Experience only the best of Palace of Holyroodhouse

What's not allowed

• Bags larger than 45cm × 20cm × 30cm are not allowed in this experience.
• Due to venue restrictions, pets cannot tag along for this experience.
• Photography is strictly not allowed inside the State Apartments.
• Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not permitted in the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• In consideration of other visitors, mobile phones must be switched off inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Accessibility

• This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible, except in some parts of Mary, Queen of Scots' rooms.
• Your guide dogs are welcome at the venue.
• Concessionary rates for disabled visitors and a complimentary companion ticket are only available to book directly with Royal Collection Trust.

Additional information

• As the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a working royal palace, security and opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice.
• You may be subject to security checks. Some items may have to be checked in and reclaimed at the end of your visit.
• For safety and security reasons, a one-way route operates inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• The palace is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Last admission time is 3:15pm.
• Under 5s must be booked with a paid ticket.

Inclusions #

• 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

Exclusions #

• Transport

• Food and drink

Please click here for the detailed route map and boarding points. You can join a tour at any stop and hop on and off for the duration of your ticket. Red route

• First bus: 8:45am from stop #1 Waterloo Place
• Last bus: 6pm from stop #1 Waterloo Place
• Frequency: Every 10 minutes
• Popular stops: Waterloo Place, St. Andrew Square, Holyrood, Our Dynamic Earth

Inclusions #

• 24-hour unlimited hop-on hop-off pass by City Sightseeing

• Access to Red Route

• Audio guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Russian

• Kids' commentary on Horrible Histories'

• Headphones

• Free kids' tickets

• Entry to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (near Stop #7 Holyrood on Red route)

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

What's not allowed

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Large bags, rucksacks, and suitcases (30L or over) are not allowed inside for security reasons.
• Due to venue restrictions, pets cannot tag along for this experience.
• Keep your camera tucked away – photography is strictly not allowed inside the State Apartments.

Accessibility

Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

• This experience is wheelchair accessible.
• Wheelchairs must be no larger than 70cm wide, 120cm long, and 135cm high to board the bus. If unsure, contact the service provider.
• Just a heads up, each bus can only accommodate 1 wheelchair at a time. If there is already a passenger in a wheelchair, please wait for the next one.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible, except in some parts of Mary, Queen of Scots' rooms.
• Your guide dogs are welcome at the venue.

Additional information

Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

• Children aged 3 and under travel for free. Child tickets must be added to the cart at the final stage of booking.
• Small and well-behaved dogs are allowed on board.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• The Palace of Holyroodhouse will be open on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. However, it will be closed on Christmas Day.
• As the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a working royal palace, security and opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice.
• The palace is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

What's not allowed

• Bags larger than 45cm × 20cm × 30cm are not allowed in this experience.
• Due to venue restrictions, pets cannot tag along for this experience.
• Photography is strictly not allowed inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not permitted in the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• In consideration of other visitors, mobile phones must be switched off inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Accessibility

• The tour at 1pm on Jul 25 and Aug 15 will include a British Sign Language interpreter.
• This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible, except in some parts of Mary, Queen of Scots' rooms.
• Your guide dogs are welcome at the venue.

Additional information

• These tours run daily from May 21, 2026, to Sept 10, 2026, except on Jun 7, Jun 8, Jun 9, Jun 10, Jun 26, Jun 27, Jun 28, Jun 29, Jun 30, Jul 1, Jul 2, Jul 3, and Jul 4.
• Tours start at various times throughout the day.
• Queen Elizabeth II's Private Apartment Tours will be available only in 2026.
• After your guided tour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Private Apartments, which lasts around 1 hour, your guide will escort you to the start of your self-guided visit to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which includes a multimedia guide.
• There is limited availability, with a maximum number of 25 places on each tour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Private Apartments.
• As the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a working royal palace, security and opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice.
• You may be subject to security checks. Some items may have to be checked in and reclaimed at the end of your visit.
• For safety and security reasons, a one-way route operates inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• Last admission time is 4:30pm, and the closing time is 6pm.
• Under 5s must be booked with a paid ticket

Inclusions #

• Entry to Palace of Holyroodhouse

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

• English-speaking guide

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

What to bring Palace of Holyroodhouse + Royal Yacht Britannia

• Ensure your entry tickets and ID are on hand for a smooth experience.
• Pack earphones for your audio guide experience.

