Historic Royal Palaces is closely following the latest government advice and guidance in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The safety of our staff and visitors is our highest priority.
We are doing everything we can to respond to your enquiries as quickly as possible and thank you for your patience.
Find answers to common questions about booking online, visiting and how to make the most of your visit.
Updated 15 September 2021
Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, Kensington Palace and Kew Gardens are all open on various days and times. Please check the palace you wish to visit for opening times. Banqueting House remains closed.
Opening times vary across palaces. Please see links below for opening times.
Tower of London:
Tickets for dates until the end of December are available.
Hampton Court Palace:
Tickets for dates until the end of December are available.
Banqueting House:
Banqueting House will remain closed until further notice. We apologise for any disappointment this may cause.
Kensington Palace:
Tickets for dates until the end of December are available.
Kew Palace:
Tickets available until 26 September when Kew Palace will close for the winter.
Hillsborough Castle:
Tickets for the castle and gardens up to 26 September are available to book now. Tickets for gardens only are available up to 2 January 2022.
For questions related to carer tickets or accessibility, please click here for Hampton Court Palace, here for Hillsborough Castle & Gardens, here for Kensington Palace, or here for the Tower of London
We recommend visitors wear face coverings in indoor spaces.
You will need your membership number to book tickets, so if you're waiting for your new membership card to arrive and want to visit straightaway, please email [email protected] and we'll sort it out for you.
To use your Blue Peter badge, please bring the badge, card and proof of age to show our Admissions team on arrival. As children are only able to use a Blue Peter badge when accompanied by an adult, please book the paid tickets you require in advance, selecting the palace you’d like to visit and clicking the ‘Buy tickets’ option in the top right corner.
Whilst we cannot pre-book these free spaces, we will admit Blue Peter badge holders on the same timeslot as your pre-booked ticket(s) and will not ask your party to split up.
As a member, you need to pre-book a timeslot for your visit using the Member portal. This is to ensure the safety of both visitors and staff.
1. Log in to the Member portal
2. Choose the palace you'd like to book your tickets for and follow the ticket purchase process, selecting your free member tickets from the list of ticket types. If pre-booking tickets for members only, you will skip the payment process.
We inform our members and customers about new ticket releases by email. If you aren’t receiving notifications and would like to, simply sign up for our e-newsletters on the website, or if you're a member it maybe we need to update your email address or contact preferences. You can drop us a line on [email protected] and we'll arrange this for you.
If you are unable to login with your membership number and surname, try a space after your surname. It is not case-specific.
If you have recently purchased a membership and cannot login, your membership might not have been processed yet. Please email our team at [email protected] and we'll try to help.
Yes, the car parks are open but cannot be pre-booked.
Hampton Court Palace
Limited parking is available on-site. £1.60 per hour. Pay for your parking by card or by using the Glide app.
9 disabled bays are available, free for blue badge holders.
Hillsborough Castle and Gardens
Free car parking is available with 27 disabled parking bays, free for blue badge holders.
We offer a 30% discount to holders of a valid MOD90 card, the Defence Discount card, or the MOD Certificate of Eligibility at our London palaces.
How much are tickets?
A MOD family ticket will allow entrance for 1 military personnel, 1 additional adult and up to 3 children. A MOD family 1 ticket with allow entrance for 1 military personnel and up to 3 children without the additional adult.
Unless otherwise stated, these prices are valid from 1st March 2021 until 28th February 2022 and subject to our Terms & Conditions.
What do I need to do next?
Discounted tickets can only be bought at the palace on the day of your visit. Simply show your proof of eligibility at the ticket office and we will be happy to offer the reduced rate.
You will have been issued with a special voucher from your employer that allows you to visit during opening hours without pre-booking. If you would like to visit with more guests than your voucher allows, you will need to book extra tickets on hrp.org.uk. We will endeavour to admit you on the next available time slot but as we are operating with a limited capacity please note that you might have to queue. We appreciate your patience if this should happen. If this doesn’t answer your question, please contact [email protected].
For the protection of our staff and visitors, we will only be accepting payment by card/contactless.
We will continue to ensure that the safety of our visitors and staff is our priority. We have implemented a comprehensive plan to help our visitors and staff feel safe at the palaces. We will:
Where appropriate – particularly where closer contact with members of the public is required – our staff will be issued with PPE, or may be working behind screens, for their protection and to protect our visitors.
Toilets will be frequently cleaned and monitored by staff. We will display a sign in sheet in each toilet, so visitors can be clear on how we are maintaining high standards of hygiene.
There is no pre-booking for corporate partners - partners should just present themselves, with their voucher and proof of ID as per the terms and conditions of the voucher, on the day they'd like to visit where they will be admitted at the next available time slot on the day (every half hour).
For more information on our schools programme or to make a booking please visit Schools | Historic Royal Palaces (hrp.org.uk)
Should you have a query about the schools programme please email [email protected].
Staff safety remains our primary concern and we have implemented safety measures in our retail warehouse. This means our online orders may take slightly longer than usual to be processed.
Please read our delivery information for further assistance.
Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions and we will aim to respond as soon as possible.
Refreshments are available from the cafes and kiosks located at our sites. Not all food outlets may be open, and we will be operating a reduced menu.
Please check out the visit / eating pages for the palace you wish to visit for further details.
Our retail shops are open. You can continue to make purchases from our online shop too.
Historic Royal Palaces is an independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle.
Find out more about visiting our six palaces and our various attractions in the links below.
Discover London's castle – a secure fortress, royal palace and infamous prison.
Wander the corridors of royal power and pleasure at the former home of Henry VIII.
Experience the drama and splendour of the Rubens Ceiling at the Banqueting House in Whitehall.
Be charmed by a stylish royal residence — once the home of Queen Victoria.
Glimpse inside an intimate royal family retreat, hidden in the grounds of Kew Gardens.
Explore the gardens and discover a castle at Northern Ireland's royal residence.
