Warwick Castle, Stratford, Oxford and the Cotswolds Day Trip from London

London, United Kingdom

See some of England's famous towns and castles on this full day trip from London. Visiting Oxford, you'll enjoy a private tour of Christ Church College and see many locations from the Harry Potter films including the Hogwarts dining hall. Tour medieval Warwick Castle with waxwork displays from Madame Tussauds and see Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Warwick Castle
With a history datings back over 1,000 years, Warwick Castle will take you to an era of world of banquets, battles and royal splendor. Visit the waxwork displays of Madame Tussauds, to see and hear the Earl of Warwick's preparations for battle and take a look at the ghostly dungeons where prisoners were tortured.

Stratford upon Avon
Birthplace of William Shakespeare, the greatest writer in the English language, and home to the theaters of the famous Royal Shakespeare Company. A river winds its way through the town past Holy Trinity church, where Shakespeare is buried. There are half-wooden buildings which date back to Shakespeare's time, including the cottage of Anne Hathaway, whom he married in 1582. You will visit Shakespeare's birthplace, before lunch in a 15th century pub in the picturesque Cotswolds.

Oxford
Oxford boasts one of the world's greatest and oldest universities, as well as some of the finest architecture in Europe. The colleges themselves are amongst the highlights, their ivy-clad stone walls protecting beautiful chapels, halls and libraries.

The grandest of the colleges is Christ Church, home to Oxford's cathedral and the university's largest quad. So atmospheric is the dining hall that it was chosen as a key location in a Harry Potter film. Learn about the college's famous students, including Albert Einstein and Lewis Carroll, who wrote his enchanting tales of Alice in Wonderland here. Before visiting Christ Church, you can take tea in the shop where the real-life Alice bought her sweets!

USD $126.40

Review by: leannes	February 2012
We had a great day with David and Malcolm and loved the tour overall. Our only qualms: The pick-up coach was really quite late, and the tour bus was late leaving as well. We would advise others to go directly to Victoria coach station to start the tour. Also, Warwick Castle was beautiful, but it was very commercialised and it was directed towards children, with kitschy music blaring and wax figures dressed in Medieval costumes. We still enjoyed the view from the top though! Stratford and Oxford were lovely and we enjoyed the commentary on the bus. David was an awesome guide! Very cute dynamic between David and Malcolm. We never would have been able to see everything on our own in such a short time so we enjoyed the fact that we didn't have to plan too much! Definitely worth the money, and nice to get out of the city for the day. Booked another tour from Viator for Limerick and the cliffs of Moher.

Review by: Elizabeth B	January 2012
Brilliant tour, would suggest it to anyone. Would have preferred some more time in Stratford since it is a lovely place. Paul, our Irish guide, was excellent and he kindly also arranged to drop us off as close as possible to our hotel. Again, well done Viator.

Review by: Ivy L	December 2011
Warwick Castle is great! The displays and stories are awesome. Must climb up Guy's Tower.

Review by: Ivy Z	December 2011
It was the highlight of my time in London - wonderful tour, loved Stratford, Warwick and Oxford. Wish we had more time in Stratford because it was such a charming town. Our guide David was entertaining and hilarious, made our trip even more memorable than our trip to Batch and Windsor Castle (which should have been the more memorable tour). Highly recommend the tour.

Review by: Samantha	December 2011
The trip was very enjoyable. I really felt like I got to experience the true English countryside. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. He was a sticklet for keeping us on time, but this was appreciated and not an annoyance at all. There was alot on the one day tour--and I wished we had more time to spend at each site. I think the tour would be better if it went to 2 sites in one day, rather than 3. Regardless, it was lovely and a great day spent!

Review by: Giulia	December 2011
Overall I thought this combination of sights worked well, with reasonable time to spend at each location. I would recommend this trip if it one's first time to London and there time to get away.

