How Travelers Can Celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday in England

This year is the legendary author Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, and it’s a fair statement to say that more people than just the Brits are excited about it. 

Travelers will find a wide variety of celebrations, tour experiences, festivals or even hotel packages celebrating the widely known author of books like “Pride & Prejudice” and “Emma,” in a country-wide celebration known as Austen 250, taking place all across the regions Austen was known to have lived, visited or written about during her lifetime. 

Curious to see how Britain is celebrating Jane Austen’s milestone 250th birthday—and how you might be able to get involved in the festivities?

Destinations Celebrating Jane Austen’s Enduring Legacy

The places where Jane Austen lived, vacationed and wrote about during her life are celebrating her in a big way this year. 

Jane Austen visited Southampton before living there from 1806 to 1809. She celebrated her birthday at a ball at The Dolphin and lived with her brother in Castle Square. The Southampton Tourist Guide Association is running a twice-weekly tour through September 7, focusing on Austen’s life and the places she frequented. 

The destination also created a new Jane Austen Heritage Walking Trail Map for self-guided tours through the town. There are eight key places marked by commemorative plaques located throughout Southampton.

To recognize her impact on the town, the city’s Sea City Museum is offering a new exhibit focusing on Austen and her cadre of good friends through the end of October, entitled “A Very Respectable Company – Jane Austen and her Southampton Circle.” 

On December 13, Townhill Park House will feature Jane Austen’s Regency Birthday Ball, with live music and guests dressed in period regalia. Tickets are available for purchase at 85 pounds per person. 

Hampshire is also commemorating the author’s 250th birthday this year, having been both the place where she spent her first 25 years of life and the place where she died. It’s also a filming location for some of the author’s film adaptations. 

This year, visitors to Hampshire can enjoy a limited-time opening of Winchester House, where she spent the last three weeks of her life, a Regency-era fashion show at Winchester’s Great Hall, a statue unveiling at Winchester Cathedral, where she is buried and more.

There are also a whole host of places to visit, including Jane Austen’s House near Winchester, which is a museum of her life and the place where she wrote all of her novels. The town also offers a 90-minute walking tour with a local, providing travelers with the best insight into her life. 

From September 12 through the 21, those heading to Bath, a place Austen herself frequented and a familiar setting in her novels, will be able to step into the Regency Era with the Jane Austen Festival.

It’s the most significant and longest-running Austen festival in the world, and this year is especially unique, featuring guided walks, costume parties, theatrical performances, lectures and more. Austen fans can also learn about Austen’s life in Bath and enjoy afternoon tea at the Jane Austen Centre. 

Rest assured, those who will be visiting Bath outside of the festival dates will have no trouble celebrating Austen 250, either. 

Travelers can enjoy several locally owned and operated Austen-themed tours around the city, indulge in Regency or Austen-themed afternoon teas at several local shops, including The Pump Room Restaurant, savor Austen-themed pizzas at Bath Pizza Co (like the Pride & Pepperoni pizza), stay at a historic hotel with Austen-themed packages and events and…well, the list really does go on. 

Accommodations Celebrating Jane Austen 250 

Just as the towns in which Austen lived and wrote during her life are celebrating her, so are some special accommodations. These are all excellent choices for Austen lovers hoping to immerse themselves in her history, books and the places she wrote about. 

One such special place is Henry’s Townhouse in London. Formerly the home of Henry, Austen’s brother, the six-bedroom boutique hotel in Marylebone offers rooms named for each member of Austen’s family, including Jane’s Reading Room, and provides a buyout option for groups. 

Step into the countryside of Jane Austen with the countryside estate hotel, Lucknam Park. Located in Wiltshire near Bath, the 5-star property offers a historic estate, 500 acres of gardens, an equestrian center, spa and much more.

This year, it’s offering the 250 Years of Jane Austen Package, which includes daily breakfast, a three-course dinner at the Walled Garden Restaurant, afternoon tea for two and full use of the spa for a two-night stay now through October 30, 2025. The cost is £1,260 per room. 

The Gainsborough Bath Spa, a luxury 5-star hotel in Bath and a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, has partnered with Strictly Jane Austen Tours to host a 5-night weeklong celebration of Austen this October. 

While fully booked, the hotel will also be offering one-day experiences with Regency dance workshops, afternoon teas and a whole host of fun events this December to celebrate Austen’s winter birthday. 

Another luxurious and historic Bath hotel, The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, is offering the Jane Austen Experience.

This package includes overnight accommodations in the Georgian-era hotel, full English breakfast, a private two-hour Jane Austen walking tour, an Austen-themed afternoon tea in Montagu’s Mews, an Austen novel and custom notelets upon arrival and unlimited use of The Spa & Bath House. The package price starts at £660 and is available through October 31, 2025. 

Two Exclusive Collection hotels are also celebrating Jane Austen’s 250th birthday with packages and experiences for Austen lovers.

Lainston House, located near Chawton, where Austen wrote some of her books, and Winchester Cathedral, where she is buried, is offering a Jane Austen Escape package.

The package includes an Austen-themed afternoon tea, a one-night stay at the Lainston House, breakfast and tickets to Winchester Cathedral. The price is £300 for a solo traveler and £325 for double occupancy now through September 30. 

The Jane Austen Escape is also available at The Manor House in the Cotswolds. It includes a one-night stay, breakfast and tickets to the Jane Austen Centre in Bath for £320 for a solo traveler and £365 for double occupancy, now through September 30. 

Tours & Experiences for Austen 250 

As mentioned before, Strictly Jane Austen Tours is a great option for travelers heading to Bath this year—or any year! They offer guided walking tours, Regency Era-themed afternoon tea experiences and much more. Austen lovers celebrating their bachelorette parties in Bath can also enjoy bespoke experiences designed just for them. 

For Austen 250, the tour operator is hosting one-day celebrations this December at the Gainsborough Bath Spa. These include a lecture by Austen scholar and author Dr. Gabrielle Malcom, a Regency dance class and more.

For travelers wanting to get the whole Austen travel experience in a single day, with transport to and from the places she frequented, Daytrip is an excellent option. The operator is offering two different tours this year: London to Jane Austen’s main sites, and Southampton to Jane Austen’s main sites. 

Both are private day trips, which means you get your guide for the whole day, all to yourself. Starting from London, the first trip visits Jane Austen’s House Museum, where she wrote “Emma” and “Persuasion,” then heads to Winchester, where she is buried. You are then driven back to London by your driver. 

The Southampton tour includes a visit to her house museum, followed by a visit to the Winchester City Mill and other key sites in Winchester, including a walk down the Jane Austen Hampshire Trail. Your driver will then bring you back to Southampton. 

How to Celebrate Austen 250 Without a Trip to England

As fun as it may be to visit England to celebrate Austen 250, not all of us can. 

Never fear, however: there are still plenty of ways to celebrate her and her literary masterpieces. Reading her works—or re-reading them—is a definite recommendation, as is watching the many adaptations of her novels.

The Jane Austen House Museum is hosting a few virtual experiences for her birthday week this December, including one about Regency Era dress and, on December 16, Austen’s virtual birthday party. In September, the Museum is also hosting a “Persuasion” festival based on Austen’s book of the same name, which also includes a few virtual experiences. 

Check out the “A Jane Austen Year” podcast, run by the Jane Austen House Museum, to learn even more about Austen’s life, her novels and her enduring legacy.

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.

Contact My Journey Begins Travel to custom-plan you celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday