Stratford-upon-Avon is one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions. It is always crowded, at any time of the year, but with the care taken to preserve the presence of Shakespeare, one can still feel him in the streets and buildings of what once was a small, unremarkable town. And, of course, attending a performance of one of his plays brings you into even more direct contact with him.

So without further ado, here’s our guide to the perfect day out in Stratford Upon Avon on the Shakespeare trail:

Start with The Royal Shakespeare Company’s recently transformed theatre which re-opened in November 2010. The new building includes two theatres, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan Theatre. Visitors can also experience Theatre Tours, take a trip up the Tower for views of Stratford-upon-Avon, and enjoy free exhibitions. You can also have lunch or dinner in the Rooftop Restaurant and Bar or enjoy a light bite in the Riverside Cafe.

You will, of course, want to see the places where Shakespeare actually lived in Stratford. There are five historic sites in and around Stratford where he and his family lived: Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Hall’s Croft, Mary Arden’s House, and Nash’s House and the site of New Place.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace has been welcoming visitors from all over the world for over two and a half centuries. This fine Tudor house is where Shakespeare’s life began. The Life, Love and Legacy exhibition provides a journey through Shakespeare’s world and sets the scene for your visit to the house itself. This timber framed town house contains both original and replica artefacts depicting the house as Shakespeare would have known it. Period guides, dressed in replica Tudor clothing, welcome you to explore what life was like here in Tudor times.

Anne Hathaway’s House is where the young William courted his future bride Anne Hathaway at her picturesque family home. It is a thatched farmhouse with beautiful grounds and gardens. The cottage is in Shottery, a hamlet within the parish of Stratford-upon-Avon, a mile from the town centre but an easy, pleasant, walk on a well sign-posted footpath. It contains many original items of family furniture, including the Hathaway Bed, dating from Anne’s time.

Hall’s Croft is the luxurious home of Shakespeare’s daughter and her husband, Dr John Hall, an eminent physician. The rooms are lavish and elegant, with many exquisite furnishings and paintings of the period.

Mary Arden’s House in Wilmcote, a few miles to the south of Stratford, is constructed using oak from the nearby Arden forest and stone from Wilmcote itself. The house has an intriguing, fairytale atmosphere with uneven walls, irregular handmade tiles and tiny dormer windows. Outdoor attractions include a dovecote, cowsheds, stables, a cider mill and barns. The outbuildings house a museum illustrating rural life over the last 400 years. So you can see the Elizabethan way of life and interact with the daily domestic routine of a working farm. There is a selection of sheep, pigs and cattle appropriate to the time, and a nature trail.

Thomas Nash was the first husband of Shakespeare’s granddaughter, and a wealthy local property owner. Today, their home, Nash’s House, is a well preserved Tudor building and the ground floor is furnished as it would have been in Nash’s day.

Next door to Nash’s House are the foundations of New Place. This was the house bought by William Shakespeare in 1597. By the late 1590s Shakespeare was an established playwright and had amassed enough wealth to afford a new family home. New Place was the second biggest house in Stratford at the time and it was where Shakespeare lived when he was not in London, and where he wrote many of his plays, and the Shakespeare sonnets. He died here in 1616.

Having seen the houses where Shakespeare was born, lived, and died you can move on to the place where he is buried. Holy Trinity Church is located on the banks of the River Avon, a short walk from the theatre. It’s considered one of England’s most-visited parish churches and the site where William Shakespeare was baptized in 1564 and buried in 1616. You can see his tomb and the curse which he placed there on anyone daring to disturb his bones. His wife is also buried there.

It’s unlikely you’ll have any time or stamina left after seeing the major Shakespeare sights of Stratford Upon Avon, but if you do there are plenty more tourist attractions. These include as the Falstaff  Experience museum, the Harvard House, the brass rubbing centre and trips up the River Avon. Enjoy your day!