Palace of Holyroodhouse
Palace of Holyroodhouse
4.5
Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Castles
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9:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
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
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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.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Southside & Holyrood
Many of Edinburgh’s student hangouts gather around university buildings in Southside, the sort of neighborhood 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.
See what travelers are saying
  • Michael
    Belfast, United Kingdom52 contributions
    Fascinating Building
    Really enjoyed our trip to the Palace of Holyrood House. You are provided with an audio guide as part of the entry fee and it is very useful and informative. The Palace itself is stunning, from the moment you enter the courtyard to the moment you leave. It was fascinating to see all the rooms and to have the history of the building and rooms explained. There is no time limit to your visit and it was lovely to be able to walk around at our own pace and take our time at some of the more interesting exhibits and rooms. I would recommend you set aside 2 - 3 hours to allow yourself plenty of time to take everything in, however the tour could be completed in about 1.5 hours. An essential venue to visit when in Edinburgh.
    Visited January 2020
    Written January 24, 2020
  • Nuala798
    Antrim, United Kingdom181 contributions
    Facinating Visit
    I thoroughly enjoyed our visit and opted to use the Audio guide as they were hygienically cleaned. I was surprised to read someone found the guides bordering on rude as any I encountered were charming and helpful. The place is steeped in Scottish history and I was fascinated by the rooms and artefacts associated with Mary Queen of Scots. The Palace is used by the Royals and the Queen is in residence each July. The Abbey of Holyrood is also part of the tour. We finished our visit with a visit to the cafe which is very clean and bright. We were able to get our admission tickets stamped as you can visit again free within a year and I wouldn't mind a return visit when the gardens are open,
    Visited March 2020
    Written March 29, 2020
  • John D
    Darwen, United Kingdom94 contributions
    Really interesting visit.
    The palace is not luxurious, but historically it is fascinating. The price of admission includes an audio/video guide which is essential for getting the most out of the visit. Interesting to see how the Royals make use of the Palace. It seems they only visit in July when it is used to throw a garden party for the great and the good. Princess Anne seems to throw a party for the University there. The Queens children all make a contribution to the video guide (except, notably, Prince Andrew!). Enjoyed being reminded of Mary Queen of Scots and the murder of her husband Lord Darnley.
    Visited September 2020
    Written September 28, 2020
  • MazziFamily
    Bristol, United Kingdom222 contributions
    Royal fans will love this place
    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
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 27, 2020
  • Mireille S
    London, United Kingdom66 contributions
    Highlight of our trip
    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
    Visited August 2020
    Written August 28, 2020
  • Travel Man
    Crewe, United Kingdom354 contributions
    Royal palace
    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.
    Visited June 2021
    Traveled solo
    Written June 11, 2021
  • Suratrichard
    Surat Thani, Thailand1,556 contributions
    interesting but...
    ...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.
    Visited December 2019
    Written January 8, 2020
  • VAHTravels
    Chicago, Illinois17 contributions
    Afterhours Tour of the Palace of Holyroodhouse
    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.
    Visited December 2019
    Written January 3, 2020
  • M G
    Arlington, Virginia87 contributions
    Royal Residence in Edinburgh
    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.
    Visited November 2019
    Written February 28, 2020
  • Scifchic
    Raleigh, North Carolina237 contributions
    Beautiful Grounds, Beautiful Palace
    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.
    Visited February 2020
    Written April 28, 2020
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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MazziFamily
Bristol, UK222 contributions
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 January 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.

Mireille S
London, UK66 contributions
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 August 28, 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, UK354 contributions
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 June 11, 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, Thailand1,556 contributions
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 January 9, 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, IL17 contributions
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 January 3, 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, VA87 contributions
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 February 28, 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, NC237 contributions
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 April 28, 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
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 February 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.

bsandrs
Portsmouth, UK23,076 contributions
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 August 22, 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, Australia192 contributions
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 January 8, 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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