Review by: Lois Ann P	November 2011
Very good guide on a nice clean and comfortable bus. We would like to have had more time in the Cotswolds--zoomed to very few town with no time to get off except at Stratford. Lunch was at a predetermined pub--would like to have had a choice. In the winter, it is dark very early and some of our tour in Oxford was after dark.

Review by: CJ	November 2011
The warwick castle is dissapointed because we arrive too early and the most of the event is started after 12pm.

Review by: Christina F	November 2011
spectacular this was fantastic

Review by: IRMA P	October 2011
It was a great country tour. You have to do a country tour.

Review by: ivette	October 2011
I do not recommend this trip... First we waited for an ahour for the pick and when they came to pick us up they did not even have our name on the list. The tour stated it was a 12 hour tour and we started after 8:30am and we were back before 7:00pm. The tour guide was pushy and rushed through the tour. We did not even see the hall from the potter movie because it was closed. Very little time to see anything at Stratford and the Warwick castle was not what we expected. Overall the tour was not worth the money you pay.

Review by: Nancy B	October 2011
This was a great tour. Stever, our tour guide was awesome. He shared a bunch of information with us about the history of each place, the origin of words, etc. We enjoyed being with him all day. I highly recommend this tour...with Steve as your guide.

Review by: Li Wen O	October 2011
The tour guide is very helpful and I had a blast from the trip. The whole trip was very informative, strongly recommend!

Review by: Sharon S	October 2011
Disappointing. Tour guide rushed us through places without even a bathroom break. Motor coach bus had no washroom facilities on board. Not enough time at any one place. Taxi pickup at hotel was awful. Better off taking the tube to the station.

Review by: May	October 2011
Everything was wonderful. Our tour guide, Steve Evans, was extremely knowledgeable and a very funny guy. He made the trip a total success along with the coach driver, John. I was very impressed from the morning pickup at the hotel to when we were dropped off at night. Fantastic. I highly recommend this tour. I will certainly be booking more tours with Viator.

Review by: conradr	October 2011
I enjoyed this trip very much. Seeing the Castle was really something. I also enjoyed our walks Stratford and seeing Shakespeare's Birthplace. Also our tour guide was very knowledgeable on everything specially when we got to Oxford. It was a treat to see famous Dining Hall from Christ Church

Review by: Honey1	September 2011
Excellent tour, really enjoyed the trip but the complimentary hotel pickup service needs improving and better communication.

Review by: Marilyn Z	September 2011
I signed up for this tour mainly to see the Cotswolds and without hardly an explanation the guide said we wouldn't be going there. I felt betrayed!! Warwick Castle is sort of a gimmick and I would not recommend it. I loved Stratford and Oxford but two out of two isn't a fair ratio given the price and time involved.

Review by: Gretchen	September 2011
Warick Castle was very "touristy" and it felt like I was at the Renassiance Festival. The wax figures in every room were a little too much. Shakespeare's home and the city of Stratford was very charming and cute. Cotswold was a little disappointing because we just drove through it. I was under the impression that we would be able to walk around and get photos. Oxford was really awesome. Christ Church is beautiful.

Review by: flo w	September 2011
Vey well done. It gave us enough time in every location.

Review by: ginman	September 2011
Great tour but very rushed. Certainly is a taster tour to wet your appetite to come back to the attractions. Recommended to those who to see some sights outside of London.

Review by: johnny127	September 2011
Warwick Castle and Oxford were great. Stratford was a little of a disappointment since it is to "touristy" _br/_ The guide was good, but not the best. She left half of the group lost when she walked fast and turned right. We had to guess where she went. Eventually she recognized the had lost part of the group and went back to find us. By then we had guessed which way she went.

Review by: Katherine D	September 2011
It was canceled on us so we went on the "London in One day" trip to Stonehenge, Bath, Cotswolds, Stratford. It was way too long of a day and we spent far more time on the bus, than we did seeing the sites. I would rate the trip only average.

