Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
4
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Home to the 12th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill,, Blenheim Palace is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture that boasts over 300 years of history to discover. This World Heritage Site is set within more than 2000 acres of Parkland landscaped by 'Capability' Brown, and the Palace itself houses some of the finest collections of antique furniture in Europe.Situated in Woodstock, just 8 miles from Oxford, Blenheim Palace is Britain's Greatest Palace and offers visitors a precious time, every time.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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See what travelers are saying
- GuesHu35 contributionsOur impressionsWe wondered whether to go since many reviews said it's too expensive. But we do not live in Europe so cannot see palaces every day, so we signed up. We took the bus there and because we did, we got a significant reduction in the admission price. We really enjoyed our day. Perhaps a few too many people but to be expected at any major attraction. The State Rooms are stunning and the audio tour well done. There was a very interesting Churchill exhibition at the end. The grounds are superb. We had signed up for the buggy ride of the grounds because we cannot walk too well. Well worth it - the guide was wonderful - informative and fun. And again the reviews were not very complementary of the cafe. We had coffee, a sandwich and cake at the Oxfordshire Pantry and found it really good. The price was on a par with other cafes we have been to and the coffee was the best we've had in Oxford. The service could have been a little faster but very pleasant surroundings.Thank you for taking the time to review your visit to Blenheim Palace. Thank you for the feedback you have provided, we value feedback from all our guests as it helps us to continually improve upon what we do. We hope to welcome you back to Blenheim again soon.Written September 24, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 15, 2023
- Mike SBurley, United Kingdom5 contributionsGreat visit and brilliant staffWe visited Blenheim Palace on 30 August 2023 on our way to Peterborough and had not thought of purchasing tickets in advance. We were helped in this process by a fabulous helper called Zara who made the process seem quite simple. She was polite, knowledgeable, friendly and did not treat us as idiots. The grounds were fabulous with only the walled gardens being a little disappointing. We did not have time to visit the house but will return to complete our tour.Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace. I'm glad to hear you had such a pleasant experience with our staff when onsite and we will make sure your comments are passed onto Zahra. We glad to hear you had such a wonderful time and we look forward to welcoming you back soon to continue exploring everything we have to offer.Written September 24, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited August 2023Written September 19, 2023
- Ceri RobertsBuckley, United Kingdom47 contributionsLovely grounds. Well worth a visit. Stables were nice.Lovely grounds. Gift shop is very nice. Stables cafe is nice - visit the renovated stables area attached to Stables Cafe with the stables area set up as it used to be. We didn’t go in the house as we felt it was too pricey at £35 each. It’s card only on the whole site so be prepared if you use apple pay etc - keep your phone charge up.Thank you for taking the time to review your visit to Blenheim Palace. Thank you for the feedback you have provided, we value feedback from all our guests as it helps us to continually improve upon what we do. We hope to welcome you back to Blenheim again soon.Written September 24, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 23, 2023
- Lynn GGrayling, Michigan53 contributionsGreat Experience Touring The PalaceA must see! Worth the entrance fee. You will want to spend a whole day if you have time. The staff are very knowledgeable with history of the palace. You have the ability to use a hand held voice tour or scan QR code to listen on your phone. Outside you can walk the palace grounds. The Winston Churchill exhibit is really good. You can get there by taxi or bus. You can walk to near by Woodstock to get the bus. It takes 15-20 minutes or so to walk there. This was suggested to us by our taxi driver. Great history lesson learned. There was constitution going, so part of the area was not available to tour.We are happy to hear that you had a lovely day at Blenheim Palace and enjoyed the history that this amazing place has to offer. Thank you for commenting also on the knowledgeable staff. We are lucky enough to have some wonderful people working for us. Please come and visit us again soon.Written September 26, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2023Traveled with familyWritten September 25, 2023
- TaylorLaurel, Maryland164 contributionsBeautiful Palace & Grounds!Beautiful place to visit, so much to see! A variety of different exhibits and room to tour and walk through. The grounds themselves are beautiful if it is a nice day out - you could spend all day walking them! The palace gardens were some of the most beautiful we saw during our entire trip to the U.K.! Wonderful assortment of cafes and food stands. The miniature train was a fantastic way to carry passengers from the Palace to the gardens. We greatly enjoyed our time there!Thank you so much for your lovely feedback . We are so pleased to hear that you had a lovely day out at Blenheim Palace. We look forward to welcoming you again in the future.Written September 26, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2023Traveled with familyWritten September 25, 2023
