Sights · Our pick in London
Kensington Palace
A royal home in the gardens
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Rept0n1x · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace has been a royal residence since the late 17th century, when William III and Mary II bought it. Queen Victoria was born here in 1819 and grew up in its rooms. Visitors can see the King’s and Queen’s State Apartments and changing exhibitions, and the Sunken Garden outside. It is run by Historic Royal Palaces; book online. High Street Kensington and Queensway are the nearest stations.
Why it's on our list
- Queen Victoria’s birthplace
- State Apartments
- Sunken Garden
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Kensington Palace before you go.
Hotels nearby
The closest hotels in our guide to Kensington Palace, as the crow flies.
- The Baglioni Hotel London0.3 mi6 min walk
What’s nearby
Distances from Kensington Palace are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Nearest stations
- QueenswayCentral0.4 mi8 min walk
- High Street KensingtonCircleDistrict0.4 mi8 min walk
- