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 Food Festival and Fireworks. 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
Opening Times

Group Rates

Rates are valid until 31st March 2019. Minimum 15 persons. Includes entry to Castle, Gardens & Attractions. Group tickets valid for 1 day.

We are pleased to announce that our group rates will be held at their current rate for 2018/19.

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.

Standard Non-Guided Group Visit	Price per person
Adult	£15.75
Senior Citizen/Student	£14.75
Child (4-15 years)	£11.50
Visitor with Disability - Adult*	£14.75
EFL Overseas Student (4 - 21 years) One teacher free of charge for every 10 students	£9.50

Visitor with Disability ticket includes one free carer.
^†subject to availability

Tours and Guided Visit Rates

Rates are valid until 31st March 2019. Minimum 15 persons. Includes entry to Castle, Gardens & Attractions. Group tickets valid for one day.

We are pleased to announce that our group rates will be held at their current rate for 2018/19.

Untitled Document

Tours and Guided Visits (Please book in advance)	Private Guided Group Visit	Audio Tours	Specialist Group Tours
Adult	£19.75	£3.00^†	£3.00^†
Senior Citizen/Student	£18.75
Child (4-15 years)	£15.75
Visitor with Disability - Adult*	£18.75
EFL Overseas Student (4 - 21 years)	£13.75

Visitor with Disability ticket includes one free carer.
^†subject to availability

Seasonal Opening Times

The ground of Leeds Castle open at 10am daily throughout the year.

We operate seasonal opening times between April and September, and between October and March.

Last entry to the Castle if 30 minutes after the last admission time.

	April to September	October to March
Castle Opens	10.30am	10.30am
Last Admission	4.30pm	3.00pm
Gates Close	6.00pm	5.00pm
Castle Shop	10.00am - 5.30pm	10.00am - 4.00pm
Leeds Castle Shop, Grounds and Gardens	10.00am - 6.00pm	10.00am - 4.00pm
Playgrounds, Maze and Grotto, Bird of Prey Centre	10.00am - 5.00pm	10.00am - 4.00pm
Elsie the Castle Train	10.00am - 5.15pm	10.00am - 4,30pm
Castle Closed	9th July (from 2pm), 5th & 6th November 2016 & Christmas Day

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.

SPECIALIST PRIVATE GUIDED CASTLE TOURS

Our specialist private 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.

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).

£3.00 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
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Group Meal Options

Pre-book hot and cold meals, afternoon tea, picnic lunches, tea, coffee and biscuits
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Group Resources

Useful resources including our Group Travel Trade Brochure in multiple languages.
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TESTIMONIALS

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

Just wanted to say what a fantastic day my group had yesterday! I found that I was unable to take it all in as there was so much to see and do at Leeds Castle! The Food Festival was also a bonus, and my party were particularly impressed by the punting and the history they were given during their voyage. Thanks again for all your help and for a wonderful day out.

Capita Social Club

Every member of staff throughout the day had been kind and helpful, we felt like royalty... I cannot express enough how much the staff put into ensuring their visitors were looked after. I must mention the driver of the disabled bus that took us from the entrance to the Castle was equally as kind but I just didn't get his name. Best day out for this group ever thank you everyone at Leeds Castle! I will be going back again and again so much to enjoy.

CWL Housing

I would just like to say thank you to all those concerned with our recent visit to Leeds Castle. All of my group enjoyed their visit and managed to see most of the gardens and the Castle in the time available. The mini guide in German was particularly useful and meant that the group could make their own way around in their own time and at their own pace.

Fishburn Tours

Thank you so much on behalf of myself and members of the MBDA UK Sports & Social Club (Stevenage) Ltd, for all your help on the successful trip to Leeds Castle. We have 38 very happy members who went on 10th April. The weather was perfect and everyone has commented on what a great time they had and the perfect time of year it was to visit with everything in bloom.

MBDA UK Sports & Social Club