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The exterior of Hampton Court Palace in London, England
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  • United Kingdom

The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Hampton Court Palace

  • January 18, 2020
  • Ella
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There is a good chance that this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. As ever, all opinions are my own.

Ask any schoolchild in the UK and they’ll be able to tell you about Henry VIII, his home – Hampton Court Palace, and his six wives, and dutifully repeat the rhyme drilled into them from a young age at school, which helps to memorise the fates of his wives: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. This Henry VIII sounds like a wild guy, right?

Henry was not the only regal resident over the palace’s 500+ year history, and each royal made their mark on the grounds, leaving us with gorgeous regal gardens, a palace as expansive as it is extravagant, architecture by the revered Christopher Wren, and even alleged ghost hauntings!

As a history nerd myself, I headed out on a freezing Sunday in January to Hampton Court Palace to find out more. Want to know a bit more about the palace before you go, or just want help planning your visit? Then look no further, I’m here to get you up to speed.

A brief history

Since 1494 Hampton Court has overlooked the River Thames, although the story doesn’t get going until 1515 when Cardinal Thomas Wolsey began a rebuilding plan of epic proportions. After converting Hampton Court into a lavish residence, it became clear to Thomas quite quickly that he had fallen out of favour with King Henry VIII, who was plotting his downfall. In a hurry, Thomas gave Hampton Court to him before it was, ahem, forcibly taken…

During the Tudor and Stewart era, the palace saw many historic events take place within its walls, including the birth of Edward VI, Henry’s yearned-for son, and the death of his favourite wife, Jane Seymour. The palace even saw a performance by William Shakespeare for King James I!

Exterior and gardens of Hampton Court Palace in January

So, how do you get there?

Getting to Hampton Court Palace by public transport is fairly straightforward. The easiest way is to catch the train from Waterloo to Hampton Court, which will take you about 35 minutes. You can book your tickets in advance via the Trainline website or app, or just use your contactless bank card to tap the monitor before and after your journey. During the week, this train usually runs twice an hour and costs £4.10 one way. From Hampton Court train station, the palace is a ten-minute walk. I recommend that any visitor to London download the CityMapper app. Every Londoner swears by it as it provides real-time public transport recommendations to get you anywhere in London.

How much does it cost?

Entrance ticket to Hampton court palace
My golden ticket!

In summer, an adult ticket booked online costs £22.00 ($28.50), although they offer concession tickets for students for £17.60 ($23). There are also child and family tickets available. Book online when possible as it can save you up to £5 ($6.50) per person against on the gate prices!  You can buy your tickets directly from the palace website.

If you’re visiting London in January or February you’re in luck! As this is the low season, the palace usually offers half-price tickets when booked online. This meant I was able to get a half-price student ticket for just £8.50 ($11)!

How long should I spend there?

You don’t have an allocated entry time, and you’re free to wander the palace as long as you like. That being said, 4-5 hours is the ideal amount of time according to the palace’s website. I spent just over 4 hours there and it was plenty for me. Admittedly, I skipped one section of the palace and didn’t go to see the maze (after 4 hours in the cold I could barely feel my toes) but in winter this would be enough for all but the most hardcore of history fans.

statute in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace
Portrait in Hampton Court Palace

If you’re visiting in summer try to allocate 5 hours for your visit as the ‘magic garden’ will be open. You’ll also want to spend longer enjoying the beautiful gardens and fountains. I wish I could have spent longer exploring the gardens as they made me feel like a princess, but, as previously mentioned, the temperature was becoming an issue.

Hampton Court Palace is open every day except 24-26 December; from 10:00-18:00 in summer (29 March-3 November) and 10:00-16:30 in winter (4 November – 28 March).

What should I bring?

Please, and I cannot stress this enough if you’re visiting in winter, wear warm clothes and a good coat. You will spend a lot of time outdoors and even the inside of the palace can be chilly. In summer, bring a picnic lunch and enjoy it on the grass.

Trees in the gardens of Hampton Court Palace in January.

Regardless of what season you’re visiting in, comfy shoes are essential as you’ll be on your feet the whole day.

Planning your visit

The road leading up to the Hampton Court Palace entrance.

In my opinion, the perfect time to arrive at the palace is 10.30 am. Pick up your free audio guide (available in eleven languages) and then grab a ‘what’s on’ guide and a map. The ‘what’s on’ guide will inform you of any tours taking place that day, and the map is essential. Trying to navigate the palace is mind-boggling!

Once you’re fully equipped, head to the Base Court to join the free Welcome Walk at 11 am. The tour lasts 30 minutes, is led by a costumed guide, and is the perfect introduction to the palace’s history. It’s also a fun way to get to know the layout of the palace and orientate yourself.

