Stratford-upon-Avon is the small Warwickshire market town where William Shakespeare was born in 1564, married, raised his family, bought the grandest house in town and was buried in 1616. Four centuries on, it is still a pretty place of half-timbered Tudor houses and Georgian streets beside the River Avon, and it is the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, so you can see his plays performed in the town he knew. You come to walk through Shakespeare’s Birthplace, the cottage where Anne Hathaway grew up and the garden of his last home, to see his grave in Holy Trinity Church, to take a boat on the river and to catch a play in the evening. It is about two hours from London by train and an hour from Birmingham. One full day covers the highlights, but stay a night to see a play.
Right now in Stratford-upon-Avon
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Top tours in Stratford-upon-Avon
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Stratford-upon-Avon at a glance
- Best for: Shakespeare and theatre, Tudor houses, riverside walks and boat trips, tea rooms and a base for Warwick Castle and the northern Cotswolds.
- How long: 1 day for the Birthplace, New Place, Holy Trinity and the river; 2 days to add Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a play and Warwick Castle.
- Best time: April to October for the river and the gardens; around 23 April for Shakespeare’s birthday celebrations; December for a quieter, festive visit.
- Getting in: Chiltern Railways from London Marylebone in about 2 hours, usually with one change; trains from Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill take about an hour.
- Getting around: on foot; the station is a 10-minute walk from the centre. As of October 2026, a Shakespeare’s Birthplace ticket cost £25 online for adults.
- Before you go: entry rules, money and general safety are in our United Kingdom travel guide.
Stratford-upon-Avon, area by area
The old town is small and flat, laid out in a medieval grid between the railway station and the river. You can walk from Shakespeare’s Birthplace on Henley Street to his grave at Holy Trinity Church in about 15 minutes, passing almost every sight on the way.
Henley Street and the town centre
Henley Street, a pedestrian street of shops and cafés, is home to Shakespeare’s Birthplace. From there, Bridge Street, Wood Street and the market streets around the American Fountain make up the busy centre, with a street market on Fridays and half-timbered buildings on every corner. Best for: first visits, shopping and tea rooms.
Chapel Street and Church Street
Running south from the centre, Chapel Street passes Shakespeare’s New Place and the medieval Guild Chapel, and Church Street continues past the Guildhall and the schoolroom where young Will had his lessons, and the old almshouses. Old Town then leads to Hall’s Croft and Holy Trinity Church. Best for: the Shakespeare trail and the town’s most beautiful buildings.
Waterside and the river
Along the river, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan Theatre stand beside the Bancroft Gardens, where the Stratford Canal meets the Avon in a basin full of narrowboats. The medieval Clopton Bridge crosses to the boathouses, the recreation ground and riverside paths on the far bank. Best for: theatre, boat trips and picnics.
Shottery
About 1.5 km west of the centre, the village of Shottery is home to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, reached by a footpath across fields in about 25 minutes. Best for: a country walk and a thatched-cottage view.
Top things to see in Stratford-upon-Avon
Prices and hours below were checked on the official sites in October 2026. They change, so check before you go.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace
The half-timbered house on Henley Street where Shakespeare was born and grew up has been a place of pilgrimage for over 250 years; Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and Mark Twain all came. A modern exhibition introduces his life and works, then you walk through the rooms as they might have been in the 1570s, including his father John’s glove-making workshop. Costumed actors perform short scenes in the garden. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which runs all the family homes, cares for the house.
Tickets. As of October 2026, a ticket for Shakespeare’s Birthplace including Shakespeare’s New Place costs £25 for adults (including seniors) online or £27 on the door, £12.50 for children aged 3–17 online, and £21.25 for concessions; under-3s go free. Tickets are valid for 12 months, and entry to the Birthplace is by timed slot, so pre-booking is strongly advised. With a Birthplace ticket you can add Anne Hathaway’s Cottage for £5 and Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall for £10 per adult. The Birthplace opens daily 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30) until 1 November 2026, then 10:00–16:00 (last entry 15:30) from 2 November to 31 December. On 20 October 2026 it closes at 14:00, and it is closed on 25 and 26 December.
Shakespeare’s New Place
New Place was the largest house in Stratford when Shakespeare bought it in 1597, and he died there in 1616. The house was demolished in the 18th century, but its site on Chapel Street is now a garden with sculptures, a knot garden and the outline of the rooms, telling the story of his life as a successful writer and family man. It is included in the Birthplace ticket. From 1 September to 31 December 2026, the gardens open daily 11:00–15:00 (last entry 14:30).
