Blenheim Palace and Cotswolds Tour: Explore English Heritage from London
4.3
604 Ratings
Greater London
Immerse yourself in English heritage on a tour of Blenheim Palace and the Cotswolds. Visit the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, explore picturesque villages, and discover iconic 'Downton Abbey' filming locations.
Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Blenheim Palace - This awe-inspiring stately home, the current private residence of the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, is perhaps best-known as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Admire the stunning details behind the portraits, tapestry and furniture in the lavishly decorated State Rooms, which includes furniture ornate furniture by Boulle, Savonniere carpet and the iconic ‘Victories’ series of tapestries celebrating the Duke’s victory over the French armies of ‘The Sun King’, Louis XIV, at the Battle of Blenheim.

Enjoy a stroll through the beautifully landscaped formal gardens and more than 2,000 acres of parkland, or walk in the footsteps of Sir Winston Churchill; visit his most cherished outdoor places on the grounds of Blenheim Palace, including the spot where he proposed to Clementine Hozier.

  • Bampton Heritage & Visitor Centre - Our final stop of the day sees us visit the picturesque village of Bampton; the filming location for many of the famous landmarks featured on the popular period drama television series, Downton Abbey. You’ll see the buildings that played the part of the home of Isobel Crawley, the Downton Cottage Hospital, the church, and also the location for two fictional local pubs, The Grantham Arms and The Dog & Duck.
  • Bourton on the Water - Burford is a small medieval town on the River Windrush in the Cotswold hills in West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England. It is often referred to as the ‘gateway’ to the Cotswolds. Burford is located 18 miles west of Oxford and 22 miles southeast of Cheltenham, about 2 miles from the Gloucestershire boundary.
    Please note that you will show you Bourton on the Water or Bibury
  • Burford Library - Burford is a small medieval town on the River Windrush in the Cotswold hills in West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England. It is often referred to as the ‘gateway’ to the Cotswolds. Burford is located 18 miles west of Oxford and 22 miles southeast of Cheltenham, about 2 miles from the Gloucestershire boundary.
    Please note that you will show you Bourton on the Water or Bibury
What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Free WiFi on coach
  • Blenheim Palace, State Rooms and Gardens (if option selected)
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Audio guide
What's Not Included
  • Optional gratuities
  • Food and beverages
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Experience the splendor of the English district of Oxfordshire, a region famous for its lush green landscapes, remarkable grand houses, and classic English market towns. Witness the magnificent Blenheim Palace, the birthplace and childhood home of Sir Winston Churchill, and explore some notable filming sites of the beloved BBC TV show ‘Downton Abbey’.

  • Discover the place where Sir Winston Churchill was born* (if you chose this feature)
  • Delight in a picturesque drive across the Cotswolds
  • Tour two quaint English villages
  • View ‘Downton Abbey’ filming scenes
  • Please Note: this tour does not visit Highclere Castle
  • For a wheelchair user : Please inform us in advance if you intend to bring wheelchair.
Location
Victoria Coach Station
Buckingham Palace Road
Tour departs at 9 am (boarding at 8.30 am), Victoria Coach Station, Gate 1-5, Evan Evans Tours
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.3
(604 Ratings)
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Camefmidge
Jun 5, 2024
Simon and Dave are legends! - Simon (Simple Simon, Simon Says) was marvellous - he was able to answer all of my ridiculous questions with great aplomb! Dave in the drivers seat was smooth like a smooth thing. Definitely recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
89johannad
Jun 3, 2024
Great day trip - Had Sheila as our tour guide. Kept us entertained with her funny Scottish humor. Thanks Sheila! Was excited to see Blenheim Palace. There was a fashion exhibit going on at the time. The displays overtook the rooms so it interfered with viewing the room decor. Not the end of the world, but a little disappointing. The grounds were massive. Only had time to view the little adjoining garden. Bourton on the Water was a lovely town. Surprisingly there were quite a bit of tourists about. I had enough time to grab lunch and check out the town. The "Downton Abbey" town was nice. I like Downton Abbey, but I'm not obsessed with it, so this was not why I booked this trip. Nice that there were no crowds here. I felt like there was adequate time at each location. Had good weather. It was a lovely trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Terry_v
May 23, 2024
Driving through Cotswold... - Driving through Cotswold area. Our guide Andy was terrific with lots of stories and anecdotes of the area. He made the trip all the better.
Review provided by Viator
U7337hytomg
May 22, 2024
From Churchill to Lord Grantham - Andy Jackson was our fantastic guide. He provided us with wonderful commentary that was interesting and engaging. Paul was our driver. He did a great job too. Wit rained all day but we still enjoyed our tour to these historic and esthetically beautiful places. We are happy to recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julie_m
May 20, 2024
A very enjoyable day - All three places that we visited were lovely and all very different. The tour guide, Simon was very knowledgeable and couldn't do enough to assist. A very enjoyable, well planned trip. Will definitely book another trip soon.
Review provided by Viator
Kari_e
May 19, 2024
Exploring the English Countryside - Our guide Sheila was amazing and shared stories along the way that enriched our visit. We enjoyed exploring the beautiful countryside.
Review provided by Viator
Tourist24435873875
May 18, 2024
Brief but beautiful - This was such a satisfying trip. It was a wonderful overview of some of the prettiest spots in England. I was able to visit Brampton (where they filmed scenes from Downton Abbey), Bourton on the Water, and Blenheim Palace. Although the stops were brief, I was able to explore and see some amazing sites and even shop a bit in the Cotswolds.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A4767qnamandag
May 18, 2024
Excellent guide and tour - Simon was an excellent guide. We learned lots of interesting information about the destinations and sights along the way. The timing was about right in each location so we had a lovely day overall!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Neville_p
May 27, 2024
Whistle Stop Tour - The sheer volume of people in Bourne on the Water was incredible - of course that meant getting lunch within the allotted 1-hour was almost impossible. It is a very pretty village, which is not enhanced by seeing middle aged men wading in the stream with their trousers rolled up! Also, an impossible place to park a 55-seat motor coach. The Downton village location (Bampton, I think) was reasonably interesting, but once again an impossible place to park a bus. If I lived there, I think I would find these groups of tourists something of a nuisance. Finally, the piece-de -resistance was Blenheim Palace. An incredible piece of architectural history. Unfortunately, only the ground floor rooms are available for public viewing, and, on the day we visited these rooms were filled with an "exhibit" of mannequins dressed in early-twentieth century fashions which totally distracted one from the ambience expected in a historically significant stately home. Glad we went though. Finally, a piece of advice: just offer TWO destinations a day for those tours that require between 4 and 5 hours of drive time. I think your customers would appreciate that. You have pricing power, so this measure would not affect your bottom line.
Review provided by Viator
Catherine_o
May 21, 2024
Interesting - Our tour guide Ruth was one of the best guides we have had. The Cotswolds part of the tour was too short.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 9 guests
1 Adult
July 2024
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