Henry VIII and Tudor England Tour
Henry VIII is known for his six wives and for breaking away from Rome and setting himself up as Head of the Church of England. Tudor England was a fascinating place and Henry was everything a king should be – handsome, richly dressed and a strapping figure who excelled at hunting and jousting.
Highlights
- London, including Westminster Abbey, where Henry was crowned and where his children are buried; the remains of his Whitehall Palace; Westminster Hall and the Houses of Parliament; the Archbishop of Canterbury's London residence at Lambeth Palace; Temple Church, which Henry seized from the Knights Hospitaller and the remains of his birthplace.
- The Tower of London, where Anne Boleyn, Sir Thomas Moore, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey were executed. See Henry VIII's armour and the Crown Jewels.
- Fairytale Hever Castle, with its moat, lake, maze and stunning gardens. Childhood home of Anne Boleyn and also home to Anne of Cleves after her divorce.
- Penshurst Place, which Henry took from the Duke of Buckingham and Ightham Mote, a medieval moated manor house featuring typical Tudor décor.
- Stunning Leeds Castle, surrounded by a lake and transformed by Henry into a royal palace for Catherine of Aragon.
- Lewes and the remains of St Pancras Priory, destroyed by Henry during the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the Anne of Cleves House.
- Hampton Court Palace, once owned by Cardinal Wolsey but acquired by Henry VIII. See Henry's State Apartments, the Chapel Royal, Great Hall and Privy Garden.
- Windsor Castle, an official royal residence today and where Henry VIII and Jane Seymour are buried.
- Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds, home to Queen Catherine Parr, Henry's last wife.
- Stratford-upon-Avon to see William Shakespeare's birthplace and Anne Hathaway's Cottage and possibly a play by the Royal Shakespeare Company.
- Bosworth Field, where Henry's father overthrew Richard III (whose remains were recently found under a car park in Leicester!) and Fotheringay, where Mary, Queen of Scots was executed.
- A lavish medieval banquet, hosted by Henry VIII, in 15th century Hatfield House, where Elizabeth I spent much of her childhood.

Travelling on your own? Click here to find out about our Henry VIII Tour with set departures for individuals to book onto
Photo credits:
Slideshow: Hampton Court Palace © Historic Royal Palaces; Tower of London © VisitBritain/Historic Royal Palaces; Henry VIII's bedroom at Hever Castle.
Photos to the right of the tour: Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London © Historic Royal Palaces; Sudeley Castle.