What is the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and is it worth visiting? Read my complete guide for tips on how to visit and what to see.
Table of contents
I’ve been to Brighton Royal Pavilion twice. My visits were a couple of years apart. I was so impressed by how stunning it was the first time that I just had to go and see it again.
The Pavilion is a large palace, open to the public, and one of the most unexpected buildings in Britain thanks to its fantastic design.
The Brighton Pavilion is worth visiting if:
- You love unique and magnificent design and architecture
- You’re visiting Brighton for the first time (even on a day trip)
- You’re interested in British royal history
- You want an easy to follow activity in Brighton
I’ve visited Brighton many times since I was a kid and remember seeing this weird castle that looked like the Brighton Taj Mahal… I didn’t know at the time why there was an Indian building in Brighton, right in the city centre.
It’s a remarkable building on the outside, you don’t expect to see onion domes and minarets on the English seaside, but the exterior only hints at how extravagant it is inside.
This historical gem was the creation of George IV when he was the Prince of Wales, who built himself a party palace by the sea. His palace in Brighton was designed to impress his guests and it’s definitely impressive.
In this guide I’ll explain how to visit the Royal Pavilion, why it’s worth seeing, and share my personal highlights from my own visits.
Updated in 2026
How to visit the Brighton Royal Pavilion: practical planning and FAQ
Tickets to the Royal Pavilion in Brighton
Book Royal Pavilion tickets online. Then you can enter quickly by showing your pre-booked tickets at the desk.
You can add an audio guide to your ticket for a small fee on top of the ticket price, which you can buy when you enter.
While I enjoyed using the audio guide, there are also members of staff in most rooms who are there to answer questions and tell you about the Pavilion and its history. Some of the ones I spoke to were extremely knowledgeable.
How long does it take to see the Brighton Royal Pavilion?
Plan on about 1.5 hours for the palace itself. If you want to take a lot of photos and videos and look at the small design details, allow more time.
Add a bit more time for the lovely gardens and a look at the extraordinary exterior from different angles.
How to get to the Brighton Pavilion?
If you’re already in Brighton, you can walk or cycle to the Pavilion easily. It’s right at the centre, about 5 minutes from the seafront.
You can take a local bus in Brighton and get off at Old Steine or at North Street.
If you’re visiting Brighton from London, there are many regular trains each day from various London stations, including Victoria and London Bridge. It’s a very easy train ride.
How far is Brighton from London? About one hour by train. Then walk about 15 minutes from Brighton railway station to reach the Pavilion.
Prices vary depending on the station you depart from in London. I found the train from Victoria Station with one change to be the most affordable when I booked a couple of weeks in advance.
As with all UK train travel, always book as early as you can to get better prices and avoid last minute fares.
You can also take a coach from London to Brighton, but it takes much longer, about 2 hours or even more, depending on traffic.
National Express coaches stop at Pool Valley Coach Station, which is about 5 minutes on foot from the Pavilion.
When to visit the Royal Pavilion?
The Pavilion has seasonal opening hours (last checked in September 2026):
April – September, 9.30am – 5.45pm
October – March, 10am – 5.15pm
I recommend you arrive at least 90 minutes before closing time so you can see everything.
It’s conveniently open every day of the week, including on Mondays when many other museums are closed.
How to see the Royal Pavilion as part of a day trip to Brighton?
It’s very easy to add the Royal Pavilion to the itinerary of a classic Brighton day trip, especially since it’s right in the city centre.
Brighton city centre is compact and walkable. If you allow about 90 minutes for the Pavilion, you’ll still have time to see many places nearby. Everything is about 5-15 minutes away.
After visiting the Pavilion you can have lunch in The Lanes and then head to the seafront, visit Brighton Palace Pier and i360, or just walk along the beach.
Are the Royal Pavilion gardens free?
Yes, the lovely gardens outside the Pavilion are free to enter.
Is photography allowed inside the Pavilion?
Yes, you can take as many photos and videos as you like.
