William Shakespeare is quite possibly the world’s most famous playwright. His works are read across the globe, and because of this, an incredible 2.5 million visitors flock to the town of Stratford-Upon-Avon each year. Here is the definitive guide of what to see when visiting William Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon-Avon to help you plan your visit.
This post contains affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Find out more here.
About Stratford-Upon-Avon
Where: Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom
Why go: Everyone knows the name, William Shakespeare. However, very few people know about the life of the man whose plays are performed around the world. The quaint town of Stratford-Upon-Avon allows visitors to glimpse into Shakespeare’s life and get a feel for the man behind the scripts.
How to get there: Stratford-upon-Avon is well-connected to Britain’s motorway network with direct routes from the M1, M5, M6, M40, M42, and M69. It is also easily accessible by train, with its own rail station just a 10-minute walk away from the town centre. Birmingham International Airport and Coventry Airport are the closest for those tourists visiting Stratford-upon-Avon by air.
William Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon-Avon
William Shakespeare was born and live in the town of Stratford-Upon-Avon between 1564-1616. And remarkably, the buildings that shaped this literary hero still stand today.
Many fans flock to Stratford-Upon-Avon to see where Shakespeare was born, lived, and called home during his lifetime.
There are a total of five Shakespeare houses you can visit. Plus, a number of additional Shakespeare attractions in the area. I’ve listed the top bucket list attractions for Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon-Avon below to make planning your trip easy!
Shakespeare’s Birthplace
The ideal place to start your journey in William Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon Avon is at Shakespeare’s Birthplace. This restored 16th Century building is where it is believed that William Shakespeare was born in 1564.
Start your visit with a fascinating exhibition in the Shakespeare Centre, which features a copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio and a timeline of his life. This exhibition really sets the scene, detailing Shakespeare’s life and legacy before you experience the family home.
Following the exhibition, you can see the family home environment that Shakespeare grew up in. You can see his father’s glove-making workshop and get a feel for the art, as well as understand what Shakespeare’s early life may have been like.
Following your visit, you can explore the garden where resident actors bring Shakespeare’s works to life. There is also a gift shop so you can pick up some souvenirs before you leave. I would recommend allowing at least 1 hour for your visit.
Get your Shakespeare’s Birthplace tickets here.
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage is just a 10-minute drive from Shakespeare’s Birthplace. This 500-year-old thatched cottage was the family home of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway. Here, you can learn about the story of Shakespeare’s courtship.
As well as the cottage, there are nine acres of grounds to explore as you uncover the Hathaway family story. The grounds include a stunning cottage garden, a peaceful woodland walk, and a contemporary sculpture tail.
If you would prefer to walk, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage can be reached on foot and the walk will take about 25 minutes. You will need up to 2 hours for your visit.
Hall’s Croft
This luxurious Jacobean home belonged to Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna and her husband Dr. John Hall. Susanna and John were married in 1607. At the time, Dr. Hall was the only physician in the town.
Hall’s case notes, published in 1657, were a popular textbook for other doctors for many years. You can learn more about the kind of medicine Hall practiced as you explore the house. There is even a medicinal herb garden, much like the one Hall would have used.
Hall’s Croft is a 15-minute walk from Shakespeare’s Birthplace. I recommend you set aside up to 1 hour for your visit.
Shakespeare’s New Place
Shakespeare owned New Place from 1597 until his death in 1616. It was the only family home he ever bought. Sadly, the building was demolished in 1759, but it has been ingeniously reborn as a registered garden.
During Shakespeare’s ownership of New Place, he penned 26 of his 38 plays, as well as publishing his sonnets and poetry. You can now re-live Shakespeare’s tenancy through the exhibition, gardens and sculpture trail. New Place really breathes new life into Shakespeare’s works and finds new and innovative ways to present them through the sculpture garden.
Just a 10-minute walk from Shakespeare’s Birthplace, it is easy to tie a visit to New Place into your trip. You will want at least one hour to visit and fully appreciate Shakespeare’s New Place.
Mary Arden’s Farm
Mary Arden was William Shakespeare’s mother. Before she married John Shakespeare in 1557, Mary grew up on this farm, just outside of Stratford. The property is still a working farm and is run just as it would during Tudor times. The farm still practices traditional farming techniques that Mary would have seen in the 16th century.