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife, grew up in this long, thatched farmhouse in Shottery, which stayed in her family until the 1890s. Inside are the family’s original furniture and the “courting settle” by the fire; outside are cottage gardens, an orchard and woodland walks. As of October 2026, an adult ticket costs £15 online or £17 on the door (£5 when added to a Birthplace ticket), and children aged 3–17 pay £7.50 online. It opens daily 10:00–17:00 until 1 November 2026 and 10:00–16:00 from 2 November.
Holy Trinity Church
In this lovely riverside church Shakespeare was baptised in 1564 and buried in 1616, in the chancel, under a stone that curses anyone who moves his bones; his wife Anne and their daughter Susanna lie beside him, and his memorial bust looks down from the wall. Entry to the church is free; as of October 2026, access to the chancel to see the grave costs £5 for adults and £1 for under-18s. In September and October the church opens to visitors on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 11:00–15:45, Wednesday 14:00–15:45, Saturday 10:00–15:45 and Sunday 13:00–15:15. From November to March it opens to visitors only on Saturdays (10:00–15:45) and Sundays (13:00–15:15), and it may close at short notice for funerals and services.
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the RSC
The Royal Shakespeare Company performs in the 1932 art deco Royal Shakespeare Theatre, rebuilt inside with a thrust stage in 2010, and in the smaller Swan Theatre next door. Even if you don’t see a play, take the lift up the Theatre Tower, 32 m above the street, for views across Warwickshire; as of October 2026 it is free and open daily 12:00–16:00, except on matinee days and in bad weather. Hour-long guided theatre tours run daily and take you into at least one auditorium, with backstage areas when possible. Book plays and tours on the RSC’s website; there is a rooftop restaurant with river views.
Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall
Upstairs in the medieval Guildhall on Church Street is the schoolroom where Shakespeare is believed to have studied Latin as a boy, and where touring players performed in the room below. You can sit at the old desks and try a lesson with quill and ink. It is run separately from the family homes, with its own opening times; adult entry costs £10 when bought with a Birthplace ticket.
Hall’s Croft and Mary Arden’s Farm
Two more Shakespeare family homes are worth knowing about, but as of October 2026 neither is open for general visits. Hall’s Croft, the elegant house of Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna and her doctor husband John Hall, and Mary Arden’s Farm at Wilmcote, the working Tudor farm of Shakespeare’s mother’s family, are now used for school and college groups. You can still see Hall’s Croft from the street on Old Town.
Seeing a play in Stratford
Seeing Shakespeare performed a few hundred metres from where he was born is the highlight of any visit. The RSC usually stages several productions at once across the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan, with evening shows from Monday to Saturday and matinees on some afternoons. Popular productions sell out, so book as soon as you know your dates; seats are released in stages, and returns sometimes come up on the day. The thrust stage puts you close to the actors from almost every seat. Arrive early for a drink on the riverside terrace, and allow time to walk back to the station or your hotel, as the last trains leave fairly early.
Things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon
Take a boat on the Avon
From the Bancroft Gardens and the boathouses by Clopton Bridge, river cruises of about 40 minutes run past the theatres and Holy Trinity Church from spring to late October, and you can hire rowing boats, punts and self-drive motorboats in summer. Watch the chain ferry, one of the last of its kind in England, crossing below the theatre. See our boat trips guide.
Walk the riverside and the canal
A riverside path leads from the theatres past Holy Trinity to the weir at Lucy’s Mill, and the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal towpath heads north out of town towards Wilmcote. For a longer walk, follow the footpath to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Shottery. See our hiking guide.
Cycle the Greenway
The Stratford Greenway, a flat, traffic-free path along an old railway line, runs about 8 km south-west from the racecourse to Long Marston, with a café in an old railway carriage. Bikes can be hired in town. See our cycling guide.
Tea rooms, pubs and the Dirty Duck
Stop for a cream tea in a half-timbered tea room, and end the day at the Dirty Duck, officially the Black Swan, on Waterside, where actors from the RSC have drunk for generations. Other old inns, such as the Garrick Inn on High Street, claim Tudor roots.
