United Kingdom / Oxford, the Cotswolds & the Midlands / Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon

Shakespeare's Town on the River Avon

1 dayIdeal stay₹11,340From / night₹2,770Food / day₹2,770Entry

William Shakespeare's market town: his birthplace on Henley Street, New Place, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Holy Trinity Church where he is buried, and the Royal Shakespeare Company's theatres on the river. Two hours from London Marylebone by direct train, an hour from Birmingham; Warwick Castle is 15 minutes away and the northern Cotswolds start just south.

Highlights

Shakespeare's Birthplace
A play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Anne Hathaway's Cottage
Holy Trinity Church
Warwick Castle
River Avon boat

Things to do

Shakespeare's Birthplace and New PlaceMorning · 3h
Royal Shakespeare Company playEvening · 3h
Warwick CastleMorning · 4h
Anne Hathaway's Cottage and gardensAfternoon · 2h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Stratford-upon-Avonvia GetYourGuide Tours & tickets in Stratford-upon-Avonvia Klook

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When to go

Best time: April – September

Shakespeare's Birthday Celebrations — Stratford-upon-Avon marks Shakespeare's birthday on the weekend nearest 23 April with a procession from his birthplace to his grave at Holy Trinity Church, music and street theatre.

Getting there

Fly into Birmingham (BHX), 35 km away

Then: Transfer · 45m (Rental car via the M40 and A46, per vehicle)

Search flights to BHX from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Mumbai (1 stop)from ₹28,000
From Ahmedabad (1 stop)from ₹27,000
From Delhi (1 stop)from ₹27,000
From Amritsar (1 stop)from ₹28,000

Fly into London (LHR), 133 km away

Then: Train · 2h 18m (Chiltern Railways from Marylebone (direct, or change at Leamington Spa))

Search flights to LHR from your city ↗

Flights from India

From Bengalurufrom ₹25,000
From Mumbaifrom ₹27,500
From Ahmedabad (1 stop)from ₹24,000
From Chennaifrom ₹30,000
From Hyderabadfrom ₹30,000
From Kochi (1 stop)from ₹27,000

Fares from India: one way, per person; typical fares, not live prices.

Entry rules

Your passport

Visa needed before you fly for up to 180 days, about ₹17,010

Apply online on GOV.UK for a Standard Visitor visa (gov.uk/standard-visitor) at least 4-6 weeks before you fly, and no earlier than 3 months before. The fee is £135 (about ₹17,010) for a visa of up to 6 months, and it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
Book and attend a VFS Global visa application centre in India to give your fingerprints and photo and hand in your documents. The standard decision takes about 3 weeks from that appointment; Priority (about 5 working days, £500 extra) and Super Priority (next working day, £1,000 extra) are sold at some centres.
With the visa you need no ETA. It covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not the Schengen countries: France or Italy need a separate Schengen visa, and the UK visa does not count towards one.
At the airport use the Border Force desks (not the eGates) and have your return ticket, hotel bookings and proof of funds ready.

Carry: Passport valid for the whole of your stay, with a blank page for the visa; Bank statements for the last 6 months, income-tax returns and a leave letter from your employer (or business or college papers); Return flight booking and a day-by-day plan; Hotel bookings, or an invitation letter and address from family or friends in the UK; Travel insurance with medical cover (advised: visitors pay for NHS hospital care).

Fees rose on 8 April 2026 (£135 for 6 months, up from £127); check GOV.UK's fee page and your VFS centre before you pay. Two-, five- and ten-year visit visas cost more and still allow 6 months per visit.

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.

Also in Oxford, the Cotswolds & the Midlands

📚 Oxford · The City of Dreaming Spires
🏡 The Cotswolds · Honey-Stone Villages and Rolling English Countryside
🍛 Birmingham · Britain's Second City: Canals, Chocolate and the Balti Triangle
🪔 Leicester · Diwali on the Golden Mile, and a King Under a Car Park

Plan a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon

Flying in from elsewhere? Start at Birmingham (BHX)