Coach parties
Large group visits
Large group visits are welcome at The National Archives. However, pre-booking is required for groups of 16 or more people and we only allow one large group per day. If you are planning a large group visit, please check the group visits booking calendar for available dates and then email our group visits registration team with the following information:
- Your name
- Your preferred date of visit (please check the group visits booking calendar for availability)
- Your email address
- A contact phone number
- Whether you will be arriving by coach
- The expected number of people in your group
- The expected number of people who will require readers' tickets
- If your group has a themed topic, such as family history or census records, please also let us know
Once we have received your application we will email confirmation of your booking and send you an information pack.
The group will be fast tracked through the reader registration process (if required) and given general record advice if they are researching a single topic.
Please do not make any travel arrangements until we have confirmed your booking.
Please do not visit as a large group if you are not the official group for the day.
Parking
We have only one coach bay which must be pre-booked. Unofficial groups will not be allowed to use the coach bay.
Busy periods
We publish a schedule of planned visits on our website and on site at Kew, so that group organisers can avoid the busiest days. Please note that half-term weeks are particularly busy and you are advised to avoid them.
Group visits booking calendar (PDF, 0.06Mb)
Coach party guidance
Please check to see whether your visit is essential by reading our guidance document:
Coach party guidance (PDF, 0.02Mb)
New to Kew?
At 11:30 every day we hold a free drop-in session aimed at introducing first-time visitors to the range of services available at The National Archives. The session lasts roughly 30 minutes and there's no need to book. A number of popular events and talks also take place throughout the week.
Readers' tickets
Visitors only need a reader's ticket if they want to look at original documents. Many of our most popular records, particularly those of interest to family historians, are available on microfilm or online, which can be accessed without a reader's ticket.
If members of your party are likely to need readers' tickets, please ask them to bring proof of their identity and address with them on the day.
Specialist group tours
Academic groups
We are currently reviewing our inductions for academic groups. We regret that we are unable to take any new bookings for academic inductions while the review is in progress.
Library and information service professionals
Reference-focused tour of reading rooms including library for librarians and information professionals.
Duration 1 hour
Availability: Tuesday to Friday. Pre-booking required, minimum two months in advance.
Contact: the events team
School and undergraduate visits
For more information about workshops, videoconferences and undergraduate visits, go to our Education website.
This page contains PDF files. See plug-ins and file formats for help in accessing these file types.
