Explore the highlights of Hampton Court Palace on our free fam trip

With fascinating stories across centuries, Hampton Court Palace in Surrey has plenty to pack into a group day out. And this is the ideal opportunity to visit, speak to the travel trade team and find out about the highlights that would interest your group members.

The details…

• Date: Monday 20th April, 2026.
• 10am: begin your day with a warm welcome at the West Gate, main entrance to Hampton Court Palace from the HRP Travel Trade team and GLT staff.
• 10.20am: experience a special Meet & Greet with one of the Hampton Court Palace Hosts, setting your day off in style.
• 11am: the day is yours! Depending on your interest – there will be something for everyone to explore, and you will have plenty of time to look around some of the many highlights at Hampton Court Palace.
• You can also plan your day to include some of the short talks and the Travel Trade team will be on hand to guide you through the locations and themes available on the day.
• What else is included? you’ll be given a hot lunch voucher to use in the Tiltyard Café for a hot dish of your choice, a dessert of your choice and a non-alcoholic beverage.

Applications are now open to GTOs and coach tour operators. The deadline for applications is Monday 9th March. 

Click here to apply

Here’s what you can expect

The day will also feature a surprise for visitors and multiple opportunities to engage with the Historic Royal Palaces Travel Trade team throughout the experience.

Depending on your interest, you can head for different parts of Hampton Court Palace, which features the palace itself as well as 60 acres of formal gardens and a further 750 acres of parkland.

Foodies can make a beeline for the Tudor Kitchens which at their height were producing more than 800 meals a day for the King’s hungry household, and the Chocolate Kitchens which made for a remarkable discovery in 2013. The Chocolate Kitchens were built for William III and Mary II in around 1689 but were said to mainly serve the Georgian kings – George I even had his own personal chocolate maker, Thomas Tosier.

Art lovers can explore the Cumberland Art Gallery, Wolsey Rooms with Tudor masterpieces, plus the priceless Abraham Tapestries in the Great Hall. Depicting scenes from the life of the patriarch Abraham from the Book of Genesis, the 500-year-old tapestries are a sight to behold, woven from wool, silk, gold and silver thread.

Garden enthusiasts can take to the 60 acres of formal gardens, including the world’s oldest maze, the largest grape vine and longest herbaceous border and, at the time of our visit, the popular and spectacular Tulip Festival.

Take a moment of reflection in what was said to be Henry VIII’s great orchard. According to legend, Henry first learnt of the death of Thomas Wolsey, his former chief minister, here and by this time he had taken over Wolsey’s palace and gardens at Hampton Court and had started remodelling them to showcase his own power and stature.

Film buffs can use the dedicated trail on the audio guide to follow in the footsteps of big TV series including Bridgerton and Wolf Hall, which were filmed at Hampton Court Palace. Key filming locations include the Master Carpenter’s Court, Fountain Court, Clock Court, Base Court, the King’s Stairs and the Gardens.

Said to be the most magnificent surviving Tudor Palace in the world, Hampton Court Palace was Henry VIII’s pride and joy. Visitors can see the mark left by each of his six wives, including the pomegranate emblem of his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. There is so much to find out about the palace’s fascinating history including the story of Oliver Cromwell who saved it from destruction by making it his home during the Commonwealth.

Click here to apply

How Reader Club works

Our trips and tours provide group travel organisers with the chance to familiarise themselves with venues, attractions and destinations they feel may be of interest and suitable for their group. It’s a ‘try before you buy’ scenario, but please only join us if this is a viable option for your group.