Beautiful house in great surroundings. Only the weather was a disappointment. The house tour is a delight, whether or not you are a Downton Abbey fan. While entry is not the cheapest the food, drink and gift shop are all reasonably priced. Helpful, polite, informative staff. Loads of parking. Follow the brown TI signs not your sat nav when travelling by car.

Great experience, Beautiful House and interesting history. The Egyptian exhibition is very informative and presented in a very clear and understandable way. Really knowledgeable guides in most rooms who didn’t lecture but explained the history and layout of the building. Didn’t get to see much of the grounds due to rainy and blustery weather. Do visit the outdoor sculpture dedicated to the WW2 Airmen who tragically crashed into the hillside during bad visibility. The various Cafes are pretty good, bit pricey with a captive market. One Cafe was like a wind tunnel with doors wedged open and the wind howling through. A few brave souls were sat inside, we wisely moved on. The Downton Abbey theme is dealt with very professionally and discreetly, filming in that environment must have been quite a feat. A memorable day out.

Great time at Highclere castle. So interesting walking round the rooms where Downton Abbey was filmed. Everywhere nice and clean and you didnt want to walk on the carpet!!! Lovely to see family photos about. Good Egyptian exhibition, very interesting. A decent price in the coffee shops. Brilliant gift shop with plenty of variety and good prices. The grounds are superb and on a sunny day you can sit outside with a drink.

My partner and I who are avid followers of Downton Abbey fame and made a pilgrimage to Hyclere Castle to tick off a ‘must do’ on our “bucket list”. The road signage, access road and parking was adequate and we didn’t have to wait too long to gain access to Hyclere Castle. We did feel that there was a distinct impression of drabness and laziness in the way it was presented and disappointed that visitors weren’t allowed to take photographs. This was probably to encourage visitors to purchase a guide book. There was very little or no information in each room about paintings, furniture etc and while some guides were very helpful, engaging and knowledgeable others were a little less so. The walk through was interesting but we did feel somewhat pressured to move along swiftly through the rooms but otherwise everything was nice and clean. We were surprised that the main dining room wasn’t laid up, some sofas were very scruffy, no music, costume dress etc and while we enjoyed the photographs of the Caernarvon family and of our late Queen Elizabeth numerous books were placed around about which seemed unconnected with Hyclere Castle and its history. It lacked focus on the filming of Downton Abbey and its history and it really needs to employ the services of an established PR and advertising company to reinvent the whole experience of a visit to Downton Abbey. The gift shop could have been much bigger with a more diverse sale of goods, the tea room was poor and needed upgrading with the view to getting rid of the paper cups and wooden forks. We didn’t have a lot of time to look around the gardens but they didn’t appear to be so grandeur of similar establishments that we have visited in the past. Overall the visit was good but we wouldn’t rush back to see it again and would be hesitant to recommend it to family and friends.

We had booked up in advance to action the Castle, Exhibition & Gardens Tour. We had stayed locally so that we could maximise our day at this amazing place. Our visit was Monday 17th April and our Castle Entry time was 12:30 to 14:30. We actually arrived just after 10am and were told as it was not to busy we could just go and visit the Castle straightaway. We have both enjoyed watching all the episodes of Downton Abbey and to see all the areas used was a real thrill for us both. The Castle/House is just superb and is so beautiful that everyone should find the time to visit and enjoy. During our self guided tour one of the staff informed us that the actual Castle at one point required Millions of pounds of reinnervations. The saving grace for the stunning Castle when when the place was selected to be used in the Downton Abbey series. We had also opted to see the Egyptian Exhibition which we felt was really worth viewing and we are so glad we added it to our ticket. The gardens we saw were excellent but will be even better a little later in the year when all the leaves and flowers etc are out on display. Mid afternoon we sat in the grounds and had some food we had bought in the small café on site. Prices are all quite realistic and the quality and service is amazing. Parking here is in the fields opposite the Castle and I would imagine on a wet day they could be a challenge for some. We really had an excellent, informative and enjoyable day and would highly recommend a visit. Info Only, our sat nav sent us to a road which had a sign on saying no entrance to Highclere Castle. The detour we had to take to find the correct entrance took us 2-3 miles further around by the time we had negotiated all the turns etc. So just be careful and check your sat nav setting and have a brilliant visit.

The house and drive up are stunning. The house is warm and friendly clearly lived in and loved. I loved the fact you have time slots in the house so you didn't feel rushed or pushed. However the rooms lacked knowledge of the history, artefacts and paintings. There were references to Downton throughout. We loved the Egyptian exhibition. Disappointed there was no refetence to the servants quarters or kitchens. The cafe was awful, over priced and sold in plastic containers. The que was huge, 6 staff behind the counter all serving 1 customer, it was painful to watch, clearly staff were not trained. No hot food till midday just cake, who wants cake for breakfast? Hot sandwiches/paninis should be available all day. Coffee was tasteless and the cafe too expensive. The gift shop was too small, not really relevant gifts, a little tacky and over priced that's when you could actually find a price. The shop needs to be remerchandised. I didn't buy anything which is an indication it was not great. The gardens allbeit were lovely were not regal or stately, just a normal everyday garden. I was expecting some lovely statues, ponds, fountains, rose gardens etc. Maybe the time of year didn't show its full glory. The trees in the estate were magnificent. Overall enjoyed it but wouldn't go again or recommend.

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.