CASTLE GARDENS & GROUNDS
Grounds-only admission is often a third of the price and twice the space. These 15 cover the parks, formal gardens and estate walks around castles from Utrecht to Larnach, priced and clear on what the keep would cost you.
Review of De Haar Castle near Utrecht, with practical tips on gardens, transport, timing, accessibility, value, and what to expect inside.
“it should get noted that you can enter the castle at any time between 10am and 5pm.”
Review of the Versailles Château and Gardens walking tour, with palace access, guided gardens, practical tips, costs, and honest drawbacks.
“Our guide I think his name was Martine was fabulous! He told the best explanations regarding the statues in the gardens. He was very entertaining. The palace was over the top opulent but glad we saw it.”
Review of Versailles by train from Paris, with guided gardens, timed palace entry, fountain shows, costs, and practical tips.
“Our tour guide Toby was very knowledgeable and took us to many of the fountain displays ensuring we saw the ‘dancing waters’ with music accompaniment.”
Review of Tokyo’s Imperial Palace East Garden and Edo Castle walking tour, with guide tips, itinerary details, value, access, and booking advice.
“Miyu was our guide and she was very friendly and knowledgeable, providing a lot of helpful historical and background information which enriched our tour experience. The Imperial Palace Garden was a particular highlight. I highly recommend this tour!”
Review the Córdoba Fortress of Catholic Monarchs tour, with gardens, royal history, guide quality, price, closures, and practical tips.
“La forteresse est en restauration et fermée. Les jardins sont libres d’accès”
Explore Larnach Castle and its gardens near Dunedin, with restored rooms, native plants, sea views, written guides, and a useful café stop.
“Still a good experience despite the rain. The story of the house was interesting. The cafe was nice. We skipped the gardens due to rain”
Explore De Haar Castle’s 55-hectare gardens, maze, deer park, Roman Garden, ponds, and forest with a flexible one-day entry ticket.
Review of Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden, with Tudor history, family tips, ticket value, food, access, and practical advice.
“We absolutely loved it. It was such a magical experience imagining Queen Elizabeth 1 walking down the steps and into the garden and we following in her footsteps.”
Review of Kutaisi’s Batumi, Botanical Garden, and Petra Fortress day trip, with itinerary, costs, guide tips, transport details, and honest value advice.
“Unfortunately it was raining and we couldn’t enjoy it but Zura tried to make it as good as he could! The trip is really good but before booking it check the weather because with bad weather you cannot do anything! It was raining nom stop for the whole trip, we had to skip Botanical gardens and we walked in Batumi only for minutes and we got wet!”
Review of Prague’s 3-hour castle grounds tour and Vltava cruise, with Charles Bridge, Kampa Island, castle views, costs, and practical tips.
“Den guidade turen skedde mestadels i gamla stan en bit bort från slottet. Enligt guiden var turen menad som en introduktion till Prag snarare än en rundvandring på slottet. Turen blev bra ändå, guiden var väldigt duktig, men en person i vårt sällskap blev upprörd över detta vilket är förståeligt. Det bör specificeras på webbsidan. Båtturen var bra.”
Explore 100 acres of Hillsborough Castle Gardens, from the Walled Garden and woodland walks to waterways, lawns, and family trails.
“We had a lovely day out at Hillsborough castle. We took our daughter to the Peter Rabbit trail and she absolutely loved it! The Staff are all really friendly and helpful on the grounds too, we couldn't recommend going for a visit up to Hillsborough Castle any more as it is a beautiful place with stunning grounds to explore.”
Explore Larnach Castle near Dunedin with self-guided access, historic rooms, seven acres of gardens, Otago Peninsula views, and free parking.
“Despite the inclement weather we had an enjoyable time learning all about the castle and exploring the gardens. The turret room was fabulous. Afternoon tea in the grand hall with three open fires all lit was very cheerful on a damp cloudy day. Many thanks.”
Review of the Kutaisi to Batumi day trip, with Petra Fortress, Botanical Garden, coastal views, guides, costs, timing, and practical tips.
“Jemali is the best tour guide in Georgia! He was very helpful and willing. He shared a lot of information about the country. We were lucky to have Jemali for two trips in two days (Prometheus cave/ Martvili Canyon and Batumi/Botanical garden.”
Review of Blarney Castle and Gardens with timed entry, village walk, Woollen Mills visit, guide tips, access notes, and practical advice.
“Cass out tour guide was fabulous- knew so much about the history, the garden and overall information just from living within the area. She was clear and tried to involve everyone in the tour. Communication before and during tour was excellent. Thanks for a fantastic day out cass!!”
Explore Himeji Castle and Kokoen Garden on a 3.5-hour guided tour with castle history, secret defenses, seasonal gardens, and practical tips.
“our guide, chiyuki, was so sweet and extremely knowledgable about himeji and explained everything very well. she really was a fantastic guide and showed and told us everything there was to know, all the while making it very interesting and enjoyable. it was really fun to see the castle and learn the history behind it”
A keep, a citadel, a palace with battlements, or a day trip to reach one.
