Discover quaint villages, tiny tea rooms, and 15th-century ruins on a day trip to the Cotswolds from Oxford. Explore Stow-on-the-Wold, Burford, Bourton-on-the-Water, and more unusually named places. Admire the scenery as you drive through the pretty countryside to picturesque villages. Departing from outside Oxford Railway Station in the morning at 10:00 AM, head to the village of Great Tew. Continue to Stow-on-the-Wold to reach the highest town in the region and browse the honey-colored buildings and tiny tea rooms. Visit the pretty village of Lower Slaughter before going to Bourton-on-the-Water, known as the "Venice of the Cotswolds", where you will have time for lunch. After lunch, discover the gateway to the Cotswolds in the village of Burford. Journey through the valley of the River Windrush and discover amazing villages such as Swinbrook along with the ruins of 15th-century Minster Lovell Hall. Departure will be late afternoon, returning to Oxford Railway Station by 5:00 PM

Set off on a scenic day trip from London and see some of the highlights of the Cotswolds. Visit filming locations from the show Downton Abbey, discover Highclere Castle, and admire the picturesque countryside in the region on this guided tour. Head to the Cotswolds countryside and visit some of the filming sites of Downton Abbey. Your first stop is Cogges Manor Farm located on the banks of the River Windrush. Learn of the farm’s role in Downton Abbey as Yew Tree Farm where Lady Edith's daughter Marigold was raised by the Drewe family. Visit the kitchens and Mr. Drewe’s living room, see the farmyard where many scenes were filmed, and watch a unique and special video about the farm's role in the popular television series. After a coffee break, continue on to the delightful village of Shilton, famous for its shallow ford and used in series two to double as the village of Swinbrook. It was here that Lady Sybil and Tom Branson spent the night on their aborted elopement. Head to Bampton to see St Mary's Church, the scene of so many weddings and a funeral or two. During your guided walk, take in sites of interest including the cottage hospital, Mrs. Crawley's house, the village green, the post office, Mrs. Patmore’s bed and breakfast, and The Grantham Arms pub. Next, make your way southwards from the Cotswolds to the chalk down land of Hampshire, home to magnificent Highclere Castle, known to many as Lord Grantham's family seat, Downton Abbey itself. Discover familiar locations both inside the castle and out. See where O’Brien tripped up Bates, where Kemal Pamuk’s body was moved, and the dining room where delicious dialogue was served up with decadent food. Visit Robert Crawley’s library and the various bedrooms, and walk down the grand staircase. Enjoy lunch in one of the many restaurants here, before heading into the beautiful grounds. In the basement, there is a special Egyptology exhibition, thanks to the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and his excavations in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Spend around three hours in Highclere Castle and its grounds before returning back to London.

Start your unforgettable Cotswold journey by boarding the minibus in Oxford. Then, set off on a scenic drive to the charming village of Minster Lovell. Enjoy seeing the pretty thatched houses and exploring the ruined 15th century Hall. Continue the route through the idyllic villages of Asthall and Swinbrook to Burford, the 'Gateway to the Cotswolds'. Make a stop here to give you time to stroll around the sloping High Street and browse in the quirky shops and cafes. Next, travel further on your panoramic drive through the old quarrying villages of Taynton and the Barringtons towards Bourton-on-the-Water, the 'Venice of the Cotswolds'. Take a walk along the quaint River Windrush crossed with delightful stone bridges. From Bourton-on-the-Water, follow the route through some enchanting Cotswold villages to Broadway with its golden stone houses. Find a pub or cafe for lunch in this village which inspired artists and writers, such as Frank Millet, J M Barrie, and William Morris. After lunch, visit the beautiful market town of Chipping Campden, with its old market hall and wool church. Then, explore Stow-on-the-Wold, the highest town in the Cotswolds. Here you can browse among the narrow footpaths and the antique shops and art galleries. Finally, return to Oxford via the bustling market town of Chipping Norton with a final brief photo stop in Woodstock, the site of Blenheim Palace (the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill).

Leaving the beautiful medieval city of Oxford, head south to Highclere Castle for a morning visit of the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. Immerse yourself in the history of this 19th century castle, still very much a family home, and explore the grounds and beautiful gardens. Imagine sitting at the grand table in the family dining room with the 'Dowager' Violet, Lady Mary and Lady Cora, being served your lunch by Mr. Carson. After the visit to Highclere Castle, your tour continues to quaint Bampton, one of the oldest villages in Britain. Wander around the part of the village used to film Downton Abbey and visit St Mary's Church, where so many events in the life of the Crawley family took place. From Bampton, a scenic drive takes you to the charming old market town of Burford, the 'gateway to the Cotswolds,' with its sloping high street and quaint shops. Enjoy lunch in a typical local cafe or pub. After lunch, go on a panoramic drive through some of the sleepy stone villages of the Cotswolds. Make your last stop in the idyllic village of Swinbrook, which was a film location for 'Downton Abbey' and 'Bridget Jones' Baby.' Delight in a walk through this charming village, before returning to Oxford.

Head away from London and to the rolling limestone hills of Oxfordshire to see key filming sites of the hit series Downton Abbey. The first stop on this full-day tour is Yew Tree Farm (Cogges). After a break for tea or coffee in the delightfully refurbished and rustic Cogges Café, you’ll enjoy a tour and learn about the relationship between the tenant farmers and landowners. Next you’ll take a short drive to Bampton, a picturesque Oxfordshire Cotswolds village. The village has been used extensively in Downton village filming. Bampton Library was the site of the Downton Cottage Hospital and doctors’ surgery. St. Mary’s Church became Downton Church and Churchgate House was used as the Crawley’s family home. Walk along the street that was the scene of shops, the post office, and the Grantham Arms. The stunning town of Burford, traditionally known as the Gateway to the Cotswolds, will be your destination for lunch. You’ll have a chance to see the famous Wool Church, built on the wealth of the wool trade, and have time to wander around this medieval market town. After lunch you’ll enjoy a drive through the Oxfordshire Cotswolds countryside, stopping en route at the Swan Inn in Swinbrook. The Swan Inn was the site of the elopement of Lady Sybil with Branson, the family’s chauffeur! On the approach to Blenheim Palace you’ll see the graves of Sir Winston and Lady Churchill in the village of Bladon. At Blenheim Palace your tour begins with an introduction to the upstairs and downstairs of a class-conscious life. Built in the early 18th century for the first Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, this historic stately home was the birthplace of Winston Churchill in 1874. Discover how the aristocracy lived and how the state apartments increased in importance, as you move from room to room. After the tour of the house, there will be time for a walk through the landscaped gardens to see the Temple of Diana where Sir Winston Churchill proposed to Clementine Hozier in 1908.

Starting outside a 700 year old pub called the Old Swan in Minster Lovell village and finishing outside the Anglican church in Burford market town, step back through time with an engaging walking tour through the rolling hills of the Cotswolds. View the famous grassland thatched medieval villages, churches — most notably, the historic Saxon church built on top of a Roman villa — Norman villages and the distinctive local yellow limestone homes. This tour is a rural walk. Enjoy a leisurely walk of 8 to 12 miles, depending on whether you prefer a shorter or a longer route plan. Stop to see the sights, enjoy lunch in a beautiful setting and pick fruit along the way during berry picking season. The reduced 8 miles route does require pre booking a taxi to drive part of the walk & that might cost up to £40 extra as this is a rural area where taxis charge minimum fares to collect us. Lunch table is booked at the award winning Swan Inn pub in Swinbrook village. Note that the cost of the meal is not included in the tour activity.