Landmarks

Palace of Holyroodhouse Entry Tickets

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9:30am–6:00pm

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Guided tour

4.6/5(5,580)

Eleonora M

Family
Verified booking
4 days ago
Visiting the Palace of Holyroodhouse was an unforgettable experience, one that felt less like visiting a historic monument and more like stepping into the pages of a living history book. From the moment you approach its magnificent façade, there is an undeniable sense of grandeur, elegance, and quiet majesty that makes this place truly extraordinary. Every room tells a story, every corridor whispers secrets of the past, and every intricate detail reflects centuries of royal heritage, political intrigue, romance, and tragedy. The historic chambers, exquisite decorations, and remarkable atmosphere create an experience that is both intellectually fascinating and deeply moving. Knowing that these walls have witnessed the lives and decisions of some of Scotland’s most significant historical figures makes the visit all the more powerful. What makes the palace particularly special is the perfect balance between royal splendour and the human stories hidden behind it. It is not simply a beautiful building; it is a place where Scotland’s history feels tangible, intimate, and alive. The surrounding gardens add another layer of charm, offering a peaceful contrast to the richness of the interiors, with the magnificent backdrop of Arthur’s Seat completing the picture. The visit is beautifully enriching, captivating even for those who are not usually passionate about history. It is the kind of place that stays with you long after you leave, not only because of what you see, but because of what you feel. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is far more than a royal residence: it is the soul of Scottish history expressed through architecture, art, and timeless elegance. A truly remarkable experience and an absolute must-see in Edinburgh. If you want to understand Scotland beyond its landscapes, this is where its history comes to life.

Justin B

Couple
Verified booking
Last week
This smaller, early morning tour was wonderful. The tour guides were spectacular and wonderfully kind. The whole tour laster longer than my wife and I were able to stay (we had a flight to catch), but we stretched it until the very last moment. I was a little sad that I couldn't take pictures inside the actual building, but that's a very understandable and reasonable rule. However, I particularly liked being able to get up close (no touching though) some of the tapestries, and art to see the details and marvel at the skills of the art, embroidery, and woodwork performed in many of these rooms. This tour was wonderful, and I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone, especially if you like history and admiring craftsmanship.

Peter N

Couple
Verified booking
Last week
The Tour was absolutely fantastic and highly recommended however the instructions to pick up the tickets for the start of the tour were complete rubbish. The instructions were to meet in front of the main gate when the ACTUAL process was to pick up the booked tickets inside. Nothing in the instructions said this and almost missed the tour. I have rated this highly because the Tour was fantastic. I would rate the experience via ZERO instructions as low.

Davnet H

Couple
Verified booking
3 days ago
Easy to book online. Extremely friendly and helpful staff when we arrived at the Palace. Audio equipment supplied was excellent to help use navigate the Palace and give us a greater insight to both the history and present day details of the Palace. Great communication after booking tickets. Would definitely recommend booking with this company and visit to Hollyrood Palace. We really enjoyed our visit.

Caron T

Couple
Verified booking
2 weeks ago
We stayed longer than we expected at this lovely palace cum home. There is a lot to appreciate. A bonus for me & the D/deaf community was the audio guide which has BSL & captions in English. I had forgotten my loop ear hooks so relied on the subtitles. I'm not sure if the subtitles would work in different languages but that would be something to consider.

Carol S

Group
Verified booking
4 days ago
The Palace of Holyrood was absolutely excellent, well informed staff and well organised no it was beautiful wandering around the garden. Finished in the coffee shop which was also very good. The worst thing was booking with Headout and not booking direct. We were given wrong information by them
    • Enjoy full access to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish home of the British monarch, located at the end of Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile.

    • Wander through the hauntingly beautiful ruins of 12th-century Holyrood Abbey, steeped in almost 900 years of religious and royal history.

    • Enhance your visit with complimentary multimedia guides and printed guidebooks, available with select ticket options.

    • Opt for a 2-hour guided tour of the palace interiors, or a 1-hour guided tour of Queen Elizabeth II's private apartments, both led by an English-speaking expert guide.

    • Entry to Palace of Holyroodhouse

    • Multimedia guide in English, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Gaelic, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Spanish

    Additional paid upgrades:

    • 1-hour guided tour of Queen Elizabeth II's private apartments

    • 2-hour exclusive guided tour of the Palace

    • Expert English-speaking guide

    • Complimentary guidebook

    • Small group of max. 25 guests

    • Transport

    • Food and drink

  • You can cancel these tickets up to 36 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

  • 5,580 reviews

    How do we collect reviews?

    These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.

    4.2K
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    41
    269
    United States
    Italy
    Spain
    Canada
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    Australia
    Germany
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    Hungary
    Belgium
    United States
    Italy
    Spain
    Canada
    France
    Australia
    Germany
    Switzerland
    Hungary
    Belgium
    Guests from United States, Italy, Spain and over 53 countries have loved this experience

    What our guests say

    Elia B

    Group
    Verified booking
    2 weeks ago
    The visit to the palace was really wonderful—a place truly steeped in history and also very well organized. At the entrance, they give you an audio guide available in many languages, which you can listen to in every part of the castle to understand what you're seeing. Personally, it was one of the best visits in Edinburgh.

    Cinzia G

    Couple
    Verified booking
    6 days ago
    A wonderful experience! I found everything very beautiful and realistic. The audio guide with earphones in Italian was also very interesting, explaining everything accurately and to perfection. It felt like living back in the royal era. I recommend it to everyone.

    Rachel F

    Couple
    Verified booking
    2 weeks ago
    Particularly like the audio headsets that not only told explained where you were in the house, but also you had an opportunity to see certain rooms differently, by 'scratching' the scene. Plus the old palace and grounds were great to see.

    Janet L

    Solo
    Verified booking
    Last week
    Had brought incorrect tickets and girl at entry was exceptionally nice and helpful. Audio guide was very good. All the highlights without being too long. Good to go round at own pace.

    Eleonora M

    Family
    Verified booking
    4 days ago
    Visiting the Palace of Holyroodhouse was an unforgettable experience, one that felt less like visiting a historic monument and more like stepping into the pages of a living history book. From the moment you approach its magnificent façade, there is an undeniable sense of grandeur, elegance, and quiet majesty that makes this place truly extraordinary. Every room tells a story, every corridor whispers secrets of the past, and every intricate detail reflects centuries of royal heritage, political intrigue, romance, and tragedy. The historic chambers, exquisite decorations, and remarkable atmosphere create an experience that is both intellectually fascinating and deeply moving. Knowing that these walls have witnessed the lives and decisions of some of Scotland’s most significant historical figures makes the visit all the more powerful. What makes the palace particularly special is the perfect balance between royal splendour and the human stories hidden behind it. It is not simply a beautiful building; it is a place where Scotland’s history feels tangible, intimate, and alive. The surrounding gardens add another layer of charm, offering a peaceful contrast to the richness of the interiors, with the magnificent backdrop of Arthur’s Seat completing the picture. The visit is beautifully enriching, captivating even for those who are not usually passionate about history. It is the kind of place that stays with you long after you leave, not only because of what you see, but because of what you feel. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is far more than a royal residence: it is the soul of Scottish history expressed through architecture, art, and timeless elegance. A truly remarkable experience and an absolute must-see in Edinburgh. If you want to understand Scotland beyond its landscapes, this is where its history comes to life.

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