Planning an independent visit to Hampton Court including public transport

There are many books and reference articles about Hampton Court and its history. The official Hampton Court website, is a good starting place for accurate material.

For up to date ticket information please see our tickets section.

Occasionally, it may be cheaper to purchase from a third party; however, at other times, it may be more cost-effective to buy directly from Hampton Court’s website.

Why not make it an extra special London day out and combine your Hampton Court Palace tickets with a Fish and Chip meal at Poppies Restaurant.

Hampton Court and Windsor Castle Day Tour from London

You might consider combining your trip to Hampton Court Palace with a visit to Windsor Castle.

This tour offers a panoramic coach tour of London, furthermore, it provides the flexibility to either visit just Hampton Court or, alternatively, combine it with a trip to Windsor Castle.

Opening times and location

Opening times

End March to early November – 10:00am – 17:30pm.

Early November to late March – 10:00am – 16:30pm.

Hampton Court Palace is open every day of the year except 24th to 26th December.

Last admittance is one hour before closing.

Location

Hampton Court is situated to the south-west of Central London along the River Thames. It falls within London’s public transport network (zone 6).

The easiest and quickest way for visitors to reach it is by taking a train from Waterloo Station, although there are also river transport options available from April to October.

Nearest Station

Hampton Court Station is on the opposite side of the River Thames from Hampton Court Palace and connected by Hampton Court Bridge. It’s a 35 minute train journey from London’s Waterloo Station (next to the London Eye) and you can also pick up the trains at Wimbledon Station (District Line of the Underground).

You can utilize London Travelcards and Oyster Cards for train travel.

River Services

In the summer months (April to October) there are river services. The most frequent service is by Turks boats (see their web site for times), between Richmond and Hampton Court, a journey of around 1 hour 45 minutes. Richmond Underground Station (District Line) is a 5-10 minute walk from the Richmond Pier.

There is also a service from Westminster Pier (adjacent to Big Ben) for a three to three and a half hour trip out to Hampton Court stopping at many stops including Kew Gardens, Richmond and Kingston. Nowadays this service is down to a single schedule in each direction, (you could not squeeze a visit to Hampton Court between the schedules).

Hampton Court Palace official website

Ticket information

Tickets are priced for adults age 18 – 64 years. Concessions are available for children, full-time students, seniors and people with a disability.

What does a Hampton Court Palace ticket include?

Your ticket includes access to the palace, maze and gardens, plus a multi- language audio guide, costumed guided tours, children’s activity trails, entry to the Cumberland Art Gallery, Magic Garden, the Young Henry VIII exhibition and much more!

Peak and off peak tickets for Hampton Court Palace

Tickets are divided into peak and off peak tickets. Peak tickets are for weekends, bank holidays and events, while off peak is for weekdays (excluding bank holidays).

Third party sellers

Tickets from discounters like Discount London (banner link below) typically match the price of tickets from the Hampton Court official website, (link at the top of the page). However, beware that third party sellers don’t always offer the discounts for certain groups such as disabled visitors, seniors and full-time students. To get this discount, head direct to the official website.

Queues at Hampton Court Palace

Entrance queues at Hampton Court are not really an issue, just buying a standard ticket on-line in advance will skip any queue waiting to buy tickets from the ticket desk.

Group ticket savings for 15 or more people

Groups of 15 people or more can save on ticket prices. Walk-up group visits are welcome.

If you do not have a pre-booked timed admission slot, you may have to wait until availability allows for your group to enter.

Hampton Court – the history

Tudor and Baroque periods

Hampton Court is a story of two palaces: a Tudor palace, magnificently developed by Cardinal Wolsey and later Henry VIII, alongside a baroque palace built by William III and Mary II.

Cardinal Wolsey

The original palace was built 1515-1521 by Cardinal Wolsey who spent lavishly to build the finest palace in England at Hampton Court. He was later forced to give the palace to Henry VIII as he began to fall from favour.

The Great Hall

Henry added the Great Hall which was the last medieval Great Hall built for the English monarchy and the Royal Tennis Court, which was built and is still in use for the game of real tennis today. Not the present-day version of the game. This court is now the oldest Real Tennis Court in the world that is still in use.

William and Mary

During the reign of William and Mary, parts of Henry’s additions were demolished. A new wing was added (partly under the supervision of Sir Christopher Wren), and the state apartments came into regular use. Half the Tudor palace was replaced in a project that lasted from 1689-1694.

George III

From the reign of George III in 1760, monarchs tended to favour other London homes, and Hampton Court ceased to be a royal residence.

Visiting Hampton Court – what is there to see?

Three sections to the palace

Hampton Court is one of those places where you can spend a couple of hours or a day. The Palace itself is split into three main sections broadly corresponding to phases in its development.

• Tudor Palace (16th Century – Henry VIII)
• Baroque Palace (17th Century – William III & Mary II)
• Georgian Rooms (18th Century – George I & George II)

For each section there is a complementary audio guide.

Tudor house

The most popular is the Tudor section with vast Tudor kitchens, Haunted Gallery and Great Hall where Henry VIII frequently dined and entertained his many guests.

Demonstrations

Throughout the day there are interesting demonstrations to supplement the audio tours along the routes. So it’s a bit like scheduling your visit to a zoo so you see the various feeding times. Demonstrations are on things like musical instruments in Tudor times, the life of a maid or expert talks on some of the paintings.

Talks in the grounds

There are also costumed characters that do scheduled talks in the grounds. These are relatively lightweight but are good for kids.

How long will I spend at Hampton Court Palace?

The time you spend depends on how much you want to explore. A standard visit to the Palace will take you 4-5 hours.

In addition to the main attractions at Hampton Court Palace, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy, such as lunch or tea breaks, as well as special events and exhibitions.

Hampton Court Maze

For kids and those young at heart there is the famous Hampton Court Maze. Dating back to the 17th century. The Hampton Court Maze is one of the oldest and most famous hedge mazes in the world.

Free entry to the Maze is included in the normal admission price.

You can enjoy beautiful landscaped gardens, and if you’re interested, there are often horse and buggy rides available. Additionally, you’ll find restaurants and gift shops to explore as well.