Holyrood Palace
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Visit the official residence of the Queen in Scotland when you take a trip to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (also known as Holyrood Palace). Explore the luxurious State Apartments, the ruins of the original Holyrood Abbey, and the beautiful grounds when you visit!
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Pick up a ticket to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.Edinburgh: Palace of Holyroodhouse Entry Ticket
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Edinburgh The King's Gallery Entrance Ticket
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Current exhibitions
Royal Rhyme Time
This monthly family session in the Abbey Strand Centre pairs storytelling, songs, and rhymes with changing Palace themes for toddlers and carers. Upcoming 2026 dates run from June to December, with no sessions in July or August and an extra afternoon session in December.
Jun 01, 2026 – Dec 07, 2026, Abbey Strand Centre
Edwardian Entertainment and Costume Balls
Held at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, this evening talk explores Edwardian entertaining and costume balls, including the Waverley Ball, with a chance to see the Mary, Queen of Scots costume worn by Queen Alexandra.
Nov 12, 2026 – Nov 12, 2026, Great Gallery
Festive Wreath Making at Holyroodhouse
This hands-on workshop with florist Lottie Longman takes inspiration from the Palace decorations before guiding participants through making a festive wreath to take home. All materials and equipment are supplied.
Dec 10, 2026 – Dec 10, 2026, Abbey Strand Centre
4 tips for visiting the Holyrood Palace
Palace of Holyroodhouse | Photo: Flickr, LWYung - CC-BY 2.01
Use the multimedia guide! It’s included for free with every ticket bought and is available in English, Gaelic, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Mandarin, and British Sign Language, with an additional version specially designed for families.
Arthur’s Seat | Photo: Flickr, Magnus Hardorn - CC BY-SA 2.02
You’ll get a great view of Arthur’s Seat from the grounds of Holyrood Palace, especially as the sun begins to set. Watch out for the opening times though, the gardens are only open at the weekends in November, January, February, and March.
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No photographs can be taken inside the palace, but are encouraged outside in the grounds. Visitors are asked to turn their phones off during their time inside the palace to avoid disturbing other guests.
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If you feel like being a little bit fancy, why not enjoy a regal afternoon tea in the café? Regular afternoon tea costs £18.95 per person and includes home-made cakes, pastries, and sandwiches, plus your choice of tea. It’s served from noon to 4 pm from April to October and from noon until 3 pm from November until March.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will we see the queen?
Holyrood Palace is the official residence of the Queen when she’s in Scotland, though she doesn’t always stay there. Every year her Majesty attends the ‘Holyrood Week’ of engagements, which includes a garden party in the grounds of Holyroodhouse in the last week of June or first week of July. The family doesn’t spend a huge amount of time at the palace, most of the autumn, winter, and spring they are either at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, or Sandringham, and they tend to spend the summer at Balmoral in the Cairngorms rather than in Edinburgh. So it’s unlikely, but you could bump into her.
Read more.What will we see on a visit to the palace?
On your trip to the palace you’ll be able to see the State Apartments, which include the magnificent bedchamber created for Charles II (but which he never got to use), the Royal Dining Room, which is still in use when the Queen is in residence, and the Throne Rome and Privy Chamber, which are used for ceremonial purposes and meetings between the Queen and the First Minister of Scotland. You’ll also see the bedchamber where Mary, Queen of Scots lived between 1561 and 1567, and where she witnessed the murder of her private secretary, David Rizzio, in 1566. Next to the palace, you can explore the ruins of Holyrood Abbey, the original building on the site, built in 1128 on the orders of King David I of Scotland. Finally, you can unwind in the beautiful gardens of the palace. In addition to the multimedia guide, you can get free tours of the gardens, the Abbey, and the palace with a warder. Just ask what the tour timetable is for the date of your trip when you arrive at the palace.
Read more.Why is it called Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse?
The word ‘rood’ is an Old English word for cross, and the term ‘Holyrood’ was used to refer to the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. There are two different stories which explain the name. In the first, King David I of Scotland was hunting in the forest when he was thrown from his horse, as it had been startled by a stag. He was either saved by the appearance of a miraculous cross in the sky, or by sunlight reflected from a crucifix which appeared between the stag’s horns and as a mark of gratitude and thanksgiving he founded the abbey in its present site. The name could also come from a relic of the True Cross, brought by the King’s mother to the abbey and then known as the Black Rood of Scotland. The relic later fell into the hands of the English before disappearing from Durham Cathedral during the Reformation. Whichever story is true, Holyrood means ‘Holy Cross’, and the palace takes its name from the Abbey.
Read more.What’s in the Gallery?
The Gallery of Holyrood Palace is used as an exhibition space, featuring different temporary exhibitions of art from the royal collection. From November 2018 to June 2019 that exhibit features art from the time of King Charles II, from June 2019 to November 2019 it will feature art on the theme of Russia, Royals, and the Romanovs, and from November 2019 to March 2020 it will host the largest collection of the work of Leonardo da Vinci ever shown in Scotland, on display to mark the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death.
Read more.How long does a visit take?
