Berkeley Castle
A lived-in medieval castle near the Severn, with historic rooms, gardens and optional guided tours; check its Sunday–Wednesday visitor season.
Opening hours
2026 visitor season: Sunday–Wednesday, 11am–5pm; last castle admission 4pm. Guided tours at noon and 2pm, subject to availability. Check the official calendar for seasonal dates and private events.
Location: Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, GL13 9BQ
Berkeley Castle rises above its town with the satisfying weight of a building that has been lived in for centuries. The Berkeley family has held it for nearly 900 years, and the rooms, gardens and kitchen garden give the history a human scale. A guided tour is worth considering if you want the stories behind the rooms rather than simply walking through them.
Choose your visit
In the 2026 visitor season the castle opens Sunday to Wednesday, 11am–5pm, with last admission at 4pm. Guided castle tours are scheduled for noon and 2pm, last around 75 minutes and cost extra. You can buy admission online or at the ticket office in the Kitchen Garden. The site is cashless, and only assistance dogs are admitted to the castle and grounds.
Make time for Berkeley itself
The castle is close enough to the small town to combine the visit with a walk through Berkeley rather than rushing straight back to the M5. If you are set on the tour, book that first and build the rest of your day around its start time. Thursday to Saturday are used for private events, so do not assume a weekend visit means Saturday.