See & Do

Blenheim Palace

Attraction Heritage

Hightlight

Cafe
Car Parking
Events
Family Friendly

Discover Blenheim Palace, just outside Oxford, it’s a great day out for all the family away from the city centre. This Oxford attraction is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts a long and diverse history, including the home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and his family and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.

Whether you’re interested in finding out the history and want to enjoy a fun-packed family adventure, or simply want to have a picture perfect day out with your loved ones, we have something for everyone to have an amazing time at Blenheim Palace. To help with this, they have created a series of itineraries to suit your preferences, in the hope that your day is special and centred around the things you enjoy the most.

Blenheim Palace was built as a gift to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, from Queen Anne and a grateful nation in thanks for his victory at the Battle of Blenheim on 13th August 1704.

Along with all the outdoor areas, perfect for picnics and nature walks, the palace offer tours around the house.

‘Upstairs’ Tour, offers a unique look at 21st-century life in an 18th-century palace, in the main rooms used by the Marlborough family, from the 1st Duke to today. See the Nursery where Nanny lived and cared for the young Lords and Ladies right up until the 1990s, and beautiful paintings by artists such as Reynolds, Kneller, Sargent and Stubbs.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a guest at Blenheim Palace? From after dinner etiquette to secret corridors, gain an insight into the routine of visitors both past and present, including Charlie Chaplin, Bill Clinton and Sylvester Stallone. (This tour involves many stairs and so may not be suitable for everyone).

The ‘Downstairs’ Tour gives visitors a glimpse into the lives of Palace staff over the centuries.

Household staff were essential to the aristocratic way of life. Visitors can wander through the network of corridors, see the iconic bell system as well as some areas which are still in use by Palace staff today, including the kitchen. Along the way, hear about the gossip and perks of the job from the staff’s point of view.

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Opening Hours

Monday: 9:30 - 17:00

Tuesday: 9:30 - 17:00

Wednesday: 9:30 - 17:00

Thursday: 9:30 - 17:00

Friday: 9:30 - 17:00

Closed

Saturday: 9:30 - 17:00

Sunday: 9:30 - 17:00

Google Reviews

Blenheim Palace

4.617911 reviews

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Dan Warman

2 months ago

We pre-booked our tickets for a Saturday and arrived just as the car park opened at 10am. The short walk from the car park to the palace was lovely, setting the tone for the day ahead. Our first stop was the shops, where we treated ourselves to some chocolate… the white Montezuma in particular was absolutely delicious and worth recommending. Next, we headed up for the Rooftop Experience, which was fantastic. The views were spectacular, and the slightly bouncy stairs added an unexpected bit of fun! After that, we explored the palace interiors. Although some internal maintenance and restoration work is underway, it was well hidden and didn’t detract from the visit. We then enjoyed the Winston Churchill experience, which was fascinating and well presented, before moving on to the gardens. The grounds were stunning… beautifully kept and a real highlight of the day. To finish, we took the buggy tour around the estate, which was another fantastic experience and gave us a chance to appreciate the size and beauty of the parkland. Overall, we had a wonderful time and would highly recommend Blenheim Palace for a full and varied day out.

Rita Amadeu

3 weeks ago

Marvelous palace...each detail perfectly managed. The beauty....the art is magnificent. The gardens are breathtaking... The place get still more special with the kind people that work there. Everybody that I have meet. Already planning the next time..... Not just five stars, a constellation 😘😘😘

Daniel AM

a month ago

The palace is very nice. If you're passing through Woodstock and have the time go in and visit the place. Beside visiting the inside of the palace you can have a nice walk around the place. For Harry Potter fans if you cross the Vanbrugh's Grand Bridge and turn left you'll come across The Harry Potter Tree from the 1st movie in the series. In the park you'll find The Column of Victory. The staff are nice and can answer your questions. Best is to buy tickets in advanced. In the summer be prepared for large groups. The parking lot is big, coaches can also park inside. The inside is very nicely decorated, you'll find many paintings, sculptures. Beside seeing how the upper folks lived, the palace is also very famous for beeing the birthplace of the 1st Duke's famous descendat, Winston Churchill. The back grounds offer a nice view over River Glyme. The cafeteria looks nice but the prices are too high.

Fatima Ahmad

a month ago

The place is stunning, surrounded by beautiful lakes and gardens. However, we arrived only two hours before closing and were not informed that this wouldn’t be enough time to explore the whole palace. We purchased the highest ticket category, but it would have been better if the staff had advised us to choose a lower one. The ticket prices are quite high, and I suggest providing golf carts inside the grounds due to the large area

Jayco

3 weeks ago

Came 25th October 2025 for the Halloween event. First impressions weren’t great as the advertised fairground was just three attractions - one of which (the ghost house) was laughably bad. The food and drink vans were also poor - I was expecting better than something you’d see at your local Sunday market! The Halloween trail itself went some way to making up for that and was fantastic in places. The live actors were also great and weren’t too scary for the kids. The placing of a toasted marshmallow seller and bar at the half way point was also a great touch and broke up what otherwise would have been a 20 minute walkthrough. We ended up going round twice as we didn’t anticipate it being so sunny and wanted to see it in all its glory during twilight. There is significant room for improvement though e.g. the UFO scene was a great idea poorly executed with no attempt to dress the lighting rig up as a spaceship. A live actor dressed as an alien here would also have helped. Overall it felt sparse and needed more. In saying that, my niece and nephew both enjoyed themselves so maybe I’m being too critical. Still, I expected more for the money.