- JasWest Midlands, United Kingdom418 contributionsGreat Lights, Camera Action Tour. Lovely staff.Make sure you wear your walking shoes as there so much to see and a lot of walking. Well worth the £35 annual pass. Palace and the Churchill Exhibition are interesting. The Gardens are beautiful and the Maze is a little bit of fun. The Winston Train is a nice short journey from the palace to the Walled garden. A special thanks to Sylvian (apologies if name spelt wrong) who gave us the Lights, Action Camera Tour. He was great fun and full of knowledge and we really enjoyed our tour with him. Definitely go on the tour with this lovely gentleman if you have the chance. He was brilliant. Another member of staff named Pinder was lovely too. As was the gentleman who scanned the tickets to the Palace entrance. All staff are so friendly and knowledgeable. A great historical site and well worth the visit. I will definitely go again.Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace and to share your feedback with us. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your visit and explored so much of the Palace and grounds. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your visit overall and are grateful for your feedback which we will pass onto all members of staff with a special mention of Sylvian & Pinder. We look forward to welcoming you back to Blenheim Palace soon!Written September 29, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2023Traveled with friendsWritten September 28, 2023
- 141jengEvesham, United Kingdom690 contributionsA stunning Palace!We visited July last year but had an annual pass and made use of it again in June and July 2023! We had 3 wonderful visits. Each visit was hot and dry. We explored the Palace, the grounds, the maze, the butterfly House and had a lovely lunch at the pizzeria. We also picniced twice. Each visit we did something new. We would definitely think about going again in a few years and explore the grounds a bit more. Highly recommend. Such a stunning Palace!Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace. We're so glad to hear you had such a lovely time and enjoyed your lunch at the pizzeria! We glad to hear you had such a wonderful time and we look forward to welcoming you back soon to continue exploring everything we have to offer.Written October 3, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 1, 2023
- Maria M92 contributionsPeaceful walk in beautiful surroundingsWe chose to walk round the lakes and grounds which was lovely. Very clean and peaceful although it was fairly busy it didn't seem like it when walking around. Excellent ploughman's lunch reasonably priced in their cafe. Very helpful staff - It was great to see the cafe, shop and toilets open to people who just wanted to enjoy the grounds.Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace. We're so pleased to hear you had such a peaceful and pleasant time! We glad to hear you had such a wonderful time and we look forward to welcoming you back soon to continue exploring everything we have to offer.Written October 3, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 2, 2023
- Alison LWirral, United Kingdom86 contributionsGreat day outThis was a really interesting place. Really beautiful architecture and art work. The staff are really knowledgeable and happy to chat and answer questions. Also happy to help with any queries. It was a well thought out tour and the exhibition on Churchill was really good. I love history and I loved how they explained his connections to the family and Blenheim. The stable cafe was lovely and we enjoyed the best scone here it was so tasty and hot. The gardens are stunning and although the fountains and water features were being cleaned nearest the to the building, this was not a problem as also gives you an insight into all the work they have to do on the estate. We had left our children at home for this trip so never seen any of the attractions for kids. Lots of people there with little ones so I am assuming it is quite popular locally. Will definitely have to go again and hopefully take my daughter who is a huge Bridgeton fan.Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace. We're so pleased to hear you enjoyed your time visiting so much and that you found all the staff you encountered so pleasant. We glad to hear you had such a wonderful time and we look forward to welcoming you back soon with your daughter to continue exploring everything we have to offer.Written October 3, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten October 3, 2023
- Rebecca C2 contributionsBetter places to visitWas really looking forward to visiting , but unfortunately very sadly disappointed, we thought for the cost of the tickets we would of gotten to see way more of the actual rooms in the palace, we thought charging extra to go upstairs and down stairs was out of order , as did a lot of others that we spoke to . We were very miffed that there was so much work taking place and we were unable to have access to specific areas. The grounds are lovely but again alot of work taking place which prevented enjoyment . For the overall cost and what you get to see we did not find this value for money . On entering the cafe we found the prices outrageous. We have been to numerous other castles and homes within the area and found them to be much better value for money, friendlier and everything included in the ticket price instead of squeezing every penny for individual areas of interest. Would not recommend as we felt underwhelmed.Thank you for your feedback regarding your visit to Blenheim Palace. With regards to your comment on the ticket price, we believe that the price of our admission fee is reflective of the high-quality experience that we provide in and around the Palace and hope visitors understand this upon their visit. We hope to welcome you back to Blenheim Palace once all the construction work is complete. Due to this being a World Heritage site we are consistently working hard to maintain and conserve this building for future generations to experience the wonders of Blenheim Palace.Written October 12, 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 11, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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seebeforeigo
Bridge Trafford, UK345 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
It’s only taken me many years to actually get around to visiting here and I wish I had come sooner. Even during the Covid 19 crisis they have managed to keep this strikingly beautiful place interesting and enlightening and entertaining.