The man running my tour was acting as Sir Walter Raleigh, the famous explorer, but I believe this changes regularly so your tour guide could be anybody from the Tudor era. The guide was excellent, but I couldn’t stop thinking that he must have been really cold in his costume!

Costumed guide giving a tour of Hampton Court Palace
Costumed actors giving a tour of Hampton Court Palace

After the Welcome Walk have a look if there are any other tours you would like to join. Tours offered include a garden history tour, Elizabethan cookery and more! I joined the ‘Good Queen Bess’ tour, where actors prepared the palace for the arrival of Queen Elizabeth I. It was good fun, and the actors crammed quite a bit of information about that area of the palace in.

Hampton Court Palace exterior designed by Christopher Wren
The majestic area of the palace designed by architect Christopher Wren

Before your next tour head straight to Henry VIII’s apartments as these are likely to get busy the quickest. Don’t forget to stop by the Great Hall, which used to be the very heart of the palace and welcomed hundreds of courtly visitors. Unfortunately, the hall was closed off for conservation when I visited, but there were still windows to peek in so that I could see its famed opulent ceiling.

The second best area of the palace is, in my opinion, the Georgian Story. Wander the rooms of George II and Queen Caroline and peer in at their rooms, which include original furniture.

A lunch fit for a king?

By this point you’re probably hungry. If you brought a picnic now is the perfect time to enjoy it! You can’t take your audioguide into the gardens, so you will have to hand it in and collect a new one when you return). If you’re not picnicking, choose between the Privy Kitchen Cafe or the more upmarket Tiltyard cafe. If you’re visiting in spring/summer, you could also visit the Fountain Court cafe. I opted for the Privy Kitchen Cafe and ordered a steak pie with mashed potato and gravy, the most popular choice.

I had two issues with this.

Issue #1: the pie was absolutely disgusting. Honestly, the pastry was the best part as it at least didn’t taste of anything. The ‘steak’ in the pie just tasted… off. It was really bizarre, and I felt sick for the rest of the day.

Issue #2: this pie cost me £9.50. NINE POUNDS FIFTY!! I knew the price when I ordered it. I knew that I was at a tourist attraction, meaning prices would be higher than elsewhere. However, I expected my food to be at least edible for that price. With hindsight, I’d just get a jacket potato or some soup as they’re harder to mess up. It will still be expensive (I think jacket potatoes cost £6-7), but anything is better than the pie alternative.

Pie, mash and gravy from the Privy Kitchen Cafe at Hampton Court Palace
The offender in question. Looks can be deceiving.

Moving swiftly on!

With hunger levels abated and all Privy Kitchen pies avoided, it’s time to visit the exhibition area. The exhibition during my visit, ‘The Lost Dress of Elizabeth I’, displayed the Bacton Altar Cloth, the only surviving dress of Elizabeth’s. Interestingly, the cloth was used as an altar cloth for centuries before being identified as a rare piece of clothing. A beautiful portrait named the Rainbow Portrait is also on display which shows Elizabeth wearing the dress, which was a cool piece of evidence pointing towards its authenticity. This exhibition closes on 23 February 2020, but I’m sure there will be a great exhibition to replace it!

A great stop is Henry VIII’s kitchens, where the audioguide talks you through the processes used to cook the huge quantities of food required to feed the inhabitants of Hampton Court Palace each day, the ingredients prevalent in Tudor recipes, and there were even a few people in costume giving demonstrations of how different things were made.

Throughout the palace, there are a few gift shops: the Palace shop, the Henry shop, and the Garden shop. I didn’t stop in any of them so unfortunately I can’t give you any info about pricing or what’s on offer there.

A girl who is trying to take a photo getting photobombed at Hampton Court Palace.
The face we all pull when somebody walks into your photo and WILL. NOT. MOVE!

Other parts of the palace to discover include William III’s Apartments, the Cumberland Art Gallery (which shows off paintings in the royal collection), the Mantegna Gallery (which shows off the series of paintings The Triumphs of Caesar) and the Chocolate Kitchens. Unfortunately, the kitchens do not contain any actual chocolate but are in reality fairly empty rooms where chocolate used to be made. Disappointing!

So, onto a common question…

Is Hampton Court Palace haunted?

Into ghosts? Hampton Court Palace is claimed to be haunted and even offers ghost tours if that’s your thing. The audioguide mentions any supposed ghosts as you enter the areas they are said to haunt, and it’s a fun way to add some excitement if you have kids with you or are super into ghoul-hunting. 

