Through the grand black-and-gold gates on Hillsborough's Main Street, a long drive opens onto the Georgian face of a working royal residence — the official home of the King in Northern Ireland, and of the Secretary of State. Step inside on the guided State Rooms tour and you walk the rooms where royalty and world leaders have been received, the Throne Room and the panelled halls hung with history, all brought to life by the guides who know exactly what happened where.
Then the doors open onto the gardens, and they are the real surprise — a hundred acres of them, run by Historic Royal Palaces. There's the Walled Garden with its glasshouse and rows of produce, the Granville garden, and paths that drop down through the Glen, past streams and rhododendrons, out to the lake where the water sits still under old trees. Families can roam the Imaginary Menagerie play trail while grown-ups take the long way round. You can do the gardens on their own ticket, or add the house — the house is by guided tour only, so it's worth planning which you're here for.
When you've walked your legs off, the café by the car park does hot food and a proper cup of tea, and there are lawns made for sitting. It's a rare thing — a real palace you can simply walk into for the afternoon, grand and green and genuinely welcoming.
Plan your visit
Gardens on their own, or the house too
Two ways in. Gardens only is £11 for an adult, £5.50 a child, with concessions at £8.50 — a hundred acres to wander, all day. House and gardens is £21.50 an adult, £11 a child, £17.50 concession, and adds the guided State Rooms tour, which runs about 45 minutes. Under-5s go free, family tickets are available, and Historic Royal Palaces members visit free. The gardens open daily from 10am, last entry 4pm — but book your ticket and time slot online before you set off, as slots do sell out and the castle tour runs at set times. Confirm the day's hours on the day, especially for a spring or winter trip.
Café (Weston Pavilion)Toilets & Changing PlacesStep-free garden routeFree car parkAssistance dogs only
It's a working royal residence:
Because the house is still in official use, the State Rooms can close at short notice for events, and there's a security area where bags may be checked. Book your castle tour slot ahead, and check the day's opening before you travel so a house tour isn't a wasted trip.
Before you set off
What to bring
👟Comfy shoesA hundred acres to cover, with grass, gravel and slopes through the Glen down to the lake.
🧥A coat for the gardensRain only makes the gardens greener and the borders glow — and the house stays cosy whatever the sky does.
🎟️Your bookingBook the ticket and time slot online first — the castle tour runs at set times and slots sell out.
🧺A picnic (optional)There are lawns to sit on, or the café by the car park does hot food and tea.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Gardens only: adult £11, child £5.50, concession £8.50. House & gardens (with the guided State Rooms tour): adult £21.50, child £11, concession £17.50. Under-5s free; family tickets available; Historic Royal Palaces members free. Confirm current prices when you book.
Opening hours
Gardens open daily from 10am, last entry 4pm (usually to a 5pm close; seasonal, so confirm on the day). Castle tours run at set times through the day — pre-book your slot online.
Booking
Book your ticket and time slot online in advance to guarantee entry, or buy on the day at the ticket office subject to availability. The State Rooms are seen by guided tour only.
What you'll see
The Georgian house and its State Rooms by guided tour (about 45 minutes); around 100 acres of gardens including the Walled Garden, the Granville garden, the Glen, the lake and the Imaginary Menagerie family play trail.
Food
The Hillsborough Castle Café at the Weston Pavilion, near the car park, serves hot food and drinks with step-free access.
Parking
Free car park on site, including 27 blue-badge spaces on a first-come, first-served basis.
Toilets
Accessible toilets in the Pineapple Yard Garden, plus a Changing Places facility.
Dogs
Assistance dogs only — bring the dog's identification book and its jacket or lead slip.
Accessibility
A step-free route runs through the gardens, with steep hills and steps flagged in the access guide. Wheelchairs are available first-come, first-served; a buggy park is in the Stable Yard.
How long
Allow half a day — longer if you're doing both the house tour and a full wander of the gardens.
Questions
Before you go
Can I just do the gardens?
Yes — the gardens have their own ticket (£11 an adult), so you can wander the full hundred acres without booking the house tour. It's the cheaper, more free-roaming way to spend the day.
How do I see inside the house?
The State Rooms are by guided tour only, on the house & gardens ticket (£21.50 adult). The tour runs about 45 minutes at set times, so book your slot online before you travel.
Do I need to book ahead?
It's strongly advised — book your ticket and time slot online to guarantee entry, as slots sell out. You can buy on the day at the ticket office subject to availability, but the castle tour especially can fill up.
Could the State Rooms be closed?
They can. It's a working royal residence and the Secretary of State's home, so the State Rooms occasionally close at short notice for official events. Check the day's opening before you set off if the house tour is why you're going.
Can I bring the dog?
Only assistance dogs are allowed on site. Bring the dog's identification book and its jacket or lead slip.
Is there somewhere to eat?
The café at the Weston Pavilion, by the car park, does hot food and drinks with step-free access. There are also lawns if you'd rather bring a picnic.
Getting there
Main Street, Hillsborough, County Down, BT26 6AG — in the heart of Royal Hillsborough village, just off the A1, with free parking on site.
Hillsborough Castle is an 18th-century Georgian house at the top of Royal Hillsborough in County Down — not a fortress but a grand country house, built by the Hill family who gave the village its name. In the 20th century it became the official government residence in Northern Ireland, and today it is the King's official home here and the residence of the Secretary of State, still used for official business and royal visits.
Since 2014 it has been cared for by Historic Royal Palaces, the charity behind the Tower of London and Hampton Court, who opened the State Rooms and the surrounding hundred acres of gardens to visitors. The walled garden, the Granville garden, the Glen and the lakeside walks are the work of generations of gardeners — a living, working palace garden you're free to walk into for the afternoon.