Tours/London/Private Guided Tour Secrets of the Six Wives Hampton Court Palace
Viator · Private tour

Private Guided Tour Secrets of the Six Wives Hampton Court Palace

5.0(36)London1 hour
VIATOR5.0(22)TRIPADVISOR5.0(14)

Description

This tour is for visitors who want to focus an in-depth exploration of the 16th century Tudor side of Hampton Court Palace and to explore history where it happened; the life, loves and intrigues of Henry VIII, his six wives and children. Your guide, Sarah, aka Hampton Court Tour Guide, is a social historian, storyteller and expert on the 16th century Tudor period. She is a qualified professional 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. Chapel may be closed on Sundays. Entrance fees excluded. Hampton Court Palace is a 'Palace of two halves'; the 16th century Tudor and the 17th century Baroque rebuild by Sir Christopher Wren. If you wish to be guided around the whole palace, please see Sarah's other listings and book the 'Expert' tour which is slightly longer.

Tour Options

Private Guided Tour Secrets of the Six Wives Hampton Court Palace

Itinerary

Admission not included120 min

This tour is for those particularly interested in the detail of the Tudor Palace rather than Baroque. We will walk in the footsteps of the Tudor kings and queens, following the stories, life and loves of the notorious Henry VIII, his children and his six wives; Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleve, Catherine Howard and Kathryn Parr. I will show you the magnificent State Apartments, Tudor kitchens, wine cellars, and beautiful Tudor Pond Garden. As a trained storyteller I will bring alive the characters from the past, the tales of mistresses, betrayals and the ghosts that haunt the galleries. The cost of my tour covers a private group of up to 15 people for 2 hours, by prior arrangement I can accommodate more guests and increase the length of the tour. Entrance fees to Hampton Court Palace are NOT included in the price of this tour booking. Entrance tickets should be purchased through the Historic Royal Palace's website.

Highlights

Expert insider knowledge of the architecture, artworks and history
Sarah has worked as a Guide Lecturer at Hampton Court Palace since 2008
Private guided tour with Sarah, accredited through the Institute of Tourist Guiding, White Badge

What's included

Included
Expert insider knowledge of the architecture, artworks and history
Sarah has worked as a Guide Lecturer at Hampton Court Palace since 2008
Private guided tour with Sarah, accredited through the Institute of Tourist Guiding, White Badge
Not included
Entrance fees; guests must purchase their own tickets from the Historic Royal Palaces website
No food or drink are included; there is a cafe onsite where refreshments can be purchase if required
Transport; guests will need to make their own way to the meeting point
Gratuities
Parking fees
Admission fees are not included

Traveller Ratings

5.0
36 reviews
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36
4
0
3
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2
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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

Reviews(36)

6
686koraya
June 9, 2026
Sarah Made Hampton Court Feel Alive!

Sarah was absolutely excellent. She is not only an accredited London Blue Badge Tourist Guide, but also an accredited guide for Hampton Court Palace, and this was clearly reflected in the quality of her tour. Her storytelling was engaging, clear, well structured, and full of fascinating historical detail. The “Secrets of the Six Wives” theme was brought to life beautifully, with the right balance of knowledge, humour, and professionalism. I felt very lucky to be part of her tour group. Sarah made Hampton Court Palace feel vivid, dramatic, and unforgettable. Absolutely, highly recommended. A big thank you, Sarah!

Operator response

A big thank you to you too for your wonderful review. It was great to meet you and guide you, thank you for booking me, I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your tour.

M
Maran_G
April 8, 2026
Highlight of our trip!

The tour was spectacular—everything we could have hoped for. Sarah was fantastic! She was incredibly knowledgeable and had a wonderful way of making it meaningful for our daughters. We will definitely be booking with her again if we ever make it back to Hampton Court.

Operator response

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you all and guide you. I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your tour with me at Hampton Court Palace.

J
Julie_W
October 30, 2025
Oh my god, hands down...

Oh my god, hands down best tour I’ve ever had. Sarah was amazing! She was so informative and really did such a great job tailoring the tour to our interests and answering all our questions. I especially loved the small details she would point out like the graffiti carved into the walls. I cannot recommend this tour enough! I would love to come back again and do the longer tour.

Operator response

Thank you so much for your wonderful review. It was such a delight to meet you and guide you and I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your tour. I would be very pleased to guide you again in the future.

D
Discover06443177596
August 9, 2025
Highly recommend

We were very fortunate to have a guided tour with Sarah, and she was absolutely amazing! Our 9-year-old is very into Henry VIII and the history of him and his wives, and she was able to answer all of her questions. She added so much color and commentary to the tour. It was a true delight, and our family loved every minute of it

Operator response

Thank you so much for booking me to guide you, it was so lovely to meet you and thank you for leaving a review, I really appreciate it.

E
Elizabeth_A
July 15, 2025
Sarah gave us a wonderful...

Sarah gave us a wonderful tour of the Tudor section of Hampton Court Palace, really tailoring her information to my 8 year old's interests. We learned so much, and she kept us both very engaged for nearly two hours. Would definitely recommend this tour!

Operator response

Thank you so much for booking me to guide you and for leaving a review. It was lovely to meet you and really enjoyed guiding you both, I’m so pleased you enjoyed your day.

H
hatcher50
July 7, 2025
Exceeded expectations

Sarah is fantastic at making history come alive in a very conversational way. She gives enough information so you can appreciate where you are and what you are looking at, but not so much info that it overwhelms you. Sarah is personable and answers any questions you may have. I very much enjoyed my time with her.

Operator response

Thank you very much for booking me to guide you. It was great to meet you and I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your day at Hampton Court Palace. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it.

S
Susanne_R
June 2, 2025
Time Well Spent; Lots of Info and Fun

Wonderful tour of the Palace. Fabulous guide who knows absolutely everything about the palace, and conveys that information in a fun and relatable way.

Operator response

Thank you so much for your review. It was lovely to meet you and I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your tour.

K
karal1946
May 29, 2025
Very informative and...

Very informative and interesting experience Highly recommended for anyone even if you don’t have a background in English history.

Operator response

Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review. I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the tour.

V
Valerie_O
May 9, 2025
If you're into history, book this!

FANTASTIC! If you are into history, do this. Went over time just because we were so into the history! Sarah's depth of knowledge was amazing... this was hands down the best tour I booked!

Operator response

Thank you very much for booking me and for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it. I’m so pleased you enjoyed your tour.

F
freshjyve
April 15, 2025
Thoughtful Historian

Sarah was an amazing guide. The smartest and kindest guide we could have for a multigenerational family visit - everyone’s interests were catered to- we should have booked whole palace tour. Her other super power is as a host. She was very aware of the needs of our members. We felt cared for. If you have young people in your group, age 8-16, definitely book a guide - it slows down the experience and everyone gets more from it.

Operator response

Thank you very much for booking me and for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it. It was lovely to meet you all and guide you. I’m so pleased that everyone enjoyed the tour.

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