A particular favourite for ghost enthusiasts is an area spookily referred to as the Haunted Gallery in Henry VIII’s apartments. Here there are rumours that Henry’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard, who was beheaded at the palace, still haunts the area. The story goes that after Catherine’s arrest she escaped and ran across the gallery, screaming to Henry for mercy. Many have reported witnessing Catherine’s ghost repeating this desperate journey, or have reported feeling chills whilst in this area. Unfortunately I didn’t have any ghostly encounters, but I probably wouldn’t recognise a ghost if it walked right through me!

The perfect way to see history come to life

As I thawed out on the train and reflected on my day I couldn’t believe how much I had seen! Hampton Court Palace transported me hundreds of years over the course of just a few hours, and I felt a much greater appreciation for just how grand and majestic life at the palace must have been. And let me say, I now feel very thankful to live in the age of central heating!

If you’re heading to London anytime soon don’t hesitate to add Hampton Court Palace to your itinerary.

Are you planning a visit to Hampton Court soon? Let me know in the comments!

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23 comments
  1. Rachael says:
    January 24, 2020 at 5:17 am

    I absolutely love Hampton court palace it’s so pretty. That pie really does look gross – I can’t believe the price of it!

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      January 24, 2020 at 5:48 am

      It was such a great day trip! God I know, I got ripped off :/

      Reply
  2. Wm says:
    January 23, 2020 at 12:48 am

    Sounds like quite the palace tour! It’s super cute how the staff dresses up.

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      January 31, 2020 at 8:22 pm

      I know! They were super in character too!

      Reply
  3. Coni says:
    January 22, 2020 at 10:28 pm

    Hampton Court is such an interesting place, probably my favorite royal palace in the UK. Beyond the architecture, the history it holds is amazing!
    Great tip on getting cheaper tickets, especially considering that you can spend a fortune only on entry fees while in London.
    If you ever get the chance to visit during Christmas time, the ice skating ring in front makes it look magical 💕

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      January 24, 2020 at 5:48 am

      Looking through London attractions I can’t believe some of the entry fees, so the half price offer sweetened the deal big time. Thanks for the tip! I bet it’s lovely skating there around Christmas, definitely something to see when the time comes!

      Reply
  4. orangewayfarer says:
    January 22, 2020 at 10:10 pm

    We have plenty of palaces in India yet these European palaces look starkly different than ours! Beautiful nonetheless. I love the green patch sprawling in front of it!

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      January 24, 2020 at 5:46 am

      I would love to check out the palaces in India and see how they differ. I bet they’re super beautiful!

      Reply
  5. Moranda says:
    January 22, 2020 at 8:52 pm

    Looks like such a great place to check out and it looks so beautiful!

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      January 24, 2020 at 5:46 am

      It was stunning!

      Reply
  6. Sage says:
    January 22, 2020 at 5:59 am

    OMG! As soon as I read “Henry VIII” I could recall my daughter singing “Divorced, beheaded, and died. Divorced, beheaded, survived!” from her high school European history class. But setting ole’ Henry’s ignorance aside (dude YOU’RE the one who determines if it’s a male or female heir), this would be a fascinating place to visit!

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      January 24, 2020 at 5:45 am

      Haha I still can’t forget it all those years later. Honestly walking around the place and learning more about him I couldn’t stop thinking “God, this guy is the worst”. He sure does know how to decorate a palace though!

      Reply
  7. Iuliya says:
    January 22, 2020 at 12:36 am

    I really enjoyed Hampton when I visited some years ago. I only wish I’d taken better quality pictures!!

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      January 23, 2020 at 1:08 pm

      I couldn’t stop taking pictures! Everything was so pretty

      Reply
  8. Michelle says:
    January 21, 2020 at 12:20 pm

    This looks like a great visit. We just love history and historical places and Europe is full of them! I can imagine how beautiful the gardens and rooms were!

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      January 21, 2020 at 1:05 pm

      Thanks for commenting Michelle 🙂 it was a really fun day out, I’m so lucky to live near so many cool historical sites!

      Reply
  9. Kelly Anne Francois says:
    January 20, 2020 at 3:20 pm

    I have never even seen a castle, let alone been inside one. I would definitely opt to visit in the summer so that I could tour the grounds, but the kitchen sure would also be great to see!

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      January 20, 2020 at 7:47 pm

      Thanks for taking the time to comment Kelly! The UK has so many great castles, if you’re looking to visit one it is the perfect place. The gardens were stunning, I wish I had been able to spend more time walking around them and have a picnic there.

      Ella

      Reply
  10. Budgetingmytrip says:
    January 20, 2020 at 1:56 pm

    Amazing write up…I should add it to my list on my next trip to London! Keep up the good work.

    Reply
    1. ManyMoreMaps says:
      January 20, 2020 at 7:44 pm

      Oh wow, my first even comment! Thank you! Yes, if you’re in London it really is a great attraction to visit.

      Ella

      Reply

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