Buckingham Palace & Hampton Court Palace

Itinerary

Day 1, Hampton Court Palace & Gardens

A couple of years ago we enjoyed a (chilly) Christmas visit to this fascinating palace. On the way home many customers expressed a desire to return in warmer weather to explore more of the palace and see the wonderful gardens in full bloom. Add in the new Tudor World Exhibition and the time seemed right for a return visit.

Surrounded by gorgeous gardens and famous features such as the Maze and the Great Vine, the palace has been the setting for many nationally important events.

A Brief History

The original Tudor Palace was begun by Cardinal Wolsey in the early 16th century, but it soon attracted the attention of Henry VIII.

When William III and Mary II took the throne in 1689, they commissioned Sir Christopher Wren to build an elegant new baroque palace. Later, Georgian kings and princes occupied the splendid interiors. Queen Victoria opened the palace to the public in 1838. It has remained a magnet for millions of visitors, drawn to the grandeur, the ghosts and the fabulous art collection.

Palace Tour Highlights

Use your audio guide to explore the palace rooms at your leisure.

Experience the splendour of the Tudor court in Henry VIII’s Great Hall, complete with his magnificent tapestries. Walk Henry VIII’s route from his private apartments to the Chapel and see the infamous Haunted Gallery in the State Apartments. Discover Henry VIII’s State Apartments and the battle for power at the Tudor court in the Great Watching Chamber.

Walk in the footsteps of kings and queens and see Anne Boleyn’s Book of Hours, in The Chapel Royal. Explore this hidden Tudor space, The Wolsey Closet, the only surviving room of the apartment that Cardinal Wolsey had built for Henry VIII. Transport yourself back to the heyday of Tudor feasting and entertainment in Henry VIII’s Kitchens at Hampton Court Palace. In The Council Chamber, experience history in the making in one of the most private spaces in the Tudor palace of Hampton Court.

Ordinary Lives in Extraordinary Times – Tudor World exhibition

In The Tudor World Exhibition, meet the ordinary men and women who enabled the Tudor court to exist and flourish. The exhibition showcases objects from the Historic Royal Palaces’ collections, relating to the lives of the ordinary men and women who kept the Palace going during the Tudor age.

This remarkable story of an ambitious royal dynasty is told through rare and important 16th-century artworks and historic objects, as well as interactive displays. Find out about the achievements of the Tudors, and the impact of their rule in an age of great change. In the tumultuous 16th century, English people had to adapt to survive, while European exploration – and exploitation – of the wider world affected lives everywhere. You can also see some rare and wonderful treasures, telling a wider story of the impact of Henry VIII and his heirs on Tudor England.

The Gardens

The world-famous gardens of Hampton Court Palace include 60 acres of spectacular formal gardens and 750 acres of parkland, all set within a loop of the River Thames.

Summer sees the spectacular herbaceous border in the East Front Gardens at its best, while Queen Mary II’s Exoticks come out in the Lower Orangery Garden and weekly harvests are gathered from the busy Kitchen Garden. The gardens are home to the world’s oldest puzzle maze, a record-breaking grape vine, three National Plant Collections and a huge variety of wildlife, including the descendants of Henry VIII’s deer herd.

Change in the gardens is part of Hampton Court Palace’s 500-year history. But as our climate changes, so do the gardens. See how Graham Dillamore, Head Gardener and his team are adapting to these challenges to create better habitats for biodiversity.

If you need some refreshments head for the Tiltyard Café for drinks, pastries and cakes.

Arriving at our hotel there is time to check in, freshen up and get together for pre-dinner drinks and canapes before dinner.

Day 2, The State Rooms of Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is one of those ‘must see’ destinations and is only open during the summer. Explore the magnificent State Rooms, which provide the setting for ceremonial occasions and official entertaining by His Majesty The King. It is the official London residence of His Majesty The King and one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today.

Use your audio guide to explore the palace rooms at your leisure.

A brief history

The history of the site where Buckingham Palace stands can be traced back to the reign of James I in the early 17th century. Charles I then gave the land to Lord Aston in 1628 and records show a large house on the site, which had many tenants until, in 1698, it was let to the man who gave the house its name, John Sheffield, later the Duke of Buckingham.

The Duke found the house old-fashioned, so it was demolished to create the new ‘Buckingham House’.

Tour Highlights

The Picture Gallery, designed as a setting for George IV’s collection of Old Master paintings, displays some of the finest works in the Royal Collection including Vermeer, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens, Titian, Canaletto and Claude.

Central to the Throne Room is the pair of throne chairs which were made for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1953, then reupholstered and used during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The room has been used as the backdrop for royal photographs, most recently as the setting for the official portraits following the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and Queen.

The White Drawing Room is perhaps the most beautiful of all the State Rooms. The room includes a concealed door, allowing members of the Royal Family to enter and leave the State Rooms discreetly from the private areas beyond.

Queen Victoria ordered the construction of The Ballroom, which opened in 1856 with a ball to celebrate the end of the Crimean War.

At the end of your visit head for the Garden Café on the West Terrace for light bites, cakes and refreshments.

Booking your place

Two people sharing a twin or double room is £430 per person. A supplement for sole occupancy of a double room is £40.

£100 non-refundable deposit is payable on booking. Full payment is due 10 weeks before departure.

Travel arrangements

Departing Shrewsbury 08.30 on Saturday 30 August and arriving back in Shrewsbury at 19.00 on Sunday 31 August 2025. All timings are provisional and will be confirmed 7-days before travel.

And finally…

You are strongly advised to take out your own travel insurance to cover you for any emergency or cancellation or loss of luggage etc.

We have an ‘All Weather Policy’ which means the tour will go ahead come rain or shine unless the Met Office announces it is unsafe to travel. You are advised to check the weather forecast and bring appropriate clothing and footwear.

Please look at the Hotel Information and Mobility & Accessibility sections further down this for information on venues.

The Sheraton Hotel, Heathrow

We will be staying at The Sheraton Hotel, Heathrow.

This is one of our ‘go-to’ hotels when visiting London, renown for its comfortable beds. It provides good access to both palaces.

Accessibility & Mobility Information

Follow this link for information regarding Accessibility and mobility at Hampton Court Palace.

For information on Buckingham Palace please follow this link.

A Right Royal Weekend - Buckingham Palace & Hampton Court Palace

Tour Information

Enjoy two grand, royal palaces in one weekend.

Included in the Tour

Two fabulous destinations