Private tour with an accredited expert guide Hampton Court Palace
- 2–2.5 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
This is the ultimate tour of history where it happened, you will walk in the footsteps of kings and queens. Your guide, Sarah, is a social historian, storyteller and expert on the 16th century Tudor period. She is a qualified Blue Badge Tourist Guide and has worked at Hampton Court Palace as a member of staff since 2008, she has been interviewed on the BBC and acknowledged by authors, so is ideally placed to impart the secrets of those who have lived, worked and died within the palace walls. Hampton Court is a 'palace of two halves'; the 16th century Tudor and Wren's 17th century Baroque. You will see magnificent artworks in the State Apartments, the Astronomical clock, kitchens, wine cellars, gardens and maybe even a ghost! Note the Chapel may be closed on Sundays. Entrance fees to Hampton Court Palace are NOT included in the price of this tour booking, entrance tickets to the palace cost approximately £32 per person and should be purchased through the Historic Royal Palace's website.
Inclusions
What's included
- Sarah has worked as a Guide Lecturer at Hampton Court Palace since 2008
- Sarah has been acknowledged by authors and interviewed for her expertise knowledge of Hampton Court
- Personal tour with Sarah who is accredited with the Institute of Tourist Guiding, White Badge Guide
What's not
- Please note the Chapel Royal is a working chapel and may close at short notice for services.
- Hampton Court Palace
- Admission fees into Hampton Court Palace are not included
Itinerary
As we enter through the Tudor Gatehouse it may feel as though we have stepped back in time to the 16th Century. Together we will explore the courtyards and Tudor Kitchens, we will sense the smells and sounds of a busy working environment where sumptuous meals were prepared by the many servants for the Court of King Henry VIII. We will ascend to the upper floors to view the magnificent Tudor State Apartments which includes some of the finest artwork and tapestries from the period such as the Abraham Tapestries and the painting of the Family of Henry VIII. Walk through the Great Hall and along the Haunted Gallery where I shall tell the ghost story of Catherine Howard, King Henry VIII's doomed fifth wife. Then we will move into the Baroque side of the palace built in 1689 by Queen Mary II & King William III to rival Versailes near Paris. We will see the magnificent gardens which include the world famous hedge Maze, the Great Vine, the Royal Tennis Court and the King's Privy Garden.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 5106
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Ratings come from 106 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- I will meet you at the West Gate which is the main palace entrance. Once you have entered through Trophy Gate from the road A309, proceed up the driveway which is known as Trophy Drive, I shall wait near the moat just in front of the main entrance, West Gate.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- Sarah Slater Blue Badge Tourist Guide @ The History Guides
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in London
- Its from-price is 71% above the median of the 4793 experiences we list in London.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 460 of 4793.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About London
London mixes royal ceremony, world-class museums and riverside landmarks with distinct neighbourhoods, markets and parks to explore on foot.
The Thames threads the city together. On its banks stand the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the Tower of London with the Crown Jewels, Tower Bridge and the long South Bank walk past the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe and Tate Modern. St Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey anchor the older skyline, while glass towers crowd the financial district.
Top-ranked sights in London: St. Paul's Cathedral, Stonehenge, Tower of London.
Special offers in London
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
