Our visit to Kensington Palace was unplanned and full of surprises. We were doing a walking tour and noticed that there were very few visitors and so we easily bought tickets and got right in (after a robust security search). From the outside, the Palace looks institutional to me. The building was built (actually a remodeled farmhouse) in the late 1600's by King William and Queen Mary. A formal garden surrounds the west entrance. I imagine that the garden is quite spectacular in the Spring. The tour includes visits to three "Chambers" with audio tour phones that were easy to use. The audio tour is excellent with lots of interesting information. The staff is friendly and offers talks on interesting aspects of the palace. The oldest chamber visit was that of Queen Mary II (wife of King William III). The Queen's Gallery was most interesting with a fabulous harpsichord that was being played by a member of staff during our visit. The gallery overlooks the lovely gardens. The room is filled with antique pottery and portraits of the Queen. She died in her nearby bedroom chamber at the age of 32 with the King by her side. The Chamber of George II and Queen Caroline is quite opulent. We heard a short and fascinating lecture on a unique wind monitoring device that is still operational today. Family portraits and Renaissance art fill the walls. The third chamber on the tour is that of Queen Victoria where she lived as a child. Some of her childhood toys and books are displayed. Visitors are encourage to play with recreations of toys and dress up clothes. The room of her birth is the final stop of the tour. A gift shop and cafe are available. It would be fun to have tea in the cafe and imagine dining with royalty. I was hoping to run into a few royals, but I didn't. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would recommend. There were few visitors while we were there, which was nice. Plan at least 2 hours (mostly walking) for the tour. GET the audio headsets (they are included with admission). Expect stairs. A restroom is available for visitors. read more

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The first time my daughter and I visited London and we went to Kensington Palace, we got lost when leaving and ended up on a private street. The street required entry by a guard and we have no idea how we ended up there. The palace is absolutely beautiful and still functions as housing for the royals. We were able to add a memento for Princess Di at the White Garden which still acts as a memorial to her this day. read more

The palace was very cool and we had a really nice time walking around the grounds and checking out different parts of the palace. We came in for the last hour from 5 to 6. They started pushing us out at 5:40, so we ended up missing a significant portion of the palace when we had plenty of time to have actually seen it.. the moral of the story is to get there early so you don't get pushed out early so you can actually see what you want to see. My wife and son ran ahead so they could visit everything but regretted not reading various information thoughout the palace. read more

Kensington Palace - I wish i could have told them about my visit but their machine was malfunctioning - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

This was one of the most well thought out palace tours I've ever been to. First of all, make sure to make a reservation online to guarantee you get in, and like most tourist spots, try to come during the work week so it's less crowded. We came on a Friday in late August. We're a fan of the royal family, so it was surreal to be in the place where people had laid down flowers in front of the gate when Princess Diana died, and to see where she and Queen Victoria had lived, and to even see the King's staircase, which I had seen in the TV show "John Adams". Even if you don't pay to get in, you can still see the Princess Diana statue in the sunken garden, which had been her favorite spot. Unfortunately, you can only see it from afar since the garden itself is completely gated off. What I loved about this tour was that they went out of their way to make sure you were well informed. They gave out free audio guides and even if you didn't take one, they still had signs everywhere. On top of that, they had these leather bound menu looking booklets that also gave you information about each room. Plus, there were reenactors dressed in period costume who both added humor and more educational information. We weren't supposed to take videos, but I saw others taking videos of them anyway. There was also a mechanical miniature opera house that played music and the voices of actual opera singers, which I would've loved to have taken a video of. Photos are allowed, but without flash, which wasn't so great because some areas are quite dark and would've been better with a flash, but it's understandable since they're trying to preserve historical artifacts. There were basically 4 sections to look at: The queen's apartments, the king's apartments (Apparently, it was normally back then for them to live separately), parts of the house dedicated to Queen Victoria's childhood to becoming queen at 18 years old, and the special exhibition, which for us were clothes and jewelry worn by the royals. At the end you're led to a gift shop, naturally, and a cafe, which is perfect because by the end of the tour you'll be hungry. This was one of my favorite palace tours even if it was smaller than the others. I think its intimacy led to its favorability, but don't be fooled, by the end of it we were still exhausted. read more

