Highclere Castle
London Victoria → Highclere → London Victoria
The Belmond British Pullman's Highclere Castle day excursion is an exquisite one-day journey that sweeps you from the heart of London into the rolling Hampshire countryside aboard one of Britain's most celebrated luxury trains. Departing London Victoria at 09:45, this circular day trip pairs the glamour of authentic 1920s Pullman carriages with an exclusive private visit to one of England's most storied stately homes — the castle that serves as the real-life backdrop for Downton Abbey and the ancestral seat of the Earls of Carnarvon.
The day unfolds in two distinct acts. On the outward run to Newbury, guests are welcomed with a sparkling Bellini cocktail before settling into a three-course brunch served at white-linen tables as the English countryside rolls past the marquetry-panelled windows. At Highclere, the castle opens its doors exclusively for British Pullman guests, offering a private guided tour of the State Rooms, the extraordinary Egyptian Exhibition in the cellars, and the sweeping Capability Brown parklands. Returning to the train at Andover, champagne is poured and a three-course dinner with sommelier-selected wines is served as the train glides back into Victoria by 19:20.
This is a day that belongs to another era: impeccably dressed, unhurried, and utterly distinctive. Whether you are a devotee of Downton Abbey, a lover of English heritage, or simply someone who savours exceptional food and travel in elegant surroundings, the Highclere Castle excursion on the British Pullman is among the most memorable day trips Britain has to offer.
- ✦Private exclusive access to Highclere Castle — the real Downton Abbey
- ✦Three-course brunch with Bellini welcome on the outward journey
- ✦Six-room Egyptian Exhibition with Tutankhamun replicas and original artefacts
- ✦Guided tour of State Rooms featured in Downton Abbey
- ✦Three-course dinner with sommelier wines on the return to London
- ✦Capability Brown parklands and secret garden at leisure
- ✦Travel aboard iconic 1920s Art Deco Pullman carriages
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Morning — London Victoria Station
The day begins at London Victoria, where the gleaming Belmond British Pullman awaits on the platform. Guests board their named Pullman car — each carriage a lovingly restored Art Deco masterpiece dating from the 1920s, with marquetry panels, ornate table lamps, and deep armchair seating. As the train draws away at 09:45, a sparkling Bellini cocktail is served at table, setting the tone for a day of effortless elegance.
Morning — Brunch en Route to Newbury
As the British Pullman passes through the Surrey Hills and into the Berkshire Downs, white-gloved stewards serve a three-course brunch of classic British and continental dishes. The kitchen car prepares everything fresh on board, and a carefully chosen selection of wines and juices accompanies the meal. The journey to Newbury takes roughly an hour and a quarter, giving guests ample time to dine, converse, and admire the landscape unfolding outside.
Late Morning — Transfer to Highclere Castle
On arrival at Newbury Station, guests transfer by private coach the few miles south into Hampshire and the estate village of Highclere. The approach along the castle's private drive — lined with ancient parkland trees — provides a first glimpse of Charles Barry's extraordinary Victorian masterpiece rising against the Hampshire skyline.
Midday — Private Guided Tour of Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle is opened exclusively for British Pullman guests on excursion days, meaning visitors enjoy the State Rooms without the crowds of public open days. Expert guides lead the group through the great entrance hall, the saloon, the library, the dining room, and the other principal State Rooms, sharing the history of the Herbert family — Earls of Carnarvon since the 18th century — and pointing out the many scenes filmed here for Downton Abbey. Please note that photography inside the castle is not permitted, allowing guests to be fully present in these remarkable interiors.
Afternoon — Egyptian Exhibition
Beneath the castle, in its atmospheric cellars, lies the celebrated Egyptian Exhibition — a six-room museum dedicated to the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and his partnership with archaeologist Howard Carter. The exhibition traces the Earl's excavations on the West Bank of Luxor from 1906 onwards, culminating in the November 1922 discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun, which the site itself describes as the first truly global media event. On display are part of the Earl's own collection of Egyptian antiquities, hundreds of unpublished photographs from 1907 to 1922, letters and drawings by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter, and — as a centrepiece — astonishingly exact replicas of the Shrine, the Middle Coffin, the Mummy, and the iconic golden Death Mask of the Boy Pharaoh.
