30th April - 4th May 2024

Fully Escorted Tours

Small Groups As Standard

Financial Failure Protection cover on all Tour Bookings

All Breakfasts and Dinners Included

Access to Eminent Historians 

Tour Details

Stay at Anne Boleyn's childhood home of Hever Castle for 4 nights of history and luxury on 'The Anne Boleyn Tour', run by British History Tours.

As part of a small group, you will explore the life and death of Anne Boleyn, the ill-fated second wife of Henry VIII and mother to Elizabeth I. We explore places key to her story and are joined along the way by eminent historians and expert guides.

Gareth Russell, best-selling author and historian accompanies Philippa, your dedicated Tour Manager, as resident historian and co-host. 

Historians Prof James Clark, author of 'The Dissolution of the Monasteries' and Kate McCaffrey, who has completed groundbreaking work on Anne Boleyn's Book of Hours, will be giving talks to the group.

Our itinerary includes a visit to Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London where we are taken around by expert guides. During our time at Hever Castle you will have the opportunity to dress as Tudor Royalty before getting 'behind the ropes' during our after-hours 'Hidden Hever' tour, followed by a 3-course banquet in Hever Castle's Great Hall! 

Enjoy exclusive access to the Astor Wing including the music room, billiard room, lawns, tennis court and outdoor swimming pool!

You will arrive everywhere in comfort and style in our luxury air-conditioned coach, included for the duration of the tour.

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Tour Highlights

  • Co-hosted by best-selling author and historian Gareth Russell

  • Visit The Tower of London on the anniversary of Anne Boleyn being brought to the Tower as a prisoner, 2nd May. 

  • Talks from Eminent Historians Gareth Russell, Prof James Clark and Kate McCaffrey

  • Banquet in the Great Hall of Hever Castle

  • Hidden Hever, After-Hours Tour of Hever Castle

  • Expert Guided Tours of Hampton Court Palace and Tower of London

  • Private use of the Astor Wing of Hever Castle including our own Private Lawn next to the moat, Tennis Court, Billiards Room and Outdoor Heated Pool.

  • Opportunity to Dress as Tudor Royalty at Hever Castle (optional extra)

Hever Castle ©P Brewell

The Itinerary

  • Day 1 - 30th April

    Welcome Reception and Opening Talk

    Meet at our designated, convenient pick-up point in London where you will board our private coach, bound for Hever Castle. On arrival at Hever you will be shown to your beautiful room and can begin to explore your home for the next few days.

    You will have exclusive access to the entire Astor Wing of Hever Castle where you can take advantage of our own private heated swimming pool, tennis court, billiards room and lawn next to the moat.

    In the evening you will enjoy a welcome drinks reception before a talk from historian and author, Gareth Russell.

    We will then enjoy a BBQ (Hever Castle stlye!) on our private lawn overlooking the Castle. 

  • Day 2 - 1st May

    Hampton Court Palace

    On arrival to Hampton Court Palace, we will be met by the fantastically knowledgeable Sarah Slater, expert on the Palace, for a guided tour.

    Our tour historian, Gareth Russell, has written a book about the history of Hampton Court Palace through stories of the people who lived there called 'The Palace', published in 2023, and so you will be able to ask him about the Palace too!

    Following our tour the group have free time to explore the remaining parts of the Palace and its grounds.

    We return to Hever for a talk from Gareth Russell followed by a 3-course meal with wine.

  • Day 3 - 2nd May

    The Tower of London

    On the 2nd May 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn was arrested at Greenwich Palace and brought, by barge, to The Tower of London. She would never leave. We mark the anniversary of her arrest with a vist to the Tower.

    Following a morning private guided tour with William Mitchell, there will be free time to explore other parts of the Tower and the waterfront. You then have the option to take a walk up to the Tower Hill execution site, where the men who fell victim to the events of 1536 were beheaded, with Gareth and Philippa.

    We return to Hever Castle for a sumptous 3-course meal.

  • Day 4 - 3rd May

    Hever Castle

    Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before spending the day exploring Hever Castle and its grounds. You can choose to take the short walk to St Peter's Church where the Boleyn family worshipped and see Thomas Boleyn's tomb.

    Dress as Tudor Royalty for the Day! (Optional Extra) After being dressed you can wear your outfit for the day, take as many photos as you want with Hever as a backdrop! 

    This evening we will enjoy a talk from Kate McCaffrey, assistant curator at Hever Castle and the lady behind breakthrough research into Anne Boleyn's Book of Hours. 

    After the Castle is closed to the public, we have an exclusive 'behind-the-ropes' tour of 'Hidden Hever'.

    This perfect day isn't over yet! The tour finale is dinner in the Great Hall of Hever Castle itself whilst being entertained with music from the Tudor court, performed by Jay Britton, The Tudor Songbook.

  • Day 5 - 4th May

    Wake up for one final time in the magical Hever Castle.

    After a leisurely breakfast we board our private coach which will take us back to London where we say our final farewells.