What’s the official address of the Royal Pavilion?
Royal Pavilion & Garden
Brighton, BN1 1FN
Is the Royal Pavilion worth visiting?
Yes, the Royal Pavilion is worth visiting if you enjoy beautiful design, unusual architecture, British royal history, and unique historic buildings.
It is unlike anything else I’ve seen in Britain.
The exterior is Indian and Mughal-inspired with domes and minarets, while the interiors are lavishly decorated in a Chinese-influenced Regency style.
It feels like this place was designed with an unlimited budget.
Other historic houses may have several rooms with such elaborate decorations, but in this palace each and every room is designed with meticulous attention to detail.
There are endless features to spot: dragons on the chandeliers, palm-leaf iron columns in the kitchen, birds and snakes on the walls, golden sunflowers, Chinese paintings, magnificent wallpaper throughout, and the list goes on.
You’re surrounded by beauty and it feels like an immersive experience sometimes.
On the practical side, visiting the Royal Pavilion is very easy. It’s right in the city centre, just 5 minutes from the seafront. You can add it to your itinerary even if you visit Brighton just for a day.
Once inside, there’s a one-way route that’s easy to follow. It takes about 90 minutes, including time for photos and videos.
You’ll meet friendly staff in each room who will answer questions and share their knowledge.
It’s great for solo travellers, couples, friends, or families (there’s a family route with activities for kids).
All in all, the Pavilion was a memorable experience that I highly recommend. Enjoy the dragons!
My Brighton Royal Pavilion guide
Each room inside the Royal Pavilion has its own style, decorations, and background story.
The most beautiful rooms in the Royal Pavilion
My favourite rooms at the Brighton Royal Pavilion were the most lavish ones.
The Long Gallery
You enter the Pavilion through the entrance hall, which looks a bit modest, but that was intentional. Guests were in for a surprise…
As they moved on to the next room – The Long Gallery – the decorations became more elaborate and luxurious.
I noticed the small sculptures of Chinese figures and soon learnt that Chinese-influenced decor is a recurrent theme throughout the palace.
You’ll spot dragons, sunflowers, lotus leaves, birds, and other motifs around the building.
The Long Gallery was certainly designed to impress, with the elegant wallpaper, mirrors, glass ceiling, and beautiful lights.
However, all of these were just preparation for the dramatic effect of the next room.
The Banqueting Room
It is excessively stunning.
Everywhere you look around this room, there’s something beautiful to see, but the first thing you’ll notice is the chandelier.
It’s a massive glass chandelier hanging above the long dining table. Look closer to spot the dragons! There are six of them.
There are also some smaller chandeliers in this room, hanging from bird sculptures that seem to fly out of the ceiling.
The stunning decor of the Banqueting Room served as the ideal backdrop for extravagant dinners and parties.
The table is set as it would be for a luxury dinner for guests of the Pavilion.
As in other rooms in the palace, you can easily notice the Chinese motifs: dragons, birds, and pictures of Chinese people on the walls.
You get to see this room twice during the tour of the palace. First when you enter through the Long Gallery, and then, after you visit the kitchen, you come back to the Banqueting Room and see it from the other side of the long dining table.
The Saloon
One of the most beautiful rooms in the Pavilion, though it looks almost modest compared to the Banqueting Room.
I loved the bold colours in this room: red, yellow, blue, combined with gold. I also loved the vivid, graphic carpet.
This room was where guests would be welcomed, before moving on to the Banqueting Room for their meals and parties.
There’s a recurring sunflower motif in the design of the saloon. You’ll see it on the carpet but also on the walls in various forms if you look closely.
Look up to the ceiling for blue skies and yet another sunflower. I used the zoom on my camera quite a bit to focus on small details in this room.
Music Room
This spectacular room has a pipe organ (that doesn’t work anymore, unfortunately) and great acoustics. It was used for music concerts and dancing.
The rich decorations in this room also borrow from Chinese culture, with dragons, snakes, and lotus-shaped chandeliers.
