Highclere Castle exceeded my expectations in every way. It’s a gorgeous estate with beautiful gardens and the interior of the house looks like you walked directly into Downton Abbey. The beautiful picnic box tea was a treat too. The Egyptian connection between the owners of the home/Carnavon family and King Tut was interesting to learn about as well. Tip: pick one of the early entry times - way less people and easier to park.

The real thing is different from the fantasy ideas given by the TV and movie screens. Everything is superbly well taken care of, and the house is magnificent. A note about the volunteers, which are excellent in their dedication, and knowledge about the house and family. Did enjoy the visit very much. Only saw the house as walking in the gardens is out of the question for me, coming from a sunny country and knowing it was going to rain anytime. It did, when we got into the car on our way from the grounds. Being an Egyptologist, the visit to the underground section was a plus.

So thrilled to finally visit the castle. Beautiful building, amazing interior and stunning grounds. The staff were superb and organised a wheelchair at short notice due to a foot injury. We had a cream tea in the garden café which was lovely.

The bus tour and guide were very good - interesting stories and sights, particularly the old farm. Highclere Castle was incredibly majestic from the outside; the inside tour was less than impressive. Having toured Hearst Castle and the Biltmore Mansion probably set a standard that Highclere simply could not match.

Loved our visit to Highclere Castle. Particularly enjoyed being greeted personally by the Countess of Carnarvon and hearing her family story and the background research of her book. A smart savvy business, now connected to the filming of Downton Abbey…let’s face it, that’s why I chose to go there! I loved every minute!

What a lovely peaceful glorious place to visit. Highclere itself is well known for the television show Downton Abbey but the true history of the property is well worth learning. The tour through the home was just lovely. So many amazing pieces of furniture, tapestries and artworks. The journey through took you on an authentic trip through its history and the characters it had hosted over the years. To top it off, the garden was spectacular. Well maintained and warming the gently rolling slopes of the garden are just breathtaking. Loved every minute of this visit.

We took the train from Paddington to Newberry 50mins, and then a taxi to Highclere Castle 15mins (we were told it was a Bank Holiday- fare 31£). I was concerned about getting a taxi back, but the lady in the ticket booth called a taxi for us- fare 37£. Thankfully, each taxi accepted a credit card. Once we recovered from $85 in taxi fares, (admission only cost $66), we did thoroughly enjoy the castle. The morning was not crowded and we walked right in even though our tickets were for the afternoon session. We also enjoyed the King Tut Exhibit. It’s disappointing that you can’t take any photos inside, but the grounds are lovely. The docents are extremely knowledgeable and give background information in each room. It was a beautiful 63* sunny day, and we ate lunch (sandwiches, brats, desserts) on the grounds. We are big Downton Abbey fans so other than the taxi fare, it was a fantastic experience for us!

Stunning architecture & a superbly done house tour. I was anticipating (dreading) a Downtown Abbey theme park, but the house was respectful of its traditions. Docents were charming and well-informed, both about the house and the filiming of the series. The Egyptian exhibit was fascinating. And it is just a glorious building-- it takes your breath away as you drive up.

I truly loved the experience. The only criticism which is small is the guide in the beginning told us the tea has a lot of cakes! I was excited about it after his comment. I thought they did an ok job with how many people they feed ( I’ve owned a restaurant and have knowledge). But the food was a 6 out of 10. Instead of interesting pastries they had a lot of sweets in cups which were ok. Staff was well informed and I highly recommend the whole experience.

This is my favorite castle/park of our vacation. The property is magnificent. We walked the gardens and the wildflower fields after taking tea. The tea was perfectly fine. The food was good and plentiful although it was nothing fancy. I guess if one were expecting to dine as in Downton, it would be disappointing. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and very much let us learn the history of the home and family plus tidbits of the filming. It was a most enjoyable day.