GROUP VISITS
Leeds Castle offers something for groups to discover every day. Open all year, there is a seasonal programme of activities including falconry displays, punting on the moat, themed tours of the Castle and walks with one of the gardeners. There are also new specialist talks for groups to pre-book covering a variety of fascinating topics.
Our popular seasonal events are available for groups to pre-book, from the Festival of Flowers to the Fireworks Spectacular and Motors by the Moat. We pride ourselves on the services that we offer for group visits and this guide will provide you with an introduction to Leeds Castle to highlight the additional services available. We look forward to welcoming your group to “the loveliest castle in the world”.
- Group Rates
- Tours & Guided Rates
Group Rates
Minimum 15 persons. Includes entry to Castle, Gardens & Attractions. Group tickets valid for 1 day.
Blue Badge Guides and coach drivers receive complimentary admission to the grounds and Castle. Coach drivers also receive a refreshment voucher for use in our catering outlets.
Prices valid until 31st March 2020
| Standard Non-Guided Group Visit | Price per person |
| Adult | £16.25 |
|---|---|
| Senior Citizen/Student | £15.25 |
| Child (4-15 years) | £12.00 |
| Visitor with Disability - Adult* | £15.25 |
|
EFL Overseas Student (4 - 21 years) One teacher free of charge for every 10 students |
£9.75 |
*Visitor with Disability ticket includes one free carer.
Tours and Guided Visit Rates
Minimum 15 persons. Includes entry to Castle, Gardens & Attractions. Group tickets valid for one day.
Prices valid until 31st March 2020
| Tours and Guided Visits (Please book in advance) |
Private
Guided Group Visit |
Audio
Tours |
Specialist
Group Tours |
| Adult | £20.25 | £3.00† | £3.00† |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Citizen/Student | £19.25 | ||
| Child (4-15 years) | £16.25 | ||
| Visitor with Disability - Adult* | £19.25 | ||
| EFL Overseas Student (4 - 21 years) | £14.00 |
*Visitor with Disability ticket includes one free carer.
Private Guided Visits
Includes a private guided tour of the Castle with a Leeds Castle tour guide.
Available outside normal opening hours at 9.15am, 9.30am and 9.45am. Tours are available in English, French, German, Dutch, Italian and Spanish. Coaches may drive to a point near the castle island to drop off passengers.
Tours last approximately one hour, must be pre-booked and are subject to availability. Please ensure you inform our Group Bookings department in advance if your party includes wheelchair users or anyone with mobility issues so we can make the necessary arrangements to facilitate the tour.
Self-Guided Visit
Explore the grounds and Castle at your leisure. Pre-book your visit in advance to save time on the day. We appreciate that numbers in your group are only approximate at the time of booking, therefore confirmation of these should be made on your arrival at the Ticket Office. After visiting the magnificent state rooms of Leeds Castle, make sure there’s time to see everything the estate has to offer including stunning gardens and the beautiful yew maze.
Audio Tours
Enhance your visit with our Audio Tour. Your group can hear the fascinating stories behind the 12th Century Castle’s history. We advise that you must pre-book your audio tour. Available in English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Italian and Russian.
£3.25 per person or pre-booked £3.00 per person.
THEMED GUIDED CASTLE TOURS
Our themed guided Castle tours are available at a discounted group rate. Call +44 (0)1622 767865 to book.
Below Stairs Tour
The discreet running of a large household in the 1930s took military precision.
Visit areas below stairs to learn how the Castle servants
made this seem effortless.
Upstairs Tour
See the bedrooms not usually open to the public. Visit the rooms preferred by King Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson during their stays, and more recently by Pavarotti and Sir Cliff Richard.
History Set in Stone Tour
Discover more about the countless alterations and modernisations that have been made to the Grade I listed Castle by previous owners.
Hearing Impaired Guided Tour
Discover a fascinating historical visit through the beautifully restored rooms of the Castle conducted by a level three communicator in British Sign Language.
Gardens Tour
Visit both the Culpeper and Lady Baillie gardens with one of our expert gardeners. Tours are planned according to the time of year and size of group. One hour tours available. Min 15 persons, max 25 persons. Available in English only.
From £3.00 per person.
Punting on the Moat
Enjoy a leisurely punt on the moat in the shadow of the 12th Century Castle.
Sit back, relax and float gently through the arches in an elegant wooden punt. Visitors will be able to see views of the Castle from an inspiring perspective. Open from April to October (weather permitting).
£3.50 per person for a 15 minute tour (must be pre-booked)
Meet the Owls
Join the Falconry Team and meet the Owls of Leeds Castle.
Learn more about these magnificent birds, where they are from, how they hunt their prey and find out if the myths surrounding these animals are true. A variety of our Owls will be presented to your group with the opportunity to photograph and interact with the birds.
