Upcoming European Waterways Cruise Includes Tour of 'Downton Abbey' (WITH VIDEO)

Can't wait for Season Four of Downton Abbey to arrive stateside? (We can't, either.) Fans of the hit show will want to take a look at this new trip: European Waterways will once again offer a special treat next Spring to passengers aboard its Magna Carta hotel barge cruise of England—a tour of Highclere Castle, used for both the interior and exterior scenes of the series. 

Traveling in Style to “Downton Abbey”

Designed by Sir Charles Barry, who was also the architect of the Houses of Parliament, the “real” Downton Abbey has been owned by the Carnarvon family since 1679, and the current Lord and Lady Carnarvon still live there today.  Located west of London in Berkshire, not far from European Waterways’ cruise route, it is considered one of the finest Victorian homes still in existence, with sprawling grounds that are four times the size of New York City’s Central Park. 
 

Cruising along the River Thames, passengers aboard the hotel barge Magna Carta will can go on excursions to castles, palaces and cathedrals. Magna Carta’s itinerary also includes a private tour of Dorney Court, a Tudor home on the banks of the Thames, where “Elizabeth”, “The Other Boleyn Girl”, and Agatha Christie’s series “Poirot” were all filmed.  The cruise concludes with a tour of Christ Church, one of the most prestigious colleges at the University of Oxford and one of the settings for Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”

Here's a glimpse of what guests on the cruise can expect:  

Interested fans should book now: The Highclere tours are only available for the departures on April 13 and April 20, 2014.