Hampton Court Palace in South Hams

What a fabulous place! I spent the best part of a day there. Do the audio guided tour of the building then enjoy the huge garden.

What a wonderful day. To be able to walk around 500 years of history it was amazing. The gardens were beautiful with all the tulips in flower. All the volunteers are very helpful and informative.

We planned our visit during the tulip festival, and it was indeed the best time. There was so much history to explore with the beautiful garden. We also loved the maize and the magical garden.

Such a beautiful place to go to on a Sunday afternoon. I thought it was going to be more crowded but it was not. Spent around 2 hours touring the inside. You can reserve tickets online, but I think if you would like a physical ticket it’s better to buy it inside the ticket stand. I wanted a physical ticket for scrapbooking but I didn’t ask so not sure if it’s possible to get one printed if you bought it online.

Beautiful place and garden, great for the kids as well. The only negative point I would have is that I went there 10 years ago and there were more to see, more rooms to visit, more furniture. It was all very much empty and plain in comparison.

On a beautiful sunny day, this place is magical. Even if you don’t go in, you can walk around it or cycle and you’ll enjoy it!

The grounds are stunning. It's worth going especially when there is an open day as there's on charge for visiting the grounds

We visited on a Saturday afternoon. No queue to scan your QR code. Staff are really informative and helpful. There is so much artwork to see. Obviously the main attraction is the Henry VIII historical areas. It’s a stunning palace and they had Evensong on and you could hear the service from the garden outside. We didn’t have enough time to explore the gardens as it closes at 5.30pm. We had a very good coffee at the orangery cafe.

Hampton Court Palace offers a captivating journey through English history, showcasing the grandeur of both Tudor and Baroque eras. Originally belonging to Cardinal Wolsey and later becoming a prized possession of King Henry VIII, the palace boasts stunning Tudor architecture, evident in its iconic chimneys and intricate brickwork. Exploring the State Apartments allows visitors to envision the lives of Henry VIII and his wives within the richly decorated rooms, with the magnificent Great Hall standing out. Later additions by William III introduced Baroque elegance, creating a fascinating contrast in styles. The King's and Queen's State Apartments from this period display impressive artwork and furnishings, reflecting a different era of royal life. The palace gardens are a highlight, ranging from the formal Privy Garden to the expansive Home Park. The maze provides entertainment for all ages, while the ancient Great Vine is a remarkable natural wonder. The gardens offer picturesque views of the palace and the River Thames, providing a peaceful retreat. Informative displays and helpful staff enhance the historical understanding, and the audio guide is a valuable tool. A visit can easily fill a whole day, with potential for encountering special exhibitions and events. While the palace's size is considerable, it ensures a wealth of discovery. Catering options are available, and a gift shop offers souvenirs. In essence, Hampton Court Palace is a memorable destination that seamlessly blends historical significance, architectural beauty, and enchanting gardens. It's an ideal outing for history buffs and anyone seeking a glimpse into royal life across centuries.

Free entrance day to yhe gardens parking very difficult

Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, make sure you read opening hours!

Awesome experience! Go see SIX before or after! Cute children’s play area in the garden.

We went to the last weekend of the tulip festival May 3rd Of course you have to pay for a ticket to the palace- we did not want to go in the palace, it is a shame they do not have a garden only ticket. Some people would come to picnic and enjoy the gardens I’m sure,without seeing the palace. We felt very cheated to pay the expensive fee, then find all the tulips were pretty much dead. Their website is updated re the flowers but , deliberately I’m sure, there had been no update since April 23rd. They of course could hardly say all the tulips have finished so don’t bother coming. So they say nothing and we pay their fee, travel a fair way, and see a withered display of tulips..very deceitful.

Visited hampton court palace during the weekend - The palace is beautifully preserved and rich in histories. Walking through the grand halls and royal apartments truly feels like stepping back in time. The gardens are especially impressive with the trees are all well trimmed- Whether you’re a history enthusiast or just looking for a scenic day out, definitely worth a visit.

Beautiful palace, so much history, stepping back in time..

The grounds and palace make a lovely few hours!

Amazing place for a historic day out

We paid around 50 pounds per person to visit this incredible palace (17 pounds for the train from Waterloo, and 32 pounds for the castle entrance - more expensive during the weekend) I would say it was totally worth it. We spent around 5 hours here. The first 2 hours we wondered around the palace, and learnt about the Tudor and Georgian times. The rooms are beautifully painted and well kept. Next, we chilled in the gardens. The gardens are incredibly beautiful, especially this time of year. There were loads of people visiting, but I think because the palace is so big, we didn't really feel it being crowded. It is advised to buy tickets in advance.