What's Included

Memorial at the Tower of London

  • 5* Luxury Accommodation at Hever Castle for 4 nights

  • All Dinners and Breakfasts

  • Expert History Talks from Eminent Historians

  • Resident Historian for the tour - Gareth Russell

  • Exclusive Access to the Astor Wing of Hever Castle including our own Private Lawn next to the moat, Tennis Court, Billiards Room and Outdoor Heated Pool.

  • Banquet in the Great Hall of Hever Castle

  • Dedicated Tour Manager

  • Luxury Coach Travel from pick up to drop off

  • All admissions as stated in the itinerary

  • After Hours 'Hidden Hever' Tour

  • Private Guided tours at Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace

  • Option to dress as a Tudor for the day

  • An Experience of a Lifetime!

Historian Talks

Gareth Russell

Gareth Russell

Gareth Russell is the author of nine books, including the best-selling Young and Damned and Fair, a biography of Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard. He studied History at Oxford and Queen’s University, Belfast, where his postgraduate dissertation was on the queen’s household in the 1540s. His book, The Ship of Dreams, was named a Book of the Year by The Times and a Best History Read of 2019 by the Daily Telegraph. He is a regular contributor on TV shows and documentaries and also hosts his own podcast “Single Malt History”. His latest book Do Let’s Have Another Drink, a biography of The Queen Mother through 101 anecdotes, is top of the charts! His latest book 'The Palace' looks at the history of Hampton Court Palace through the people who lived there.
Kate McCaffrey

Kate McCaffrey

Kate McCaffrey is a Historian and Assistant Curator at Anne Boleyn's childhood home of Hever Castle in Kent. Her MA thesis, from the University of Kent, focused on groundbreaking, new evidence she uncovered in one of Anne Boleyn's printed Books of Hours, held at Hever Castle. In 2022 she co-curated the 'Becoming Anne: Connections, Culture, Court' exhibition at Hever Castle, and co-authored the accompanying book, entitled 'Becoming Anne' alongside Dr Owen Emmerson. In 2023 she has done the same but with an exhibition entitled 'Catherine and Anne' which looks at the things which linked and united the two women. Kate will be talking to us about one of Anne Boleyn’s most private possessions, her Book of Hours and what her ongoing research has revealed.
Prof James Clark

Prof James Clark

James Clark is Professor of History at the University of Exeter and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries. Previously he has taught at Bristol, Warwick, Oxford and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. His research focuses on religious and cultural life from the Middle Ages to the Tudor Reformation. His book on the Dissolution of the Monasteries (Yale, 2021), the first fresh study for more than half a century, has been acclaimed as an instant classic. A regular contributor to history on TV & Radio, he was historical consultant on the popular BBC series, Tudor Monastery Farm.

Upgrade to a Superior Room

We apologise for any disappointent but all of our upgraded rooms are sold on this tour.
  • Acanthus Bedroom

    Acanthus (Twin)

  • Clover Room

    Clover Room

  • Primrose Room

    Primrose Room

  • Tiger Lily

    Tiger Lily Room

  • Tulip Room

    Tulip Room

Optional Extras Optional Extras

Optional Extras

Room Upgrades £360

Tudor Dress Hire £190

There is space on the booking form to indicate your preferences

 The Anne Boleyn Tour Ticket Price

This tour is now SOLD OUT.

We apologise for any disappointment caused. Our groups are kept to a limited number to enable us to offer unbeatable service, so tours often sell out quickly. 

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Photo Gallery

Hever Castle

Gareth Russell at Tower Hill

Gareth Russell - Resident Historian providing talks throughout the tour

Hidden Hever After Hours Castle Tour

Jay Britton - The Tudor Songbook

Jay Britton - The Tudor Songbook

BBQ on private lawn at Hever Castle

Private BBQ at Hever Castle

Luxury Coach outside Hever Castle

Luxury Coach

Expert Guide at Hampton Court Palace

Expert Guide at Hampton Court Palace

Expert Guide at Tower of London

Expert Guide at Tower of London

Dinner in the Astor Wing

Dress as Tudor Royalty

Breakfast Table at Hever Castle

Breakfast Table at Hever Castle

Customer Financial Protection

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In accordance with the UK Package Travel & Linked Travel Regulations 2018 all passengers booking with History Holidays Ltd t/a British History Tours are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies received by us, including repatriation costs and arrangements, arising from cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of History Holidays Ltd t/a British History Tours.

There is no requirement for Financial Protection of day trips or single elements, and none is provided. 

History Holidays Ltd t/a British History Tours has taken out an insurance provided by International Passenger Protection Ltd (IPP) with Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE (LMIE) trading as Liberty Specialty Markets, a member of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group. LMIE's registered office: 5-7 rue Leon Laval, L-3372, Leudelange, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Registered Number B232280 (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés).  LMIE is a European public limited liability company and is supervised by the Commissariat aux Assurances and licensed by the Luxembourg Minister of Finance as an insurance and reinsurance company. This insurance is only valid for passengers who book and pay directly with/to History Holidays Ltd t/a British History Tours. 

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