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Palace of Holyroodhouse

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Palace of Holyroodhouse
4.5
Historic SitesPoints of Interest & LandmarksCastles
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
About
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence in Scotland of Her Majesty The Queen. Open throughout the year, the Palace of Holyroodhouse stands at the end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile. Explore the Palace's close associations with some of Scotland’s most well-known historic figures such as Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie, and learn how today it is used by The Queen when carrying out official engagements in Scotland.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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£20.00
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Southside & Holyrood
Many of Edinburgh’s student hangouts gather around university buildings in Southside, the sort of neighbourhood that supports a long string of second-hand shops and eateries serving ethnic food for just a few pounds. In August the student population is replaced by vast numbers of boisterous visitors here for the Fringe, Edinburgh’s world-class comedy and arts festival which headquarters itself here. Flanking Southside are two great parks. The Meadows is a vast flat and sporty space where football, rugby, tennis, cricket, croquet, and golf often all take place side by side. Kids in its big playgrounds add to the joyful noise. Far bigger and much wilder, Holyrood Park extends to the east and provides a real hike up Arthur’s Seat, but the district is best known as the site of Scotland’s Parliament and its premier Royal Palace—and their steady stream of sightseers.
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See what travellers are saying
  • HayleyClare
    Southampton, United Kingdom33 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic Place to Visit
    We really enjoyed this tour, the palace and grounds are beautiful and the audio guide was brilliant. There wasn’t much information around the palace so if you didn’t have the audio guide you wouldn’t learn much about this place. Tea and cake in the cafe was also great!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 5 October 2023
  • kw33Mn
    23 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Phenomenal place to immerse into history.
    Phenomenal experience and the audio tour was truly great. Great history as you walk through a vast array of visuals.. from art to history to personal experiences of dwellers. Castle and grounds were amazing. One of the best tours we did in Scotland (albeit we tend to avoid large group guided tours just due to pace…).
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 6 October 2023
  • rebecca c
    116 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great historical building with lots of information. Deffo recommend it
    Went with my daughter who loves history, we had a great time. The self guided tour tablets are great, but glitched out in a couple of rooms which was frustrating. Fair play the staff had been made aware of an issue the day before and so swapped out faulty machines quickly. They also provided masses of additional information & knew so much about the palace and it's history. Was great they were so on the ball but also allowed visitors to self explore. It was a fabulous building with amazing history. Loved the fact bits of info gathered here on Mary queen of Scots linked into other attractions we visited - the national museum had some of Marys artifacts & the real mary kings experience revealed where she spent her last night in Scotland. Ditto re Giles cathederal & the order of the thistle. Deffo recommend it 100 percent. If all royal palaces are this informative I've got more to visit.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 9 October 2023
  • Andrew B
    Bristol, United Kingdom164 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful place to visit with interesting exhibits.
    Lovely place to visit in Edinburgh. Amazing history with some interesting exhibits and information on this beautiful building. Nice walk around the palace and then it is convenient to walk up the Royal Mile from Holyrood.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 27 October 2023
  • Liz C
    30 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great tour of Royal Palace.
    Last minute decision to visit. We left it too late to get tickets for Edinburgh Castle (sold out), so walked the Royal Mile down to see the palace instead. Glad we did. Really enjoyed the self-guided tour; there was commentary for both adults and children. Beautiful building and scenery. Lots to look at and learn about. Not too crowded either, so nice not to queue from start to finish.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 October 2023
  • treetrippers
    Fredericton, Canada663 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A palace in use
    It was so nice walk through a palace used today, King Charles was there just month before and queen Elizabeth’s body laid to rest in one of the rooms you visit. Cost was about $30 cad each but the included audio guide was excellent. Unfortunately not allowed pictures inside but I was enthralled with the audio anyway.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 October 2023
  • A V
    32 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting audio tour
    What I liked most about this place is that you are given a headset on arrival and you can take your time walking around the palace listening to the stories of each room and what happened there. It is also interesting that the palace is still in use by the royal family and that it’s just across the road from Scottish parliament. It didn’t just feel like a historical place but like you were walking through a piece of history for the future too. I’m not a royalist or a big fan of the royal family but I could appreciate this palace and how it came to be. I really enjoyed the story about Mary Queen of Scots and the palace garden It was a shame the original church next to the palace couldn’t be accessed due to scaffolding and maintenance but hopefully it is safe to access again soon
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 October 2023
  • Laura G
    Surrey, United Kingdom62 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very interesting & brilliant audio-guided tour included
    I wasn't sure what to expect when visiting the Palace of Holyroodhouse, but I was pleasantly surprised. We decided to go last minute, but were able to buy tickets on the door. The palace itself is beautiful, filled with rich history and captivating architecture. The audio guide provided a great and in-depth experience, enhancing my understanding of the palace's significance. Another thing I really liked about it was that you’re not allowed to take photos in the rooms, which in the world we live in now feels almost alien. (You are allowed to take photos in the gardens and main courtyard.) I’m not sure if it’s because it’s a working palace or to protect the contents of the rooms from flashes etc. But it meant that people were actually engaged with the rooms and audio guide, rather than watching through their phones. It's definitely a must-visit for history enthusiasts and anyone interested in royal heritage.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 5 November 2023
  • Kristen T
    Stuttgart, Germany778 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice visit
    My husband and I were part of a tour that visited Holyrood Palace. I probably would not have chosen a tour of the Palace had it not been for our tour group, but I enjoyed my time there. The audio guide was informative. The palace grounds were nice to walk around. The gift shop had a lot of fun things. I'm glad we visited.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 6 November 2023
  • Wendy S
    Ayr, United Kingdom7 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Royal residence experience
    Despite having been to Edinburgh many times as a 'local tourist', we'd never been to Holyrood. Looking for something to do on a wet, chilly October day we booked tickets and weren't disappointed. I was concerned that 13yo "too cool for school" would find it boring and whilst he was too old for the children's commentary/activity, he found it interesting. It really showed you what money and power could buy back in the day (no change there I guess). It takes 1-2 hours to do the tour and on a nicer day, you could spend more time in the gardens. Definitely worth doing.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 November 2023
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4.5
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MazziFamily
Bristol, UK278 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
The Holyrood House is an amazing place to visit If you like the Royal family, the history surrounding this place is very interesting Zara Philips & Mike Tindall got married here & the gardens is were the queen hosts her annual July Garden Party. The abbey is great to look at even now so you can imagine it’s beauty when it was 1st built.
Entrance fee is £16.50 per adult, it’s open from 9.30am to 16.30pm if you’ve got a tour bus ticket, you can get the bus up to here and don’t forget to get your free shortbread biscuit from the Cafe @ the Palace with your bus ticket
Written 27 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mireille S
London, UK71 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
I cannot recommend the Palace of Holyroodhouse highly enough. Upon arrival you are given an audio guide which you use at your own pace, it has information about every area of the palace in the order that you walk through it, with supplementary information available if you have time to listen to them in addition to the main explanations.