We stayed in Woodstock so were able walk the 500 metres to the main gate and book an early slot. We did not have to queue or wait to get in or to enter the Palace tours. I really recommend people consider this option if visiting.
Come prepared to walk as well as the grounds are extensive but easily walkable and give some outstanding views and photo opportunities.
If you have a family take a picnic there are many places to enjoy one and the catering prices were we thought a bit excessive, somewhat beyond National Trust prices.
One thing we were surprised about and that we did think was rather against the spirit rather than the law of the Government’s “Eat out to Help Out” scheme was the cafeteria reducing the bill by 50%. Whilst happy to accept it given the actual prices charged we don’t believe it will in any way encourage extra visitors to come out to Blenheim.
An undoubted national treasure though and a must visit
We stayed in Woodstock so were able walk the 500 metres to the main gate and book an early slot. We did not have to queue or wait to get in or to enter the Palace tours. I really recommend people consider this option if visiting.
Come prepared to walk as well as the grounds are extensive but easily walkable and give some outstanding views and photo opportunities.
If you have a family take a picnic there are many places to enjoy one and the catering prices were we thought a bit excessive, somewhat beyond National Trust prices.
One thing we were surprised about and that we did think was rather against the spirit rather than the law of the Government’s “Eat out to Help Out” scheme was the cafeteria reducing the bill by 50%. Whilst happy to accept it given the actual prices charged we don’t believe it will in any way encourage extra visitors to come out to Blenheim.
An undoubted national treasure though and a must visit
Written August 15, 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.
Dear seebeforeigo,
Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace and to share your feedback with us. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your visit and explored so much of the Palace and grounds. Hopefully we can welcome you back soon to continue exploring everything we have to offer.
Written August 18, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CPaM68
Texas699 contributions
May 2019
Blenheim Palace is a monumental and magnificent country house in Blenheim, Oxfordshire, England. It is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough and is still their principal residence. The palace is famous, not only because it is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill in 1874, but because it is the only non-royal, non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. One of England's largest houses, it was designed and built between 1705 and 1722 in the rare and short-lived English Baroque architectural style, and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It is unique in its combined use as a family home, mausoleum, and national monument. Winston Churchill’s father, the second son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough, inherited neither title nor property, so although Winston grew up with social status, privilege, and a sense of heritage, his immediate family had little money or wealth. Ironically, at the end of the 19th century, the palace was saved from ruin by funds gained from the 9th Duke of Marlborough's marriage to the American railroad heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt. The audio guide, which I would recommend, is very comprehensive and gives the commentary and historical background in a very relaxed and understandable way. There are also plenty of people to answer your questions as you tour the rooms and view the historical artifacts. (PaM)
Written January 26, 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.
Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace, and for sharing your feedback with us. We're delighted to hear that you had such a nice visit and enjoyed exploring around the grounds and learning about the history of the Palace. We hope you'll consider returning to see everything you may have missed about our historic site.
Written January 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alice
30 contributions
Aug 2020
Despite having booked the arrival slot we queued on our feet for almost TWO HOURS in the sun to get into the Place itself. We were told it was an hour wait, it wasn’t. A bottle of water would have been appreciated or maybe some music playing. There was nothing. Although the kids working there were pleasant they were not enforcing social distancing in the queues at all, there were several very large family groups (one family in front of us was a group of 15!) it was and felt chaotic. I Witnessed Several other people pull faces and swerve when people brushed past them. Wouldn’t be surprised if this place gets temporarily closed again. The butterfly house and many other attractions were still closed (not their fault) but even with those open I’m not convinced the entry fee is worth it, they should think about something they could do to give extra value (free drink even? Water?! Small gift bag) something to stop you feeling it’s all being done to squeeze every penny. The palace inside is of course absolutely stunning but you can easily do it in under half hour and we had to queue another 45 mins to see the main bit, Churchill’s exhibition. Thankfully a gentleman began playing the beautiful organ otherwise it would have felt soul destroying after the already two hour wait. Didn’t take the train as the walk was nice plus too crowded. Bring your own hand gel as the touch free electric dispensers ‘sometimes don’t work’ according to the girl at the entrance.