I have been to Hampton Court Palace several times and always find it beautiful. Great exhibitions, very interesting tours and really nicely done little performances (about 15 minutes each) by costumed actors in different rooms. Fantastic gardens. You can easily spend half a day or more here if you want to look at everything in peace. Online tickets are tied to the day, but do not have a “time slot” that you have to book and stick to as is the case with many other castles. For children, as in most other sights in England, there are special children's audios and books in the shop that tell the stories about the palace in a child-friendly way (in English). Hampton Court also has a garden area built just for children to play and explore (Magical Garden) - be careful, lots of water!

Fantastic property and gardens. There's plenty to see. There's a fair bit of walking involved if you want to do the gardens justice, but most of it is flat. We didn't do the inclusive audio tour and made our own way around. Even though we went on a weekday, it was very busy with a number of school groups there. It's not cheap but highly recommended.

Another revisit and still great. Beautiful gardens to wander, though just starting to bloom again for this time of year. Kids enjoyed the play garden.

Great day at Hampton Court Gardens today, especially as it was free entry to the gardens! And it was such a beautiful day! But a bit pricey if you want to go into the palace itself! £30 for each adult.

This is an exceptionally well done tour. The ticket included a free audio tour. There's even one for kids! This was fabulous and educational.

If you like your history, this place is a must visit. To step where some of the most well known people in history have stood is beyond words.

Another visit to this wonderful place. Today was spent exploring the beautiful gardens.

We attended the open day for the gardens . Was absolutely amazing. We were there at 10 and wasn’t too busy . By the time we left at 12 it was getting really busy . We had a great visit and will visit again soon . Would highly recommend a visit 💖

A fantastic experience ,to think that one person could own a place like that,while most of England was in poverty,the tour took us about three and a half hours ,the gardens are magnificent and well kept by today's staff well done ,all staff in Hampton court where very helpful ,thank you for a wonderful day .

A fascinating place to visit. An interesting palace as well as beautiful gardens. It is expensive, so plan to visit for a whole day to make the most of it

Lovely day out definitely worth a visit

The absence of a separate ticket for the garden is a joke. I've already visited the palace 4 times. I don't want anymore and I don't want to pay for it.

What an amazing visit! We were lucky enough to stay inside the Palace grounds, along Tennis Court Lane & got to explore the Palace courtyards outside normal opening hours….which was INCREDIBLE! During the day when the palace was open we loved doing the audio tour & seeing all the exhibits & immersing ourselves in the history…definitely recommend picking up the free audio from the shop at Base Court. The grounds are divine, the rose garden, kitchen garden, privy garden were the favourites for us, along with wandering through the ‘wildness’ & the maze. The Royal Chapel is beautiful & the history on the audio was presented in a fun & entertaining way. We didn’t have time to visit Tudor World but it is always good to leave something for the next trip. Big shout out to the security team who made our stay even more special. We loved driving through the Trophy Gates & up the main driveway. If visiting for the day, you need a full day to truly enjoy everything on offer. We loved it & will be back!

Poor …. !! Very expensive! No compassion, no empathy for a disabled elderly lady!

Very beautiful place. Its carry lots of historical informations and symbol.

A great royal palace a great day out

We love Hampton Court palace, especially in the summer.

Really nice and interesting place to visit full of history to explore. The gardens are full of different flowers with dedicated and talented gardeners. If you are hungry there is a cafeteria that serves not only tea or coffee and delicious cakes but also serves lunch as a buffet with very reasonable prices.

A place we used to visit when we were kids both parents and grandparents took us there

I went with two girls and they loved hearing about the castle and what happened there

Great place always filming going on which is amazing

History in motion. Fabulous place for a day out

Very disappointed. Went there for the "Tulip Festival"... However, there were odd one or two tulips and that's it. Sorry, I am not a big fan of PALACES... I feel like, I was deceived and it wasn't CHEAP

Hampton Court Palace is a great place to spend the day. It’s packed with history, and the audio guide is really helpful. Walking through the palace and seeing all the rooms really brings the past to life. The maze is a fun bonus, and the gardens are absolutely beautiful. There’s plenty of parking, for around £1.80 an hour, but on busy days it can fill up—Hampton Station nearby is a good backup, and it’s only about £2.80 for 2 hours or £4 for the whole day. We visited on a busy bank holiday weekend and the service was great from the staff and only around 5 min waiting times to buy the tickets. Definitely worth a visit, especially in spring when the flowers, especially the tulips, are in full bloom!

So much history and beauty. Definitely worth a visit

Visited for my partner’s birthday and had a fantastic time. The palace is full of history—from the dramatic Tudor kitchens and Great Hall to the elegant Georgian extensions. The audio guide really brought everything to life, and it felt surreal walking in the footsteps of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. We stayed at a hotel about five miles away, but next time we’d definitely choose The Mitre Hotel, which is right opposite the palace. It would’ve made things much easier, especially with Hampton Court train station just next door and plenty of restaurants in the area for a lovely evening out. Highly recommend this amazing, well-maintained palace for anyone interested in British history.

