Hampton Court Palace Tour: Uncover the Secrets of Tudor Wives

Uncover the secrets of Tudor wives on a captivating tour of Hampton Court Palace. Explore the 16th century Tudor side, delving into the life and loves of Henry VIII, his six wives, and children. Discover mistresses, betrayals, and haunted galleries with Sarah, an expert guide.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Hampton Court Palace - 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.

What's Included
  • Guided by Sarah, an experienced Guide Lecturer since 2008
  • Exclusive private tour with an accredited guide
  • Gain expert insider knowledge of architecture, artworks, and history
What's Not Included
  • Entrance fees; guests need to 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
Additional Information

This tour is for visitors who want to explore the 16th century Tudor side of Hampton Court Palace; the life, loves and intrigues of Henry VIII, his six wives and children. Sarah aka Hampton Court Tour Guide will bring alive tales of mistresses, betrayals and ghosts that haunt the galleries. She knows the palace inside and out having worked there since 2008. A professional guide and storyteller, member of the Institute of Tourist Guiding and British Guild of Tourist Guides, she is qualified as both a White Badge Guide Lecturer at Hampton Court Palace and Blue Badge Tourist Guide South Central England. Starting at the Gatehouse we’ll learn how Henry VIII became king and who built the palace before moving through the courtyards into the Tudor Kitchens and wine cellar where we will explore how the staff lived and worked. Moving upstairs we’ll walk in the footsteps of kings and queens, through magnificent state apartments viewing artworks. Chapel closed on Sundays. Entrance fees excluded.

Location
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Way
I shall meet you on the moat bridge in front of the West Gate, this is the large brick gatehouse at the top of the driveway where the palace staff wearing red coats check visitor tickets. Once you have booked, I will send send you a map pinpointing the exact location.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(20 Ratings)
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Louise
Sep 1, 2024
Fantastic afternoon with interesting and knowledgeable, friendly guide. - I enjoyed a terrific afternoon with Sarah at Hampton Court. Sarah told some great stories and shared fascinating anecdotes about the palace in Tudor times, which is exactly what I was after. She also briefly shared information about the changes to the palace since the Tudor era. I simply loved this tour and I would recommend it to anyone. Thanks Sarah.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trisha_b
Aug 20, 2024
Royal tour with Sarah to Hampton Court - Sarah was a wonderful guide full of stories and passion to share them. I look forward to doing another tour with her in the future!
Review provided by Viator
Joernk703
Aug 17, 2024
felt like a king - we came up with the idea spontaneously and sarah responded extremely quickly via whatsapp. i have experienced many guided tours but it is rare that someone manages to bring the time of henry the eighth to life in such a way that it never gets boring. sarah instinctively responds to customers and really manages to bring every historical protagonist to life - even if he or she is only hanging in front of you in an oil painting. we didn't feel like tourists but were treated like royalty
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W9849besarahh
Jul 28, 2024
Absolutely Brilliant - Very Highly Recommend - We recently has the pleasure of being given a tour of HCP by Sarah Slater. She was exceptional and I would highly recommend her as a guide. Her knowledge, passion and professionalism is the best we have ever experienced in this country or abroad. She went over and above by answering all the question we asked and providing additional information to support my daughters University project. As well as a vast amount of knowledge which she presents in an engaging way, she has a great sense of humour which made the while experience even more enjoyable. A truly memorable experience for which we are very grateful. If you are planning a trip to HCP or anywhere else Sarah provide tours for, it is well worth booking her to bring everything to life in her unique way.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Simon_h
Jul 11, 2024
Brilliant tour - Sarah was a fantastic guide- entertaining , funny and clearly knows everything about the Tudors. Highly recommended
Review provided by Viator
John_w
Jun 30, 2024
HISTORY BROUGHT TO LIFE - My wife has been very interested in the Tudor period since studying it over 60 years ago at school. For our wedding anniversary this year we booked a short break at a hotel next to Hampton Court and as a surprise I booked this tour - not only was she delighted but I too found it fascinating. I cannot praise enough our tour guide who quickly established both our interests and concentrated the tour on these - we were able to ask many questions and all were answered knowledgably. The time flew by and we were sorry when it ended - even when we realised we had considerably run over the allotted time. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Review provided by Viator
William_d
Jun 13, 2024
Awesome tour guide!!! - Book This Tour Now!!! We were so lucky to find this tour and to have Sarah Slater as our tour guide. Sarah really makes history come alive and made our tour of Hampton Court so much more enjoyable. She was easy to talk to and was able to answer all our questions. We saw Sarah on YouTube doing a talk about Hampton Court and quickly realized she would be a great pick for a tour guide and we weren’t disappointed. Highly recommend!!!
Review provided by Viator
Lori_c
May 17, 2024
HIGHEST Recommendation! - Sarah's tour was simply outstanding! I could have listened to her stories about King Henry and his wives all day. What surprised me was how she was able to make daily Palace life so interesting. Friendly, professional, and fascinating!
Review provided by Viator
W806edloric
May 16, 2024
A great tour guide MAKES the trip! - Sarah's tour was simply outstanding! I could have listened to her stories about King Henry and his wives all day. What surprised me was how she was able to make daily Palace life so interesting. Friendly, professional, and fascinating!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
000trisha
Apr 30, 2024
Fantastic tour of the Grace and Favour Apartments - Sarah is a wonderful guide who brought the fascinating history of the palace to life for us all. She is highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic and we learnt so much on our tour , she is also a very engaging speaker who made the experience fun too ! Would highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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September 2024
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