Welcome to our family travel guide to Stratford-Upon-Avon! In just 48 hours, we’ll take you on a whirlwind adventure through the charming streets and rich history of this iconic English town. From Shakespearean landmarks to butterfly farms, get ready to find out what to do in Stratford-Upon-Avon over 2 days!
Where to stay?
As a family, we like to stay in a variety of places. While Stratford-upon-Avon has plenty of choices for hotels, we went for something a little bit different. YHA Stratford-upon-Avon is a 5-10 minute drive away from all of the main attractions and there’s a bus route with a stop across the road.
Families staying at a YHA can have a private room, with en suite if they wish. There’s loads of space to stretch your legs at YHA Stratford-upon-Avon, a lovely restaurant and a games room. You’ll often find other families staying at a YHA property too, which makes it easy for children to make friends during down time.
Day 1
Morning
If you’re visiting Stratford-upon-Avon then the chances are, you want to learn something about Shakespeare! The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust offers tickets to various places from Shakespeare’s life. These include Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Shakespeare’s New Place and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. You can buy single tickets or a joint ticket that includes all 3 locations.
Shakespeare’s Birthplace is in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon and the location that gets the busiest. This is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, where you can see the room where he was actually born! Start your day here, as you can easily spend the whole morning walking around and listening to knowledgeable staff who will tell you about Shakespeare’s life.
Be sure to visit the gift shop before you leave to pick up some Shakespeare themed souviners.
Website: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/
Lunch
Just across the road from Shakespeare’s Birthplace is a lovely little cafe called Boston Tea Party. Serving a range of breakfasts, brunches and lunches, you’ll find something for everyone. There’s a great children’s menu which has all sorts from build-your-own breakfasts to pancakes and delicious cheese toasties. Although you cannot book a table here, there are 150 seats both indoors and outside.
Website: https://bostonteaparty.co.uk/our_cafes/stratford.php
Address:
St Gregory’s Hall
Henley Street
Stratford-Upon-Avon,
CV37 6QW
Afternoon
Things can get a bit too ‘Shakespearey’ if you do too much in one go, so I suggest something different in the afternoon. Whether you’re visiting on your own or as a family, the Tudor World Museum is a great choice.
At the Tudor World Museum, you can go back in time and learn all about how people lived during the Tudor time period. See inside a typical kitchen, discover things that were used for cooking and meet the royals of the time! This museum is suited more to older children due to some of the displays, which include scenes from the plague, witchcraft and medicine of the time.
Plan to spend at least 1-2 hours here.
Website: https://tudorworld.com
Address:
Sheep Street
Stratford-upon-Avon
CV37 6EE
Evening
A great way to spend an evening in Stratford-upon-Avon is to see something by the famous Royal Shakespeare Company. You’ll find some fantastic shows at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre but be sure to look up what’s on before your visit. There can be gaps in dates where there’s nothing showing, or, tickets can sell out quickly depending on the show.
Another option for your evening in Stratford-upon-Avon would be to explore more of Shakespeare’s hometown. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants to visit for dinner, or you might enjoy a walk along the banks of the River Avon. This is the perfect place to go on a river cruise too!
Day 2
Morning
It’s time to get back to learning about the life of Shakespeare and visit another of the Shakespeare properties. If I had to choose between Shakespeare’s New Place and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, I would pick the latter. Although it’s not in the town centre, it’s not far away and there’s loads of parking close by, which is within walking distance.
This is a great place, particularly in the summer months. Not only can you look around the cottage, but there is a beautiful garden to walk around. Dotted around, you’ll find statues and sculptures based on Shakespeare’s plays.
Address:
22 Cottage Lane,
Shottery,
Stratford-upon-Avon,
CV37 9HH
Lunch
One of the great things about Stratford-upon-Avon is the amount of choice when it comes to food. You’ll find everything here from bistros, sandwich shops and fast food like McDonalds. Personally, I would make the most of the time during the day and grab something quick to eat. There’s so much to see in Stratford-upon-Avon and if you’re only there for 48 hours, you’ll want to pack in as much as possible.
Afternoon
For something a bit different, visit the Stratford Butterfly Farm in the afternoon. It’s a short walk from the centre of the town and there is quite a lot of parking available.
The Rainforest Flight Area is the main attraction at the Stratford butterfly farm, showcasing the world’s most beautiful butterflies. Throughout the year, you’ll see over 250 different species of tropical butterflies, with around 2000 flying around. As you walk through the entrance, you’re hit with a wave of warmth, as this is a huge landscaped tropical greenhouse, making it a wonderful home for the butterflies. Dotted around are a few benches where you can sit and take in the views, maybe hoping that a butterfly or two will come and say hello.
This is a lovely indoor attraction, which is great if you’re not so lucky with the weather. It’s also a great place to visit with children but I enjoyed it just as much as Erin did.
Website: http://www.butterflyfarm.co.uk
Address:
Swan’s Nest Lane,
Stratford-upon-Avon,
Warwickshire,
CV37 7LS
Got some spare time?
If you have more time to spend in Stratford-upon-Avon then there’s plenty more for you to do! A longer day out would be to visit Warwick Castle but more local attractions include the Mad Museum or the Holy Trinity Church.
Read more about Stratford-upon-Avon
- Stratford Butterfly Farm
- Tudor World
- Shakespeare’s family homes
- 10 things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon with kids
- How to spend 48 hours in Stratford-upon-Avon
