Stratford Upon Avon is a small but very charming town that can be easily visited in a day from London.
It is the birthplace of William Shakespeare and in one day it is possible to visit the town and Shakespeare’s houses, being one of my favorite excursions from London.
What will you find in this article?
- What to see in Stratford Upon Avon
- The town of Stratford Upon Avon
- The houses of W. Shakespeare
- How to get to Stratford Upon Avon from London
- Getting to Stratford Upon Avon by Public Transport
- Organized excursion to visit Stratford Upon Avon from London
Things to do in Stratford Upon Avon
The town of Stratford Upon Avon
We recommend walking through the town, which I have to say is very small but charming. In the town center area there are numerous pubs where you can eat authentic British food, as well as several different restaurants, and several tea rooms, where I recommend having a Cream Tea to live the full British experience. In addition to the town center, I recommend going down to the river area, especially if it’s a good day. You can see our facebook photos here .
Some of the things that you cannot miss if you are going to visit Stratford Upon Avon are:
- Holy Trinity Church: In the cemetery of this church in Stratford Upon Avon is the grave of William Shakespeare, which can be visited.
- Avon River Walk: It is possible to walk along both banks of the Avon River, and if you have time it is something I would recommend.
- Royal Shakespeare Theatre: One of the places you cannot miss when visiting Stratford Upon Avon.
- Guildhall and Shakespeare’s Schoolroom: This is one of the most famous buildings in Stratford Upon Avon, where the class that W. Shakespeare attended is also located and can be visited.
- Nutcracker Christmas Shop: Practically in front of the house where W Shakespeare was born is this store that you cannot miss, a Christmas store open all year round. I can assure you that even if it’s summer and you wear a t-shirt, you’ll want to buy some Christmas decorations!
The houses of W. Shakespeare
In addition to the town, it is advisable to visit Shakespeare’s houses. In total there are 5 houses:
- Shakespeare´s Birthplace: Birthplace of W. Shakespeare, located in the center of Stratford Upon Avon.
- Hall’s Croft: The house of Shakespeare’s eldest daughter, in the center of town.
- Harvard´s House: One of the most beautiful buildings in Stratford Upon Avon, in the center of town.
- Anne Hathaway´s cottage: The house where Shakespeare’s wife grew up, located about 10 minutes drive from Stratford Upon Avon. You can walk from the town, but keep in mind that it can take about 30 minutes.
- Mary Arden’s farm: The farmhouse where Shakespeare’s mother grew up, located about a 15-minute drive from Stratford Upon Avon.
We recommend buying tickets to Shakespeare’s houses in advance, as this is usually easier and cheaper. For this there are two options, you can choose to enter only the house where W. Shakespeare was born or buy a valid ticket to access all 5 houses:
- Entrance to Shakespeare´s Birthplace: This ticket allows entry only to the house where W. Shakespeare was born, which is located in the center of Stratford Upon Avon and is a place that you cannot miss if you are going to be in Stratford Upon Avon. Buy tickets: W. Shakespeare Birthplace
- Entrance to 5 houses: With this ticket you can enter the 5 houses of Shakespeare. You have several months to visit all the houses once you have visited the first one, so it is not necessary to visit all the houses on the same day. Please note that this ticket does not include transportation from one house to another: 5 Shakespeare Houses
To get to the Shakespeare houses that are further away, it is possible to walk, but it will take a while to get there. Another option is to go with the tour bus from Stratford Upon Avon .
How to get to Stratford Upon Avon from London
Stratford Upon Avon is about two hours from London. It is possible to go by public transport or with an organized excursion.
1. Getting to Stratford Upon Avon by Public Transport
Getting to Stratford Upon Avon from London is very easy as there is a direct train from London Marylebone station and it takes around two hours. We recommend buying train tickets in advance, as it will be much cheaper that way, we recommend buying train tickets on The Train Line . Here we tell you step by step how to buy train tickets online in advance: Buy train tickets .
2. Organized tour to visit Stratford Upon Avon from London
Another option is to do it through an organized excursion, and in addition to not having to worry about buying train tickets, you can easily combine a visit to the village of W. Shakespeare with a visit to other cities in England. There are different excursions possible:
- Excursion to the wonderful castle of Warwick, Stratford and Oxford.
- Excursion to Stonehenge, Bath and Stratford.
- Excursion to Oxford, Stratford and the Cotswolds.