Glad I didn’t trek family up here, I don’t think I’d bother again. I kind of regret going now.
Glad I didn’t trek family up here, I don’t think I’d bother again. I kind of regret going now.
Written August 1, 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.
Dear Alice S,
Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace and to share your feedback with us.
We are sorry you had to wait so long. To ensure we can keep to social distancing and minimise interaction between visitors we have moved from an all entrance and walk round together system with no barriers to a 3 minute starting slot system throughout the day of only related family groups up to 6. That has naturally caused delay to keep everyone safe and this past weekend we saw visitors almost reach our reduced operating capacity limit at 60% of normal volumes and with such wonderful weather it did apply pressure to the new system. We did have some light entertainment in the Great Court at certain points during the day but was limited.
We have already reviewed our procedures and notices to address this impact and to ease queueing going forward. We will now be opening the Palace earlier, not insisting everyone comes on arrival to spread out numbers and deliver more roaming entertainment at the weekend to help deliver further visitor interaction.
The maze, butterfly house and Chruchill’s destiny exhibition located outside are the only remaining free entry areas that remain closed as we can’t keep visitors safe in these areas and comply to the social distancing rules.
We have added a new treasure hunt, formal gardens audio guide, family entertainment at the pleasure gardens, trails and more to increase added value whilst these areas remain closed and also encourage visitors to explore our 2000 acres and formal gardens so that our full experience is had.
You can convert your ticket to an annual pass for free and online up to 14 days after your visit at www.annualpass.com which will enable you to visit throughout the year for free and enjoy many benefits and access to events.
We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed the organist playing inside the Palace. We hope you will return again soon and that we can meet your expectations.
Best wishes ,
Nicole
Written August 3, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BramhallHatter
Bramhall, UK158 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
We arrived at Blenheim Palace during a downpour and needed to queue for a while before being allowed indoors (getting soaked in the process). However, it was worth the wait and the guides were really helpful and knowledgeable when asked questions about various rooms. Later in the day we enjoyed rowing on the lake, walking around the grounds and watching the kids play on the very good play areas. We all really enjoyed ourselves and I would recommend it to other families with primary school aged kids.
Written August 16, 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.
Dear BramhallHatter,
Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace. We’re pleased to hear that you enjoyed your experience and hope to welcome you back soon to continue exploring.
Written August 18, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fred480
Gloucester, UK18 contributions
Jan 2020
Very poor. We often meet in Woodstock and walk in the palace grounds but have not been inside the palace or gardens before. This time we decided to buy the Privelege Pass and go on a Restoration and Conservation Tour which was excellent thanks to Peter. However, we went for lunch in the Water Terrace Restaurant and were very disappointed. We chose a vegetarian curry which was cold. When we took it back the chef merely put our plates in the microwave. Mine came back patchily hot but my friend’s was still cool. By then we had had enough and did not want to eat any more. We were also rather surprised that we had to drink wine out of water tumblers.
The decor is terribly tired and dated. Surely you could make a lot more money from this if it were a lovely place to be. The views are wonderful but most tables did not benefit from them.
The coffee in the Pantry was all right but the cakes looked unappealing.
We recommend the Woodstock Cafe in the High Street for coffees/teas/cakes/lunches. A wonderful place, service and food and drink.
The decor is terribly tired and dated. Surely you could make a lot more money from this if it were a lovely place to be. The views are wonderful but most tables did not benefit from them.
The coffee in the Pantry was all right but the cakes looked unappealing.
We recommend the Woodstock Cafe in the High Street for coffees/teas/cakes/lunches. A wonderful place, service and food and drink.
Written January 15, 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.
Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace and to share your feedback with us. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed our Conservation tour.
We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed in our cafes, this is not the experience we wish for our visitors. Please email blenhiem.sales@searcys.co.uk and someone from the catering team will be in touch with you regarding the feedback.
