Garden history tours

Join our expert guides as they share the historical highlights of Hampton Court Gardens.

We are pleased to offer Garden History Tours on Wednesdays to Sundays during the summer. Guides will lead you through the most historic parts of the gardens, covering over 500 years of history - including the Fountain Garden (also called the East Front), the Privy Garden and Queen Mary’s Bower to the Orangery Garden and the Pond Gardens.

Discover the Tudor beginnings of the Privy Garden and the Pond Gardens. Hear about the origins of the Great Vine, planted in 1768 by Master Gardener Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Now over 250 years old, the Great Vine is the largest grape vine in the world.

A garden history tour is the ideal way to begin an afternoon exploring the gardens at your leisure.

Important Information:

• Please note that other events that take place in the gardens will take priority over gardens tours. Please check our events page before you visit. 
• These tours are not horticultural tours and will explore the history of the gardens.
• The tours may be cancelled when other events take priority or due to extreme weather conditions - you may wish to bring an umbrella, water, sunhat, or all three!