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'Kensington Palace, a royal residence, birthplace of Queen Victoria. It is home to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their family - sits on the gardens' western edge. You'll also find the ornate Albert Memorial, the Italian Gardens and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground on-site. Inextricably linked with Queen Victoria, who was born here, Kensington Palace is a Royal Residence, and has been since the 17th century. Today it's occupied by Princes William and his family, and whilst you can't visit the private Royal Residence, you can tour the State Rooms. These have actually been open to the public for a long time, in a practice started by Queen Victoria in 1899, and today Kensington Palace is one of the most popular of the Royal Palaces for visitors. Today Kensington Palace contains the offices and London residence of The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Portions of Kensington Palace are open to the public, although I've never been inside read more

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I loved touring Kensington Palace.Seeing the Diana memorial was surreal. The palace is beautiful,and well kept. I learned so much on my tour. Very well organized. Visiting this palace was definitely one of my favorite highlights of my trip. Definitely make your reservation ahead of time. read more

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I bought the general admission ticket for a specific time. It was very easy to enter, there is a bad check area. They have an audio tour that's available in several languages and you walk at your own pace from room to room. They also have folding Stools that you can take if you feel you will need a break throughout the tour and a place to sit. All of the staff is very friendly and helpful. I was there during the Christmas season so they had special decorations, but throughout the year they do have special Programs so you should see what is available during your time. I would allow an hour and a half to include the gift shop. There are a lot of steps, but there are alternate routes if needed that include lifts. The grounds are surrounded by beautiful gardens and those can be seen without a ticket. There is also a restaurant on site That offers full sit down afternoon, tea and menu. Near the gift shop there was also a small snack bar if you are into oils, British history, I want to experience something different than this is for you. It is good for all ages. read more

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Kensington Palace in London is a working Royal residence of great historical importance. Princess Diana lived here for many years as does her son and his wife. It was also the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria. The historic parts of Kensington Palace are open to the public of which we limited our visit to the cafe, gift shop, and surrounding and impeccable green space (including the Sunken Garden and Diana's playground). We did look up at the windows, to see if we could sneak a peak at anything, but were left only wondering how they divide up the property between public and private. But then, this place is a lot larger than our front view indicated. read more

Kensington Palace - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

Visited with my daughter last week. Kensington Palace is located in central London and is easily accessible by the Circle Line. We used our Go City London passes for admission, and especially enjoyed the State Apartments and Victoria's doll house. Missed seeing Diana's dresses, which were on display during my 2019 visit, but are not currently on display. Be sure to explore the gardens (free no ticket required!) while visiting the palace, and also spend some time in beautiful Hyde Park. read more

We toured the palace after being able to see the gardens. They give you a time stamped ticket and you wait outside until your time is called. They were having a display of costumes called From Culture to Couture. It included costumes from the past and many gowns from recent award shows used by famous celebrities. It was very interesting and throughout the palace. We discovered later that each room had a description about the room and it's purpose which would have been nice to know about ahead of time. The costumes took up a lot of space so knowing what the rooms were like wasn't always apparent. There is a nice gift shop when you finish seeing the palace. You obviously don't get to see the entire palace because royals live there but you get a good idea of what it was like in olden times. Some rooms are quite elegant. it was interesting to see it read more

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Beautiful walk to see Kensington palace. Right through and across hide park well worth the trip to see the lake front and the beautiful gardens. Must see for new tourists to London. Bucket list check-off! read more

