How to spend a day in Stratford-Upon-Avon

Famous for its links to Shakespeare, Stratford-Upon-Avon is a quintessential historic English town with cute old streets and fascinating history. Check out my guide for how to spend a day in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

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Shakespeare’s Birthplace

My top recommendation for how to spend a day in Stratford-Upon-Avon is to start at Shakespeare’s birthplace. Located on one of the main streets in the centre of Stratford-Upon-Avon, the iconic Tudor building really grabs your attention. Shakespeare was born here in 1564 and spent his childhood here.

You can go inside the house as well – it’s been restored so you can really get an idea of what like was like in the 16th century, and how much we take modern comforts for granted. It’s amazing to think of how many people must have lived in this house and how different their stories will have been from our own – including young Shakespeare’s own story. I found it easy to spend an hour at Shakespeare’s birthplace, admiring it from the outside and exploring inside.

You can buy a combined ticket for entry into several of the Shakespeare attractions in Stratford-Upon-Avon – visit the website for prices, and also opening times of all the attractions here.

Shakespeare’s New Place

I didn’t find Shakespeare’s New Place as impressive as Shakespeare’s birthplace, but it’s still worth a short visit before lunch. I think I spent about half an hour to an hour here. In 1597, at the age of 33 and as an establish play writer in London, Shakespeare bought a house here. However, the actual house isn’t actually here anymore, so don’t expect another historical building. Instead there’s a lovely Elizabethan garden to explore. There’s also another museum with more information about Shakespeare and life in the 16th century in Elizabethan times.

Have lunch in Stratford-Upon-Avon and explore the shops

There’s no shortage of restaurants in Stratford-Upon-Avon, including most of the chain restaurants and independent pubs that you’d expect to find in a busy UK town. Italian restaurants such as Pizza Express and Zizzi are always good if you’re looking for something quick and not too expensive so you can carry on your day. Or for some British food with a twist, head to The Scullery.

The centre of Stratford-Upon-Avon has some great shops to explore while you take a break from the historical sights. My favourite was a shop called Alohomora, located close to Shakespeare’s birthplace. It sold all kinds of Harry Potter themed merchandise, as well as some Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones stuff. Try on a wizarding robe, choose your wand and…expelliarmus!

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

My next recommendation for how to spend a day in Stratford-Upon-Avon is to spend your afternoon at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. This cottage is famous as the birthplace of Shakespeare’s wife. It’s located just outside of the centre, so it’s probably best to drive there and park nearby. This beautiful farmhouse cottage was built in 1463, and Anne Hathaway was born here in 1556. She was living here when she first met Shakespeare.

The cottage is well restored and it’s great to explore inside, and again learn more about how people lived in Tudor times. The gardens are really stunning as well. There are formal gardens with lovely flowers in the summer, and also more extensive grounds with a sculpture trail. Plan to spend at least an hour or two exploring the house, gardens and grounds here.

Watch a Shakespeare Play

A whole day of learning about Shakespeare’s life forms the perfect basis for watching one of his many famous plays in the evening. Several theatres in Stratford-Upon_Avon show plays produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company. My favourite is the Swan Theatre, located next to the lovely river – check out the latest performance times on their website here.

If you’re looking for a great guide to Stratford-Upon-Avon with a useful map, I’d recommend this guide which also covers some of the surrounding area as well (affiliate).

Enjoy your day in Stratford-Upon-Avon! If you’d like to explore more of Warwickshire, check out my guide to the top things to do in Warwickshire. Or if you’re looking to explore some other walks and things to do nearby, check out my guides to walks in Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.