Christmas Tours & Afternoon Teas
November/December 2026

Adult:  £140
Carer:  £80
Children (4-16 years):  £80

Step into the spirit of Christmas at the real Downton Abbey and join us at Highclere Castle for a festive experience featuring exclusive Christmas Guided Tours and a Nordic inspired traditional Afternoon Tea.

Your tour begins in the heart of the Castle, the Saloon, besides the magnificent 23ft Highclere Christmas tree, surrounded by festive garlands cascading down the staircase.

You will then be guided through the decorated State Rooms and around the charming Gallery Bedrooms by one of our knowledgeable guides, before descending into the atmospheric cellars to explore the Egyptian Exhibition. The Exhibition tells the story of the world-famous discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun by the 5^th Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter in 1922.

Afterwards, step into our Viking Pavilion on the Castle lawns and be welcomed by our banqueting team to enjoy a delicious and traditional festive Afternoon Tea. 

We invite you to take your time exploring the Grounds and Gardens, and to visit the Gift Shop, where we hope you will find Christmas treasures for friends and family.

These exclusive and seasonal tours are available for a limited number of guests. Tickets are £140 per person, including the guided tour, festive Afternoon Tea, time to explore the Egyptian Exhibition, Gardens and Gift Shop, and a signed copy of Lady Carnarvon’s book “Christmas at Highclere”.

Please remember to collect your book from the Gift Shop during your visit, as we will be unable to post this after you have departed.

To help you plan your day, please see the schedules below for the three tour times : 

10:00am ticketholders: Gates open from 9.30am for a 10:00am guided tour followed by the Egyptian Exhibition, Afternoon Tea and then time to visit the Gift Shop and Gardens.

12:00noon ticketholders: Gates open from 11:30am for a 12noon guided tour followed by the Egyptian Exhibition, Afternoon Tea and then time to visit the Gift Shop and Gardens.

2:00pm ticketholders: Gates open from 1:00pm for a 2:00pm guided tour followed by Egyptian Exhibition and Afternoon Tea. Guests in this group may wish to arrive around 1:00pm to allow times to explore the gardens before the Castle tour, as the sun sets early in the day. 

Grounds close promptly at 5:00pm. The dress code for the event is smart/ casual with sensible outdoor wear should you wish to explore the Gardens.

Menu Selection

Please choose one of the following for each ticket you buy:

Traditional Christmas Tea Menu

Gluten free Christmas Tea Menu

Vegetarian Christmas Tea Menu

Please note that we are unable to guarantee that our products are either DAIRY FREE or NUT FREE. We are not able to make swaps of individual menu items and are unfortunately not able to offer a vegan menu for this event.

Please note, the maximum booking size for this event is six guests. There is no concession rate available for this event.

To purchase tickets for these special openings, please see the date and time selection calendar below.