The palace and gardens were beautiful and well-maintained. While a couple of the stewards were lovely and welcoming, most were unfortunately rude and unhelpful. One refused to let me use the toilet facilities at 5:30 pm, despite the gardens being open until 6 pm, and another made my father go to the back of the queue for no apparent reason. These interactions significantly detracted from the experience. Additionally, the Tulip Festival was underwhelming and did not live up to expectations.

Had a brilliant day at Hampton Court Palace. So much history to see and beautiful gardens

Very interesting and lovely Palace.

The palace itself was just ok compared to other castles I’ve been to. I guess it’s because it’s a bit older. And the interior is mostly empty with minimal furnitures. Regardless, the history that happened there is intriguing. Extremely expensive food and long queue to get the food. Lovely staffs and people. Made it to the end of the tulip festival and it was beautiful. Still worth the experience.

Underwhelming rooms. The chapel was the only good bit. I'm a massive history buff but this was boring and not much to see inside, most of the things they had on display are fake replicas. Honestly the least favourite place I've been to when compared to national trust places like burghley, belton...think I've been too spoilt I think

Loved it! Perfect day... learnt so much and had plenty of time to enjoy the stunning gardens too. Great day out - would highly recommend

Enjoyable, relaxing experience with family and friends! Go!!

3 star for the palace only. Unfortunately there is almost no tulip left for the tulip festival. We visited on 1st of may 2025 but hardly found some tulip bulb. Few was left but they almost dried up. They should refund money who bought to enjoy the tulip festival not the palace.

Lovely place to visit. It has a fabulous play area. Including a sand pit area with water features for the kids to play in. So take spare clothes and swimming clothes and a towel if it's warm. Lovely picnic area also

My partner was carrying his professional camera when we went to buy tickets and was immediately asked what he would be taking pictures of and told we weren’t allowed to take professional pictures. I understand the need to check for this kind of the stuff but the person was very hostile and I don’t think it’s that unusual for visitors to use professional cameras nowadays. We were then asked again by 2 staff members what we were taking pictures of during our visit. There must be a lot of companies sneaking commercial shoots in this place for everyone to be on such high alert!? Apart from that, the grounds and buildings are beautiful and worth a visit if you’re not carrying a big camera…

I had a corporation ticket. The visit and the whole experience was excellent. I am planning to come again and enjoy the gardens a bit more in the summer. I guess the parking is a bit of a concern as there is a limited number of parking spaces at the site (obviously) but we were able to find nearby parking with a super cheap daily ticket. So this didn't influence our overall experience :)

A great place to visit. On this occasion we only visited the gardens but the house is extensive and included in the entry price.

It's bigger than it looks. Spent a few hours here taking in the sights. Absolutely worth visiting if in the area, very knowledgeable staff that were friendly and helpful.

Amazing place ,if you like history you have to go ,really well managed so easy to find anywhere

Worth a visit though it’s very quick visit only before heading back to West Yorkshire. Entrance is pricey but worthy. Well maintained garden and beautiful bricks built palace. Taken exterior photos would be enough in our case. Anyway thank security for allowing me to take photos of you ♥️

Wonderful to look around, the free audio guides and kids activities are great

I loved my visit as there was so much to see - beautiful architecture, stunning gardens, and fascinating history. It really felt like stepping back in time. The staff and guards were friendly and very knowledgeable. The kitchens and Great Hall were highlights. A must-visit and definitely worth the price.

This place is amazing. We have an annual pass and took our son for the first time to the magic garden this wkend. Staff all so lovely and professional. Everywhere you go in the grounds are so clean. Great events on. Highly recommend an annual pass and using it!

Go in April for the tulips! Anytime for the history

Very impressed by this palace. Very nicely maintained and the history is very nicely explained in the Tour. Definitely worth a visit.

A beautiful Palace, very organised. I very welcome place to be discovered.

Great for a family day out, wheelchair friendly, lovely staff who are always on hand to help assist and guide you, so much to do and so much history to uncover.

A great day out but can be quiet dear.

A lovely place, amazing gardens and so much history!

A wonderful discovery of this peaceful and magnificent park with an incredible diversity of plants. There are animals too! Geese, ducks, fish, foxes, squirrels...

Expensive (£28) entry. If you’re going for the tulip “festival” you’ll be extremely disappointed - not what it’s sold as with only a couple of flower beds showing tulips. Staff helpful and friendly. Palace itself beautiful and surrounding gardens very pretty. Audio guide included in price which is informative

I'm a member of HRP and grew up not far from HCP, always a pleasure to return.

