Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
3.5
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Explore the birthplace of Queen Victoria and home to young royals for over 300 years. Walk in the footsteps of royalty in Victoria’s re-imagined childhood rooms, the magnificent King’s State Apartments and the famous Sunken Garden. View an exquisite piece from the wardrobe of Diana, Princess of Wales alongside original sketches created for her during the design process and explore the beautiful private rooms at Kensington Palace where Mary ll once took her meals, relaxed and entertained.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Kensington and Hyde Park
How to get there
- High St Kensington • 7 min walk
- Queensway • 8 min walk
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See what travellers are saying
- Pintsizepolly30 contributionsDisappointing - too crowdedHave been to KP a number of times to see various exhibitions but this visit, Crown to Couture, was the most disappointing. Whilst I did enjoy seeing the various gowns and jewels, some of which were reproductions, its a bit of a reach to blend Met Ball outfits with royal outfits! My main complaint however is that it was ridiculously crowded. Despite having a timed ticket, we needed to join a very long queue outside and once inside there were too many people all trying to see the exhibits so was a bit of struggle to see everything properly.Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 13 October 2023
- Lucille K1 contributionOk for a day out but not if you have a genuine interest in costume and historical dressThe Crown to Couture exhibition left a lot to be desired I'm afraid, both my husband and I left a little disappointed and actually keen to leave half way through due to the congestion. The whole thing felt a little claustrophobic and poorly planned, I left feeling like I hadn't really learned or seen anything. Being Kensington Palace we were expecting to see more historical royal dress, however the majority of the clothing was centered around the most recent Met Galas. The costumes shown were absolutely beautiful, however the amount of people that were let into the timeslots made it impossible to appreciate them. There were some exhibitions which I thought weren't showcased in the best light, for instance larger size models that I felt were a bit disrespectful with lumpy padding to showcase a larger figure. I would suggest reviewing how the V&A conduct exhibition as they always land these very well.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 23 October 2023
- Patrick OMount Holly, North Carolina1,143 contributionsWonderful Palace with a fashion exhibit!We went o a self guided tour and The Crown to Couture exhibit was running throughout. Not only was the palace beautiful, the fashion and jewelry exhibit was an added bonus. It is hard to imagine the royalty wearing such heavy clothes as beautiful as they were. Amazing dresses and formal wear. Very nice place to visit in London and well worth it to walk through the park as well.Visited October 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 1 January 2024
- John ABrentwood, United Kingdom450 contributionsStarted badly with queueing outside, but the interior made up for itWe booked tickets for the 30 minute slot starting at 11 but on arrival at 11:05 there was still a long queue for the 10:30 slot. No explanations, no apologies, no staff checking on people in the queue - luckily it was a nice day. Eventually got in about half past but long queue behind us. Once inside the is plenty of space and it did not feel crowded. The audio guides were really good although we struggled to get the "face in the picture" feature to work. Lots of information and lovely objects and rooms. The untold lives exhibit did not work for us - not sure what we were meant to get from it. So, a day that started badly but the visit overall was very enjoyable.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 20 March 2024
- Rob N5 contributionsA missed opportunityA beautiful and historic palace. A unique collection of paintings, furniture and antiques. The young Victoria exhibition brings to life the young princess and the coterie of relatives and advisers who dominated every aspect of her daily life, as well as the dramatic reversal of fortunes which comes with the well-timed death of her uncle William and her accession to the throne. The rooms which make up the King’s and Queen’s Galleries, telling the story of 150 years and eight reigns before the dawn of the Victorian age, are less gripping and less instructive. The exhibits are impressive but there is little sense of a story being told and little insight into the characters of the various monarchs or the stories that formed the fabric of their reigns. A missed opportunity.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 20 March 2024
- cannygirlLake District, United Kingdom107 contributionsPoor value, chaotic processes.I feel the entrance fee is expensive, the admission process once you’ve arrived is chaotic, huge cues. A couple in front if us waited patiently and got to the front only to be told to join the back of the other cue! Considering its mud march the place was heaving, staff were a mix of pleasant and polite to down right rude! I would remain mindful that walking through the palace and looking at the exhibits you need to weave in and out of sizeable crowds. I appreciate that money is required to maintain these historic buildings, and pay staff, however I felt there were simply too many people going through at 30 min intervals … perhaps a rad greedy on the palaces part !Visited March 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 21 March 2024
- Tommy G56 contributionsFabulous historic place to visitFabulous historic place to visit. Beautiful and interesting. We went inside seeing the jewels, Victoria’s childhood home. A guide there James gave us a fabulous treat telling us compelling history about the Royal family and the palace. We were pleasantly surprised.Visited March 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 24 March 2024