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I used my London pass for entrance in here. The London pass also gives you 10% off at the gift shop. Kensington palace is more modern. The main display was all about fashion. You did go through some rooms that display history. They had a history of Queen Victoria which was interesting. Adjacent to the palace is Diana's garden. It is beautiful and serene. They have a beautiful statue for her. They also have a place where you can have tea. It will take you about an hour to go through most of what you need to see. It was interesting seeing the jewels and dresses, but I didn't understand why they Included dresses from mainstream women like. What does that have to do with the monarchy? I suggest you only go here if you have time to spare. Don't make it your main attraction of the day. If you do go, you can also enjoy the surrounding Hyde park read more

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Collectively the least favorite stop of our trip. None of us care what the celebrities wore & it cheapened the experience for us. The grounds are lovely- if on the area, worth a walkabout. I don't recommend paying to go inside tho. read more

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There are two ways you can do London: you can visit all the paid tourist attractions or you can explore from the outside. During our trip to London, we decided that while there were a few attractions we thought would be worth going inside of, there were other places that were good enough to see just from the outside. From Notting Hill, we walked to Kensington Palace to explore the gardens. You can walk around the park and visit the golden gates for free from the outside. The park is pretty and very easy to navigate. If you're short on time or on cash, walk around the exterior and know that you won't be disappointed! read more

Agree with Rick P.'s review right below mine - it's a bit underwhelming. I was surprised by how little there was to see. The palace is also not nearly as stately as I would have envisioned. It kinda looked like any old colonial house would and lacked the grandeur that I would have thought it would have. I have the Historic Royal Palaces membership card so effectively my admission was free but I would have been a bit disappointed if I had bought a ticket for £20. The gardens in front were the best part I thought. I did like that they had audio tours that were included in the ticket. It made it easy to do a self-led journey through the palace. However overall I just found that the content and displays were lacking. Good place to visit once. read more

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Whilst it may be considered less prestigious than another royal palace, Kensington holds its own, in our opinion. In fact, we feel that it provides a much more comprehensive understanding of the British monarchy. Long time residence of the beloved Princess Diana, the palace still houses some of the Royal family, but portions of the property are shared with the public to this day. We found the history of each room, along with the associated creaky floorboards and draftiness, to be somehow comforting and soothing. How they have been able to preserve some childhood locks of hair from Queen Victoria (circa 1800's) is beyond me. As a night owl, my favorite room had to be The King's Drawing Room which "was open to suitably-dressed visitors at ten o'clock at night, several times a week." While you're there, be sure to take a stroll through the adjoining Kensington Gardens. These surroundings feature numerous serene paths, for either strolling or exercise, with various ponds and several bird species to entertain or serenade you. And that's...Henry's Take. #kensingtonpalace #kensingtongardens read more

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We did not go inside the Palace as there was a long queue. However, we were not disappointed as the building on the outside is amazing and stunning to look at. Also, the grounds are free to walk around, ie essentially the gardens there. They have a new monument of lady Diana in them and that was worthy of our visit. A MUST see if you are in the area. read more

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Breath taking beauty and amazing history. Access to wonderful features was good, and the presentation and self guided tour material was thoughtful even though the sequences were a little confusion. Even though it was raining the gardens and park were worth the trip. read more

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Loved the tour , staff friendly Difficult to navigate audio but it could have been user error :)), a must see on your visit to London read more

Kensington Palace is a great place to visit. My wife and I went during the Friday of the Queen's Jubilee during our honeymoon and saw William and Kate's motorcade leave for St. Paul's Cathedral as we entered. The palace is well laid out for tourists and they had exhibits on the residents of the palace as well as a large one on Queen Victoria. The palace is also fully accessible for those with disabilities which is great. Also, right outside is the Princess Diana Memorial Garden which was wonderful to see as well. read more

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Not really worth visiting Kensington Palace. When you walk in, most of the palace is full of dresses of American Celebrities. While this was neat, I was hoping for more of a historical site, versus changing the palace to have dresses of American celebrities. I think it would've been better to have a seperate museum for the dresses, rather than putting them on a historical site... read more

