Henry VIII’s palace and Kew in one half-day from your hotel.
Driver waiting at both gates.
- From £230 (≈ $310) · whole car · 4 hours
Licence PHOP950Tripyana’s private Hampton Court Palace and Kew Gardens tour from London is a chauffeur-driven Mercedes: your driver collects you at your London hotel, usually at 9am, waits at each gate, and brings you back four hours later, or about five with Kew. The four-hour fare is £230 for the car, up to three passengers, not per person.
Short notice? Same-day and next-day trips are often possible — book online or message us to confirm a driver.
How does a Hampton Court and Kew half-day from London work?
Your chauffeur collects you at the hour you choose, usually 9:00am. Both places sit on the Thames in south-west London, so the whole loop is short: 14 miles out, 8 miles between them, 7 miles home.
Hampton Court, then Kew: five hours
- 09:00Pickup at your London hotel; the A3 south-west through Richmond and Kingston.
- 09:45Arrive at Hampton Court; the car parks beside the palace and the driver stays with it.
- 09:50The Great Hall, the Tudor kitchens, the Chapel Royal and the gardens down to the river, two hours.
- 11:50Twenty-five minutes north along the Thames to Kew.
- 12:15Kew Gardens: the Palm House, the Temperate House and the Treetop Walkway, an hour and a quarter.
- 13:55Back at your hotel door, about five hours after pickup.
Hampton Court at an easy pace
Two and a half hours in the palace and its gardens, Maze and Great Vine included. Home inside the four-hour package.
Kew for a garden morning
Kew is 7 miles from Mayfair, about 25 minutes. The four hours give you two hours and forty minutes among the glasshouses.
Hampton Court Palace stands on the Thames at East Molesey, 14 miles south-west of Mayfair. The drive takes about 45 minutes in normal traffic; the palace car park is a two-minute walk from the gate.
From Heathrow Terminal 5 the palace is 11 miles, about 25 minutes. It also fits an arrival morning or a long layover.
What is there to see at the palace and at Kew Gardens?
A Tudor palace where Henry VIII lived, cared for today by Historic Royal Palaces. Then the botanic garden at Kew, a UNESCO World Heritage Site seven miles downriver.
- The Great Hall and the Tudor rooms — Henry VIII’s court, the tapestries and the Chapel Royal, still in use.
- The Tudor kitchens — the great fireplaces and the rooms that fed the court, a favourite with children.
- The Maze, the Great Vine and the Magic Garden — the hedge maze in the Wilderness, the old vine in its glasshouse, and a play garden built for young visitors.
- Bushy Park next door — over 1,000 acres of Henry VIII’s old deer park, with its herds and Wren’s Diana Fountain; pedestrian gates never close.
- Kew’s glasshouses — the Palm House and the Temperate House, the Princess of Wales Conservatory and the Waterlily House.
- The Treetop Walkway, the Great Pagoda and Kew Palace — a walk at canopy height, the Chinese tower in the arboretum, and the small royal palace inside the gardens.
Allow two hours at Hampton Court for the rooms and the gardens, or a little more with the Maze. At Kew 75 minutes cover the two great glasshouses and the walkway; a garden lover fills a whole morning.
Watch the morning before you book
A short film that follows the half-day in order: your hotel pickup, the drive south-west through Richmond, Henry VIII's palace and its gardens, Bushy Park next door, then along the Thames to the glasshouses at Kew.
What is included in the price of the half-day?
The car, the chauffeur and every road cost, in one figure agreed by email before the day.
Door-to-door pickup
Any London hotel, apartment or airport terminal; on arrival days the driver waits inside arrivals with a name board.
Fuel, parking and tolls
All mileage is ours, and the palace and Kew car parks are paid by us; nothing is settled on the day.
The driver waits at both gates
Two hours at the palace and more at Kew while the car sits in the car park, and you decide when to head back.
Your bags stay in the car
Suitcases and shopping ride in the boot. The half-day works on a check-out morning or straight from the airport.
Child seats and pushchairs
Child seats fitted on request at no charge; the palace Maze and Kew’s walkway suit children well.
Not included
Entry tickets, which you buy in advance on the official websites of the palace and of Kew, and meals. We do not sell tickets.
How much does the Hampton Court half-day cost?
One price per car for four hours, the same figure however many of you travel. The Mercedes V-Class for a family, the E-Class for two.