This beautiful room was damaged by fire in 1975, restored, and then damaged again in the 1987 Great Storm. Today’s carpet and curtains are faithful copies of the originals.
I can’t imagine how long it took to recreate that carpet. It certainly gives the room much of its atmosphere.
More wonderful rooms in the Royal Pavilion
Beyond the highlights, there are many other rooms to see around the palace.
The kitchen is large, with iron columns decorated with palm leaves. It lets you imagine what the work in the authentic kitchen might have looked like.
The bedrooms are beautiful but not designed to be stunning, probably because the guests wouldn’t normally visit them. Still, each has some fascinating decorations to see, lovely furnishings, wallpapers, and carpets.
Some rooms in the palace have displays about the history of the building, its architecture, and its restorations over the years.
When I entered I was told to just walk from one room to the next – it’s a one-way route, making this huge palace easier to navigate.
I must admit that near the end I was quite overwhelmed by the splendour that I almost got lost… but there were signs in each room pointing me in the right direction, all the way to the (very elegant) gift shop.
The exterior of the Brighton Pavilion
The Royal Pavilion stands out in Brighton thanks to its exterior. It’s certainly not something you’d expect to see on the English seaside.
It’s a striking example of the Indo-Saracenic architectural style. It’s a blend of Indian and Islamic architectural elements.
The most obvious things you’ll notice about the exterior of the Royal Pavilion are the onion-shaped domes. They may remind you of the Taj Mahal. These are typical of Indo-Saracenic architecture.
Alongside the domes, you’ll see minarets, small balconies, and decorated arched windows.
These days it may look like an over-the-top, almost whimsical, Disneyland-style fantasy palace. At the time when it was designed, it reflected a fascination with the unfamiliar.
History of the Brighton Pavilion
King George IV built the Royal Pavilion as a pleasure palace in the mid-1780s.
Brighton was rising in popularity at the time as a destination for a seaside retreat.
George IV had a passion for art and architecture, and he was interested in Eastern cultures.
Over several decades, he hired top architects to expand his seaside home, gradually turning it into an extraordinary design gem.
Part of the historical significance of the Pavilion was in helping Brighton grow and prosper. That was by providing work to locals involved in the building and decorating of the palace.
It was also thanks to his luxurious entertaining of his guests, which attracted the rich and famous to the town, helping out local businesses.
George IV’s successor, William IV, also stayed at the Pavilion, as did Queen Victoria, but the latter didn’t find it comfortable enough and decided to sell it in 1850.
During the sale, many of the decorations and furnishings were moved to other royal homes, but some were later returned to the Pavilion.
The town of Brighton bought the palace, redecorated it to some extent, and opened it to the public as a tourist attraction.
It’s hard to imagine it when you see the Pavilion today, but during the First World War, the same building was converted into a military hospital. It served Indian Army soldiers who fought for the British.
Naturally, all of these transformations left the palace damaged. After the war, a lot of meticulous work was put into restoring it to its former glory.
Other things to do in Brighton
While you’re in Brighton to see the Pavilion, make sure you see the rest of what Brighton has to offer.
The city isn’t big and it’s easy to get around on foot, so you can see a lot in one day.
- Visit the Brighton i360 viewing tower for panoramic views.
- Visit Brighton Museum & Art Gallery right next to the Pavilion.
- Take my design themed tour, including the Pavilion, the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, and lovely indie design shops in the Lanes.
- Visit the iconic Brighton Palace Pier.
- Visit Brighton Open Market.
More beautiful historic buildings
If you love extravagant architecture, you’ll also love these:
- Eltham Palace in London
- Casa Batlló in Barcelona
- Palace of Catalan Music in Barcelona
- Casa Amatller in Barcelona
- The opera house in Paris
- The Budapest opera house
- The Great Synagogue in Budapest
- Venaria Palace in Italy
Save this guide to the Brighton Royal Pavilion on Pinterest