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Just as striking as a royal palace should be! The Kensington Palace may not be as grandiose as the Buckingham Palace, but it's still incredibly lovely. The Palace is set within Hyde Park amongst the beautiful Kensington Gardens. There's a mural of Queen Victoria and a fountain right before the entrance. There's also tons of large manicured grass land that seems to be a popular lounging and picnicking area for visitors and families. There are two separate tickets lines for entrance into the palace; one for members and one for visitors. The wait wasn't too long around 4:00 pm on a weekday, but there definitely was a wait. After I purchased my ticket, I headed inside and upstairs to the King's state apartments. One of the first things that I noticed were all of the intricate details on the ceilings. The ceiling artwork is amazing and it changes with practically with each room change. The King's state apartment rooms are so large. My entire apartment was still smaller than The King's meeting room! Better looking too of course, but it's so crazy how spacious this palace is even though it's considerably smaller than many of the other palaces. There are portraits of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Princess Diana hanging on the walls. My favorite part of the palace was the portion that's dedicated to Queen Victoria. In the Queen Victoria apartments, you'll have the pleasure of viewing many of Queen Victoria's gowns and clothing. I found it interesting that Queen Victoria only wore black gowns after King Albert died. She was also severely depressed about his passing and you can see this in most of her portraits that were taken after his passing. There are large beautiful windows all throughout with great views of Hyde Park. I love that there are several places to sit and relax in the hallways and lobbies. Some of the room entrances require that you scale several sets of narrow stairs. Nothing too scary, but I'd definitely bring a bottle of water and plan on doing a lot of walking around. The Kensington Palace is totally worth a visit if you're planning on coming to the London area. It's a bit of trek from downtown London, but the area of Kensington is adorable and has so much to do here. Plus, it's super accessible by tube. read more

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There is something magical about being in London and touring the various Palaces that have been called home to the Royal Family for centuries. During my 2017 trip to London, the Kensington Palace was on our list of sights to see and it did not disappoint. Our main reasoning other than viewing the beautiful grounds and learning the history of the Palace itself was to tour the Princess Diana exhibit. Even though I was a young teen when Princess Diana perished, I still remember watching the news and watching her tragic death unfold as the world seemed to fall apart in despair. The Kensington Palace surrounding grounds are absolutely impeccable and it's a great place if you are a history buff. As far as the Princess Di exhibit, I was pleasantly pleased with the aesthetics that the self guided tour allowed and how much I learned about the class act that Princess Diana really was. If you find yourself on the other side of the pond, make sure you make your way here for a small piece of Britain's beautiful history. read more

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As an American, we don't often get the ability to walk inside of a castle. Anyone that has any interest in Queen Victoria should visit since this was her childhood home. We visited in February so Gardens where brown and dry. Beautiful park surrounds the castle many people jogging and walking their dogs. The audio tour is free and it's actually well written and spoken. four main rooms to visit. Two hours tops. The cafeteria served pastries, and hot tea. Make sure you see the staircase that was built in 1620. read more

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In the middle of the beautiful Hyde park, in set right in the smack dab of London is Kensington Palace. I'm not quite sure where it stops being a park and starts being Kensington Gardens but it was very beautiful. Kensington Palace is also the home of Prince Charles and Kate Middleton and their family, who I would have loved to run into but didn't that day. Also home to Princess Diana, the lovely but sad memories found in tribute all around the palace. Such a regal building surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens and lawns. Definitely a sight to see when in London. read more