Mercedes E-Class
3 passengers · 2 suitcases
£230(≈ $310)
Mercedes V-Class
7 passengers · 7 suitcases · the family choice
£290(≈ $390)
Mercedes S-Class
3 passengers · rear-seat comfort
£410(≈ $555)
Range Rover
4 passengers · the high seat
£490(≈ $660)
Four hours door to door, fuel and parking included. Adding Kew makes it about five hours, priced in the same quote.
Dollar figures are approximate; you are charged in GBP.
Six adults with day bags travel comfortably in a V-Class; seating and boot details are on the Mercedes V-Class page. Two travellers are best served by the E-Class; the S-Class and Range Rover are the executive options.
The half-day can also be booked as a four-hour package in the online booking form; the price is shown before you pay. Longer London days run on the hire car with driver packages.
Can we make it a full day with Windsor Castle?
Yes. Windsor is 16 miles west of Hampton Court, about 30 minutes. The two palaces make an eight-hour day priced as our Windsor day trip.
- 08:30Pickup at your London hotel.
- 09:15Hampton Court Palace: the Tudor rooms, the kitchens and the gardens, two hours and a quarter.
- 12:05Windsor: lunch in the town below the castle walls, then the State Apartments and St George’s Chapel, three hours in all.
- 15:15Ten minutes on the Long Walk for the photograph, then the M4 home.
- 16:30Back at your hotel, inside the eight hours.
Mercedes E-Class
£470(≈ $635)
Mercedes V-Class
£560(≈ $755)
Mercedes S-Class
£720(≈ $970)
Range Rover
Quoted on request
Eight hours door to door, one fixed price per car.
Windsor Castle opens Thursday to Monday and closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; we book the full day around those days. For Windsor with the river towns of Marlow and Henley instead, take the Windsor and Marlow day trip.
Which order suits the day, and can we add Richmond?
Most guests see Hampton Court first and Kew second. The palace rewards fresh legs, and the glasshouses suit the middle of the day. The order reverses easily when your Kew entry time is earlier.
- Palace first — the Tudor rooms and the kitchens while everyone is fresh, then the Maze before the drive north.
- Kew first — the Palm House and the Temperate House early, then the palace and its gardens for the rest of the day.
- A stop in Richmond — the town sits on the road between the two. The view from Richmond Hill over the bend of the Thames needs about twenty minutes.
- Richmond Park — a drive through adds red and fallow deer and the long view from King Henry’s Mound.
- A wet day — most of the palace visit is indoors, and the glasshouses at Kew stay warm and dry. Keep the Treetop Walkway for a dry spell.
Your driver follows whichever order fits your tickets; send the entry times and we write the plan around them. A Richmond stop or a longer visit stretches the half-day; the extra time is quoted on request.
What should we know before the visit?
Tickets first, then the date: the palace and the gardens open most of the year, the castle five days a week.
- Tickets:buy them in advance on the Historic Royal Palaces site for the palace and on the Kew site for the gardens. Send us the entry times you chose and we match the pickup.
- Opening days:Hampton Court and Kew open through the year with hours that change by season; Windsor Castle is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Check your date on the official pages before buying.
- The deer park:Bushy Park is across the road from the palace; its pedestrian gates stay open around the clock and the vehicle gates from 6:30am to 7pm. Twenty minutes there costs nothing.
- Arrival days and layovers:the palace is 25 minutes from Heathrow, so it pairs with the Heathrow layover tour or a Heathrow to hotel transfer with a stop on the way.
- Best months:blossom from April, the formal gardens and the Maze in high summer, and the glasshouses at Kew warm on any winter day.
Hampton Court and Kew in winter
Hampton Court Palace runs an outdoor ice rink from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed on Christmas Day. Kew’s evening light trail, Christmas at Kew, runs on selected nights from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Both are easier by car on a dark December evening: your driver drops you at the gate, waits, and takes you back to your hotel. Buy the rink or trail ticket first, because evening slots sell out, then send us the entry time and we quote the evening for the car.
How do I book the Hampton Court half-day?
Send us the date and the group
Send your date, London pickup address, number of travellers, and whether you want the palace, Kew or both.
We confirm the fixed price
We reply by email with the figure for your vehicle class and a written plan with the timings.
Confirm and relax
Pay by card, or cash to the driver; instant confirmation from the booking page, and pickup at the agreed time.
Or book online now. Choose the date, a departure between 8:00am and 12:00 noon and your car — the fixed price for the whole car appears before you pay.