We hope we can welcome you back again soon to continue discovering everything we have to offer.
Written January 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
lowkat
Cold Ash, UK20 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
We prebooked tickets for the palace and the gardens, for an arrival time of 11am, when booking it was stressed that we had to go into the Palace within 1hr of arriving so numbers could be monitored. Because of this I was happy that the site was booking maximum numbers for time slots and managing that well so we would be safe.
Unfortunately when we went to go to the palace at 11.10am we were told the queue was 45 mins long and to come back. When I explained we were booked at 11am I was told this was just our arrival time and not the palace entrance time. I tried to argue the point that we were told to go to the palace within 1hr of arrival but it fell on deaf ears. When I asked why if we returned later in the day the queue would be any different and she said “it might not be” so you could have purchased tickets for the palace and never got in?!
We thought we would look in the shop, get the kids a drink and have a coffee and decide what to do, but we were met with yet another massive queue, with def not 2m within people.
We then left, lucky for us we are annual pass members so it didn’t cost us anything. Other than disappointed children who were placated by a trip to Millets farm who are impeccably organised in comparison!
Unfortunately when we went to go to the palace at 11.10am we were told the queue was 45 mins long and to come back. When I explained we were booked at 11am I was told this was just our arrival time and not the palace entrance time. I tried to argue the point that we were told to go to the palace within 1hr of arrival but it fell on deaf ears. When I asked why if we returned later in the day the queue would be any different and she said “it might not be” so you could have purchased tickets for the palace and never got in?!
We thought we would look in the shop, get the kids a drink and have a coffee and decide what to do, but we were met with yet another massive queue, with def not 2m within people.
We then left, lucky for us we are annual pass members so it didn’t cost us anything. Other than disappointed children who were placated by a trip to Millets farm who are impeccably organised in comparison!
Written August 4, 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.
Hi Lowkat.
Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace and to share your feedback with us.
We are sorry had to wait so long. To ensure we can keep to social distancing and minimise interaction between visitors we have moved from an all entrance and walk round together system with no barriers to a 3 minute starting slot system throughout the day of only related family groups up to 6. That has naturally caused delay to keep everyone safe and we have reduced operating capacity limit at 60% of normal volumes however with such wonderful weather it did apply pressure to the new system.
We have already reviewed our procedures and notices to address this impact and to ease queuing going forward. We will now be opening the Palace earlier, not insisting everyone comes on arrival to spread out numbers. We are continuing to review this on a daily basis.
We hope despite this you still managed to enjoy your visit. We are delighted to hear that you have an annual pass, we hope you will choose to return again and explore everything have to offer.
Best wishes ,
Nicole
Written August 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
KiwiKerry53
Wellington, New Zealand4,910 contributions
Oct 2019
Blenheim Palace has been on my radar over many visits to the UK and finally, this trip we got time to go! We heard on the car radio that there had been an "incident" at the palace and that it was closed and due to open at 2pm.
We arrived at 2pm to find the Palace still closed. We were told we could, for 5 pounds per person, wander the grounds, pretty much everything but go into the Palace. We were really disappointed, because the courtyards and other areas were all blocked off.
To the idiots that stole the solid gold toilet on loan from a museum in New York - thanks for ruining my opportunity to explore Blenheim Palace. What type of people just rip out a toilet and leave damaged plumbing to flood a magnificent heritage building.
I have no doubt the palace is amazing and to do your visit justice and enjoy the grounds would take the past of a day, even pack a picnic. Sadly for me, this visit was just not to be...
We arrived at 2pm to find the Palace still closed. We were told we could, for 5 pounds per person, wander the grounds, pretty much everything but go into the Palace. We were really disappointed, because the courtyards and other areas were all blocked off.
To the idiots that stole the solid gold toilet on loan from a museum in New York - thanks for ruining my opportunity to explore Blenheim Palace. What type of people just rip out a toilet and leave damaged plumbing to flood a magnificent heritage building.
I have no doubt the palace is amazing and to do your visit justice and enjoy the grounds would take the past of a day, even pack a picnic. Sadly for me, this visit was just not to be...
Written January 14, 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.
Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace and to share your feedback with us. We are really sorry that your visit for affected due to this unforeseen incident.