The 23-acre site is made up of a traditional farmyard, fruit orchard, woodland, and wildflower meadow. As well as exploring the building and land, you can meet the wide variety of farm animals, see falconry displays, learn Tudor crafts at regular demonstrations and much more.
The farm is open annually between March and October. It is located a 15-minute drive from Shakespeare’s Birthplace, and you can easily spend anything from a couple of hours up to an entire day here.
Buying Tickets
To get the best value out of your visit, I would recommend booking the ‘Full Story Ticket.’ This ticket is fantastic value as it gives you access to all five of the Shakespeare houses.
Better yet, the ticket is valid for unlimited visits for 12 months from the date of purchase. So, you can enjoy William Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon-Avon throughout the seasons, for just the cost of one ticket!
Other Attractions in Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon-Avon
If you have some extra time in Stratford-Upon-Avon, why not check out these other Shakespeare attractions in the local area:
- Holy Trinity Church – see Shakespeare’s final resting place inside this historic church in the town of Stratford.
- Shakespeare’s Schoolroom – learn where Shakespeare first studied poetry in his old schoolroom in the town centre.
- Royal Shakespeare Theatre – treat yourself to a performance of one of Shakespeare’s classics in this 1,000+ seat theatre.
- Charlecote Park – Visit the park where a young William Shakespeare was allegedly caught poaching. This 16th Century country house is owned by the National Trust and is set in its own deer park.
How to get around Stratford-Upon-Avon
If you want to see all the sights while you are visiting Stratford-Upon-Avon, I recommend getting a City Sightseeing Hop-On-Hop-Off bus ticket. The bus is a convenient way to travel between the sights, and you can hop on and off as many times as you like during the day.
Other ideas for your visit:
If you are visiting Stratford-Upon-Avon and have some spare time in your itinerary, why not include a visit to one of these nearby destinations:
To make the most of your visit to the region, you may want to invest in the Shakespeare’s England Explorer Pass. Save money on admission prices and choose from a pass that is valid for 1, 2, or 3 days, including entry to 10 attractions across Warwickshire. Find out more here.
Visiting Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon-Avon
So, here’s your guide to visiting William Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon-Avon, but which attractions are on your must-see list? Let me know in the comments!
Until our next adventure,
Related Articles
P.S. Love it? Pin it!
If you like this guide to William Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon-Avon, be sure to follow Get Lost on Pinterest. That’s where I’ll be sharing all my great UK travel guides!
Hello, I’m Hannah! I’m a writer and photographer who loves experiencing the wonders of Yorkshire. My guides will help you escape from your daily routine by showing you that you don’t have to go far to find an adventure.
Stratford upon Avon has done a wonderful job of preserving Shakespeare-related sites. And it’s convenient that Shakespeare stayed pretty much in the one place as opposed to James Joyce who didn’t even stay in one country! Great post. Thanks.
We agree! The houses are maintained in beautiful condition and are great attractions. Yes, it definitely helps that he only really spent time in Stratford or London so everything is conveniently located together!
I visited a long time ago, it’s indeed a beautiful place. Loved the houses.
It really is a beautiful town and the houses are lovely!
I honestly had no idea all of this existed. What a great guide! The pictures are stunning. It’s truly a special thing that the town has done such a great job with maintaining the history of Shakespeare.
We’re glad you like the guide! Stratford has definitely done a fantastic job of preserving Shakespeare’s history and telling his story. We hope you get the opportunity to visit!
Wow, I did not know this existed, I love how well it seems everything has been preserved. I’m always looking for unique experiences whenever I’m in th eUK so this has been added to that list. Thanks for sharing!
Stratford is definitely a fantastic experience! The houses are really well preserved and do a great job of telling Shakespeare’s life story. It’s worth a visit if you are in the UK!
Stratford is on my UK travel bucket list! Anne Hathaway’s Cottage looks amazing and there are so many interesting Shakespeare attractions to visit in the area!
We’re thrilled to hear it is on your UK bucket list! It’s a fantastic town and there are so many great things to see. Anne Hathaway’s Cottage is lovely. We hope you get an opportunity to visit soon!