Kensington Palace - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

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Kensington Palace might lack some of the grandeur of Windsor, or the antiquity of the Tower but it's still worth visiting this charming Royal Palace. First, the gardens (adjacent to Hyde park) are lovely, especially the sunken garden right outside the entrance. That's all free to check out, you only pay if you want to go inside. The top floor shows the king & queen's apartments around the time of William and Mary (and a bit of later monarchs). They're definitely more "homey" than the grand state apartments but still fit for a king. In the great hall, you can see a still working interior windvane as it just wouldn't do for the king to have to open the window to know if the wind was blowing. The first floor has temporary exhibits which were not open at our visit - the next one is focused on Victoria, who was born here. There's often some displays relating to Princess Diana - at our visit it was sketches from her designer, many having personal notes from her on them. If you're starving or fancy, Kensington has a great tearoom where you can eat finger sandwiches. Large parts of the palace complex aren't open because Wills and Kate (and some other royalty-adjacent folks) live here. read more

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One of the most iconic places to visit in London. Came here at around 2 in the afternoon on a Saturday and was surprised to find that there wasn't that much people. Just a note, the palace closes at 4 pm. They have 3 different exhibits while I was there: Princess Diana's clothes, the King's chambers, and Queen Victoria's house. Each place was kept in immaculate condition and there was plenty of space for you to see everything that you wanted to. However all the information given is in the form of a poster so sometimes it was hard to access it, wished there were audio guides instead. Highly recommend walking around the grounds afterwards as it is absolutely beautiful there. A must if ever in London. read more

Kensington Palace - Diana's Jewelry! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

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I went to Kensington the last week of September, 2023. Took a tour. They had a couture display including dresses from the Met Gala. They mixed in some of Victorias dresses and I saw her emeralds jewels. Disappointed that they didn't have any of Diana's dresses that certainly someone could have loaned the palace for the display. The outside grounds are kinda dirty. It was nice to see the palace. Very nice. Thank you royal family for sharing your home! read more

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Between England, Scotland, and Ireland, there are A LOT of royal sites to see! It's hard to figure out which ones are worth the effort and which are not. I felt like Kensington was one stop that was worth it! This may not be among the top 5 royal sites I would recommend, but it's a fun visit nonetheless. A stone's throw from the Queensway metro stop, Kensington Palace has served as the residence of William and Kate (Duke and Duchess of Cambridge). I find it uplifting that the palace was in horrible condition by the end of the 1800s and nearly demolished, only to be saved by Queen Victoria. She was born and raised in the palace, and even named queen there at 18 years of age. The massive Kensington Gardens and adjacent Hyde Park are simply gorgeous with picturesque lakes, myriad walking paths, and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. Tip: Go around 4:30 p.m. on a week day and you'll practically have the place to yourself. read more

Kensington Palace - The King's Gallery, deserted at 4:30 p.m. on a weekday. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

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Overall it was interesting to walk around the palace and grounds and be apart of history. I rarely write poor reviews BUT save your money and watch reruns of The Met Gala because that's all that's on display here. We personally went to learn more about the history of the palace but there's limited amounts and it's honestly a showcase of America celebrities clothes. Not to mention that they allow WAY TO MANY people in each time slot so you're cramped in small spaces with tons of people. I appreciate the building, but unfortunately walls cannot tell their own history alone and you're better off saving money and not being disappointed.... read more

I was a bit underwhelmed by this palace. After seeing many of the other castles and historical places in London, this left me wanting more. I was surprised by the lack of effort in the displays, materials and lighting. It felt like it was constructed over night; and I hate to say this, as a tourist trap Intentionally. The photo gallery was very remarkable however and I did greatly enjoy that aspect. read more

I am not sure who thought the Crown to Couture exhibition would be a good idea but it was super disappointing! I was hoping to take my friend to see the palace as I've seen it before with the time period furnishings but that was not the case. Save your money and watch a rerun of the Met Gala and wait for this exhibition to close! Hopefully on my next visit it will be back to normal! read more