Shakespeare’s birthday
On the weekend nearest 23 April, Stratford celebrates Shakespeare’s birthday with a procession through the town to his grave at Holy Trinity, flags unfurled along the streets and events at the family homes. It is the busiest weekend of the year, so book accommodation early.
Getting to Stratford-upon-Avon
By train from London. Chiltern Railways runs trains from London Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon about once an hour; the fastest journeys take about 2 hours 6 minutes, usually with one change. Advance singles cost from £6.40 as of October 2026, and an Off-Peak return is good value for a day trip. Rail fares in England are frozen until March 2027.
From Birmingham. West Midlands Railway trains from Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill reach Stratford in about an hour; some continue to Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway, a park-and-ride station on the edge of town. Birmingham, with its free museums and canals, makes a good base for a longer Midlands trip.
By air. Birmingham Airport is the nearest, about 40 minutes by car; London Heathrow is about 1 hour 45 minutes by road. Most visitors need a UK ETA before travelling; see our United Kingdom travel guide.
By car and coach. Stratford is about 15 minutes from the M40 (junction 15). Use the Park and Ride on the A3400 or the station car parks rather than driving into the centre, which is busy at weekends. National Express coaches run from London Victoria.
Getting around Stratford-upon-Avon
Walk. Everything in the town centre, including the station, is within 15 minutes on foot. Anne Hathaway’s Cottage is a pleasant 25-minute walk or a short taxi or bus ride. Hop-on, hop-off sightseeing buses link the Shakespeare houses in season. Local buses reach Warwick and nearby villages; as of October 2026, single bus fares in England are capped at £3 until 1 January 2027, when the cap falls to £2 for 2027.
When to go and how long to stay
Stratford has one of the drier, sunnier climates in the Midlands: warm summers, cool winters with frequent frost, and fairly light rain spread through the year. The table uses the Met Office 1991–2020 averages for Wellesbourne, a station on a former airfield about 9 km east of the town.
| Season | Average high / low | Rainy days per month | What it’s like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring (Mar–May) | 11–17 °C / 3–7 °C | about 9 | Blossom in the gardens of the family homes, Shakespeare’s birthday weekend in April |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 20–23 °C / 10–12 °C | 8–9 | Warmest and driest, boats and picnics by the river, busiest with coach tours |
| Autumn (Sep–Nov) | 19 °C falling to 11 °C / 10 °C falling to 4 °C | 9–12 | Quieter streets, autumn colour on the river, shorter house hours from November |
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | 8 °C / about 2 °C | 9–11 | Cold and often frosty, Christmas lights, short opening hours, fewer visitors |
Wellesbourne records only about 630 mm of rain a year on about 118 days, with the wettest months in October to December, and about 1,550 hours of sunshine. Late spring and early autumn combine pleasant weather with fewer crowds; the summer school holidays and Shakespeare’s birthday weekend are the busiest times.
Stratford-upon-Avon in 1 day
Start early at Shakespeare’s Birthplace on Henley Street, then walk down Chapel Street to New Place and the Guild Chapel. After lunch in a tea room, continue along Church Street to Holy Trinity Church to see the grave, walk back along the river, take a cruise or climb the RSC’s tower, and stay for an evening play.
Stratford-upon-Avon in 2 days
Add Anne Hathaway’s Cottage by the field path to Shottery, Shakespeare’s Schoolroom, a theatre tour and a ride along the Greenway. On the second afternoon, go to Warwick Castle, or drive into the northern Cotswolds for Chipping Campden and Broadway.
Day trips from Stratford-upon-Avon
Warwick Castle, a medieval fortress on the Avon with towers, ramparts, live shows and a trebuchet, is about 20 minutes by car or bus; as of October 2026, day tickets cost from £26 online or £31 on the day. The northern Cotswolds, with Chipping Campden, Broadway and Stow-on-the-Wold, start about 20–30 minutes south by car; see our Cotswolds guide. Oxford, with its colleges and the Bodleian Library, is about an hour away by car; see our Oxford guide. Kenilworth Castle’s romantic ruins and the historic town of Leamington Spa are close by, and Bath is about 2 hours by car; see our Bath guide. Birmingham is an hour by train.
Where to stay in Stratford-upon-Avon
- Town centre: historic coaching inns and hotels in half-timbered buildings, a short walk from the Birthplace and the theatres.
- Waterside and Old Town: hotels by the river and the theatres, the best choice if you are seeing a play.