£4.00 per person (minimum charge of £50) for a 30 minute session.
Souvenir Guide Books
Make the most of your day with a complete guide to Leeds Castle. Guide books can be ordered in advance at a discounted rate to groups.
English Souvenir Guide Book - £4.00
Guide Booklets (available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Dutch, Japanese and Chinese) - 80p
SPECIALIST TALKS
Our specialist afternoon talks can be pre-booked from 2.30pm onwards. Lasting approximately 40 minutes in the Education Suite with opportunity for questions afterwards. Maximum of 40 people per talk. Talks are available at a group rate of just £3.00 per person. Call +44 (0)1622 767865 to book.
Leading Ladies of Leeds Castle
Discover why Leeds Castle has become known as the ‘Ladies Castle’. Take an in-depth look into the history of the key women who have owned and lived here..
Flowers of Leeds Castle
Learn more about the last private owner of the Castle, Lady Baillie and her passion for flowers. Find out how she made her gardeners arrange displays to compliment her daily outfits and the 1930s décor.
Arms & Armour
Learn about the fearsome arms and armour that has been used in medieval jousts, battles and court pageantry for thousands of years.
The History of Leeds Castle
This talk is a must for groups visiting Leeds Castle for the first time. Discover the Castle's history summarised in a 40 minute talk.
High Society Secrets
Discover the glamour and gossip from the Lady Baillie party years with this light-hearted look back at some of the more colourful characters who stayed at Leeds Castle in the 1930s.
USEFUL INFORMATION
How to Book and Pay
Booking details plus accessibility and parking
DISCOVER MORE
Group Meal Options
Pre-book hot and cold meals, afternoon tea, picnic lunches, tea, coffee and biscuits
DISCOVER MORE
Group Resources
Useful resources including our Group Travel Trade Brochure in multiple languages.
DISCOVER MORE
TESTIMONIALS
May I say that our group had a brilliant day yesterday at Leeds Castle, the weather was wonderful and everyone in our group said what a lovely place, so peacefully, grounds were very good and smart in appearance. Well Done to all at Leeds Castle.
Basingstoke & Deane Over 55's Forum
Just wanted to say a big thank you for organising our visit to Leeds Castle. Our members very much enjoyed their visit to the Castle, lunch and garden tour. We were also fortunate to have good weather! Andrew and David (Leeds Castle Gardeners) gave us a good understanding of their plans for the gardens and their knowledge of plants. A most enjoyable day!
Arts Society
I have had nothing but complements about every aspect of Leeds Castle. From the gentleman on the gate, the guides wherever we went, the café staff, not forgetting the excellent food, everything just made a perfect day. Thank you all very much.
Ickworth House
I would just like to say thank you very much for our Club Adria group visit. All the Club Adria members had a great time even though the weather was not the best it could have been! We were looked after very well; we had one disabled lady with us who ended up for much of the visit to the actual Castle with her own guide - this was a lovely touch - great for her. The history of Leeds Castle is quite incredible.
Club Adria
I can't thank you enough for organising our wonderful trip to Leeds Castle yesterday. Our simply amazing guide (Christine Oakland) brought the whole place to life, she had obviously done her homework about the Norman history of the Castle and that fact that she was French herself made it very entertaining!
Souvenir Normand (British Section)
On behalf of all our members who visited the Castle yesterday, I would like to say a huge thank you to every one who made our day so nice. Everyone we met was so kind and helpful. Our meal was lovely and service was great.
Hamstreet Coffee Club
I would like to thank you and all the staff who were involved in the Harwood Ladies Probus visit. I would have no hesitation in recommending Leeds Castle for anybody to visit.
Harwood Ladies Probus
Thank you for your help organising our visit yesterday.
What a magnificent venue Leeds Castle is! The immaculate grounds
then the site of the Castle. You were so right when you said The Festival
of Flowers was a beautiful occasion, it was fabulous, a lot of hard work
for the event organisers and flower arrangers but admired by all. The coach ride home was a bus of complimentary comments even the hubbies who came along had to admit it was spectacular, well done all.
West Bognor Flower Club
PARTNERS & AWARDS
Enquiries
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 767865
Post: Leeds Castle, Maidstone, Kent ME17 1PL
If you would like more information on becoming a Credit Account Customer, please call our Group Bookings Co-ordinator on +44 (0)1622 767865 or email bookings@leeds-castle.co.uk
Directions
For detailed directions by road, rail, air or from across the channel, click here.
Dedicated, free, hard-standing coach parking is 2 minutes walk to the visitor reception area.
Have a question about group visits?
Complete our enquiry form and a member of our team will be in contact.