Two people walking their dogs down a path in the garden at Scotney Castle in Kent with the stone facade of the house in the background — Visitors walking their dogs at Scotney Castle, Kent | © National Trust Images/Sam Milling

Places you need to pre-book

Planning a day out at one of the houses or gardens we care for? Some places need to be booked in advance. Read on to find out which places these are, and learn how you can join one of the new guided tour experiences.

Woman and child drawing at Sutton House and Breaker's yard

Why is booking needed?

Although you no longer need to pre-book your visit to many places we care for, some smaller gardens and houses still need to be booked in advance via the property webpage. Many of these only offer guided tours and will have a limited number of tickets available each day.

Visitors listening to a volunteer guide at Wray Castle, Cumbria

Guided tours

Guided tours will be led by expert volunteers who will give unique insights into these historic houses and gardens, share stories from their past and give you a closer look at precious collections.

Brownsea Island Ferries departure point at Poole Quay showing ferry and kiosk

Little gems

You may also need to pre-book your visits to some other places, where visitor numbers need to be limited temporarily for practical reasons, such as ferry capacity.