Hampton Court Palace 3hr tour: Henry VIII's & William III's intriguing Palaces
Description
Hampton Court Palace, the home of England's most notorious king Henry VIII, has tales of ghosts, executions and his expanding collection of wives! Perfect if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of central London, Hampton Court has something to please all the family. There are two palaces to look round, Henry VIII's and William III's and the suite of Georgian rooms tell the tale of one of the most dysfunctional dynasties ever to take the throne of England. The stunning gardens, a maze and the chance to see the complicated game of real tennis in action, makes this a wonderful day out. My name is Sandy and this private tour accommodates groups of up to 5 people only meaning everyone can feel comfortable throughout. Please buy your entry tickets to the Palace, which is an extra cost to my tour, in advance as this will make it easier on the day. 100% of my Trip Advisor/Viator reviews are graded 'Excellent' so I must be doing something right!
Tour Options
Itinerary
There is so much to see at Hampton Court! The main attraction is Henry VIII's palace including his magnificent Great Hall, the vast kitchens and the eerie Haunted Gallery where the ghost of one of Henry's wives has taken up residence; but there is a second palace at Hampton Court, that built for William III. A ceremonial staircase leads up to William's state apartments where there is a huge collection of weaponry, exquisite furnishings, a couple of optical illusions and some very peculiar etiquettes! If there's time, we can also fit some of the following into your tour: a wander through the apartments which belonged to the Georgians, perhaps the most dysfunctional dynasty ever to take the throne of England; watch the ancient, complicated sport of real tennis and explore some of the 60 acres of beautiful gardens including the largest and oldest productive grapevine in the world. There is so much to see, do and be enthralled by - you will not be disappointed!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- My name is Sandy and my aim is to give you the best experience you could possibly have so if you have any special requests, be sure to tell me what they are! If you need to go at a slower pace, or stop for a break midway through the tour, that will also be fine. There are plenty of places to sit during the tour and I will let you know where these are.
- Please note I will ALWAYS make contact with you to finalise the details of the tour, so if you have not heard from me a week before the tour date, please contact me.
- The tour will cover roughly 2 miles in total and last up to 3 hours
- The tour will go ahead come rain or shine so please don't be put off by the weather. Do wear comfortable shoes and clothing and, if needs be, bring waterproofs and an umbrella.
- Due to uneven surfaces, and an unreliable lift used to take customers to the first floor, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair. Visitors must be able to cope with stairs and so this tour is not suitable for anyone with serious medical conditions and back problems.
- When you turn into the palace grounds from the main road, follow the driveway with grassy stretches on either side and I will meet you at the end of the drive in front of the West Front Gatehouse
- The tour starts at 10.00 a.m. but once a firm booking has been made, the start time can be adjusted to fit with your arrival time at the palace.
- If you need directions to travel to Hampton Court from your hotel, please contact me on sandyrhodes@live.co.uk
- 100% of my Trip Advisor/Viator reviews are graded 'excellent' and as I now have over 175+ reviews in total, I must be doing something right!
- I prefer to guide small groups of up to five family or friends. This way, everyone can hear what I'm saying in the sometimes narrow corridors of Henry's haunted palace. Also, everyone can feel relaxed enough to ask as many questions as they want to.
- I only accept bookings directly from customers. Any bookings made by a travel agent on behalf of a customer will be cancelled.
Reviews(96)
We had the most wonderful tour with Sandy. She lead us through Hampton Court Palace for three hours-and it was both informative and entertaining. I had been to the Palace before, and had done a self guided tour. Being with someone who was able to put the history in context, explain the political situations at the time, as well as more gossipy tidbits, was so much better. My young adult children thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Next time I'm in London I would absolutely do another tour with her-would be fascinating to hear about other areas.
Hi Heidi, thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely review. I'm delighted your family enjoyed the tour - there is something for all ages at Hampton Court! I'll look forward to seeing you again when you next visit London. We can do one of my central London tours next. Thanks again. Sandy
We enjoyed a wonderful tour with Sandy today! Her knowledge of history was extraordinary but she delivered things at a pace that wasn't overwhelming. She was very considerate of everyone in our party and went out of her way to accommodate a member of our party with physical constraints. She gave us some great recommendations for lunch and the best ice cream afterwards!
If these walls could only talk … and they do with Sandy of Hobnob Tours guiding you through Hampton Court Palace. She provides an enlightening and encyclopedic walkthrough of all things Tudor and Stuart. Her deep knowledge of court life and its intriguing goings-on bring royal history vividly to life. Sandy’s bright, engaging, and lively narration kept us captivated from start to finish as she related the endless scandals, rivalries, and tragedies of the royals; all while sprinkling in fascinating and often juicy tidbits. The immense palace is packed with seemingly endless chambers, grand halls, and magnificent treasures, but Sandy effortlessly keeps things moving along, highlighting the must-see sights and stories to be told. You’ll definitely leave Hampton Court with a greater understanding of Henry VIII & Co., enjoying your hobnob with the royals!
Hi David, it was an absolute pleasure exploring Hampton Court with you and Sergio. You are both so knowledgeable about the Tudor and Stuart eras it was a joy sharing the information with you. Enjoy the rest of your travels. All the best. Sandy
My husband and I had an incredible experience at Hampton Court Palace thanks to our guide, Sandy. Her depth of knowledge regarding English history and the palace itself was truly impressive. What set the tour apart, however, was Sandy’s warmth and enthusiasm—she brought the stories of the palace to life in a way we’ll never forget! We are already looking forward to booking more tours with her on our next trip to London. Highly recommended!
Hi Ying, it was a pleasure exploring Hampton Court Palace with you and Zing. As your kind words suggest, my aim is to tell stories with links back and forth for clarity. Lovely to hear it's working! I'd love to guide for you again if you return to London. All the best. Sandy
The experience at Hampton Court was great from the beginning of the first minute. Our guide, Sandy, was excellent! Her knowledge and rapport was exceptional. I would recommend this tour to anyone.
Hi Debbie, I thoroughly enjoyed guiding for you and Frank at Hampton Court and thank you for taking the time to leave a review. Much appreciated. Sandy
Our tour of Hampton court with Sandy was excellent. She is extremely knowledgeable and personable. We had the best time!
Sandy is a great communicator; she let us know to buy our tickets before we got there and which train(s) to take from London (Google and TFL didn’t provide this). Sandy provided an in-depth understanding of the Tudor and beyond time period, and who did, what when. Sandy is very articulate and made history come a-live. Highly recommend!
Sandy’s tour was brilliant. Her whole tour was informative, comprehensive and fun
Hi Will, thank you for a lovely review. I'm so glad you found the tour informative and fun, a balance I try hard to achieve! All the best. Sandy
A great private tour of Hampton court by Jo. Jo was incredibly knowledgeable having worked at Hampton court for fifteen years. It was a nice un rushed tour with lots of detail that would be hard to get either from certain tv programmes or many books and . My wife and I were very impressed.and would recommend anybody booking a private tour of Hampton court to try and book Jo.
Sandy Rhodes shared a wealth of information and made the tour quite interesting. We had a thorough understanding of the history of the dynasty.