- dgkukalSpringfield, Missouri137 contributionsA great experienceA great experience in a beautiful setting. You explore the palace through three different monarchs, which makes it personal as well as historically interesting. and the commentary was focused and engaging. The staff were amazingly knowledgeable, and responded to questions clearly and with exactly the level of detail I needed, while making the information exciting and fun. We had lunch there and enjoyed the food (and some wine) and the view. Excellent all the way around.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 6 April 2024
- SonomaNutSonoma, California1,119 contributionsWell worth your time and money.As you expect everything was in order and organized to accommodate large number of guests. Don’t go without a reservation, as it’s a walk getting to the front door. Try to have a tour guide talk. The Diana memorial gardens are well worth your time too.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 10 April 2024
- TessiettBrisbane, Australia302 contributionsA little disappointingExpected a little more out of this tour after viewing numerous royal palaces around the world. Rooms were basically empty, audio tried very hard to compensate but a lot of information was on boards on the wall, all very well if u could read them but vertically impossible because of the volume of people. As u had to book a time slot we thought numbers would be limited but apparently not so. We had to wait for half an hour for our audio tours as they were all in use. Far too many people. Cafe was small and couldn’t handle the masses. We felt like we were squeezed in just so the money could be collected.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 28 April 2024
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3.5
5,818 reviews
Excellent
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Average
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Poor
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BigHugh51
Adelaide, Australia3,628 contributions
Jul 2019
We had been enjoying a hectic Sunday visiting a number of sights and attractions around London.
By mid-afternoon, we had made our way to Kensington Palace. This was our fourth visit to the palace and we were surprised by how busy it was on this occasion. It appeared that it was a very popular attraction for both tourists and locals on a Sunday afternoon during summer.
Our London Passes were used to gain admission but only after we had to queue at the ticket counter for 5 minutes or so to have the passes scanned and then have our tickets issued.
As we were quite familiar with the palace, we were able to navigate our way through the various rooms with a little assistance from our guide booklet.
The busiest part of the palace on this afternoon was the special display area which, at the time of this visit featured a wonderful display relating to Queen Victoria and her connection with Kensington Palace.
After our self-guided tour of the palace, we visited the well-stocked gift shop where we managed to make a couple of purchases.
Finally, it was outside to spend some time in the splendid Sunken Garden. The garden was also busy with visitors which made it quite difficult to get some unobscured photographs.
Kensington Palace is a joy to visit. However, our experiences have been that to avoid the large crowds, it is better to visit on a weekday rather than on the weekend.
By mid-afternoon, we had made our way to Kensington Palace. This was our fourth visit to the palace and we were surprised by how busy it was on this occasion. It appeared that it was a very popular attraction for both tourists and locals on a Sunday afternoon during summer.
Our London Passes were used to gain admission but only after we had to queue at the ticket counter for 5 minutes or so to have the passes scanned and then have our tickets issued.
As we were quite familiar with the palace, we were able to navigate our way through the various rooms with a little assistance from our guide booklet.
The busiest part of the palace on this afternoon was the special display area which, at the time of this visit featured a wonderful display relating to Queen Victoria and her connection with Kensington Palace.
After our self-guided tour of the palace, we visited the well-stocked gift shop where we managed to make a couple of purchases.
Finally, it was outside to spend some time in the splendid Sunken Garden. The garden was also busy with visitors which made it quite difficult to get some unobscured photographs.
Kensington Palace is a joy to visit. However, our experiences have been that to avoid the large crowds, it is better to visit on a weekday rather than on the weekend.
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clive B
Dartford, UK1,343 contributions
Aug 2021
Really disppointing. Staff were very polite, friendly and extra helpful, I could not fault them at all, wait times were good, probably due to the inclement weather, but inside the 'Palace' itself just feels like an unloved and barren museum. You go around and there are just a few items of interest to look at in each room. There is no 'wow factor' and nothing to actually to engage younger visitors. If this were to be the first ever Royal residence in London you visit, you might still appreciate it, but if you've already seen Hampton Court, the Tower of London, the V&A Museum, or Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath, then be prepared for this Palace to leave you feeling very disappointed, as it pales in comparison to any of those places. If you are already a member of Historic Royal Palaces, then it's free to enter as often as you like, and it is well worth seeing at least once, ideally as your first choice, so that things can only get better. But Icould not recommend Kensington Palace to a visiting tourist, not unless there is something in particular they want to see being exhibited there. It is such a shame, it's in a great location, with a fantastic history, and as Kensington Palace contains the offices and London residences of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the potential here is immence, but sadly the part open to the public is very lacking.
