King Charles’ private gardens and other royal residences you can visit

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You would think that the gilded homes and private palaces of the royal families are off limits to us citizens. But a handful of Britain’s grand royal residences have opened their drawbridges, offering visitors a chance to tour the grounds, record stately family history and, in some cases, spend the night.

Here’s where to book a taste of royal life.

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Highgrove House

Before marrying Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Charles bought Highgrove House I 1980 as a private country retreat away from prying eyes and paparazzi cameras. Set in the bucolic Cotswolds, it feels worlds away from the hubbub of London. Now the private residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla is offering a new way to see its gardens this autumn.

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The 75-minute guided tours wander through the organic gardens that the King developed over decades, including the historic Apple Orchard, Wildflower Meadow and the magical Stumpery, a tangle of roots and ferns that looks like it belongs in a fairy tale. Along the way, guides will provide deeper insight into the gardens and their role in supporting biodiversity.

And because no one has to contemplate autumn leaves on an empty stomach, a seasonal meal at The Orchard Room Restaurant is included with every tour. Selected walks run through September and October, with proceeds supporting the charitable work of the King’s Foundation.

Balmoral Castle

Balmoral Castle has been a royal retreat since 1852, when Prince Albert bought the Scottish estate for Queen Victoria. The current royal family still go to their Highland home every August and September.

Unfortunately, you cannot draw an invitation to this annual family gathering, as the castle grounds are closed to visitors during that window. When the royal family decamps, visitors can tour the castle and grounds and sleep on royal turf at the historic cottage.

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Ten cottages between four and eight guests. Fans of the movie Victoria & Abdul will want to ask Karim Cottage, built by Queen Victoria for Abdul Karim, the Servant who rose to become her personal secretary and one of Her Majesty’s closest companions in her later years. The house has a private garden, a lounge with a log burner and lots of juicy historical intrigue.

Balmoral Castle The grounds, its gardens, restaurant and exhibitions are open until November 1, with guided tours of the great Scottish baronial-style castle available by appointment.

Sandringham Estate

The British royal family’s bolthole every Christmas, Sandringham Estate has been their private country retreat since 1862. Unlike Balmoral, this is a royal estate where you can book a room without waiting for company to leave. Visitors can spend the night in estate accommodation, ranging from cottages to a serious one eccentric piece of Victorian infrastructure.

Rising high above the Norfolk landscape, The water tower was built in 1877 after concerns about the water supply of the property, after cases of typhus with the future King Edward VII and his eldest son.

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The water is gone, but the neo-Byzantine tower has been transformed into a romantic stay for two. The accommodation unfolds over four levels, with a kitchen and dining room, king-size bedroom, living room and fireplace, plus a roof terrace in the original 32,000-gallon cast-iron water tank. From that perch, uninterrupted 360-degree views of the Sandringham Estate will certainly make you feel like the king of the castle.

And there are other opportunities to recreate your favorite version of royal country life on the estate. The garden house is a pet and family friendly Edwardian home sleeping up to eight in estate woodland, whilst The foolonce a hunting lodge and later a place for ladies to take afternoon tea, is now a private retreat for up to six.

The castle of Mey

A royal residence with a windswept coastal setting, the Castle of Mey sits on the northern coast of Scotland. Once the private refuge of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, she bought the semi-derelict castle in 1952, months after she lost her husband, King George VI. She restored the castle and returned regularly every August and October for the rest of her life.

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The former Queen handed the castle over to a charitable trust in 1996, and King Charles, as chairman of the trust, still stays for a few days every summer before going to Balmoral.

Visitors can visit the castle and its walled garden between May and the end of September. Although the castle is closed for the season, guests can still stay Granary Lodge on the castle grounds.

Sandwiched between the castle and the shore, the luxury bed and breakfast offers elegant guest rooms, a cozy drawing room with an open fire and sea views towards Orkney, plus the kind of Highland hospitality the Queen Mother herself would surely have approved of.

Highclere Castle from Downtown Abbey

Although not technically a royal residence, the setting for Downton Abbey, Castle Highclereis the real home of Lord and Lady Carnarvon. Throughout the year, the century-old castle offers tours of its luxurious state rooms, including a look into the bedrooms of the Downton Abbey characters.

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Despite the estimated 250 to 300 rooms, you cannot sleep in the castle itself, but you can stay on the 5,000 acre property. Two restored gatehouses, London Lodge and Grotto Lodge are available for 2027 bookings. Currently, Maple Farmhouse, a four-bedroom country house with a fireplace, a large kitchen, and a garden overlooking the surrounding countryside can be rented, which is about as close as a non-aristocrat can get to waking up to Lady Mary.

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