We hope you still enjoyed walking and exploring the grounds. We hope we can welcome you back again in the future to continue exploring everything we have to offer.
Written January 26, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Luke P
Eastbourne, UK522 contributions
Sep 2021 • Couples
Blenheim Palace was a wonderful day out. It was a bit expensive to get in but I have a defense discount card so got 30% off the household (same for blue light) which made it much more reasonable. The palace and grounds are stunning. We started by visiting the Churchill exhibition which was really interesting. We then went into the stable exhibition which was good, and I can see would be amazing for those more interested in horses or riding than myself. We then had some lunch in the cafeteria style restaurant and sat out on the benches at the side of the palace overlooking the lake, the food was good and reasonably priced. We then walked over the Bridge to the Harry Potter Tree which is worth the short walk for fans of the films. Following this we went into the main palace, we didn't realise that we needed to queue to go in as groups of 12 and wandered in only to be sent out. A sign on the main steps might be helpful. After a brief talk we were able to roam around the rooms that were open including the room Winston Churchill was born in. Each room was stunning in it's own way and had a story to tell. I thought there would have been more rooms to see but what we could see was great. We then went to the gift shop which offered gifts and souvenirs for all ages at a reasonable price. I would highly recommend a visit if you are interested in the Marlborough family, Churchill or historical buildings/grounds. A wonderful day out.
Written September 27, 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.
Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace and to share your feedback with us. We value all our visitors opinions and are always looking for ways to improve our customer service/experience.
We look forward to welcoming you back soon to continue exploring everything we have to offer.
Written September 28, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
_ericaduckworth4
Harrietsham, UK37 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
This is a beautiful Palace and worth visiting. In difficult circumstances the staff are trying hard to keep everyone safe. Without the “Untold Story” I would have felt short changed with how few rooms you got to see. This story tour was good but we we’re fortunate to be near the front of the queue, several people left the queue from behind us when they realised it could take an hour to get to the front. My biggest disappointment was walking round the lake to see the Cascades only to find that they were closed and we couldn’t see them. I wouldn’t have minded so much had we been told at the start of the walk that there was maintenance taking place, but walking for two hours to see fencing was really disappointing. Lots of water maintenance taking place which obviously has to be done at some stage, but better signage and explanations would have been useful. Still enjoyed the day. We converted our tickets to an annual pass so hope to visit the area again next year when things may have improved.
Written September 17, 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.
Dear _ericaduckworth4,
Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace. we are pleased that you managed to enjoy the Untold Story and you didn't need to wait too long.
We are sorry that you felt disappointed that you walked to the Cascades to find it closed. We will feed this back to the management team to review and look at new signage.
We look forward to welcoming you back to discover everything we have too offer.
Written September 18, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Emma
2 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Very disappointing experience when booking and visiting the palace.
Booked the deal whereby you can book a day pass and upgrade to a 12 month pass, thinking this pass would be great for day trips for my family.
I had all sorts of trouble booking the tickets on the website, as it kept freezing, and wasn’t sure if I had managed to book successfully but I was glad when I received the email to tell me it had gone through. Apparently it hadn’t worked as it was supposed to, however, as the very flippant man at the service desk informed me. He went on to point out that quite a few people had had the same issue as me. Customer service manner was way below par.
On arrival myself and my two young children had to stand in a very large queue to convert our tickets in the very hot sun, making my son quite upset, only to be told that I had booked the ‘wrong’ tickets and they could not be converted. I am still unsure as to why I have been told this and feel it is completely false advertising being sold one thing but not honouring the deal after the purchase has been made. The tickets I bought were the type which can be converted, and I have done this procedure before. Seems like a massive con to me.
I also found the facilities sadly lacking as my son has a dairy allergy and there were no suitable dairy free alternatives at the shop where we tried to buy ice creams.
Also, there were portaloos with hand sanitizer but nowhere to actually wash hands which in the current climate is pretty unsafe.
All in all, a very negative experience while we had previously been looking forward to visiting. I have been an annual pass holder in past (having bought and converted my previous tickets in the same way) and enjoyed visiting on numerous occasions but this has quite frankly put me off ever going back again.
Booked the deal whereby you can book a day pass and upgrade to a 12 month pass, thinking this pass would be great for day trips for my family.