The multimedia tour takes about an hour, but you can take your time to explore everything thoroughly, especially the gardens. If you take a tour with a Warder in addition to using the multimedia guide then you should plan at least 3 hours for a visit.
Read more.Is a visit suitable for children?
A trip to the Palace of Holyroodhouse is suitable for families with children of all ages! There are special child-friendly activity trails for the palace, the abbey, and the gardens, which you can print in advance. The multimedia tour also has a family-friendly version in English, so children will enjoy following along as you explore. There are also special seasonal events for children, many of which include arts and crafts and other activities, so watch out for those! The only caveat is that strollers aren’t allowed inside the palace, so you might want to bring a baby carrier for the smallest family members, or you can borrow one from the visitor information desk.
Read more.Are there any ghosts in the palace?
With a history of murder, revolution, and warfare, it would be surprising if nobody had ever reported any mysterious sightings. Guests at the palace have reported unusual drafts and the sound of crying coming from the lower floors. More concerning that spooky wind-like sounds are the reports of the ghost of Agnes Sampson, also known as Bald Agnes, who was tortured, tried, and executed for witchcraft in 1591. Her crime was to have hampered the new Queen Anne’s voyage to Scotland from Oslo by raising storms. Other reported ghosts include Mary, Queen of Scots, who was executed in England in 1587, and her murdered secretary David Rizzio.
Read more.General information
opening hours
The Palace of Holyroodhouse is open daily through 14 September 2026, from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm (last admission 4:30 pm). From 17 September to 31 October 2026, it is open Thursday to Monday, from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm (last admission 4:30 pm). From 1 November to 31 December 2026, it is open Thursday to Monday, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (last admission 3:15 pm), and is closed on 25 and 26 December. Because it is a working royal palace, opening arrangements can change at short notice.
address
Palace of Holyroodhouse
Canongate
The Royal Mile
Edinburgh
EH8 8DX
Canongate
The Royal Mile
Edinburgh
EH8 8DX
how to get there
The palace is a 15-minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley station. The closest tram stop is York Place, a 20-minute walk away from Holyrood Palace. You can also take bus numbers 6 and 35 to stops near the palace. If you’re intending to use Hop-On Hop-Off bus services, they also have stops close to the palace. Public car parking is available near the palace for a fee.
website
Official site: https://www.rct.uk/visit/palace-of-holyroodhouse
tickets
Standard admission to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in 2026 costs per person:
- Adult: £22.00 in advance; £26.00 on the day
- Young person (18–24): £14.00 in advance; £17.00 on the day
- Child (5–17): £11.00 in advance; £13.00 on the day
- Disabled visitor: £11.00 in advance; £13.00 on the day
Access companion tickets for disabled visitors and tickets for children under 5 are free.
For groups of 15 or more, admission costs per person:
- Adult: £19.80 in advance; £23.40 on the day
- Young person (18–24): £12.60 in advance; £15.30 on the day
- Child (5–17) or disabled visitor: £9.90 in advance; £11.70 on the day
Access companion tickets for disabled visitors and tickets for children under 5 are free. Telephone group bookings carry a £2.00 transaction fee. Prebooked group tickets must be paid 30 days before the visit, or at booking when booked within 30 days; same-day group visits are payable by credit card.
UK residents receiving Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, or Jobseeker's Allowance can reserve up to six £1 standard-admission tickets per household. They must be reserved and paid in advance; walk-up tickets are not available. One person per household must show supporting documents and join the visit. Tickets are date- and timeslot-limited, valid for one day, nonrefundable, and cannot be changed, converted to a 1-Year Pass, or used for Gift Aid. Separately paid events are excluded.
The 2026 Exclusive Guided Tour costs £55.00 per person, lasts around 90 minutes, and is limited to 25 visitors. A disabled visitor can book one free access companion ticket by phone or email.
- Adult: £22.00 in advance; £26.00 on the day
- Young person (18–24): £14.00 in advance; £17.00 on the day
- Child (5–17): £11.00 in advance; £13.00 on the day
- Disabled visitor: £11.00 in advance; £13.00 on the day
Access companion tickets for disabled visitors and tickets for children under 5 are free.
For groups of 15 or more, admission costs per person:
- Adult: £19.80 in advance; £23.40 on the day
- Young person (18–24): £12.60 in advance; £15.30 on the day
- Child (5–17) or disabled visitor: £9.90 in advance; £11.70 on the day
Access companion tickets for disabled visitors and tickets for children under 5 are free. Telephone group bookings carry a £2.00 transaction fee. Prebooked group tickets must be paid 30 days before the visit, or at booking when booked within 30 days; same-day group visits are payable by credit card.
UK residents receiving Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, or Jobseeker's Allowance can reserve up to six £1 standard-admission tickets per household. They must be reserved and paid in advance; walk-up tickets are not available. One person per household must show supporting documents and join the visit. Tickets are date- and timeslot-limited, valid for one day, nonrefundable, and cannot be changed, converted to a 1-Year Pass, or used for Gift Aid. Separately paid events are excluded.
The 2026 Exclusive Guided Tour costs £55.00 per person, lasts around 90 minutes, and is limited to 25 visitors. A disabled visitor can book one free access companion ticket by phone or email.
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