Palace, but audio guides can be purchased on site, subject to availability.
Please bear in mind that when booking this service, you will need to allow a seat for the guide. For example, booking this service for 8-16 people will allow seats for a party of 15 passengers plus the guide.

Disclaimer: International Friends Downton Abbey day trips and tours are not endorsed, sanctioned or in any other way supported, directly or indirectly, by Carnival Films, NBC Universal or Julian Fellowes and his representatives.

Booking procedure

Once we have received your booking, our expert staff will create a tailored itinerary based on your locations and pick up address. We may make suggestions and amendments to ensure you maximise your time spent touring. Occasionally additional fees may be applicable in order to accommodate all of your requests e.g where itineraries will require unusually early or late starts or finishes, or if additional pick ups and drop offs are required. If you do have any special requests we recommend you contact us before booking.

If you require additional services, such as meals or tourist attraction tickets, we will be very happy to help. We can offer unbeatable rates at tourist attractions, and work with a selection of amazing restaurants in stunning locations for meals. Details available on request.

Your Day

Your private Downton Abbey day trip begins with collection from your London or Heathrow address. We can collect from your hotel lobby, air bnb, airport arrival terminal, train station, guest house or private address.

The first part of your day tour is through the charming Oxfordshire Cotswolds, visiting some of the filming sites of the hit series Downton Abbey along the way. Your first stop is Cogges Manor Farm with its collection of farmyard animals, beautifully located on the banks of the River Windrush. Learn of its role in Downton Abbey as "Yew Tree Farm" where Lady Edith's daughter Marigold was brought up by the Drewe family.

After a coffee break, your exploration of this stunning region continues. Our smaller vehicle will be used to your advantage to facilitate off the beaten track exploring. Stop at Shilton with its shallow ford used in series two, and Bampton (otherwise known as Downton village) to see St Mary's church used for so many weddings, a funeral or two and a jilting when it became St Michael's. See the cottage hospital and Mrs Crawley's house, visit the village green and see The Grantham Arms pub.

The next stop on your private day trip is the village of Bladon to visit the graves of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill, before a lunch break in the vibrant and historic Cotswold town of Woodstock. Just a short drive away lies the magnificent Blenheim Palace, built for Sir John Churchill between 1705 and 1724. The largest privately owned house in the country saw the birth of Sir Winston Churchill in 1874, and boasts over 2,000 acres of landscaped gardens by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. Enjoy the Churchill exhibition and stroll through the delightful grounds before your return to London.

Recommended Timings

	Time	Destination
Departs	07:45am	Your Central London Address
Arrives	09:30am	Cogges Farm
Departs	10:45am	Cogges Farm
Arrives	11:15am	Bampton
Departs	12:15pm	Bampton and drive through Cotswolds with photo stop at Shilton
Arrives	1:00pm	Woodstock for Lunch
Departs	2:00pm	Woodstock
Arrives	2:15pm	Blenheim Palace
Departs	4:15pm	Blenheim Palace
Arrives	6:30pm	London

Are Attraction entries and meals included?

Attraction entries and meals are not included in the prices for private tours, however we are very happy to take care of your entry tickets should you require assistance with this.

We do strongly recommend you pre-book your entry tickets for all attractions that you wish to enter. We can arrange this for you if you add tickets on at time of booking. Booking your entry tickets for Cogges Farm & Blenheim Palace with us allows flexible booking terms and you would recived a full refund on entry tickets should you need to cancel any time up to 2 weeks before travel. Bampton (Downton Abbey church) does not have any attractions that needs pre-booking

Please be aware that Blenheim Palace do not allow guiding inside the premises. If you have booked a guide to accompany you for the day they will assist you with your entry, but will have to adhere to the attractions guiding policy once inside. Audio guides can be purchased on site, subject to availability.

Is this service only available from London or Heathrow?

The advertised prices are based on pick up and drop off from central London (zone 1 & 2) or Heathrow. But we can also offer this service from selected locations outside central London on request. Please email your enquiry to [email protected] for further details.

How much luggage can I bring?

When booking private tours where you will have luggage (e.g. starting or ending at a cruise terminal or airport), please ensure you check the below for information regarding vehicle luggage capacity.

Booking 1-3 people, the vehicle will accommodate up to 3 large cases and 3 small (carry on) cases
Booking 1-6 people, the vehicle will accommodate up to 7 large cases and 7 small (carry on) cases
Booking 7-16 people, the vehicle will accommodate up to 12 large cases and 12 small (carry on) cases

Large cases must have a maximum weight of 23kg per case, small cases a maximum 10kg per case.

Should you wish to bring any mobility aids (wheelchairs or walkers) you MUST contact us in advance to let us know. We will require full dimensions and weight. These items must be able to be folded and stored in the luggage hold. Wheelchairs must be counted as 1 item of your hold luggage.

Are there any time limitations?

All private tour prices are based on 11 hours. Our office staff are experts in being able to help you plan your route in advance, to help you get the most out of your day. On the day of your booking our experienced team of drivers and guides will also be able to help and advise you if they need to make time or route alterations depending on prevailing traffic conditions.

All British professional driver working hours are regulated by law in the interests of your safety. Our standard scheduled itineraries are compliant with the current regulations. If you feel you would like to arrange a more bespoke itinerary this will require detailed planning and preparation. In this situation we recommend you email us at [email protected] or call us on on 01843 609699 so we can discuss and help plan your perfect day out.