Frequently asked questions about school visits to our palaces
Hillsborough Castle and Gardens: Monday – Friday during term time.
Hampton Court Palace: Wednesday - Friday during term time and selected Tuesdays.
Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace: Wednesday – Friday during term time.
Tower of London: Monday - Friday during term time.
Pre-booking is essential for all school or home educator visits. For full planning and booking information including full term dates and booking forms, follow the links below:
As a result of the pandemic, we have adjusted our opening days of the week. We apologise for any inconvenience this might cause. We will offer select dates for schools only visits on Tuesdays at Hampton Court Palace. Please check this page for dates.
Booking request forms can be found on the plan and book pages below:
Please complete and submit a form. If successful you will receive a booking confirmation email. If we have been unable to make a booking for you, a member of the team will email you back to discuss things further.
After submitting a booking request form you should receive a booking confirmation email. This will have an invoice attached with payment details. We require all school visits to be paid at least 6 weeks in advance as per our booking terms and conditions. Payment can be made via bank transfer or credit/debit card. If you require a purchase order number to be added to your invoice, please let us know.
We do have school lunchrooms at all our sites and will aim to allocate as many schools as we can a lunchroom. Lunchrooms will be allocated by prioritising the youngest groups first and we will send confirmation of your lunchroom booking two weeks prior to your visit. Groups are always welcome to picnic on site in our designated outdoor areas.
Our school visits are popular, and we have a set allocation of sessions and tickets per day to ensure a good experience for all. Please book early and provide alternative dates on your booking request form to avoid disappointment.
We may not always be available to answer your telephone call but rest assured that we aim to open our phone lines Monday-Friday 09:30-16:30 during UK term time when we are expecting school visits onsite. If you need a swift response, we always recommend email and if you would like to speak to a member of the team you can request a call back.
School visits phone number: 020 3166 6646
Email addresses by site:
Hillsborough Castle and Gardens hillsboroughlearning@hrp.org.uk
Tower of London towerlearning@hrp.org.uk
Hampton Court Palace hamptoncourtlearning@hrp.org.uk
Kensington Palace kensingtonlearning@hrp.org.uk
It is our aim to reply to every email within 10 working days. This may take longer at busy times of year, such as the summer term. If you have not had a response within this timeframe, please do get in touch via telephone: 020 3166 6646. We aim to open our phone lines Monday-Friday 09:30-16:30 during UK term time.
Please check the closures and notices pages for the site you plan to visit in advance. We will endeavour to notify groups about major planned closures and special events in advance of your visit, but visitor routes may need to close on the day of your visit for emergency conservation or maintenance work.
The Historic Royal Palaces Access Fund for Schools offers your school the opportunity to have a high quality, immersive learning experience at the iconic sites of the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace. Please see the Access Fund page for details about how you can apply.
In your booking confirmation email you will receive a teacher planning pass for two teachers to come onsite and plan your school visit. You do not need to pre-book this, but we recommend checking our opening times before travelling as the sites may be closed on certain days of the week. We are unable to provide teacher planning passes in advance of a visit being booked with us. If you have yet to book with us, we strongly recommend attending one of our familiarisation sessions, either in person or online to find out more about leading a school visit to one of our sites.
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Early Years and Key Stage 1 groups are welcome to go to the Magic Garden during their visit if it’s open (opening days vary throughout the year). Admission is included and there is ino need to book it separately.
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A 1:6 supervision ratio is required in the Magic Garden; therefore, this area is not suitable for school groups aged 7+. We would suggest older groups visit the Maze (included in your admission)
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Pupils must be supervised at all times in the Magic Garden
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We cannot guarantee entry to the Magic Garden. Entry is on a strictly first-come, first-served basis, and queueing at busy times is highly likely
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Please be aware there are sand and water features in the Magic Garden
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Please note that the garden was designed primarily for families with young children/toddlers
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Please access Magic Gardens FAQs for more information