What's not allowed Palace of Holyroodhouse + Royal Yacht Britannia

• Your pets are not permitted on this experience.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Smoking, e-cigarettes, vaping, bags larger than 45cm × 20cm × 30cm are not permitted in this experience.
• Photography is strictly not allowed inside the State Apartments.
• In consideration of other visitors, mobile phones must be switched off inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Accessibility Palace of Holyroodhouse + Royal Yacht Britannia

• This experience is accessible to wheelchair and pram/stroller users. Only some parts of Holyroodhouse, such as the Mary, Queen of Scots' rooms, are not accessible.
• For your convenience, guide dogs are welcome to join you.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Concessionary rates for disabled visitors and a complimentary companion ticket are only available to book directly with Royal Collection Trust.

Royal Yacht Britannia

• Britannia’s five decks are highly accessible via a central lift.
• Due to the construction work at Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre, there may be loud noises.

Additional information Palace of Holyroodhouse

• As the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a working royal palace, security and opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice.
• You may be subject to security checks. Some items may have to be checked in and reclaimed at the end of your visit.
• For safety and security reasons, a one-way route operates inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• The palace is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Last admission time is 3:15pm.
• Under 5s must be booked with a paid ticket.

Royal Yacht Britannia

• Available facilities: audio guide, parking, baby changing facilities

Inclusions #

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Entry to Palace of Holyroodhouse

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

The Royal Yacht Britannia

• Entry to the Royal Yacht Britannia

• Audio guide in English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Brazilian Portuguese, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Welsh

Exclusions #

The Royal Yacht Britannia Tickets

• Guide

• Food and drinks

What to bring

Palace of Holyroodhouse + The King’s Gallery

• Have your entry tickets and ID ready for a seamless experience.
• Don’t forget your trusty earphones for an immersive multimedia guide experience.

What’s not allowed

Palace of Holyroodhouse + The King’s Gallery

• Due to venue restrictions, pets cannot tag along for this experience.
• Photography is strictly prohibited at the venue.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Large bags, rucksacks and suitcases (30L or over) are not allowed inside for security reasons.

The King’s Gallery

• Alcohol, food & beverages, drones, sharp metallic tools or objects, knives, pepper spray, scissors, kirpans with blades exceeding 3 inches, aerosol sprays, paint, bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, and folding bikes are not allowed on this experience.

Accessibility

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible, except in some parts of Mary, Queen of Scots' rooms.
• Your guide dogs are welcome at the venue.

The King’s Gallery

• This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.
• A free companion ticket is available.
• Elevators are available at the venue for easy access.
• Your guide dogs are welcome at the venue.

Additional information

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• The Palace of Holyroodhouse is open to the public on December 23. It is, however, closed on Christmas.
• As the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a working royal palace, security and opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice.
• The palace is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The King’s Gallery

• The King's Gallery is currently closed and will reopen for The Edwardians: Age of Elegance exhibit on April 24, 2026
• As the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a working royal palace, security and opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice.
• Pushchairs are permitted during off-peak hours, but if the gallery gets busy, you’ll need to leave them at the designated drop-off area.
• Facilities: parking, cloakroom, restroom, multimedia guides, cafe, baby-care facilities.

Inclusions #

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Entry to the Palace of Holyroodhouse

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

The King’s Gallery

• Entry to The King's Gallery at the Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Access to The Edwardians: Age of Elegance exhibition (from Apr 24 to Dec 6, 2026)

• Multimedia guide in English

Exclusions #

Palace of Holyroodhouse & The King’s Gallery

• Guided tour

What to bring

• Ensure your entry tickets and ID are on hand for a smooth experience.
• Pack earphones for your audio guide experience.