- Evesham Place and Grove Road: Victorian guesthouses and B&Bs just outside the centre, often better value.
- Countryside: country-house hotels and inns in nearby villages, best if you have a car and plan to explore the Cotswolds.
Book early for Shakespeare’s birthday weekend, summer weekends and race days at Stratford Racecourse.
Practical tips for Stratford-upon-Avon
- Book online: Shakespeare Birthplace Trust tickets are cheaper online, valid for 12 months, and the Birthplace uses timed entry.
- Combine tickets: add Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (£5) and the Schoolroom (£10) to a Birthplace ticket rather than buying them separately.
- Check Holy Trinity’s hours: from November to March the church opens to visitors only at weekends.
- Go early or late: coach tours crowd Henley Street from late morning to mid-afternoon.
- Check the last train: if you see an evening play, make sure there is a train back, or stay the night.
- Don’t expect Mary Arden’s Farm: as of October 2026, it and Hall’s Croft are closed to general visitors.
What to pack for Stratford-upon-Avon
Comfortable shoes for the old streets and the field path to Shottery, a light waterproof jacket, layers for cool evenings by the river and in the theatre, and smart-casual clothes for a play or dinner. In winter, add a warm coat, hat and gloves.
Stratford-upon-Avon travel FAQ
How much does it cost to visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace?
As of October 2026, £25 for adults online or £27 on the door, and £12.50 for children aged 3–17 online. The ticket includes Shakespeare’s New Place and is valid for 12 months.
Do I need to book Shakespeare’s Birthplace in advance?
It is strongly recommended. Entry to the Birthplace is by timed slot, online tickets are cheaper, and slots can sell out at weekends and in holidays.
Can you see Shakespeare’s grave?
Yes, in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church. Entry to the church is free, and as of October 2026 access to the chancel costs £5 for adults and £1 for under-18s. From November to March the church opens to visitors only on Saturdays and Sundays.
Is Mary Arden’s Farm open?
No. As of October 2026, Mary Arden’s Farm and Hall’s Croft are closed to general visits and used for school groups. The Birthplace, New Place and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage are open daily.
How much is Anne Hathaway’s Cottage?
As of October 2026, £15 for adults online or £17 on the door, or just £5 when added to a Shakespeare’s Birthplace ticket.
Can you go up the RSC tower?
Yes. The Theatre Tower, 32 m above the street, is free and reached by lift, daily from 12:00 to 16:00 except on matinee days and in bad weather.
How do I get from London to Stratford-upon-Avon?
By Chiltern Railways train from London Marylebone, about 2 hours with one change on most services, roughly once an hour. By car it takes about 2 hours via the M40.
Is Stratford-upon-Avon worth a day trip from London?
Yes, for the Shakespeare houses and the church, but it is a long day with four hours on the train. Stay a night if you can, especially to see an RSC play.
How far is Warwick Castle from Stratford?
About 13 km, or 20 minutes by car or bus. As of October 2026, day tickets cost from £26 booked online or £31 on the day.
How many days do you need in Stratford-upon-Avon?
One full day covers the Birthplace, New Place, Holy Trinity and the river. Two days let you add Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, a play and Warwick Castle or the Cotswolds.
When is Shakespeare’s birthday celebrated in Stratford?
On the weekend nearest 23 April, with a procession to Holy Trinity Church, flags along the streets and events at the family homes.
Nearby destinations
- Birmingham35 km
- Cotswolds49 km
- Oxford58 km
- Bath101 km
- Cambridge125 km
- Cardiff128 km
- Peak District129 km
- London133 km
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Sources · last reviewed 4 October 2026
Researched and last reviewed on 4 October 2026. Shakespeare family homes prices, opening times and closures: the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust; Holy Trinity Church hours and chancel charge: Holy Trinity Church; the Theatre Tower and tours: the Royal Shakespeare Company; trains from London: Chiltern Railways; Warwick Castle prices: Warwick Castle; bus fares: the UK government; climate: Met Office 1991–2020 averages for Wellesbourne. Prices, timetables and rules change, so check the official links before you go. For entry rules, money and general safety, see our United Kingdom travel guide; for nearby trips, our Cotswolds guide, Oxford guide and Bath guide; and for the capital, our London guide.
Data: Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · Rates: ECB · Costs: World Bank ICP and price levels · Wikidata (CC0)