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Cotswold Hills Tour: Explore Downton Abbey Sites
4.3
24 Ratings
Southampton
Embark on a scenic journey from Southampton to London, exploring the charming Cotswold Villages, iconic Downton Abbey filming locations, and indulging in a delicious pub lunch at a historic inn.
Embark on a scenic journey from Southampton to London, exploring the charming Cotswold Villages, iconic Downton Abbey filming locations, and indulging in a delicious pub lunch at a historic inn.
Duration:
9 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Bibury - The journey begins in the charming village of Bibury, renowned for its iconic Arlington Row houses. After meeting the friendly driver and knowledgeable guide in Southampton, guests are invited to settle into the luxury coach as it heads north into the beloved Cotswold region of England, celebrated for its honey-colored stone villages and…
- Bibury - The journey begins in the charming village of Bibury, renowned for its iconic Arlington Row houses. After meeting the friendly driver and knowledgeable guide in Southampton, guests are invited to settle into the luxury coach as it heads north into the beloved Cotswold region of England, celebrated for its honey-colored stone villages and lush valleys. The local guide is brimming with insights about this picturesque area. Discover the significance of the wool trade in shaping the region’s history and learn how the decline of cloth production led the Cotswolds to become a tranquil, time-frozen haven.
- Burford - The tour continues along winding lanes and rolling hills to the enchanting village of Burford, where ancient stone cottages appear to tumble down to the River Windrush. Following a guided stroll through the town to visit the historic church of St John the Baptist, guests will enjoy a classic pub lunch in a traditional Cotswolds tavern, established in 1402.
- Oxford - Post-lunch in Burford, the tour proceeds to the historic city of Oxford. Here, the guide will lead an hour-long walking tour of some of the city’s most renowned university buildings, cloisters, and quadrangles, including the opportunity to view the Bodleian Library and Radcliffe Camera. After the tour, guests can enjoy an hour of free time to explore at their own pace before returning to the coach for a drop-off at their designated location in London or Heathrow.
What's Included
- Two hold luggage items up to 23kg and one 10kg carry-on per person
- Lunch provided
- Complimentary cruise terminal pick-up and drop-off
- Guidance from a professional expert guide
- Two hold luggage items up to 23kg and one 10kg carry-on per person
- Lunch provided
- Complimentary cruise terminal pick-up and drop-off
- Guidance from a professional expert guide
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Transform your Southampton post-cruise transfer into an exciting day trip, exploring charming villages, hidden valleys, and winding streams in the Cotswold Hills. Relish a traditional county pub lunch at a historic English tavern before heading to the renowned city of Oxford for a tour steeped in history and academia.
This service is offered on all dates…
Transform your Southampton post-cruise transfer into an exciting day trip, exploring charming villages, hidden valleys, and winding streams in the Cotswold Hills. Relish a traditional county pub lunch at a historic English tavern before heading to the renowned city of Oxford for a tour steeped in history and academia.
This service is offered on all dates when Royal Caribbean, Oceania, NCL, Celebrity, Princess, and Disney cruise ships are in Southampton. It is also available to passengers on other ships if your arrival dates and times align with those of the listed ships. Please be aware that you will need to arrange your own transportation to the ship we are servicing on that date.
- Each person is allowed a maximum of 2 items of hold luggage (75x51x28 cm - 23kg each) and 1 item of carry-on luggage (55x40x20 cm - 10kg each). If you bring extra luggage it will not fit in the vehicle. In this instance you will be responsible for arranging separate transportation for your luggage to your cruise ship.
- Should you wish to bring any mobility aids (wheelchairs or walkers) you MUST contact the operator in advance and provide 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.
- Dates in 2026 will have a maximum of 10 travellers
- Dates in 2026 will include entry to the Divinity School
Location
Southampton Port
Cunard Road
08.00am from Royal Caribbean, Oceania, NCL, Princess, Disney or Celebrity cruise ship. Your driver will meet you at your terminal building exit from 08:00am. Your driver will be holding a sign reading "International Friends", and will accompany you the coach.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.3
(24 Ratings)
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Jennifer_m
Jul 30, 2025
Phenomenal Tour! - This tour was absolutely outstanding, and I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to see the Cotswald area and Oxford. Our tour guide Marek and driver Paul were outstanding. The Cotswald area was just delightful. We had time to walk around and see everything in Bilbury at our leisure and then onto Burford for an amazing tour of St. John the Baptist Church and delicious lunch at the pub. And then on to Oxford and oh my goodness the geek in me was just blown away. Marek knew that I was a fan of fantasy works by Tolkien, CS Lewis and Lewis Carroll and made sure to point out references to those authors and their lives at Oxford their locations and other hideaways for them and many other famous figures that embrace the grounds. As well as mentioning different locations that have been used in TV and films like Harry Potter and such. The pace of the tour was enough that me with my not so great knees could keep up and my teenagers were also both educated and entertained.