What's not allowed

• Your pets are not permitted on this experience.

Accessibility

• This experience is accessible to wheelchair and pram/stroller users.
• Britannia’s five decks are highly accessible via a central lift.
• For your convenience, guide dogs are welcome to join you.
• Due to the construction work at Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre, there may be loud noises.

Additional information

• Available facilities: audio guide, parking, baby changing facilities

Inclusions #

• Entry to the Royal Yacht Britannia

• Audio guide in English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Brazilian Portuguese, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Welsh

Exclusions #

• Guide

• Food & drink

What to bring

• Have your entry tickets and ID ready for a seamless experience.
• Don’t forget your trusty earphones for an immersive multimedia guide experience.

What’s not allowed

• Alcohol, food & beverages, drones, sharp metallic tools or objects, knives, pepper spray, scissors, kirpans with blades exceeding 3 inches, aerosol sprays, paint, bicycles, skateboards, roller skates, and folding bikes are not allowed on this experience.
• Photography is strictly prohibited at the venue.
• Due to venue restrictions, pets cannot tag along for this experience.
• Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not permitted in The King's Gallery.
• Mobile phones must be switched off inside The King's Gallery.

Accessibility

• This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.
• Elevators are available at the venue for easy access.
• Your guide dogs are welcome at the venue.
• Concessionary rates for disabled visitors and a complimentary companion ticket are only available to book directly with Royal Collection Trust.

Additional information

• The King's Gallery is currently closed and will reopen for The Edwardians: Age of Elegance exhibit on April 24, 2026.
• Your tickets purchased through Headout cannot be converted into a 1-year pass.
• You may be subject to security checks; some items may need to be checked in and reclaimed at the end of your visit.
• Some events and workshops require separate tickets and are not included in standard admission.
• As the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a working royal palace, security and opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice.
• Pushchairs are permitted during off-peak hours, but if the gallery gets busy, you’ll need to leave them at the designated drop-off area.
• Facilities: parking, cloakroom, restroom, multimedia guides, cafe, baby-care facilities

Inclusions #

• Entry to The King's Gallery at Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Access to The Edwardians: Age of Elegance exhibition (Apr 24 to Dec 6, 2026)

• Multimedia guide in English

Exclusions #

• Entry to the Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Transfers

• Food and drink

• Workshops, lectures, group talks, and special events

What's not allowed

Edinburgh Castle

• Luggage, large bags, and bags over 30L in volume are not permitted inside Edinburgh Castle.
• Pets are not allowed, except for registered service animals.
• Drones are strictly prohibited on the premises.
• Access to the roof is not permitted in poor weather conditions.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Bags larger than 45cm × 20cm × 30cm are not allowed in this experience.
• Due to venue restrictions, pets cannot tag along for this experience.
• Photography is strictly not allowed inside the State Apartments.
• Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not permitted in the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• In consideration of other visitors, mobile phones must be switched off inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

Accessibility

Edinburgh Castle

• The experience is not fully wheelchair-accessible due to uneven terrain and steps within the castle grounds and surrounding areas.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible, except in some parts of Mary, Queen of Scots' rooms.
• Your guide dogs are welcome at the venue.
• Concessionary rates for disabled visitors and a complimentary companion ticket are only available to book directly with Royal Collection Trust.

Additional information

Edinburgh Castle

• The guided tour takes place outdoors around Edinburgh Castle. Entry to interior buildings is not included during the guided portion, but you may explore them independently after the tour.
• Specific stops during the tour are assigned by castle authorities and may vary.
• Minors must be accompanied by an adult to join the tour.
• Please arrive at the meeting point at least 10 mins before your scheduled start time.

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• As the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a working royal palace, security and opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice.
• You may be subject to security checks. Some items may have to be checked in and reclaimed at the end of your visit.
• For safety and security reasons, a one-way route operates inside the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
• The palace is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Last admission time is 3:15pm.
• Under 5s must be booked with a paid ticket.
• The tour is only available when the Palace is closed to other visitors.
• Please arrive at least 15 mins before your scheduled tour time.