Frequently asked questions about the Hampton Court trip
Do you sell tickets for Hampton Court Palace or Kew Gardens?
No. Tickets are sold on the official Historic Royal Palaces and Kew websites; most visitors book a timed entry in advance. Our part is the door-to-door drive, the wait in the car park at each gate and the journey home. Tell us your entry time and the pickup is set to match it.
Can we see the palace and Kew in four hours?
Four hours cover one of them well, with roughly 150 minutes on site. Both together take about five hours, and the quote covers the whole day. Most guests give the palace two hours and Kew 75 minutes.
How far is Hampton Court Palace from central London?
About 14 miles from Mayfair, roughly 45 minutes by car in normal traffic. Kew Gardens is 8 miles further along the Thames, 25 minutes. From Heathrow Terminal 5 the palace is 11 miles, about 25 minutes; an airport pickup on arrival day works well.
Which car suits a family of five?
A Mercedes V-Class at £290 for the four hours. It seats seven with seven suitcases, has three rows and room for a pushchair. Child seats are fitted on request at no charge. Couples usually take the E-Class; the S-Class and Range Rover are the executive options.
Can we add Windsor Castle to the same day?
Yes. Hampton Court in the morning and Windsor Castle after lunch make an eight-hour day, priced as our Windsor trip; the Range Rover is quoted on request. Windsor is 16 miles from the palace, about 30 minutes, and the castle opens Thursday to Monday only.
Is the trip suitable for young children?
Yes. The Maze and the Magic Garden at the palace suit children, as do Bushy Park’s deer and Kew’s Treetop Walkway. Pushchairs ride in the boot, child seats are free on request, and the driver waits so nobody rushes.
Is the price per person or per car, and what is it in US dollars?
Per car, return, never per person. The E-Class seats up to three and the V-Class up to seven with seven suitcases; each has one fixed fare for the four hours, with fuel, tolls and parking included, whether two or seven of you travel. Entry tickets and meals are paid separately. In US dollars that is about $310 for the E-Class and $390 for the V-Class at today’s rate; you are charged in pounds sterling.
Can I cancel, and how do I pay?
Yes. Cancel at least 24 hours before pickup and any card payment is refunded in full; inside 24 hours the fare is charged. Pay by card in the booking form when you book, or choose cash and settle with the driver in pounds sterling on the day.
Is the driver also a tour guide?
No. Your chauffeur is a professional driver, not a licensed tour guide: the job is the drive, the timing and waiting at each gate while you visit. If you would like a Blue Badge guide with you for the day, our tour guide in London service is booked separately.
How do I go to Hampton Court Palace from London?
The simplest way is door to door by car: Hampton Court is 14 miles from Mayfair, about 45 minutes along the A3. Our driver collects you from your hotel, waits at the palace car park, then continues 25 minutes to Kew Gardens if you wish, all within a half-day of four to five hours.
How long do you need to tour Hampton Court Palace?
Allow about two hours for the Great Hall, the Tudor kitchens, the Chapel Royal and the gardens, or a little more with the Maze. That leaves time for Kew Gardens the same half-day, or Windsor Castle if you book the full eight-hour day instead.
Which is better if we only have time for one, Hampton Court or Kew?
Choose Hampton Court for history and Kew for gardens. The palace suits families, with its Tudor kitchens, the Maze and the Magic Garden; Kew suits plant lovers and slow walkers, with glasshouses that stay warm all year. Either one fits the four-hour package with well over two hours on site.
Why book your Hampton Court day with Tripyana?
Hampton Court and Kew sit on different rail lines. This is what a private car changes:
- Both in one easy daythe car links Hampton Court with Kew, so you spend the day inside, not on platforms.
- One fixed price, in writingyou see the full figure before you pay. The price stays the same on the day, and waiting inside your booked time is free.
- Mercedes and Range Rover onlyan S-Class or Range Rover when the arrival matters; a 7-seat V-Class keeps a family or a group together.
- Several cars, one schedulelarger parties travel to one run sheet, with a single contact on your side.
- Child seats at no chargefitted before pickup when you give the children’s ages.
One price for the whole car, London to the palace, Kew and back.
Send the date and we reply with the fixed figure and the plan for the morning. More destinations are under day trips from London by private car.
Tripyana Ltd is a UK-licensed company — private hire operator licence PHOP950 · Company No. 16308293.