Masks are required at all times when indoors and there are members of staff present in each room to monitor numbers (although the timed entry system means that there shouldn’t be any issues with overcrowding). Staff are also on hand to answer questions with some of them giving us fun facts about some of the paintings and the rooms themselves. The palace is very impressive with a rich history and taught us a lot!

Unfortunately the abbey is closed for renovations but you can still see into it (albeit with a restricted view) from the outside. Aside from that, a wonderful tour and a beautiful palace
Written 28 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Travel Man
Crewe, UK350 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Solo
If you want to the Queens gallery make sure you purchase a joint ticket as you save a few pounds. Easy assess, with online ticket and timed entry, collect audioguide and start tour. Guide leads you through the Palace and offers lots of information about exhibits and the rooms on view. As this is still regularly used by the Royal family clearly several parts are private and out of bounds, but still plenty to see ending up with the abbey ruins and gardens.
Written 11 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Suratrichard
Surat Thani, Thailand2,559 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
...rather depressing! The weather was absolutely deplorable - pouring with rain and blowing a gale! Maybe the fact that it was so dark outside made the inside appear even darker but I'm afraid I didn't feel very inspired by my visit.
The entrance fee is basically a yearly pass so very useful if you live in the UK. A set of headphones and audio guide are handed out on arrival and proved useful for me but not my partner. It did provide some useful background information though.
It wasn't too busy when we visited- just getting there in the inclement weather was an achievement in itself! There were plenty of staff around who were very helpful with the exception of one man whose role in life seemed to be wandering around shouting at anyone trying to take photographs. He seemed to belong to the group of people who believe if you shout loud enough, foreigners will understand! When I enquired why no photographs ( given that many cameras these days don't require flash) he shouted"security" at me which was rather a joke given that anyone could buy a ticket and wander around etc.
On site was a well stocked gift shop and an excellent cafe where all the staff were very pleasant!
If there was a good rating, I would have chosen that as my experience was better than average but not really very good.
Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

