England Castle Road Trip 🏰🚗🇬🇧
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Explore some of England’s most iconic castles — from coastal strongholds to royal residences.
England Castle Road Trip Itinerary Summary
📍 Dover Castle 🛡️
📍 Bodiam Castle 🌿
📍 Leeds Castle 🌸
📍 Tower of London 🏙️
📍 Windsor Castle 👑
📍 Warwick Castle ⚔️
📍 Lincoln Castle 🏛️
📍 Lancaster Castle 🏯
📍 Alnwick Castle 🏰
📍 Bamburgh Castle 🌊
Total Distance: 🚗 Approx. 640 miles
📸 Photos & Info are located further down. Keep scrolling to see all these places. ⬇️
This England Castle Road Trip is perfect for history buffs and travellers keen to uncover centuries of drama, defence, and royal heritage. 🗺️📸✨
Get the FREE England Castle Road Trip Map!
🚗 Need a car for this road trip?
If you don’t have your own car, I’d really recommend renting one — it gives you the flexibility to stop at each waterfall and explore at your own pace.
I usually use DiscoverCars to compare prices and find the best deals across different rental companies.
👉 It’s really easy to use:
- Compare multiple providers in one place
- Cheaper than booking direct
- Free cancellation on most options
- Their 3rd party insurance is a lot cheaper
- They have a great customer service for claims (though I hope you won’t have to use it!
Additional Information and Highlights
📍 Dover Castle
📍 Bodiam Castle
📍 Leeds Castle
📍 Tower of London
📍Windsor Castle
One of the most famous royal residences in the UK. It’s located in the county of Berkshire, about 25 miles from central London
🎟️ How to book: Tickets are available here (it’s better to book in advance, especially during peak-season)
💡 Good to Know: Windsor Castle is also included in the Go City Pass London but only the afternoon entrance.
📍 Warwick Castle
📍 Lincoln Castle
📍 Lancaster Castle
📍 Alnwick Castle
Home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, Alnwick Castle is one of the most iconic castles in Britain and has a lot to offer to visitors.
🅿️ The castle has a dedicated car park (NE66 1YU). There is a £3.50 charge for the entire day.
🧙Harry Potter: Alnwick Castle was used as a filming location in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The most iconic scene took place in the outer bailey, when Harry and his friends learned to fly broomsticks.
🎟️ Tickets can be booked here. It also gives you access to a lot of activities inside.
⌛ Opening dates: The castle is open from the end of March to October.
💡 My Top Tip: While Alnwick Castle is not the cheapest, it is definitely the one that gives you access to the most activities. I highly recommend making the best of what you get. There are walking tours (including a filming location one), broomstick flying lessons, medieval soap making and plenty more.
❤️ I absolutely loved the variety of activities that was on offer, especially considering they were pretty much all included. You can easily spend the entire day in the castle if you want to. If you are a Harry Potter fan, make sure to take the broomstick flying lesson as you can recreate the scenes and take loads of photos!
🐶 Dogs are not allowed in the castle or the grounds.
📍 Bamburgh Castle
Built 1,400 years ago, Bamburgh Castle is one of the most iconic and largest inhabited castles in Britain. It was the first castle in the world to fall to gunpowder (during the War of Roses) and now belongs to the Armstrong family.
🅿️ There is a dedicated car park by the entrance of the castle (£6/day charge). Alternatively, you can park in Bamburgh and walk up to the castle.
🎟️ Tickets can be booked on the official website or on-site.
⌛Opening dates: The castle is open all year round.
💡 My Top Tip: Check the event schedule as Bamburgh Castle often has special events on (especially for Christmas).
❤️ The views from Bamburgh Castle are unbeatable! You can fully see how big Bamburgh beach is and can see as far as the Farne Islands. I also recommend going for a walk on the beach after visiting the castle as it will give you a completely different perspective.
🐶 Dogs are allowed in the castle ground but not inside. The café is dog-friendly too and set in the old stables which is quite nice.
