Private tour with an accredited expert guide Hampton Court Palace
Description
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.
Tour Options
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.
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
Reviews(105)
Sarah is a top-level guide; she’s incredibly knowledgeable, curious and a great storyteller. She knows the palace inside out and gave us a fantastic experience. Would highly recommend!
Thank you so much for booking me to guide you and for your review. It was lovely to meet you and I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your visit.
Sarah was a wonderful Guide. Our group had a wonderful tour with Sarah at Hampton Court Palace at the beginning of June-26. Her incredible experience and in-depth knowledge of the Palace, truly brought this tour to life for our Group. I would happily recommend her to anyone wishing to visit Hampton Court. A big thank you Sarah. Thanks to Sarah, it has whetted my appetite to go back to Hampton Court and explore more of the Palace and gardens. Mindy U3A
Thank you so much for booking me to guide you and for your review. I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your tour, it was great to meet you and guide you.
I had a wonderful tour with Sarah at Hampton Court Palace. Although I had visited a few times before, she still managed to surprise me with so many hidden gems and stories I had never heard. Thanks to her, Hampton Court is now my favourite palace in London. Sarah is incredibly knowledgeable, caring, and fun to be around. Her passion for history really shines through, and I would happily recommend her to anyone visiting Hampton Court.
Thank you so much for booking me, it was great to guide you around and I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the tour.
Sarah is _the_ expert for guiding all Royal Palaces, and particularly Hampton Court. She is the guide other guides go to for advice, fact checking, and amazing stories. If you are going to Hampton Court, Sarah is the guide you want - if you can get her.
Thank you very much for your review. It was an absolute pleasure to guide you and I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your tour.
Look no further than Sarah for your perfect private Hampton Court Palace guide. My 16 year old daughter heard her on the Talking Tours podcast and begged to take a tour with her. She met us (45 minutes early!) at a cafe near HCP. She was warm and it was apparent that she’s passionate about history. She was so good about checking in every so often to see what history we knew and what we needed a refresher on. Her way with history telling was just perfect. She moved along with all the fabulous information but it felt like we were hearing her tell stories. And she illustrated the stories with the palace. We have taken many private tours throughout the years and I can’t think of a better guide. Her way of explaining history is simple yet she goes so in depth. My daughter was completely engaged the entire 3 hours and so was I. I didn’t think we needed a private tour of HCP but now I can’t imagine going there without her. After the tour we went across the road the eat (just me and my daughter) and a stranger came up to me and said she had overheard a little of Sarah during our tour and was blown away. She said we were so lucky. I can’t agree more! Worth every penny
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a wonderful review. It really was an absolute pleasure to meet you both and guide you around the wonderful palace that is Hampton Court, I really enjoyed our morning and I’m so pleased that you both enjoyed it too. Thank you for booking me.
This tour is amazing and Sarah’s knowledge is incredible. She really brought the place alive for us with her historical knowledge and antidotes. It’s a very large palace and having someone guide us made it very manageable and enjoyable.
It was a pleasure to guide you and I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your tour. Thank you very much for booking me and for taking the time to leave a review I really appreciate it.
Our private tour guide Sarah was excellent - friendly and very knowledgeable on Tudor history - made it all really come to life. Hampton Court and gardens great day out.
Thank you very much for booking me to guide you, it was an absolute pleasure to meet you and I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your tour.
Absolutely brilliant tour, Sarah brings Hampton Court to life, pointing out so many hidden secrets and details and her knowledge is super impressive! Such good value. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for asking me to guide you and for your lovely review, I really appreciate it and really enjoyed the afternoon.
Sarah Slater just delivered the most EXCEPTIONAL tour we ever could have imagined!!! We were blown away by her knowledge, expertise, and kindness to wait for us for this once in a lifetime experience even though we were delayed by train in our arrival. She took her time to dive deep through Tudor through Georgian history with us and was kind enough to take some wonderful pictures! We couldn’t recommend her enough, she truly made this an experience we will remember for a lifetime!!!
Thank you so much for booking me and for taking the time to leave such a lovely review, I really appreciate it. I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your tour with me, it was great to meet you both.
Sarah was an excellent tour guide for Hampton Court Palace. She ‘met me where I was’ in my knowledge of the palace and the history of the monarchy. She also spent time on the things I was interested in (the history, the architecture) and avoided the things I was less interested in (the art). She is very easygoing and accommodating. Would highly recommend Sarah for anyone wanting a more tailored visit.
Thank you so much for booking me to guide you and for taking the time to leave a review. It was great to meet you and I’m so pleased that you enjoyed your tour.