VAHTravels
Chicago, IL50 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
First tip: If joining this tour, it doesn't indicate on your booking ticket, but these tours meet in front of the Queen's Gallery and the doors open about 15 minutes before the start of the tour (for regular day tours you enter through the main gate to get to the ticket office). I would HIGHLY recommend doing this afterhour tour if you want an exclusive experience touring the palace. Our guide was very informative and personable. While I don't know if this occurs with every version of this tour, we had champagne and mince pies at the end to top off the evening. Also, since you can't see the ruins at night, the purchase included another visit to see those parts of the grounds during the day.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

M G
Arlington, VA93 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
Holyroodhouse is the Queen’s palace in Edinburgh. It’s located at the eastern end of the “Royal Mile,” so it’s pretty much impossible to miss. Once inside, you follow a linear path through numerous rooms. There are minimal informational displays, but you do receive a well-produced audio guide discussing each room. I especially enjoyed the state apartments (a series of rooms of increasing extravagance where one’s importance dictated how close one got to the inner rooms) and the chambers of Mary, Queen of Scots (the oldest part of the palace). Outside, you can admire the ruins of Holyrood Abbey.

Photography was not allowed inside the palace, but you can take pictures of the Abbey and the outside areas.

Most European palaces follow the same basic design (the rooms of increasing extravagance), but Holyroodhouse is somewhat different because it remains a “living” palace. It was interesting to see so many items of art linking the present monarch to her distant ancestors. We visited on a weekday in the late afternoon, and there weren’t too many other visitors. Highly recommended.
Written 28 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Scifchic
Raleigh, NC219 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
I recommend purchasing your tickets in advance as it makes the entrance to the grounds much easier. The entrance and ticket counter are through the beautiful solid wood doors across from the Parliament building. Early morning is the best time to visit the Palace so you can view the beautiful "home". I particularly liked the Abbey Ruins - very picturesque.
Written 28 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Elise
Berlin, Germany56 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Our group purchased the Royal Edinburgh Ticket (57£) which included the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The three of us really enjoyed the visit and loved that the audio guide was complimentary! We got a little history lesson and an inside perspective on the significance of the Palace, it was fantastic. Plan to spend about 1.5-2 hours here if you follow the audio guide from start to finish.

I would definitely recommend the Royal Edinburgh Ticket if you're in town for a few days, but if not, the Palace of Holyroodhouse should definitely be on your list of places to see.
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bsandrs
Portsmouth, UK22,616 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
Over a number of years we have visited Holyrood on a couple of occasions and whilst we did not plan to visit on this stay in the City, with the Palace reopened and many places still shut we booked on line. All staff were welcoming and efficient and our tour benefitted from the reduced numbers passing through at this time. The big revelation for us was walking through the gardens, which we had missed in the past. Well planted, and on a grey, misty day, the views of the surrounding hills were magical. The violinist playing in the grounds added to the experience.
Written 22 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sarah H
Canberra, Australia211 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Still amazed that you can actually enter one of the palaces currently used by the Royal family today.
Situated at the bottom end of The Royal Mile, we were able to tour the palace and its grounds using the admission ticket we had received as part of the Royal Edinburgh Ticket on the hop on, hop off bus tour.
The history of the palace was fascinating and being able to stroll throughout the palace with the included audio headset providing information was a highlight. There is also a cafe and gift shop on site and the ability to have high tea.
A great way to spend some time in Edinburgh.
Written 8 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh

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