Review provided by Viator
Joysclind
Jul 29, 2025
Amazing experience!!! Highly recommend!!! - This tour was by far the best experience of all our tours this trip. Marek was an amazing guide full of history and information and our driver Paul got us in and out of the areas safety and effectively. We toured Bilbury, had lunch and shopping after seeing an amazing church in Burford, and then saw sight after sight after sight in Oxford - and so much more we will have to return to see on another visit. Marek showed us places frequented by figures for politics, history, literature, science. And arts - some of my favorites like CS Lewis, Tolkien, and filming sites from Harry Potter and other great cinematics. Amazing day of so much to see!! (And yes the pub lunch was tasty too)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Louanne_c
Jul 6, 2025
Oxford and the Cotswolds - Oh my goodness. What a wonderful tour. Robert was the best guide. He made sure we all had the best time and shared great ideas for post tour. I especially enjoyed the insight and information about the places we visited. I want to go back to the Cotswolds because of the excellent experience we had .
Review provided by Viator
Yatming_t
Jun 29, 2025
Beautiful Cotswolds and Oxford - This post-cruise excursion from Southampton to London was a seamless and enriching experience, perfectly paced and full of highlights. The scenic viait to the stunning Cotswolds offered breathtaking views of quintessential English countryside, while lunch in a historic hotel provided both a delicious meal and a charming atmosphere. A guided walking tour in Oxford with Lorraine, a knowledgeable guide was a true standout—her deep insight into the city’s history added so much depth to the visit. The day concluded with a punctual drop-off at Heathrow terminals, making the entire journey smooth, memorable, and highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Lesa_h
Jan 18, 2025
Great Tour- Great Guide - Benedict was an excellent tour guide. He was very informative and thorough, and obviously knew a lot of London history. I highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in the Westminster/Buckingham Palace area.
Review provided by Viator
Teresa_a
Sep 19, 2024
A beautiful day in the Cotswolds! - The whole day was absolutely wonderful! We enjoyed our time. Nigel, our guide was full of humor and knowledge. Henry did a great job at driving us all day! Memories made!
Review provided by Viator
Dennis_m
Sep 19, 2024
Beautiful day in the Cotswolds. - Nice relaxing trip to the Cotswolds. Beautiful day in the English countryside. I had done part of this tour before and enjoyed it a second time. Lunch was included and the meal was very good!
Review provided by Viator
Topsypops
Aug 7, 2024
Great way to see the Cotwolds - This is a great way to see an area outside London, that you may not get to see.
We were fortunate to have only one other couple on our tour. Tony was an excellent Guide who made sure we were all looked after well. He was a wealth of knowledge, and being a small group, was able to cater for individual questions and interests.
He was so friendly, and gave tips for overall safety on our onward journeys. Tony - your tip regarding Rock and Sole Plaice was spot on.
The Companies Team at the Wharf worked together to ensure all guests had been collected for all tours before any of them departed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chanelle_w
Aug 3, 2025
This trip was exactly as... - This trip was exactly as advertised. Had a good guide, Robert, who was very personable and knowledgeable. Had a good amount of time in each location. Lunch was delicious. The shuttling back to our hotel process was a bit hectic but worked out.
Review provided by Viator
Jesse_h
May 13, 2025
A Long Day on a Tour Bus ending with 3+ hours in London traffic - Long day on the bus for travelers going to hotels in central London. We arrived LHR at 4:00 and did not arrive at our London hotel until 7:30pm. Motor coaches don’t belong in central London rush hour traffic. Major confusion at LHR meeting point over who was to take smaller vans.
Pickup at Southampton cruise terminal went well. — guide met us at the exit.. luggage put on the bus in front of us — ensured our suitcases were put on the bus…
Very little in the tour about the Cotswold villages.
Lunch was good … nice relaxing setting
Visit to Bibury gift shop was a nice break after long bus ride from Southampton
Oxford visit had numerous places to see.. museums, bookstores, plenty of places for snacks…
Review provided by Viator
