What‘s Included

What To Expect

Reviews

• If you want to see Blenheim Palace do not go during the Christmas period.

  F4049KRlesleyb,

  Nov 25, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  1.00

  I went on this tour to be able to see Blenheim Palace. Unfortunately between 14 November and early January the house has a Christmas installation in it. This means that it is full of Christmas decorations and light and you cannot actually see any of the rooms themselves, or any decorative elements. The installation is in the theme of the Wizard of Oz - a pathway through the rooms has been created to follow. I was also unable to see the Churchill Gallery or the formal garden as these closed at 4pm. As Blenheim was the last thing on our tour, we did not get there til 3.30 - by the time I got out of the house, it was too late to see these other things. My disappointment was mirrored by the vast majority of the tour group as they too had been looking forward to a very different experience. If you are interested in seeing a wonderful and magical Christmas installation I think Blenheim at this time of the year would be perfect. Especially if you have young children. However, if you actually want to see the house and all of its beautiful interiors - do not go at Christmas. I contacted the tour operator (Evan Evan’s Tours) so they could address this problem. They declined to do so. They did however advise me that there was a Christmas installation in the house. It would have been more helpful if this information had been provided at the time I booked the tour. I find it very disappointing that this company is continuing to sell this tour without advising that the current experience at Blenheim is quite unlike the one they advertise. I believe they should update the information they provide so as to avoid disappointing other people like I and the other people on my tour were disappointed. The rest of the tour was OK - but I was really interested in seeing Blenheim Palace.

• James the tour guide and...

  David O,

  Nov 24, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  James the tour guide and Mentor the driver were excellent. James was tour guide was engaging and anxious to share his knowledge.

• Very fun day trip!

  Travelmates729,

  Nov 23, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We had a great day in the Cotswolds. James provided a lot of interesting information in a friendly style. We had the right amount of time in each area. Mentor was a good driver. We highly recommend this tour!

• Great tour!

  R8887MWderekm,

  Nov 23, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Loved the Cotswolds, especially the "Venice of England". Ate a great Sunday lunch at the Dial House and walked along the banks of the tiny river. The guide James was outstanding the whole way, very knowledgeable and great storyteller, and kept us on track. Mentor the driver was very personable and drove a steady bus including through very tight roads.

• Lovely experience

  DayTrip23561722243,

  Nov 23, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  4.00

  We had a good times with James as our guide and Mentor as our driver. I do wish we had more time in Cotswold though. An hour wasn’t enough since lunch consume majority of it. I would come back to Cotswold again. Perhaps spend a night there. Other than that, James was very informative and funny. I would recommend him!

• Great overall experience

  onewayfamilychurch,

  Nov 22, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Our guide, Kevin was awesome. Very knowledgeable about all sites, and super friendly. Every stop was incredible from Bourton by the water, to Cotswolds, to Blenheim palace.... took tons of pictures. Our family favorite was the Cotswolds, definitely coming back.

• Awesome trip

  San T,

  Nov 3, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  It was a great enjoyable trip. Our guide Simon was fantastic with his fun way explaining each places and English words/ phases. Learnt a few things from him. Clive the driver was great too getting us there safely. Enjoyed each stops but Shane didn’t have enough time to explore all in Blenheim palace

• Lovely day out, but more time needed...

  516nv,

  Nov 2, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  4.00

  Had done this tour on 2/11/2025. Had no issue finding the coach station and boarding was done smoothly. Our driver Clive was ever-smiling throughout the tour and was very welcoming. We first visited Blenheim palace and saw amazing views from the rooftop. The gardens were beautiful, and the family treasures impressive. But time was too short to enjoy everything properly. Had wanted to explore the palace grounds more,but had to rush back to the coach to be on time. We next went to Bampton village. The tour guide led us through the village to show us where Downtown Abbey was filmed,and escorted us back to the coach. Our last stop was Burton on the Water. Time was again too short to enjoy everything. Had hurriedly rushed through Birdland(separate tickets bought) and the Model Village(separate tickets bought),and again had to rush back in time for the coach. Could just take few pictures of the Wind rush river. We drove via Burford village on our way back, and took pictures from our coach seats. I thoroughly enjoyed this tour and loved my day out,but only wish I had more time to enjoy what I saw,and not rush through such exceedingly beautiful tourist attractions. One additional hour each for both Blenheim palace & Burton on Water will be better,just a humble suggestion :)

  

  

  

  

• Two Tar Heels

  Kenneth W,

  Oct 29, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  A wonderful day trip. A little rushed but worth it all. Good transportation services available at Blenheim for those requiring assistance.

• Great day trip with mum

  Lystra93,

  Oct 24, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  4.00

  I went on this tour with my mum while she was visiting the UK. We booked it quite last minute and are so glad we were able to go on this tour. Don't let the "Downton Abbey" part deter you as that is only a small part of the tour. The highlight of the trip for me was Blemhiem Palace. Unfortunately they are completing resortation works until 2026 however the state rooms and history is so interesting (if you're into that stuff!). We also stopped at Bourton on the Water for a few hours. It's a very cute village and we had lunch at a little bakery by the water. The village was a popular place and quite busy with tourists. There are plenty of photo opportunities here if you dont mind waiting for the perfect shoot. Lastly we did a small tour of the small village where the Downton Abbey church is located and Lady Elizabeth's (i think it's Elizabeth??) house. Overall this was a great tour and would definitely recommend to do it if you have time! The guide Kevin was very knowledgeable on the history of Blemhiem and provided local knowledge of the area as it's close to where he grew up. Lucien, the driver, drived with so much care and we made it to all of our destinations safely, even when it was raining quite heavily. Just a few other bits that might be helpful to others: The coach only had USB-A ports and therefore I couldn't charge my phone as I only had USB-C to USB-C. So, might be something to check ahead of time. We had lunch quite late, around 2:30pm as we waited until we reached Bourton on the Water so would definitely recommend taking snacks and water (no hot food or drink was allowed on the coach). The last bit of advice is- there was a lot of walking especially if you want to see all of the palace and grounds! We actually didn't have enough time to view the gardens as we obey had 2hours but from what we could see they were quite extensive and the Harry Potter is located somewhere there.

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