Highclere Castle Opening Dates 2023

Highclere Castle is only open on selected dates during 2023, which gives an opportunity for the public to discover the location of the real Downton Abbey. Entrance tickets are available in the morning and afternoon, and our Highclere Castle tours are available in the Spring and Summer seasons. We also run a Highclere Castle shuttle bus, with entrance ticket and return minibus transport included from Central London.

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Spring Opening Dates (April & May) >>>

Summer Opening Dates (July & August) >>>

Other Opening Dates >>>

Opening Dates

These are the opening dates at Highclere Castle for the spring & summer admissions. We offer group tours from London to Highclere Castle on these dates as well as for some of the special events.

Spring 2023 – April & May

Highclere Castle is open on selected dates in April and May 2023 which are listed below. Our Highclere Castle tour will take you to the Castle and nearby Downton Abbey sites with admission tickets included.

April 8-12, 15-20, 29 & 30
May 1, 2, 28-30

April & May Tour: Book Now >>>

May 2023 – Castle Tours & Wonderful Things & Talks

From 10-16 May 2023 there will be a week of special tours and talks at Highclere. It includes talks, a guided tour of the Castle State Rooms, Galleried Bedrooms and the Tutankhamun exhibition. There will also be time to explore the wonderful gardens. Tickets are limited and are included in our small group tour from London.

Summer 2023 – July August & September

Our Highclere Tours include an entrance ticket to the Castle, a visit to the nearby Downton Abbey sites with convenient pickup and dropoff from and into Central London. Available during summer 2023 opening dates.

July 9-31 excluding Fridays & Saturdays
August 1-31 excluding Fridays and Saturdays
September 3 & 4

Highclere Castle Tours

Our Highclere Castle tours are the perfect way of getting to the castle from London. We offer several different Highclere Castle tours which are available in 2023 on the dates listed above. These tours are top-rated and get sold out well in advance. We strongly recommend booking once you have confirmed your travel dates.

Our Highclere Castle day trip includes a visit to Highclere Castle and a tour of the nearby Downton Abbey filming locations including the real-life Downton village. This is the perfect tour if you want to see all of the most iconic Downton Abbey filming locations in one day.

We offer a large group tour in a luxury 40-seater coach and a small-group tour in an executive 18-seater minibus.

Finally, our private tour to Highclere Castle is ideal if you are looking to travel from London in a private vehicle and spend the day exploring the castle and nearby filming locations. We can offer a private tour on any date when Highclere Castle is open. However, admission tickets unlike our group tours, must be purchased directly from the Highclere Castle website. Since Highclere Castle tickets get sold out well in advance, we recommend booking a private tour as soon as you have confirmed your travel dates.

Special Tours & Events

Highclere Castle hosts a number of special tours and events. These take place on different dates during Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. The special tours are open to a limited number of guests.

Special Events:

We can arrange private Downton Abbey themed tours on these dates with pickup from London, Oxford or Southampton.

Special Wintertime Tours – 2023

January 9, 14, 15, 27-29
Castle & Pharoah: February 1, 2, 7, 8
Castle & Pharoah: March 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 19, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30
April 4, 24, 25

Easter Egg Trail

April 15

Midsummer Castle Guided Tours 2023

May 22
June 1, 2, 6, 13, 14, 15, 18, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30
July 4

Castle Tours Magic 2023

September 9, 10

Real Lives & Film Sets 2023

September 13, 14, 21, 28
October 13, 14, 15
November 10

To arrange a private Downton Abbey themed tour on these dates, please get in touch. Please note that we can only arrange tours on these dates if there are still tickets available to book on the Highclere Castle website.