What a great stop for a coffee or tea and delicious pastries made on-site. Prepare to pay a "King's Ransom", but after all it is Kensington Palace. Like most of London, if it's summer time, also be prepared to sweat. There is no air conditioning inside, so eat inside and bear the searing heat (London is in the midst of a heat wave) or eat outside on the nice uncovered patio contending with the elements, but taking in the wonderful gardens. A gift shop is attached to the cafe. Don't look for bargains here, but all the China is not made in China, but high quality manufactured in the United Kingdom. If you have some spare time and energy (not in that order), walk over one street east to the posh Kensington Palace Gardens Blvd. You likely won't find this in every guide book, but there is ambassador after ambassador's elegant residences one after another. You have to walk past a guard gate, but people strolling aren't challenged. No pictures are allowed per signage. This is a nice walk. read more

Kensington Palace - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

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Located in Hyde park, this is another must visit destination for those interested in British History. The home of Queen Victoria, this provides you with insight into her family and how she was raised to become of the most powerful rulers during her time. Complete with a tour of her childhood bedrooms, dining halls, and diaries of her life throughout her 63 years as Queen of England. read more

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Did you really visit London if you didn't get a picture in front of the ornate golden gates in front of Kensington Palace?! Home of the British Royal Family, Kensington Palace is located close to Hyde Park, where royals have been spotted (my friend spotted Prince Harry on a jog during her first day in London - serendipity at its finest). I haven't done the tour yet, but absolutely need to. Circle around Hyde Park, visit the Princess Diana memorial, then make your way to this palace for the grand finale. My favorite time to visit is around sunset - it just makes the area that much more beautiful. read more

First stop on my Europe bday trip was the beautiful UK it's always been my dream to visit London and this was definitely a place on my list of things to see! The palace was about a 10 min drive from my hotel and the grounds were lovely as soon as I arrived. What I loved was that it wasn't expensive and getting tickets were fast an easy. The history is great and the palace takes about an hour or an hour and a half to see. There's a nice cafe inside to grab some tea and treats and continue the tour outdoors which overlooks the water. It was a cold day but this was definitely a great place to visit and learn about Queen Victoria, her history and legacy. read more

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The one must see for my list was to go to Buckingham Palace. But unfortunately, when the queen isn't staying at Buckingham, then it's closed and only viewable from the outside. I was almost about to not see Kensington Palace but then since we were close enough hubby said we should go especially since he knew I was a royals fan back in the day. It was a little confusing at first on where to enter, but we asked a nice police officer and he helped us. I enjoyed seeing where the royals lived in this grand estate. The exhibits were extensive enough without being overbearing. The Crown Jewels portion and the fashion of the royals everyone naturally gravitates to. The garden is beautiful too and The Orangery is a reasonable restaurant to enjoy a lunch or afternoon tea service, though a bit stark in decor. read more

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What a nice palace and beautiful garden! Acres and acres of big space. Lots of greens. Many local people bring their picnic basket and enjoy a beautiful afternoon on the grass. So relaxing..... There is a fee to tour the interior. If you have enough time, take your time check out the palace inside and enjoying the garden. Away from the heavy traffic. read more

Kensington Palace - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - London, XGL

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A gorgeous area for photo opportunities! In addition, the palace is surrounded by Kensington Gardens and not too far from many other landmarks and parks, such as, Hyde Park, The Albert Memorial and V&A Museum, so it makes for a great area to explore. It was also very easy to get to this area as quite a few Underground stations (High Street Kensington, Notting Hill Gate and Queensway) were not too far away. If you're walking from the High Street Kensington station, you'll find yourself walking thru a shopping area with numerous stores (Zara, H&M, Whole Foods, etc) so if you like shopping you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone! read more

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in all of London this was the only place in which I was disapppunted. it wasn't worth a nickel. I expected the rooms to be furnished, but there wasn't a stick of furniture in the place. instead they showed some costumes worn way back in time which was cool, but they tried to compare them to the fashions of today...fashions worn by scantily dressed celebritie and other celebrities who wear outlandish apparel. The point was to show how fashion has changed???? No one I know wears a chandelie!!! Really? if I was curious about Katie Perry or anyone else (which I'm so not) I could google. I went to London to see history. I felt cheated that I had spent money on such a ridiculous display. read more