Audio Guide Tour

Hold the stories of Hampton Court Palace in your hand

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When

Available

Ticketing information

Collect your audio guide in the Undercroft shop. Availability may be limited during busy periods.

Or Access our visitor guide, which includes all the audio tours, on your device.

Included in palace admission (Members go free)

Buy Hampton Court Palace tickets

Tours and talks

Experience the history of Hampton Court Palace, former residence of Henry VIII. Explore two sides of this magnificent palace; Henry VIII's Tudor palace and the Baroque apartments built for William III.

Join curators, historians and conservators as they uncover the fascinating stories and hidden secrets of this former royal residence. Listen at your own pace, or enjoy the family-friendly version of the tour.

Highlights of our audio guide tours

Make the most of your day with an audio tour and explore the highlights.

Listen to Chief Curator Tracy Borman as she guides you through Henry VIII’s bustling kitchens.
Explore Henry VIII's apartments, which include the Great Hall and Great Watching Chamber.
Join Buildings Curator Daniel Jackson, who explores how the king displayed his wealth.
Discover the presence of all Henry VIII's wives at the palace.
Explore the Chapel Royal through history, which is still a working community chapel.
Join our curators as they narrate the history of William III’s apartments and the Georgian Court.
Join Zac and the Palace pigeon on our family-friendly tour.
Explore how the palace has provided a backdrop for TV shows and films since 1926.

How to use our audio guide

Use your own device

Our visitor guide includes all the audio tours along with information about events and facilities, on your device.

Save the link above to your home screen for a seamless experience while using the guide on-site during your visit. For the best experience, remember to bring your headphones and a portable charger.

Pick up an audio guide device

Alternatively, you can borrow an audio guide device for free. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis. At peak times, there may be a short wait for a device to become available.

Collect your free audio guide in the Undercroft shop.

Using headphones with our devices

You are welcome to bring your own headphones.

Headphones need to plug into the handset. Bluetooth headphones are not compatible with audio guide handsets.
Our audio guide handsets will accommodate most common types of headphones.

Audio guide tour transcripts

Please visit the Hampton Court Palace Audio Guide transcripts page for transcripts of each tour.

Plan your day

Use the guide to explore what's on at the palace, and to discover where you can eat and shop.

Languages

Please note, the Hampton Court Palace audio guide tours are available in:

English
British Sign Language (BSL) - Available for Henry VIII's Kitchens, Henry VIII's State Apartments, William III's Apartments and Film and TV Location Tour.
Dutch (Nederlands)
French (Français)
German (Deutsch)
Italian (Italiano)
Japanese (日本語)
Korean (한국어)
Chinese Mandarin (中文)
Russian (Pусский)
Spanish (Español)

An archway to leading to a shop entrance. Signs for the shop are seen on the right.

Full audio tours of the palace

Discover our full audio guide tours and dive deep into the history of the former royal residence.

Henry VIII's Kitchens

Discover Henry VIII’s Kitchens and what it takes to feed a Tudor court. Join Chief Curator Tracy Borman (25 minutes) or go back in time on the family friendly tour (20 minutes).

Henry VIII's State Apartments

Discover Henry VIII’s State Apartments and the tale of his six wives. Be guided by Joint Chief Curator Tracy Borman (30 minutes) or go back in time on the family friendly tour (20 minutes).

Georgian Story

Step into the 18th century world of Georgian kings and discover the private and public lives of George I and his son, George II and Queen Caroline (25 minutes). This is also available as a family friendly tour (20 minutes).

William III's Apartments

Visit King William III’s state apartments then meet the man beneath the crown in his private rooms (25 minutes) or take the family friendly tour (15 minutes).

Tudor World Tour

Discover the story of Henry VIII and the world of the 1500s, told through surviving paintings from the Royal Collection. This tour is 40 minutes. Currently available in English only.

Introductory tours

These are shorter audio guide tours intended to provide a brief overview of certain locations in and around the palace. The tours below are accessible but are only available in English.

Family Tour Introduction

An introduction to the family-friendly tour that takes you all over Hampton Court Palace. Meet your guides and learn how to use the tour. This lasts four minutes.

Chapel Royal

Director of Music at the Chapel, Carl Jackson, introduces the Chapel Royal. Famous for its Tudor ceiling where many significant historical moments have taken place, services have been held here for 500 years and still take place here (two minutes). This tour is also available in family a family friendly version.

Chapel Court

This tour introduces the Chapel Court, made to mark the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s accession. The tour is family-friendly and takes two minutes to complete.

Clock Court

The tour provides an overview of the spectacular Clock Court at the Palace, is family-friendly and runs for two minutes.

Chocolate Kitchens

Once a food exclusive to the wealthy, discover how this luxurious drink was prepared for the palace’s royal inhabitants in Britain’s only royal Chocolate Kitchens. This tour runs for two minutes and is also available in a family friendly version.

Fountain Court

Discover Fountain Court, a beautiful garden with a fountain taking centre stage. This family tour will take two minutes.

Clock Court at Hampton Court Palace in the sunshine

Film and TV Location Tour

Head behind the scenes at Hampton Court Palace, a key filming location. With nearly 100 years of filmmaking, we have a lot of stories to tell. From Bridgerton to Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, find out more about how the palace has been the centerpiece of a multitude of film and TV moments for almost a century.

Available in main and step-free versions, the recommended time to complete this is 90 minutes. Available in English only.

Bridgerton by Netflix- season 3. Still of two actors in costume at Hampton Court Palaces.

An actor in costume as Tudor Kitchen Clerk.

Time Explorers at Hampton Court Palace

Families can explore Hampton Court Palace by completing challenges and quizzes using the Time Explorers game. Meet characters from history, learn about life at the palace, test your knowledge and win badges!

If you choose to accept your mission you can help the Kitchen Clerk prepare a fantastic feast for the King or help Maid of Honour Molly Lepel prepare for her first grand ball, plus much more.

Time Explorers is available to play for free on selected audio guides and subject to availability. Please ask a member of staff when collecting your guides from the Undercroft shop.