Hampton court itself is really worth a visit, and I've been a few times now. Nice trail for children for Easter, and they always make an effort to keep little ones entertained. Park is great as always. We really enjoyed it. Toilets are clean and well kept with many around if needed. The only part that let's them down is the restaurant. It's not about the wait time because you have to accept this when busy. It's more about what they charge for food and have to say we felt very poor choices and although I appreciate everyone feels differently given the cost to get in then high priced for for some families this needs to be addressed. It cost us £42 for 3 sausage rolls, which were small and 1 packet of crisps with 3 drinks. Food was far from worth it. Also, it is good to mention that maybe alter the layout so you only have 1 main area for all food, not 2 separate areas. This would make waiting times easier and not cause issues by doors that are also emergency exits. Other than that it a great place to visit and would go again but word to the wise bring a picnic if its nice. Parking is also cheaper for the day at the train station next to Hampton court and if early lots of spaces.

A brilliant place to visit, full of history and lovely gardens

If you are a tourist and visiting London this is the place you must visit! Rich in Tudor history and the building is maintained to a very high standard with plenty of knowledgeable staff to help. Amazing architecture and gardens here and plenty of things for adults and children to do. I will be back sometime in the future

This is a great place to visit. Lots to see.

A massive palace rich of history and charm, stunning gardens and absolutely worth a visit.

The gift shop has the better options for some medieval looking options. I wish the others had more items during that period. The keys and cups were neat. Other than that, this castle is my personal favorite including the gardens. Take your time to spend in that area too. We didn't schedule enough time to see most of the gardens.

It's worth the visit for the gardens alone. They're impressive. We only planned two hours here, and it was not enough. Do at least three.

Super big, interesting and even impressive! The price therefore seems acceptable to me.

Wonderful, enjoyed the complete experience - the house, the gardens and the talks.

Hampton Court Palace and the Tulip Festival was an absolute highlight of our trip to the UK. We could have spent days exploring...

Great palace, fun for the whole family. Authentic food was amazing

Grand day out that delivers a clear understanding of why we stopped allowing despotic mafia boss Kings

We have been several times - we got an annual pass which also allows access to the Tower of London - and always found something new and interesting. Beautiful gardens, a great children's play area, historic buildings with an impressive collection of paintings and artefacts, and helpful, informative staff - and don't forget the famous maze. It's not all about Henry VIII but he does feature a lot! At busy times the car park may be full so you may need to find parking a couple of hundred yards away in Bushey Park.

Audio tour is a must , beautiful place ,interesting , easy to get to train stain 5 min walk , stunning gardens ,grounds pity it was a bit too cold to sit out , same as everywhere long queues pre booked tickets a must

don't ask for a review, all i did was google the place. I HAVE NEVER BEEN WILL YOU NOT READ ??

Fantastic place to explore a history. Time journey. Amazing gardens, places to eat. Lovely location. For full day out to enjoy. Incredible in late spring with the garden covered with carpets f crocuses and daffodils. Must be seen!

Amazing and beautiful historical features welcoming faces on each and every corner who are not tired of explaining about the palace. Items used long ago are still intact and ancient ways of survival can be noticed. Original wooden wheelbarrows, drums and carts are a feature and printed information displayed. Parking including Blue Badge is provided. Nice place to visit.

Lovely day, gardens really goid

Residence of King Henry VIII and his wives, scenic and very well preserved, worth the price of the ticket!!

Wonderful place! If you know about UK history a bit, you should go! You would love it!

A beautiful palace, a free audio guide, many locations - very interesting and educational - you can spend the whole day there, since in addition to the palace itself there are beautiful gardens (there is a labyrinth and a cafe in the garden). We all really liked it, in the summer they also ride horse-powered carts there.

Having taken membership, we now really regret it. This is the third time we've turned up to Hampton Court to find they've shut it for a private function and with no warning or notification. Cue really disappointed kids. Bloke on the gate had the nerve to say an email was sent out last April. Says it all. Do day trip by all means but don't take membership.

Beautiful palace with an impressive and varied history. Very atmospheric. It’s fascinating to think of how many pivotal moments in our history were witnessed within these walls.

What a place, genuinely blown away. Amazing to see such an important palace in England's history. Staff great, wasn't too busy and easy to get to from central london

You can still literally feel Henry VIII

The admission fee is too expensive.

This place has selective customers only who have loads of money/or a tourist. As grandparents with family/ children + grandchild £183 for one day in April. We live too far away to be members to go want to go regularly. Membership is very limited, does not include a guest either. Most of the palace is private and not accessible. Too expensive for one day. No point for memebership as we do not live in the area anymore. It is the most costly place to visit. A public place, now this place has selective customers only who have loads of money/or a tourist.

Huge, spectacular. You can't visit London and not see it. It feels like being in a movie. The gardens are beautiful, you can even buy vegetables. Very kind staff.

Hampton Court, the beautiful estate of King Henry III, his apartments, gardens, something worth seeing as it was in Tudor times. I recommend