Sep 15, 2024
Fascinating peek at History - We loved our visit to Blenheim!
The palace tour was short and sweet but we enjoyed it and then did a perfect Buggy tour of the gardens with our fearless guide Chris-- who was very patient with our silliness and questions.
Possibly the best part though was our High Tea at The Orangery. The mint tea was absolutely delicious and everyone agreed these were the best scones of the trip. Make sure to get buggy tickets and lunch reservations ahead.
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Sep 13, 2024
Our new favorite palace!!! - WOW - my husband/I just had the most magnificent visit to Blenheim!! Tips to make your visit the most enjoyable: Go early and make sure to pay the extra nominal fee for Upstairs Tour (book in advance) - it is marvelous!!!! Make sure NO private events at Palace on website so no issues parking/crowds. Do the audio guide for main palace - it is excellent!!! We’ve toured all the best palaces in Europe and didn’t think we would we be this impressed but it’s truly MAGNIFICENT!! Never seen such high ceilings, wide/long halls, so many rooms available and gardens beautiful!! It’s worth the price for annual pass even if one time visit!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 11, 2024
Well worth the visit - This was a bucket list moment for me and I was not disappointed.
The palace is stunning both inside and out. Lots to see, in fact too much as you are hard pressed to fit everything in. Luckily your entrance ticket allows you to revisit at any time within 12 months so we will be making good use of that added value.
It’s worth taking a proper guided tour of some parts of the house as you get a more complete experience, there are plenty of extra tours to choose from and they are not too expensive.
That said, there is plenty to keep you occupied in just wandering the grounds and the almost totally accessible palace at ground level.
Staff and friendly and knowledgeable and keen to share their stories.
The gardens were still lovely despite it being the end of the summer, I particularly loved the water features.
The palace is exceptionally beautiful and if you are in Oxford it’s well worth a visit.
We arrived in Oxford by rail. Stowed our bags at the hotel and returned to the station to get another train one stop to Hanborough from there leave the station and on the far side of the main road is a bus stop. The S7 bus takes you to right outside Blenheims main gates in about 15/20 mins.
Facilities at Blenheim are good, along with a shop and cafe.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 11, 2024
A day at Blenheim Palace - Blenheim Palace is a wonderful day out. There is extensive access to The Palace and there are guides in addition to audio guide and information. The gardens are stunning. Restaurant and gift shop prices were very reasonable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 10, 2024
Fantastic day out and very interesting - We visited Blenheim Palace and did the complete tour including the house, garden and maze
The staff are amazing and very knowledgeable and the food is great and very affordable saying that they have a captive audience
Worth walking in to Woodstock while you are there
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 10, 2024
an extraordinary day - It is a very beautiful place. The palace, gardens and lake views are all magnificent. Unfortunately, the time is too short to see them all in detail. I would like to visit again for two more days. Is it possible to convert the day ticket to an annual ticket by adding money?
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Sep 9, 2024
A hidden gem - A stunning building with a great atmosphere, history and culture, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Jason our tour guide was great, knew his stuff & kept us entertained. The gardens are magnificent too! I’d you are a Bridgerton or Queen Charlotte fan, there’s something in it for you too, as it’s been used in the filming!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 11, 2024
Magnificent park surrounding an impressive palace, good walking, unimpressive gardens - Stunning views and magnificent park, tours and exhibitions offered are very good and well coordinated, gardens are under renovation and not all that great.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 17, 2024
Blenheim Palace - Disappointing and Overpriced Experience - We arrived at Blenheim Palace just after opening on Monday, 16th September, and were surprised to find the car park almost full already. Fortunately, we were directed to the disabled parking area by a friendly ticket booth operator, which gave us some initial hope for a smooth visit.
Catching the mobility buggy to the front of the palace was one of the highlights of the day. The driver, although not wearing a visible name badge, was excellent. He provided useful information about upcoming activities, which made the short ride enjoyable.
However, that’s where the positive aspects of our visit ended.
Once inside, we found the staff ill-equipped to manage visitors with special needs. I was asked twice to remove my backpack and wear it on my front, even after explaining my balance issues. The first request came from a polite older gentleman, possibly mid-fifties with a grey beard, who insisted that my bag might damage the palace despite my explanation.
The second interaction was much worse. A younger woman, with what seemed like a French accent, approached me rather brusquely. After I again explained my need to wear my bag on my back for balance, she hurried off and returned with what seemed like “reinforcements” to deal with the so-called unruly visitor. It was humiliating and unnecessary.
The palace itself was a challenge for accessibility. The step-free access was poorly signposted, and it wasn’t immediately clear how to find the lift to enter the palace. The gardens, while beautiful, were difficult to navigate. The gravel slope leading to the lower gardens had no handrail, and there were also no handrails on the stone steps leading to the upper gardens, making it difficult and potentially dangerous for those with mobility issues.
To top it all off, the experience felt like a complete rip-off. The entrance fee of £38 was already steep, but we were then hit with extra charges for nearly everything else. It costs an additional £6 each to visit the "downstairs" and another £6 for the "upstairs." More micro-transactions awaited throughout the estate, including the buggy tour. It felt like we were being legally mugged at every turn.
In summary, Blenheim Palace may be a grand historical estate, but the way it caters (or rather, fails to cater) to people with special needs and the constant barrage of additional charges made it a disappointing and overpriced experience. Not worth the entry fee, let alone all the extras. 2 stars.
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Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 15, 2024
Not value for the money - Heard about the palace while visiting Milton Keynes and we planned to drop in and have a look but we turned into the one way driveway presented with two choices, sixty dollars a piece for parking and the "walled garden" or Eighty dollars a piece for the above plus access to the palace. We opted for the parking and garden. We were directed to a paddock to park and not sure why we both had to pay for this as we were in one car. We had no idea which way to go as there was little to no signage and the map is only of use of you know where you are🤪 we did find the famous walled garden only to find it is a walled paddock with little garden to speak of. we walked around past the palace which is indeed a very impressive building. The formal gardens could not be accessed (see photo) so all in all a bitter disappointment and a waste of money. Visitors beware!!!!!
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