Review by: Elena D	August 2011
The trip was good, just one thing it was10 hours instead of 12 promised ones.

Review by: Linda S	August 2011
The guide was not very knowledgeable and the schedule was not well planned. The Tour Company could have done a better job.

Review by: Katrina K	August 2011
The guide was great: informative and entertaining. Really interesting tour!

Review by: Allan W	August 2011
Great tour, guide was excellent and very knowledgeable.

Review by: Fred Bultman	August 2011
The tour bus was up-to-date, clean and spacious. Our guide was interesting and informative, and handled the logistics of the trip very well. Warwick Castle has been well adapted to provide a quality and entertaining experience for all ages, without sacrificing real historical and educational content -- you can choose what interests you. Our guide chose a good small-town tavern for group lunch. The Stratford visit was limited by time to the house where Shakespeare was born -- probably better for seeing how a small-town tradesman lived and worked in the 16th century than to get much feel for Shakespeare -- but our guide's on-the-bus banter helped make the experience feel more Shakespearean. The guide fit a lot of sightseeing into our late afternoon guided walk through Oxford, with excellent historical insights -- very well done. A highly worthwhile and enjoyable day trip.

Review by: Steven E R	August 2011
Warwick was our favorite castle. Besides the wondefully restored main house, many activities and demonstrations to watch and participape in. Great place for the whole family.

Review by: Cami L	August 2011
Overall, the trip was very good. Oxford was very impressive — much more than I expected! Warwick Castle was amazing, but a little too comercialized for my taste. I LOVE renaissance festivals, but in this case, that atmosphere distracts from the fact that you REALLY are in a medieval castle. It's well worth it to walk up to the walls and towers — the views are fantastic! The disappointing factor of the trip was that it says it includes the Cotswolds. I was super excited about this, but the bus just zoomed on through, not even slowing down slightly (much less stopping for a minute) to be able to get a decent picture of a thatched roof cottage (at the very least!). Better planning in this area would have been GREATLY appreciated.

Review by: Vic	July 2011
Tour was fantastic. Guide, John was very informative and kept us informed throughout the trip. Great tour.

Review by: Grace D	July 2011
Our day trip was excellent. Our guide and bus driver were both very customer focused. We were able to tour all the areas identified on the trip with a bit of time to spare for personal investigation. Thank you for a well done offering.

Review by: Mark D	July 2011
Our family of four (2 adults, 15 and 13 year old) really enjoyed this tour. While you did not have a lot of time at any destination, it was a great introduction. Our tour guide was very pleasant, knowledgeable and fun. We would highly recommend this tour as an introduction to the sights near London.

Review by: Michele S	July 2011
They were a bit disorganized and we left more than 30 minutes late. That cut down on the short time we had to spend at Warwick Castle and probably somewhere else. The guide and driver were great. Lunch wasn't until about 2pm so smuggle a snack on the bus (eating isn't allowed)!

Review by: Tom S, United States of America	July 2010
The itinerary was great.

Review by: Frances T, Australia	June 2010
Our trip to Warwick Castle, Stratford, Oxford & the Cotswolds from London was the highlight of our time in London. We were picked up from our hotel even though our hotel was not on the list, the staff were warm & friendly. We enjoyed our lunch at the White Hart Pub. A very enjoyable day.

Review by: Helen P, United States of America	June 2010
We thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Our tour guide Damion was excellent. The background information and knowledge about all the places we visited that he provided was superb. He was also very willing to share information about other places in London it visit and very helpful, pleasant, and funny. The restaruant we stopped at for lunch was wonderful.

Review by: Kevin C, Australia	June 2010
A great tour leaves you wishing you had more time to explore a place further.This tour certainly gave us a taste of British history amongst the beautiful countryside. Our tour guide Jess helped make this day trip interesting with her great fun history commentary and even went to the trouble of helping us fulfil our wish of a special photo that we wanted to take.This was much appreciated and an added bonus which we weren't really expecting to have time to do. At the end of a long but enjoyable day she made sure we were directed home safely.