Afternoon — Gardens, Grounds, and Coach House Tea Rooms
After the guided tour, guests enjoy time at leisure to explore the 5,000-acre estate at their own pace. The parklands were designed by Capability Brown in the 18th century and encompass sweeping lawns, ancient specimen trees, and walled gardens. Downton Abbey fans will recognise Lady Mary's bench and the secret garden featured in the series. The Coach House Tea Rooms offer a welcome pause for tea, coffee, and light refreshments, and the castle's gift shop stocks Lady Carnarvon's books, Highclere Gin, and locally produced goods.
Late Afternoon — Transfer to Andover and Rejoin the Train
At the close of the afternoon, the private coach collects guests and travels the short distance to Andover Station, where the British Pullman is waiting. A glass of chilled champagne is served the moment guests settle back into their Pullman car, a perfect bridge between the grandeur of the castle and the elegance of the return journey.
Evening — Three-Course Dinner Back to London Victoria
As the train heads back towards London, the dining service reaches its evening crescendo. A three-course dinner is presented with sommelier-selected wines chosen to complement each course, and the meal concludes with coffee and petits fours. Conversation flows easily as the lights of the home counties appear beyond the windows, and the British Pullman glides back into London Victoria at approximately 19:20 — a civilised hour to complete a thoroughly civilised day.
Destinations & Highlights
Highclere Castle, Hampshire
Highclere Castle is one of England's supreme examples of Victorian country-house architecture, sitting at the heart of a 5,000-acre Hampshire estate roughly five miles south of Newbury. The present building was redesigned and largely rebuilt between 1842 and 1849 by Sir Charles Barry — the same architect who created the Houses of Parliament — for the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon. Barry worked in what he called the Anglo-Italian style: a Jacobethan silhouette of towers and parapets in pale Bath stone, softened by Italianate Renaissance detail in the interiors. The result is a house of extraordinary drama and refinement, declared by architectural historians to be among the finest Victorian country houses in Britain.
The estate's parkland has an even longer history. It is the earliest documented estate in Hampshire, first recorded as a deer park given to the Church of Winchester in 749 AD. In the 1770s, the landscape was transformed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown into the sweeping naturalistic parkland visible today: broad lawns, cedar trees, a serpentine lake, and carefully framed vistas that make the castle appear to rise organically from the English countryside.
The Egyptian Exhibition and the 5th Earl of Carnarvon
Highclere Castle's connection to ancient Egypt is one of the most remarkable stories in British history. George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, was an enthusiastic Egyptologist who began funding excavations in the Nile Valley from 1906. He engaged Howard Carter — a self-taught archaeologist of extraordinary skill — and the two men pursued their search for undiscovered royal tombs for sixteen years. On 4 November 1922, Carter's team found a step cut into the rock in the Valley of the Kings, and on 26 November Lord Carnarvon stood beside Carter as he broke through the sealed door of Tutankhamun's intact burial chamber. It was the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century. The Egyptian Exhibition in the castle's cellars — six rooms established in 2007 — tells this story through part of the Earl's own antiquities collection, hundreds of unpublished photographs, original correspondence between Carnarvon and Carter, and museum-quality replicas of the tomb's most iconic objects, including the golden Death Mask.
Downton Abbey and Popular Culture
Since 2010, Highclere Castle has served as the principal exterior and interior filming location for ITV's global hit drama Downton Abbey, bringing the house to an audience of hundreds of millions worldwide. The castle's State Rooms, corridors, and grounds appear throughout the series as Downton Abbey itself, and visitors on the British Pullman excursion walk through the very spaces — the great hall, the library, the saloon — that became iconic on screen. The connection has breathed new financial life into the estate, funding the ongoing restoration of a house that demands constant and costly care. Today Highclere is still a living family home, occupied by the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, which gives the visit a warmth and authenticity that sets it apart from purely museum properties.
London Victoria and the British Pullman
The journey begins and ends at London Victoria, one of the capital's great Victorian termini and historically the departure point for the original Golden Arrow Pullman service to the Channel ports. The Belmond British Pullman, formed of thirteen restored carriages built between 1925 and 1952, represents the pinnacle of inter-war British railway design: inlaid wood panels, ormolu fittings, individual table lamps, and armchair seating in named cars including Audrey, Cygnus, Ibis, and Zena. Travelling aboard the train is itself a destination, offering a standard of onboard dining and service that has almost entirely vanished from modern rail travel.