Hampton Court Palace Private Guided Tour
Description
Enter the world of King Henry VIII by exploring his most iconic residence - Hampton Court Palace. This 500 year old building is unique in that it is a palace of two halves – the Tudor side, and the Baroque section built for King William III by Sir Christopher Wren. On a private tour, tailored to your interests, you will explore the palace’s grand state apartments, vast kitchens and magnificent gardens. Your guide will entertain you with stories of the palace’s tantalising history, including Henry’s six wives, court etiquette and the infamous ghosts.
Tour Options
Itinerary
In this palace of two halves, you can look forward to entering the world of Henry VIII and learning about his six wives, on a tour which is tailored to your particular interests. You'll experience the sights and sounds of a working Tudor kitchen, you will see the sumptuous Abraham Tapestries in Henry's Great Hall, and hear the tragic ghost story of Henry's fifth wife in the infamous Haunted Gallery. In contrast to the Tudor palace, you will also experience the Baroque majesty of King William III's apartments. After ascending the Great Staircase, you will marvel at the weapons on display in his Guard Chamber, and have a bird's eye view of the exquisite parterre garden.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- 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
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- This is a private tour / activity. Only your group will participate.
Reviews(54)
What a wonderful 2 hour tour. Our guide Jo Cooper was fantastic! She was passionate and extremely knowledgeable regarding all things Tudor. Great experience through and through.
Thank you very much for your lovely review! I'm so glad you enjoyed your tour, it was a delight to take you both round the palace and share its many stories with you.
Fabulous, so informative. Would recommend. Incredible place of many layers of history and a fantastic guide.
Thank you Garret for your very kind review. I'm so glad you both enjoyed your time at the palace, it was a pleasure to take you round.
Jo is terrific. She is as curious in those she is guiding and their interests as those she is guiding are curious about what they are touring, making for a perfect mix of guide and gawker. A fantastic experience.
Thank you for your lovely review Andrew, it was such a delight to take you both on your tour of the palace!
What a wonderful experience! Jo delivered the most wonderful and engaging tour of the palace. She’s a treasure trove of knowledge, and her great sense of humor made a ~2hr tour enjoyable even for my 11yo who was itching to get back to the Magic Garden. Our time with Jo was absolutely money well spent, and we’ll remember it forever.
Thank you very much Sheila for your wonderful review. It was lovely to meet you both and I'm so glad that I was able to help make the palace come alive for you. I'm so pleased you enjoyed the tour!
Jo is an amazing tour guide and gave us a detailed and interesting tour of the palace and its links to the royals who lived there. So much better than a group tour. Great experience. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much Rennie for your kind review. It was a real pleasure to meet you and your wife and share stories of the palace with you both. Thanks once again!
We booked a private one-and-a-half-hour tour of Hampton Court Palace, focusing on the history of Henry VIII, his wives, Elizabeth I, and the Tudor court. Our guide, Jo Cooper, was knowledgeable, accommodating, and shared insights we would never have discovered on our own. Her depth of understanding — not just of Tudor history but of Hampton Court as a whole — was truly impressive. Jo has a gift for bringing history to life. She presented facts and stories in a way that was easy to follow yet richly detailed, striking exactly the right balance between depth and accessibility. Everything felt engaging and relevant, making for a genuinely fascinating experience. Her warm, friendly personality added to the enjoyment, turning what could have been a straightforward history lesson into something thoroughly entertaining and memorable. Hampton Court itself is breathtakingly beautiful and absolutely worth a visit. After the tour, we spent time exploring the magnificent gardens — a perfect way to round off a wonderful day.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review Jim! It was such a delight to meet you and your family, and I'm so glad that you really enjoyed your tour and found great interest in the palace and its lovely gardens during your visit.
I spent a completely wonderful 3 hours with Joan Cooper at Hampton. Court Palace -- a visited tailored SPECIFICALLY with my interests in mind. Excellent communications beforehand, followed by a tour rich in knowledge and insights! I highly, highly recommend this excellent tour!
Thank you Laurie for your very kind review. It was my pleasure to show you around the palace and share its stories with you. I'm so pleased you enjoyed your tour!
Our private tour of Hampton Court with Jo was exceptional. Not only did we feel like we got a comprehensive tour overall, but she patiently answered all our questions and tailored the experience based on our interests. There’s a reason she was on BBC. Funny too. Highly recommend.
Thank you Blake for your very kind review. It was such a pleasure to meet you both, and I'm so glad that you enjoyed your tour and the stories of the palace.
We had such a fantastic experience at Hampton Court Palace, and a huge part of that was thanks to Jo. We have lived in the Hampton court area for years but wanted some better knowledge of the history of the Palace. Jo was absolutely exceptional from start to finish. Her knowledge was incredible, but what really made the tour stand out was the way she told the stories, bringing the history to life in such an engaging and vivid way. Jo had the entire group completely captivated throughout, and it honestly felt like we were stepping back in time with her. The tour was so well run, fascinating, and enjoyable from beginning to end. It made for a truly memorable day for all of us, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. We’d love to come back again, especially for the ghost tour later in the year! Highly recommend Jo to anyone visiting.
Thank you so much Kat for your wonderful review! It was a great pleasure to take you around the palace and to share some of its stories with you and I'm so glad that you got so much from the tour. It was great meeting you all and I'm delighted that you're keen to come back to the palace again, for more stories, soon!
I went on a Hampton Court Palace tour this morning and had the best time! Jo is so incredibly knowledgeable and makes history come alive. We asked a million questions, and she knew the answer to all of them! She catered the tour to our interests. This will be a highlight of my trip! Be sure to allow plenty of time after your tour to see all that Hampton Court has to offer! It is a remarkable place. You are in the best of hands with Jo!
Thank you very much Emily for your lovely review! I was so pleased to meet you and take you around the palace and share its stories with you, I'm so glad that you enjoyed your day!
