Hampton Court Palace with kids – day out in London

The Tudor palace of Hampton Court has always fascinated me, and it’s somewhere I’ve been taking my daughter since she was a baby, visiting swathed in a velvet cloak in winter and watching Henry VIII’s sporting academy in summer. So I never say no to a return visit to Hampton Court Palace with kids.

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The palace interiors were closed during our post-lockdown visit but the grounds and gardens are open once again, plus a series of events starting with the Easter trail featuring 12 giant Lindt bunny statues, before the tulip festival from April 12.

For more Easter days out with kids in London, check out the latest things to do this year

And I was very ready to make the most of our Historic Royal Palaces membership – our first chance since visiting Kensington Palace in December.

Walking through the entrance archway into the first courtyard at 11am on Good Friday, I’ve never seen it quite so empty before (although it did get busier during the day, so it pays to turn up early).

You can enter directly into the gardens, but I love walking through those courtyards, spotting the figures reclining by the colourful fountain – one asleep, one clutching a bottle – before strolling on into the next one with its wonderful ornate clock.

Normally at this point, you can head inside to gaze up at the decorative Tudor ceilings, listen out for the ghost of Catherine Howard in the Haunted Gallery, stroll through the Georgian apartments, as well as wandering through the sprawling kitchens.

For now, until all the restrictions lift at Hampton Court Palace, you head straight through into the final courtyard, with its fountain playing in the centre, and onwards to the gardens.

In the privy gardens, with the formal clipped trees, more fountains and raked gravel paths, it’s easy to imagine Queens promenading elegantly with their entourage – happily today, you can stroll in their footsteps without fearing the vicious political undercurrents of the Tudor court.

Or you can take a short trot around the gardens in a conveyance pulled by shire horses – did you know there are more giant pandas than shire horses? There’s an extra fee for this, one of the few additional paid options once you’re inside.

It doesn’t take long but is always tempting for kids – so if you’d prefer not to, steer them left straight away towards William III’s gilded coach which also sits in the gardens.

If you’re following the Easter trail – or any of the regular family trails at Hampton Court Palace – you’ll spot the gold bunnies dotted around here, with signs telling the story of some of those linked with the palace.

As well as kings and queens, there was an enjoyably diverse mix including an architect, playwright, cook and one of the few black Tudors who we still have an identifiable image of, a royal trumpeter who’s believed to have come to England with Catherine of Aragon’s retinue.

The real tennis court is also currently shut, but once restrictions lift, you can wander inside to have a look, and often see a game being played.

My favourite real tennis fact is that anything described as “off the wall” derives from the game.

From the formal gardens, you’ll stroll into the wilderness – currently a riot of bright daffodils and magnolia in full flower.

It’s here that you’ll find the entrance to the famous maze, although that’s also closed for the time being after lockdown.

One of my daughter’s favourite things to do at Hampton Court Palace, despite the fact that I genuinely thought we were lost inside on one previous visit and might never escape…

Walking on towards the kitchen gardens, the Magic Garden play area has reopened. At the moment, there are limited numbers so around half the usual capacity – it certainly still felt full inside, but with space for everyone to spread out.

It’s first come, first served and adults are asked to wear a coloured wristband so that when it reaches capacity, groups are asked to leave at 20 minute intervals to allow more people inside.

We had around 90 minutes which left plenty of time to play: the water is on in the sand area, so it’s worth bringing a change of clothes for little ones.

And while a couple of parts were closed off, there are climbing areas, the dragon sculpture to climb on, statues to spot as you wander through the paths, plus hills to scramble up and slide down.

Getting there early is a good idea: there was no queue when we headed inside, but plenty of people already waiting when we left.

The cafe was also open for takeaway (again, be prepared to queue) as well as ice cream to buy in the formal gardens.

If you’re wondering whether it’s worth visiting Hampton Court Palace after lockdown, it’s still very easy to while away a few hours on a sunny day, even with the palace itself closed.

Need to know: Visiting Hampton Court Palace with kids

Ticket prices for Hampton Court Palace cost from £27.20 for adults for full access, from £13.60 for children, plus there are family tickets available. Under-fives go free, and it’s also free to Historic Royal Palace members.

Prebooking tickets is recommended at peak times, including for members, but you can now buy them on arrival again. Under-fives do not need a separate ticket.

The Easter trail is included in entry to the palace. There are other regular season events including the tulip festival.

There is limited (paid) parking at Hampton Court Palace itself: by 11am in school holidays, it was completely full, so don’t count on getting a space unless you have one of the earliest timeslots.

There’s also parking at the train station just over the bridge, around five minutes’ walk away, or in the overflow car park on Hampton Court Green, around 10 minutes’ walk.

For more things to do at Hampton Court year-round, there’s the Hampton Court Palace ice rink in winter and Hampton Court flower show in summer. For more ideas of royal places in London with kids, check out my pick.

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Images copyright MummyTravels

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