Tours
Make the most of your visit to the Palace by exploring with a digital or multimedia tour, or join one of our expert volunteer guides for a fascinating in-person experience.Discover exclusive audio and video content of our RHS gardens via Bloomberg Connects
Whether you’re at home, on the bus, or even sitting in our café, you can now explore our 14 acres of RHS partner gardens from your phone with our new free digital guide on the Bloomberg Connects app.
Through this new digital guide, our stunning gardens come to life with audio tours led by Palace staff and accompanied by images. Browse our content on the web or enjoy our optimised guide on the Bloomberg Connects app, available in the App Store and Google Play Store.
The guide is available in languages including Arabic, Welsh, German, Greek, Ukrainian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Korean, Chinese, and Dutch.
Through the app, you can plan your visit, access helpful insights on site, and dive deeper into the history and current happenings at The Bishop’s Palace.
About Bloomberg Connects
We are delighted to work in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies to make this digital guide possible.
The Bloomberg Connects app is a free digital guide showcasing cultural organisations around the world, making it easy to access and engage with arts and culture from mobile devices, anytime, anywhere. The app allows you to explore over 1000 collections from botanical gardens, performance venues, outdoor sculpture parks and museums around the world.
Accessing the Guide at the Palace
Connect to our free Wi-Fi and scan one of the QR codes using your device’s camera app. You’ll be taken straight to our guide in your web browser.
If you’re using the Bloomberg Connect app, browse the list or use the ‘Explore’ search bar to find The Bishop’s Palace to start your tour. Simply tap ‘Start Guide’ to begin your journey through our gardens.
Multimedia Tours of the Palace Building
Multimedia tours of the Palace building are included with admission sharing the wonderful stories of the medieval Palace building and its people with our visitors.
There’s a choice of an adult version or one tailored for a more family audience including quizzes, treasure hunts and talking Bishops from years gone by!
Here’s some feedback we’ve received from one of our younger visitors who loved their multimedia tour family option:
“History is boring; this WAS NOT boring!”
Visitors are guided around the Palace buildings through five narrative themes using stories, music, imagery, quizzes and talking Bishops bringing stories of their tenure and legacy at the Palace to life in an interactive and engaging way.
Where to Pick up Your Multimedia Tour?
The multimedia guides are available at no additional charge to ticket holders between 10am – 4pm from the entrance to the Palace building.
During this time, volunteers will also be on hand to explain how to use the guides.
Daily Guided Tours
Our tours are delivered daily by our expert volunteer tour guides, subject to availability. Our typical schedule is below but we recommend visitors ask at the Ticket Office for tour availability on the day of your visit.
Summer Hours Tours
11am – Buildings Tour: Learn about the fascinating Palace and Chapel (Lasts approx. 30 mins)
12pm – Gardens Tour: Stroll through the gardens to the wellpools (Lasts approx. 45 mins)
2pm – Buildings Tour: Learn about the fascinating Palace and Chapel (Lasts approx. 30 mins)
3pm – Gardens Tour: Stroll through the gardens to the wellpools (Lasts approx. 45 mins)
Winter Hours Tours
12pm – Guided Tour of the Palace and Gardens (Gardens tour is weather dependent) (Lasts approx. 1 hour)