Location: Waterfront, central Nuku'alofa, along Vuna Road. Viewable from outside — grounds and interior are closed to the public.
The Royal Palace of Tonga is one of the most recognisable landmarks in Nuku'alofa and the official residence of the King of Tonga. Built in 1867 for King George Tupou I, the white Victorian-style wooden palace was constructed from New Zealand kauri timber and designed in the style of a Queensland homestead — a striking piece of colonial-era architecture sitting on manicured lawns shaded by casuarina trees on the Nuku'alofa waterfront.
The palace is the private residence of the royal family and the grounds are not open to visitors — the gates are always closed and crossing into the grounds is forbidden as a sign of cultural respect. However, the palace is clearly visible from the road and foreshore and makes for a beautiful photograph, especially at sunrise or from the water.
Tonga is one of the few remaining monarchies in the Pacific, and the royal family holds deep spiritual and cultural significance in Tongan society. The current king is King Tupou VI, who ascended to the throne in 2012. The nearby Royal Tombs (Mala'ekula) in central Nuku'alofa are the burial site of the first five kings of Tonga and are also viewable from outside.
Tips: The best view of the palace is from the waterfront road or from the harbour. Sunday mornings, the royal family often attends Centenary Chapel nearby — a rare opportunity to see the procession respectfully.
This article is full of inaccuracies. The palace was built in 1867 having been constructed in New Zealand and shipped to Tonga in sections. In the 1900s an upper floor balcony was added and Queen Salote was born in the palace on March 13th 1900. The palace is not known as “palace office” which was a seperate building at the back of the palace and has been demolished. The most recent renovations took place in 2010 when new wings were added which tripled the size of the building. Part of the extensions were to house the archives, not the Prime Ministers office which is housed in the St George Goverment Building elsewhere in the town. The palace is not pink, it is white, and always has been. There are no guided tours of the palace as it is not open to the public.