10 Hampton Court Palace Tours from London Worth Booking Ahead

1.Hampton Court Guided Tour. Full day Access & High Tea

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 270 reviews · 4 hours 5 minutes (approx.) · from $212Our pick

Meet your guide near Hampton Court station at 11 am for a two-hour palace tour focused on Tudor and royal stories, followed by afternoon tea with sandwiches, scones, cake, and tea. Guides have included Tom, Julie, Theresa, Suzanne, and Prue. Your ticket also gives you full-day access to the palace and gardens.

“We travel a great deal, usually Europe and North America, and this was one of the best tours we’ve ever experienced. Suzanne is an exceptional guide, full of knowledge, fun facts, and lots of gossip about the kings, queens, and others who inhabited Hampton Court Palace. She deserves 6 out of 5! The High Tea was also wonderful, with a seat by the river, a beautiful day, perfectly brewed tea, and excellent scones, finger sandwiches, and petit fours on offer. Truly a magical day! We just wish it could have been longer!”

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2.Private Guided Tour of Hampton Court Palace

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 268 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.)

Sheila Dunsmore leads a private Hampton Court Palace tour for your group, tailoring the route and stories to your interests. Expect Tudor history, Baroque rooms, Henry VIII, the Haunted Gallery, palace residents and, if you wish, ghost stories. The $249.55 guide fee covers up to 10 people, but palace admission costs extra.

“Sheila was a great guide, very knowledgeable and enjoyable. She has been giving tours at the palace a long time, and worked there before becoming a private guide. So she knows about the behind the scenes too. She tailored the tour to our interests and kept checking in to find out if there was anything else we wanted to see.”

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3.Hampton Court Palace Private Tour – Secrets of Henry VIII

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 127 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)

Historian and author Siobhan Clarke leads this private 90-minute tour of Hampton Court Palace, bringing Henry VIII’s court, the palace’s rooms and its gardens into focus. She can tailor the route to your group’s interests. The $250.01 group price covers up to 10 people, but palace admission tickets are a separate, required purchase.

“Our tour guide was great and made the experience for our 16 year old perfect. This was our second visit, the grounds are absolutely beautiful and will be visiting again very soon.”

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4.Windsor Castle & Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 113 reviews · 7 - 9 hours · from $120

Take a panoramic coach tour past central London sights, then explore Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle. Guides have included Dolly, Tish, Eileen, and Morton, with time to see Tudor kitchens, royal apartments, St George’s Chapel, and Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. Check your ticket option carefully: palace admission may be an added cost.

“The guide and driver were extraordinary. Our guide was historically knowledgeable and quirky. the amount of time allocated per location was great. Would recommend for anyone to everyone, but specifically those that don't want to worry about transport and tickets, and would enjoy a guide.”

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5.Hampton Court Palace: River Thames Bike Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · from $74

Meet guide Ginette at Richmond Station for a 3.5-hour ride along Thames paths to Hampton Court Palace. Pass Richmond Palace remains, Ham House, and Teddington Lock, then pick up picnic food at an 800-year-old market. Bike hire and a guide are included; lunch and palace admission cost extra.

“A wonderful way to explore London along the Thames with the engaging and knowledgeable Ginette. Being able to bike along leafy lanes along the river was a fantastic counter-experience to the busy-ness of the city of London. Ginette tailored the tour to our interests and fitness level and was full of interesting snippets about her part of town. Stopping in at a local pub for a drink and a local market to gather food for our picnic was a great addition to the cycling. We couldn’t have asked for a better day out.”

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6.Richmond to Hampton Court River Thames Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 24 reviews · from $18Best value

Take a one-way, 1.5-hour boat trip from Richmond to Hampton Court, passing through Teddington Lock and historic Kingston upon Thames. You can sit indoors or outdoors, use the onboard toilets and buy a drink at the licensed bar. A crew member may provide entertaining commentary. Departures can shift with tide and weather.

“Absolutely brilliant. Amazing trip up the Thames, so much history explained. Was perfect”

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7.Hampton Court to Richmond River Thames Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 20 reviews · from $18

Set off from Hampton Court Pier 3 for a 75-minute cruise past Kingston upon Thames, riverside homes, wildlife, and Teddington Lock, with Richmond as the advertised destination. Commentary and food or drinks are not guaranteed inclusions. Check the exact sailing time and whether your ticket allows a stop in Richmond before booking.

“Glass of Prosecco No commentry at all and bought return ticket so we could get off in Richmond and have some lunch but were told we had to do the return journey straivht away so spent almost 3 hours on a boat with no commentry even. "Like watching paint dry"🙄🫣 by the end of it. Would not book again.”

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8.Hampton Court to Westminster River Thames Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 17 reviews · from $33

Take a 3.5-hour Thames cruise from Hampton Court to Westminster aboard a traditional passenger boat. Watch for herons, geese, and mandarin ducks along the tree-lined Syon Reach, with indoor and outdoor seating, toilets, and a licensed bar onboard. The boat departs from Pier 3 at Hampton Court Landing Stage.

“It was all good on time nice weather not too busy good service at the bar a very enjoyable day”

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9.Hampton Court Private Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 15 reviews · 4 hours

Meet your guide at Waterloo Station for a four-hour private visit to Hampton Court Palace. Expect Henry VIII’s State Apartments, the Tudor kitchens, William and Mary’s rooms, 60 acres of gardens and the Cumberland Art Gallery. Susanna and Simon are named among the guides praised for lively anecdotes and attentive service. Transport is not included in the stated price, so confirm arrangements before booking.

“We had a pleasant drive out to Hampton Court our guide was informative and very pleasant. We enjoyed our day. The driver was very good and it was nice we could arrange for pickup and drop off. Would recommend this group for tours.”

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10.Hampton Court Palace Private tour With Fast Track Entry

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 5 hours · from $431

Travel from Soho in a private, chauffeur-driven vehicle with live commentary, then explore Hampton Court Palace for 2.5 hours. Fast-track entry and an English multimedia audio guide are included. See Henry VIII’s Great Hall and kitchens, the baroque state rooms, 60 acres of gardens, and the Great Vine. Your driver waits outside and returns you to your pickup point.

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