Hampton Court Way · East Molesey · Surrey KT8 9AU · Palace, gardens & events
Hampton Court: one address, a dozen events
Hampton Court Palace is a Tudor palace open to visitors, an RHS garden festival venue in July, a music festival site in June, an ice rink in winter and a firework venue in November. Same address, entirely different days, and different arrangements for each.
A palace visit on a Tuesday in February and the RHS Garden Festival in July are not the same booking, and the July version is not the same as an evening concert in the courtyard. Tell us the event, not just the palace.
One palace, several calendars
An unusually broad calendar for a single historic site.
Year round
Tudor state apartments, the maze and the gardens. A daytime visit.
July
The RHS's largest show. Bigger and calmer than Chelsea.
June
Evening concerts in the courtyard. Late finishes and a dressed-up crowd.
December and January
Timed sessions, families and cold evenings.
Kent to East Molesey
South west, round the M25. Further than it looks from a map.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 23 miles | 55–85 min |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 31 miles | 60–95 min |
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 28 miles | 65–95 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 34 miles | 70–105 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 39 miles | 80–115 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 48 miles | 90–125 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 48 miles | 90–125 min |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 72 miles | 115–155 min |
Each event needs something different
Which is why we ask rather than assume.
| Event | What it needs |
|---|---|
| Palace visit | A daytime drop and a flexible return. The simplest booking |
| RHS Garden Festival | A full day, and space for plants on the way home |
| Music festival | An evening, a late collection and a dressed-up group |
| Ice rink | A timed session, so the arrival matters more than usual |
| Fireworks | Large crowds leaving at once, and a collection well back |
Visiting Hampton Court
Name the event when you book
This is the same principle as our Goodwood, Newmarket and Old Trafford pages. One address covering several completely different occasions means the address alone does not tell us what to plan. A palace visit is flexible; a timed ice rink session is not; an evening concert needs a late return. It takes one line.
The RHS festival is the big one
Held in July, it is the RHS's largest show by site area and considerably more comfortable to walk around than Chelsea. If you are going for that, our RHS shows page compares the calendar and our Chelsea page covers what happens when people start buying plants. The same applies here with more room to carry them.
Evening events mean a late, cold return
Concerts in the courtyard and the winter ice rink both put you outside in the evening at a site that is a good hour or more from most of Kent. That is a long, cold end to the day if the arrangement is vague. We agree the collection point and time in advance and hold nearby rather than leaving anyone standing on Hampton Court Way.
It is further than the map suggests
East Molesey is south west of London and Kent is south east, which means going round rather than through. An hour from Bromley, closer to two from Medway and more from east Kent. Worth knowing when planning a timed entry, because arriving late to a booked slot is the one genuinely unrecoverable mistake here.
Hampton Court questions
One palace, many events.
What events are held at Hampton Court?
The palace itself is open year round, plus the RHS Garden Festival in July, a music festival in June, an ice rink in winter and fireworks in November.
Why do you need to know which?
Because a flexible daytime palace visit, a timed ice rink session and a late evening concert need completely different arrangements at the same address.
How far is it from Kent?
Around twenty-three to seventy-two miles, roughly an hour from Bromley to two and a half hours from east Kent. It is further than the map suggests because you go round London rather than through.
What is the RHS Garden Festival?
The RHS's largest show by site area, held in July, and considerably more comfortable to walk around than Chelsea. Our RHS shows page compares the calendar.
What about timed sessions?
The ice rink and some events run on timed entry, which means arriving late is unrecoverable. We plan the departure with that in mind rather than the average journey time.
Do you handle evening collections?
Yes, with the point and time agreed in advance. Evening events here mean standing outside in the cold if the arrangement is vague.
Can we bring plants back from the festival?
Yes, and there is more room to carry them here than at Chelsea. Tell us if you expect to buy and we will size accordingly.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking, including any waiting for an evening event.
Palaces, gardens and seasonal events
The Surrey and west London venues.