Inclusions #

Edinburgh Castle

• Entry to Edinburgh Castle

• Guided tour of Edinburgh Castle

• Expert local English-speaking guide

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Entry to Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Multimedia guide in 9 languages

Additional paid upgrades:

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• 2-hour guided tour of Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Expert English-speaking guide

• Complimentary guidebook for insights about the palace

• Small group of max. 25 guests

Exclusions #

• Transport

• Food and drink

What to bring Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour + Royal Yacht Britannia

• Ensure your entry tickets and ID are on hand for a smooth experience.

Royal Yacht Britannia

• Pack earphones for your audio guide experience.

Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

• Small, well-behaved dogs in carriers are allowed on the bus.

What's not allowed Royal Yacht Britannia

• Your pets are not permitted on this experience.

Accessibility Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour + Royal Yacht Britannia

• This experience is accessible to wheelchair and pram/stroller users.

Royal Yacht Britannia

• Britannia’s five decks are highly accessible via a central lift.
• For your convenience, guide dogs are welcome to join you.
• Due to the construction work at Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre, there may be loud noises.

Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

• Wheelchairs must not exceed 70 cm in width, 120 cm in length, and 135 cm in height to board the bus.
• Each bus can accommodate only one wheelchair at a time.

Additional information Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

• Your ticket is valid for 12 months.
• Children aged 5 and under travel for free.
• Child tickets must be added at the final stage of booking.
• Buses run daily from 8:55 am to 3:55 pm. The Red Route operates on a loop that takes around 70 minutes to complete, with departures every 10 minutes, giving you ample time to explore Edinburgh at your own pace while benefiting from frequent service throughout the day.

Royal Yacht Britannia

• Available facilities: audio guide, parking, baby changing facilities

Inclusions #

City Sightseeing: Edinburgh Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

• 24-hour unlimited hop-on hop-off pass

• Access to Red Route

• Audio guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Russian

• Horrible Histories' kid's commentary

• Headphones

• Free kids' tickets

• Flexible validity for up to 12 months from your selected date

The Royal Yacht Britannia Tickets

• Entry to the Royal Yacht Britannia

• Audio guide in English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Brazilian Portuguese, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Welsh

Exclusions #

The Royal Yacht Britannia Tickets

• Guide

• Food and drinks

What’s not allowed

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Photography is strictly not allowed inside the State Apartments.
• Large bags, rucksacks and suitcases (30L or over) are not allowed inside for security reasons.
• Due to venue restrictions, pets cannot tag along for this experience.

Edinburgh Zoo

• Safety is a priority, so guests under the age of 15 must be accompanied by a guardian.
• Sharp metallic tools or objects, alcohol, drones, radios, scooters, bikes, rollerblades or skates and glass items are not allowed on this experience.
• Due to venue restrictions, pets cannot tag along for this experience.
• Smoking is not allowed, including e-cigarettes.

Accessibility

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible, except in some parts of Mary, Queen of Scots' rooms.
• Your guide dogs are welcome at the venue.

Edinburgh Zoo

• This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.
• Your guide dogs are welcome at the venue.

Additional information

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• As the Palace of Holyroodhouse is a working royal palace, security and opening arrangements may be subject to change at short notice.
• The palace is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• The Palace of Holyroodhouse is open to the public on December 23. It is, however, closed on Christmas.

Edinburgh Zoo

• Re-entry after entering isn’t permitted without park authority approval.
• The park may close in extreme weather; tickets will be valid for a later visit.
• Visitors wearing costumes might be asked to remove them for safety.
• Facilities: parking.

Inclusions #

Palace of Holyroodhouse

• Entry to the Palace of Holyroodhouse

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

Edinburgh Zoo

• Entry tickets to Edinburgh Zoo

Exclusions #

Palace of Holyroodhouse + Edinburgh Zoo

• Guided tour

• Transfers

• Food and drinks