Discover more at Cliveden
Find out when Cliveden is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.
Group visits at Cliveden
Cliveden is a perfect destination for a group day out. There's something for everyone including beautiful seasonal floral displays, an outstanding sculpture collection and plenty of educational resources for school groups.
Groups visits
Planning your group visit
For group booking enquiries, please e-mail the team at cliveden@nationaltrust.org.uk and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Cliveden welcomes group visits throughout the year, including the school summer holidays from Monday to Friday. However, group visits are not available on any other school holidays (including half-terms, Easter and Christmas school holidays), any weekends or bank holidays. Some dates will be unavailable for group bookings where there are conflicting activities on the estate.
There is a 3-week minimum notice period for all bookings. We recommend that you allow 3 to 4 hours to see the formal gardens and have enough time to stop for lunch or tea.
National Trust Members gain entry to the grounds and gardens for free. Non-Members will be charged the 2025 group entry rate of £19.95 per adult and £9.98 per child to enter the grounds and gardens. To qualify for group booking rates your group must have 15 or more people.
Cliveden offers guided visits of the House on a first-come, first-served basis, as well as Garden tours, subject to confirmation with the gardens team.
Garden tours
Garden tours, led by one of our knowledgeable gardeners, are available subject to confirmation with the gardens team. The tour costs an additional £10 per person (including members), with a minimum of 10 people and a maximum of 18. The tour lasts approximately 1.5 hours, with start times available between 10am and 2pm. The gardens team is able to offer a maximum of 2 tours on any one day.
Guided house visits
Cliveden house is currently leased as a luxury country house hotel and, to protect the privacy of its guests, the house is not open to the public. However, for limited times of the year the doors of the glamorous ground floor open to visitors on a 30 minute guided visit, run by our volunteers.
Please note that Guided house visits cannot be prebooked; tickets are available on the day, on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets for the House visits are included within the admission price. You'rewelcome to make a donation at the Information Centre.
Guided house visits are available from 3 March to 30 October 2025, on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Please liaise with the Cliveden office team to check availability. Visits run every 10 minutes from 11am to 12.30 pm, dependent upon guide availability. Visit sessions last 30 minutes each and the final session of the day finishes at 1pm. Each house visit has a capacity of 10 visitor slots. Due to the nature of the house visits, we advise that they are more suited to an adult audience.
Free familiarisation visits for group leaders
If you're planning a group visit you can request our free Travel Trade Pass and you and a friend or colleague will gain free entry to over 300 of our places throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland for 12 months. There’s nothing quite like seeing or experiencing somewhere for yourself to help you plan a successful visit. To receive your pass, call 0344 800 2329 or email us at NTTravelTrade@capita.co.uk.
Who is eligible for free entry?
Registered tourist board guides (on production of a valid badge), coach drivers and tour leaders escorting groups of 15 or more. National Trust members also receive free entry, so it is at your discretion whether to refund the entrance fee to members if you have included it in your package – this is not refunded by the National Trust.
Members must bring their current membership cards with them to avoid paying the full group rate. If any of your group would like to join the National Trust please direct them to our Membership page or call 0344 800 1895.
School and educational visits
We are currently reviewing the learning offer so please get in touch if you would like to register your interest by email to cliveden@nationaltrust.org.ukThe Cliveden estate is a natural outdoor classroom, where children can combine curriculum learning with being active. Ideal for teachers planning outdoor primary and pre-school visits.
School visits are self-led. Information is provided on arrival to ensure your group has the smoothest visit, however, we do not provide educational sessions.
To book a school visit, email cliveden@nationaltrust.org.uk or call the Estate Office on 01628 605069
Cliveden talks service
Over the centuries Cliveden has been home to dukes, duchesses, earls, viscounts and for a while a prince.
Would you like to know more about Cliveden’s glittering past, the parties, famous guests, and the people who cared for the house and grounds?
Contact Cliveden’s Talks Service team who would be delighted to share Cliveden’s stories with you and your group. You can find out more and book a history talk by emailing Talks.service@nationaltrust.org.uk
Discover the stories of Cliveden
Cliveden an estate conceived as a place of intrigue and glamour for the elite since it was built in 1670 by the 2nd Duke of Buckingham. Uncover more about this significant estate and the seven families who have lived there to the guardianship of the National Trust today.
Our dedicated, passionate, and knowledgeable volunteers will share our National Trust Cliveden stories with you. Simply choose from the talks below, and complete our talks service booking form, then email it back to us at talks.service@nationaltrust.org.uk.
Which Talks are available?
Cliveden: its history, its people
Take a virtual walk in the footsteps of dukes, earls and kings and queens as you take an in-depth look at Cliveden’s past. From devilish dukes to scandalous headlines and boundary-breaking garden design to political notoriety this talk will take you on a journey through Cliveden’s 350-year history. Starting with the Duke of Buckingham who built the first house in 1670 you’ll meet all the key owners who helped shape the destiny of Cliveden estate.
Cliveden: The American Millionaires
For centuries Britain’s country houses were the exclusive preserve of the traditional landed gentry of lords and ladies. But starting in the late nineteenth century an entirely different kind of proprietor began to take up residence. American money – lots of it – came across the Atlantic, wealthy industrialists and self-made men like William Waldorf Astor.
This talk takes a closer look at the three generations of the Astors who owned Cliveden. Discover what motivated William Waldorf Astor, America’s richest man, to purchase Cliveden in 1893 and how the estate became the centre of high society in the 1920s and 30s thanks to his son Waldorf and daughter-in-law Nancy Astor. The Astor’s time at Cliveden came to an end in the 1960s after the estate became infamously associated with Profumo Affair but the estate continues to reflect their innovations and passions.
Cliveden: The Canadian Red Cross Hospital
When War broke out in 1914, Cliveden was a grand country estate well known for its exclusive parties and famous guests, yet within months it was offering a lifeline to Allied troops injured during the fighting.
Four different hospitals were developed at the Cliveden Estate during the course of the twentieth century. The first hospital was the brainchild of Waldorf and Nancy Astor, adapting the Estate’s tennis court. Soon a major extension was required, resulting in a fully operational wartime hutted Hospital. An entirely new hospital was designed and built in 1940.
This talk tells the story of the four War time hospitals, its patients, the involvement of the Astors, the local community, how the hospital eventually came under the wing of the National Health Service and what remains today.
Cliveden: The History of the gardens
Nestled high above the river Thames with panoramic views, Cliveden gardens capture the grandeur of a bygone age. Over the course of 300 years, each family that fell in love with Cliveden added their own extravagant touch, creating a series of distinct gardens.
This illustrated talk will take you on a journey through four of our famous gardens from their development to present day journey of climate change and sustainability.
Hosting practicalities
Time: Our talks last an hour. 45 minutes presentation and 15 minutes for questions.
Locations: Please note that our speakers can only attend events held in public buildings; they will not be able to provide talks in private homes. Our speakers can travel up to a 20-mile radius of Cliveden.
Speaker requirements: Our speakers will require car parking close to the venue in order to unload their equipment. They will need access to the venue at least 30 minutes before the talk is due to start in order to set up their presentations.
Equipment: Our speakers use a PowerPoint presentation to illustrate their talk using their own laptop. If you are able to provide a projector and screen this would be very helpful, but if necessary our speakers can bring these with them.
Costs: We ask for a minimum donation of £50 per talk towards our current conservation project
How to book
Please complete our Talk Service booking form which will help us to get an understanding of your group’s needs and enable us to check the availability of our speakers. Please return the completed form should to talks.service@nationaltrust.org.uk
To find out more about Cliveden and our work please visit
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