Written 7 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liza D
Cleveland, OH374 contributions
Aug 2019
It looks impressive from the entrance & when you realize that Hyde Park is the "front yard" it can be overwhelming. Yet, when you walk inside, it's a home. It may not seem like much in the beginning, but as you walk around from Victoria as a baby, a child, a young woman to Queen, you get a sense of the times & who she was.
The areas are set in a way that you can enjoy a certain age (without being overbearing) & imagine her there, then flow into the next time in her life. There are pieces that also give you hints of her future self & why Victoria has the reputation she does. You learn of her relationship with Albert, her children, her mother & the countries she ruled.
In one room are two figures that represent period clothing...but watch the walls behind them. The shadows dance separate & together as they would at one of her many functions.
I was lucky to "meet" a young Victoria, who ever so quietly walked into the very room where she was told that she was now Queen of England & sat down at the long table (one of the volunteers alerted me to her presence & encouraged me to speak with her).
As for Princess Diana, the display to her was small & disappointing, but either I missed something or it was scaled back due to the 200th birthday celebration of Queen Victoria at Kensington Palace.
The areas are set in a way that you can enjoy a certain age (without being overbearing) & imagine her there, then flow into the next time in her life. There are pieces that also give you hints of her future self & why Victoria has the reputation she does. You learn of her relationship with Albert, her children, her mother & the countries she ruled.
In one room are two figures that represent period clothing...but watch the walls behind them. The shadows dance separate & together as they would at one of her many functions.
I was lucky to "meet" a young Victoria, who ever so quietly walked into the very room where she was told that she was now Queen of England & sat down at the long table (one of the volunteers alerted me to her presence & encouraged me to speak with her).
As for Princess Diana, the display to her was small & disappointing, but either I missed something or it was scaled back due to the 200th birthday celebration of Queen Victoria at Kensington Palace.
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
drewedmin999
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK1,441 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
I can’t believe the moaners
“The Palace looks old”
What were you expecting?
“It took me an hour to find”
The Palace never moved….
Yes this isn’t a princess palace like in a Disney movie. It’s real, full of history, and frankly brilliant
There are so many interesting things to see such as Queen Victoria’s toys as a child and various rooms steeped in history
I was also very pleased to be allowed to take photos everywhere
The temporary exhibit featuring Diana’s wedding dress was the cherry on the cake
Overall a fabulous hour and well worth less than £20 to see
“The Palace looks old”
What were you expecting?
“It took me an hour to find”
The Palace never moved….
Yes this isn’t a princess palace like in a Disney movie. It’s real, full of history, and frankly brilliant
There are so many interesting things to see such as Queen Victoria’s toys as a child and various rooms steeped in history
I was also very pleased to be allowed to take photos everywhere
The temporary exhibit featuring Diana’s wedding dress was the cherry on the cake
Overall a fabulous hour and well worth less than £20 to see
Written 20 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roberts01
Wales, UK79 contributions
Jul 2021 • Couples
I enjoyed the visit but was disappointed with what little was on display within the rooms, lack of information on display; unless you engage with the staff you would miss out on lots more detailed information. Diana’s dress was outstanding, but is the cost of nearly £50 for two people worth it? I’m not so sure. Also I thought the viewing of the sunken garden was included in cost, it’s not, it’s all gated so you are not allowed to enter, you don’t have to pay to see the garden or the awful statue of Diana. The artist/sculpture needs to return to his studies. No likeness to Diana whatsoever. More like man in a suit. So disappointing.
Written 15 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stuart O
London, UK17 contributions
Oct 2021
Went to Kensington Palace today - or tried to. Member of Art Fund. Kensington Palace website says Art Fund members can visit for free but can’t book timed slot. Drove there to reduce Covid risk. Parked up for max 4 hours. Walk to Palace to be told Art Fund members need to be given a timed slot and next one they could give us was after parking expired. Ridiculous for them to make this hollow offer to Art Fund members (unless they live in Kensington). Arrogant approach. Very disappointing.
Written 29 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The DINKs
North Wales, UK254 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
We booked tickets for the opening (10am) and queued outside, the queue went down very quickly and staff were thorough yet efficient with checking bags. All staff were very professional and approachable. We got the audio guides which are included in the price of the admission ticket, I'd highly recommend these, the audio clips are short enough to keep your attention and you press play in each room when you are ready. I enjoyed thinking of all the history during our walk around. We finished with something to eat and drink in the cafe which did fill up whilst we were there (it started raining outside).
