Valentine's at Highclere Castle

Castle Guided Tours & Champagne Afternoon Tea

Join us on Thursday 13th, Friday 14^th, Saturday 15^th or Sunday 16^th February 2025 to celebrate the romance of Valentine’s Day at the Castle. 

Enjoy a themed Valentine’s Day Champagne Afternoon Tea after a special guided tour of Highclere Castle, the setting for so many happy scenes, weddings and engagements in "Downton Abbey".

Your tour will begin in the warmth of the Saloon at the heart of the Castle. Our guides will take you through the State Rooms and gallery bedrooms where you can enjoy hearing about the history of the Castle and the works of art, as well as anecdotes from the filming.

You will also have the opportunity to explore the Egyptian Exhibition in the atmospheric cellars of the Castle. This tells the story of the world-famous discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 by the 5^th Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter. 

Your tour will be followed by a Champagne Afternoon Tea in our Tearooms served by our very own butler, Luis, and his team. 

“Statesmen, Royalty, couples, those in love, whether upstairs or downstairs, have all walked though Highclere’s rooms and corridors. Please do join centuries of romantic tradition for a Valentine's Day Tea at the Real Downton Abbey.”
Lady Carnarvon

You can purchase tickets for admission at

•    11:00am
•    12:30pm
•    2:00pm

Whichever entrance time you choose, you will be able to enjoy a Tour of the Castle and the Egyptian Exhibition, followed by a Champagne Afternoon Tea in one of our Tearooms.

You are welcome to arrive one hour beforehand or stay later depending on the time of your tour to give you time to enjoy the Gardens and visit the Gift Shop. The Grounds close at 4:30pm.

We are delighted to include a signed copy of Lady Carnarvon’s latest book “The Earl and the Pharaoh”. Please do remember to collect your book on the day as we will not be able to post these after your visit.

Tickets are £150 per person to include the guided tour of the Castle, entry to the Egyptian Exhibition, Champagne Afternoon Tea as well as Lady Carnarvon’s book “The Earl and the Pharaoh”. A reduced-price ticket is available to the Carer of a paying, registered disabled visitor for £95.

Ticket numbers are limited for this event and must be pre-booked.  Please note, tickets for the event are available for over 18s only. The maximum booking size for the event is 6 guests, we are unable to accommodate larger groups. The majority of our seating for this event is up one flight of stairs.  If a member of your party is of limited mobility, please do let us know and we will be happy to arrange ground floor seating.
 

Dietary Requirements: We are delighted to offer either Traditional, Vegetarian or Gluten free menus when requested in advance. Please note that we do not offer a Vegan menu, nor can we guarantee that our products are either DAIRY FREE or NUT FREE. We are unable to make any individual changes to the menu items. Please be sure you are happy with the listed ingredients prior to booking. We do otherwise have events where a set menu is not included, which may be better suited if you have any dietary requirements.  Click HERE for more information regarding our Afternoon Tea Menus.

Dress Code: Smart Casual.

Local places to stay: There are some charming pubs and hotels within 10 minutes of Highclere, so please do have a look at our main web site. Click the link HERE for more information.