Schools FAQs

Hillsborough Castle and Gardens: Tuesday – Friday during term time. Mondays are also available during the autumn term. 

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: 

Tower of London 

Hampton Court Palace  

Kensington Palace   

Hillsborough Castle and Gardens   

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.

We do have school lunchrooms at 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 date options 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 summer term. If you have not had a response within this timeframe, please do get in touch via telephone: 020 3166 6646. We are aiming 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.

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 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.  

• Early Years and Key Stage 1 groups are welcome to go to the Magic Garden during their visit. This is included in your admission, there’s no need to book it separately
• 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) 
• Pupils must be supervised at all times in the Magic Garden
• We cannot guarantee entry to the Magic Entry is on a strictly first-come, first-served basis, and queueing at busy times is highly likely
• Please be aware there are sand and water features in the Magic Garden
• Please note that the garden was designed primarily for families with young children/toddlers 
• Please access Magic Gardens FAQs for more information