What Is Hampton Court Palace?

Hampton Court Palace began as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey's private residence in the early 1500s before Henry VIII took it over in 1529 and rebuilt it into the grandest palace in England. It later gained a second wing under William III and Mary II, added by Christopher Wren in the 1690s in a French Baroque style — which is why the palace today reads as two buildings from two different centuries fused together, Tudor brick on one side and Baroque stone on the other.

It was a working royal residence for more than two centuries and holds some of the most vivid Tudor history in England — this is where Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was reportedly dragged screaming through what's now called the Haunted Gallery after being accused of adultery. Today it's run by the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces (the same organization behind the Tower of London), and the grounds include the famous Hampton Court Maze, the Great Vine (planted in 1768 and still producing grapes), and the Privy Garden restored to its 1702 layout.

Hampton Court Palace Tickets & Prices 2026

As of mid-2026, standard online pricing starts at: adult £28.00, child (5–15) £14.00, young person (16–17) £14.00, and senior/student/disabled-concession £22.50. Children under 5 enter free, and a registered carer or companion for a disabled visitor also goes free. Historic Royal Palaces now runs variable pricing on top of that base rate — tickets on busier peak dates can run higher, with the adult rate climbing to roughly £32 on the highest-demand days — so the exact figure depends on which date you book. Historic Royal Palaces also asks for an optional 10% Gift Aid donation at checkout, which adds a little more if you tick the box — it doesn't change what you see, only whether the charity can reclaim tax on your ticket. Prices are reviewed periodically, so treat these as a solid planning estimate and confirm the exact figure for your date on the official tickets and prices page before you pay.

General admission covers the state apartments, the Tudor kitchens, the Georgian rooms, the gardens, the Great Vine, and — importantly — the famous hedge maze, which is not a separate paid attraction; you cannot buy a maze-only ticket, it's simply included with your palace admission. If you're weighing whether to bundle this into a multi-attraction pass rather than book direct, our guide to whether the London Pass is worth it covers how Hampton Court fits into that math.

Frequent visitors can join as a Historic Royal Palaces member from around £65 a year for unlimited free entry to Hampton Court and the other HRP sites (including the Tower of London), plus shop and café discounts — worth it if you're planning two or more visits. Watch for the palace's periodic half-price ticket promotions, typically run in the quieter January–February window, which can roughly halve the standard adult rate.

Opening Hours & Best Time to Visit

Hampton Court runs on a seasonal schedule: summer hours (26 March–29 October) are 10:00–17:30, and winter hours (30 October–25 March) are 10:00–16:30. Last admission is one hour before closing in both seasons. The palace closes to visitors on 24–26 December each year; there are no other planned closures scheduled for the rest of 2026, though it's worth double-checking the official opening and closing times page close to your visit date, since events occasionally alter access to specific rooms.

One thing worth knowing before you go: the Great Gatehouse, the main visitor entrance, is under scaffolding and closed until around June 2026, with entry temporarily re-routed via Seymour Gate — it doesn't affect what you can see inside, just where you walk in. The Mantegna Gallery is also closed for the whole of 2026 and isn't due to reopen until spring 2027.

For crowds, arrive at or shortly after opening — the palace is popular with coach tours that tend to land mid-morning. Weekday visits, especially outside UK school holidays, are noticeably calmer than weekends. If you specifically want the gardens without paying for the palace, Hampton Court runs a handful of free Garden Open Days across the year (dates in 2026 include mid-January, mid-March, early May, mid-September, mid-October, late November, and 26 December) — the palace, maze, and Magic Garden Playground still require a paid ticket on those days, but the grounds are free to walk.

How Long Do You Need at Hampton Court Palace?

Budget at least 3 hours if you want to see the state apartments, the Tudor kitchens, and walk the maze and gardens without rushing. Historic Royal Palaces itself recommends three hours as the baseline for a full visit, and many visitors end up staying longer once they're in the gardens. If you're purely there for the palace interior and skip the maze and grounds, 2 hours is workable, but you'll be moving briskly through rooms most people come specifically to linger in.

Because this is a half-day-plus commitment once travel time is added, it's rarely a stop you bolt onto a packed central London day. It works best as a dedicated half-day or full-day trip out of the city — see our guide to day trips from London for how to slot it alongside other options.

How to Get to Hampton Court Palace

The train is the practical option for almost everyone. South Western Railway runs direct services from London Waterloo roughly every 30 minutes, calling at Vauxhall, Clapham Junction, Wimbledon, Surbiton, and Thames Ditton along the way; the journey takes about 35 minutes. Hampton Court station is in Zone 6, so an Oyster card or contactless payment works the same as anywhere else on the network — no separate rail ticket needed if you're already using pay-as-you-go.

From the station, it's a five-minute walk to the palace: cross the bridge over the River Thames and the entrance gates are on your right. There's no need to book transport in advance; just turn up at Waterloo and take the next Hampton Court service. A river boat from central London is also possible in summer months, though it takes considerably longer than the train and runs a more limited schedule.

Visit Tips: Queues and Common Mistakes

• Book tickets online in advance where possible — it's typically a little cheaper than paying on the door and it guarantees entry on busy dates.
• Head for the state apartments first if you arrive right at opening; the crowds thicken from mid-morning once coach groups land.
• Don't skip the maze because it looks like a kids' attraction — at roughly a third of a mile of paths, most visitors take 10–20 minutes to find the center, and it's included in your ticket either way.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Between the palace rooms, the gardens, and the wider estate, this is a walking-heavy visit, not a quick indoor stop.
• If you only want the gardens, check the Garden Open Days calendar before paying for a full ticket — but remember the palace interior, maze, and playground still need a ticket on those dates.
• Only book through the official Historic Royal Palaces site or a reputable retailer; third-party resale listings often mark tickets up above face value.

Nearby Attractions

Hampton Court sits well outside central London, so it doesn't pair naturally with a same-day visit to sights like the Westminster Abbey or Buckingham Palace — treat it as its own half-day or full-day trip rather than a stop bolted onto a central-London itinerary. If you're building out the rest of your royal-history sightseeing in the capital, the London attractions hub covers the full range of palaces, museums, and landmarks worth combining across your trip.