Review by: Jerry K, United States of America	May 2010
This was a perfect "day trip". Mark, our guide, was very pleasant and informative. We were able to experience 4 different locations in a very short time. While the time spent at Warwick Castle, Stratford, and Oxford was just enough, we would have liked to have made a brief stop in the Cotswolds rather than just taking photos through the coach window.

Review by: Eric W, United States of America	April 2010
We had a wonderful time on the Premium Tours. The tour guide, Steve Evans, was top-notch. He had the proper mix of fun and history. Best tour we have taken in years.

Review by: Juanita E, United States of America	March 2010
This was a wonderful trip, full of helpful information about the sites. The guide was excellent and kept all of us to a strict schedule so that we would be able to see everything.

Review by: Bonnie F, Canada	November 2009
My husband and I enjoyed our experience tremendously! The places that we visited were really interesting and a great amount of fun, but the best was our guide. He was very knowledgeable and we felt very comfortable to ask questions. It was so good to have a guide who had such a great interest in all that he showed us and was easy to ask questions. Thank you. We really appreciated that day with you!

Review by: Janet S, Australia	October 2009
A lovely taste of England. Warwick Castle is well set out, showing how things were done in earlier times. Stratford-upon-Avon is definitely worth a visit. Shakespeare's birth place and his garden were fascinating and we had a little time to stroll the main street as well. Lunch at the White Hart was worth paying the extra for. The Pub was built in the 13th Century and full of character and the food was wonderful! The visit to Christchurch College in Oxford was also enjoyable. It was interesting to hear how the college is organised and to find out about the rigorous training the students go through to get their degrees. Our tour guide was pleasant and kept us well entertained with her anecdotes as we drove through the lovely Cotswolds.

Review by: Wendy W, Australia	October 2009
Loved this tour and would recommend to others. Warwick Castle is amazing. Stratford was great but you are not allowed to take photos in Shakespear House. Oxford was very impressive. Lunch stop was well organised, nice staff and fantastic well priced food.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	October 2009
This was a really fantastic trip that gave a little taste of the landscape and character of England beyond the city of London. There was just enough time to explore Warwick Castle. In Stratford, there was a bit of time to stroll around town after seeing Shakespeare's birthplace. In Oxford, our tour guide gave us a really nice walking tour with lots of neat information. She was charming and engaging throughout the day. The stop for lunch at a pub in the Cotswolds called White Hart was nice, and the apple pie was superb. All in all, it was a busy but value-packed day trip.

Review by: Anonymous, Singapore	October 2009
Great guide and enough time for Warwickk Castle and tratford. I wouldhave liked a little bit more time for Oxford, but it's not a big thing. Just note that lunch is excluded and the lunch stop is in the middle of nowhere, so you have to eat there or grab something in Stratford and wait around for everyone else to finish.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	October 2009
Absolutely lovely day - guide was terrific and the visits were outstanding! Highly recommended! I even had the happy surprise of hotel pick-up.

Review by: Alfred M, Malta	September 2009
Excellent Day Trip full of Compressed Culture of great variety suitable to the tastes of young and old and people from all strata. Only disappointment my group of 18 pesons were not allotted a few stick together, as we were the last to be taken to the already packed coach!!

Review by: Quentin L, Malta	September 2009
A varied cultural experience, with wonderful guided information. Scenery is wonderful, after the bustling traffic experience of theLlondon Centre. Ideal for people coming to London for a 7 day holiday wanting a more realistic taste of historical England!!

Review by: Blanche C, Malta	September 2009
A packed day full of various activities from the historic wanderings through the walls of Warwick Castle, through the literary reminiscencies of Shakespeare's birthplace, ending up with the excellent architectural structures of Oxford University, Christchurch and Hall visits. Unforgettable !!!!