I had all sorts of trouble booking the tickets on the website, as it kept freezing, and wasn’t sure if I had managed to book successfully but I was glad when I received the email to tell me it had gone through. Apparently it hadn’t worked as it was supposed to, however, as the very flippant man at the service desk informed me. He went on to point out that quite a few people had had the same issue as me. Customer service manner was way below par.
On arrival myself and my two young children had to stand in a very large queue to convert our tickets in the very hot sun, making my son quite upset, only to be told that I had booked the ‘wrong’ tickets and they could not be converted. I am still unsure as to why I have been told this and feel it is completely false advertising being sold one thing but not honouring the deal after the purchase has been made. The tickets I bought were the type which can be converted, and I have done this procedure before. Seems like a massive con to me.
I also found the facilities sadly lacking as my son has a dairy allergy and there were no suitable dairy free alternatives at the shop where we tried to buy ice creams.
Also, there were portaloos with hand sanitizer but nowhere to actually wash hands which in the current climate is pretty unsafe.
All in all, a very negative experience while we had previously been looking forward to visiting. I have been an annual pass holder in past (having bought and converted my previous tickets in the same way) and enjoyed visiting on numerous occasions but this has quite frankly put me off ever going back again.
Written August 27, 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.
Dear Emt1122,
Thank you for taking the time to review Blenheim Palace and to share your feedback with us. We value all our visitors' opinions and are always looking for ways to improve customer experience.
We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your visit. We are aware of the queuing time to get inside the palace and this is being reviewed on a daily basis. It was particularly busy due to our reopening of the palace after filming, and to ensure everyone's safety. We are only able to operate with limited staff inside the Kiosk to ensure the safety off our staff, we appreciate this may cause queuing.
We will pass on your feedback to the Catering team to investigate further if you wish to contact them please email blenheim.sales@searcys.co.uk.
Thank you for providing us with your feedback, we will be reviewing our procedures closely and hope to ease queuing as safely as possible, moving forward.
We hope to welcome you back should you wish to visit us again to continue exploring everything we have to offer.
Written August 31, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
As the Xmas light trail can get cancelled, Is it possible to pay on the day?
Written August 10, 2024
At the Combe gate entrance (public footpath) is it possible to get a pushchair through or over the gate?
Written July 7, 2024
We went to Christmas At Blenheim and understood that there was a free return visit included in the price. How do get the "free" ticket?
Written June 24, 2024
does national heritage membership entitle you to a discount to see the xmas lights at Blenheim thi year
Written November 5, 2023
We are going to a concert in June at Blenheim Palace. Finding it very confusing which hotels are close by and in the thick of it, so to speak! It’s for one night for a birthday and want something lovely but not too pricey. Can anyone give me a steer please on hotel names to look at? Thank you!
Written May 11, 2023
We are going to a concert in June at Blenheim Palace. Finding it very confusing which hotels are close by and in the thick of it, so to speak! It’s for one night for a birthday and want something lovely but not too pricey. Can anyone give me a steer please on hotel names to look at? Thank you!
Written May 11, 2023
Can we get transport from trademark to Clementine restaurant, how far would it be to walk. My sister has RA and her knees are painful thank you
Written May 6, 2023
Hi Carol. We didn't go to the Clementine's restaurant when we went to the Christmas event but I can only say my Mum used her mobility scooter and the whole place and staff were fantastic. She used it around the Palace, into the cafe which is through the courtyard and all round the Christmas trail. It was so accessible. You can borrow a mobility scooter there but not allowed to use their scooters within the Palace apparently. Sorry I can't add any further as not sure. It is a lovely place to visit though, for sure.
Written May 7, 2023
Hi, Visiting Oxford next week and have tickets for Blenheim. My friend has a bad knee and uses a stick to help her. I was planning on getting the Stagecoach from Oxford. Is the walk from the drop off point to the palace far? Would we be better getting the train to Hanborough and using the shuttle connection?
Many thanks 😊
Written April 30, 2023
Hi Weemagee, just an update for you, my wife actually remembers seeing a shuttle bus rather like an elongated golf buggy with a roof and bench seating. She seems to feel that this does pick ups and drop off's like a shuttle service. I must say I did see one drive by with several people in one but never gave it much thought. If you have any concerns or requests it maybe an idea to contact Blenheim Palace direct as they should be able to give you a much better idea of how the shuttle service operates and from where etc. Good Luck and have a great time!!
Written May 1, 2023
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