Written 8 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Annie143Florida
Sedona, AZ532 contributions
Jan 2020
The palace is beautiful and was decorated for Christmas. The tour is self-guided and informative. It is primarily devoted to Victoria and Albert and gives a personal glimpse into their lives. It is nice to visit once because it is easily done in a few hours.
Written 4 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vensure1
Ottawa, Canada284 contributions
Mar 2022
The Palace was pretty in some parts, our daughters liked the dollhouses of Queen Victoria, but for the most part we found it underwhelming. I admit that I really liked the grand staircase with the painted ceiling, but some of the rooms just seem bland by comparison to other palaces and homes we've seen. The gardens were nothing spectacular. Also a negative aspect of our experience was that we called the palace on the morning of our originally-intended 10am visit, to say that we'd be delayed and need to make it 12pm. The staff member obliged and said no problem, she would just rebook it for 12. When we got there at about 11:35am, the staff member said "we're sorry but your reservation has been cancelled". After several minutes of trying to get to the bottom of it, I found out that what they really meant was that my original 10am slot was cancelled, and after searching their database records they confirmed that my 12pm was a "new booking", not a rebook per se as I was led to believe. So that was a communication mishap between their local staff and their HRP booking centre.
Written 15 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
edwardb800
Avon, OH99 contributions
Jan 2020
We visited the cafe only and the grounds as we did not feel we had the time to do the rather pricey entry fee justice. Lovely area for an easy walk. Would probably revisit and pay the fee when we have more time to devote to a proper tour experience inside.
Written 21 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, what would you say is the best Palace gate to enter to see this exhibit…am not great at walking, thanks, Lois
Written 6 September 2023
Hello, If you do the private tour you have to meet at the Queen Victoria Statue which is in the park just sorta behind/side the sunken garden. I'm not sure there is much of a difference in terms of walking distance from gates to palace. Also, there are stairs involved inside going through the exhibition. Sorry for delayed response.
Written 17 September 2023
Hi, what would you say is the best Palace gate to enter to see this exhibit…am not great at walking, thanks, Lois
Written 6 September 2023
Hi, I'm really sorry, I didn't know about TripAdvisor messages! I'm afraid I don't know, I don't even know which one we used, we kind of found it by mistake, typical tourists 🙈 Hooe you get sorted though :)
Written 5 March 2024
lacey avellino
Malta
Hi i wish to know about the princess of wales garden in kesington palace .. can we see diana statue when the palace is close? Because in febuary its gonna be close the.palace some dates..thanks alotb..
Written 11 January 2023
lacey avellino
Malta
Hi i wish to know about the princess of wales garden in kesington palace .. can we see diana statue when the palace is close? Because in febuary its gonna be close the.palace some dates..
Written 11 January 2023
Hi can you get a refund if you are unable to attend? Thanks
Written 29 July 2021
No refund. It was specifically stated on my ticket.
Written 7 September 2023
What tube lines do you use to get to Kensington gar
Written 27 June 2021
Leagrave station (platform 1) to Blackfriers.... Blackfriers underground (platform 1) to Kensington High Street (Circle line towards Edgware).
You can plan your route on Google, just put Leagrave Station to Kemsington High Street Station in options will come up. We left Leagrave at 9.37am to get the Super saver day ticket which was about £24 approx return ticket. That covered trains and tubes.
Written 28 June 2021
With the current CoVid-19 pandemic, I am not sure it will be open by then. If it is open and it is safe for travel, it is worth a visit especially if you take the tour. Personally, we are holding off on any international travel until the Fall or next year.
Written 14 April 2020
Hi, we don't have time to tour the Palace but I was wondering if we walk just thru Hyde Park, will be able to at least see the Palace and gardens?
Written 8 March 2020
Yes, you can see the outside of the palace no problem. You can get all the way up to the palace and I believe it’s even possible to get into the cafe for a drink and a bite to eat.
Written 17 March 2020
I am looking for one ticket to the United Queendom performance at Kensington for any of the following dates: Saturday 21 March, Sunday 22 March, Monday 23 March, Friday 27 March, Saturday 28 March or Sunday 29 March. Thank you.
Written 16 February 2020
Are international student IDs accepted to buy a concession ticket?
Written 22 December 2019
Not sure, but I think they might be as many students in the area when I visited.
Written 13 March 2020
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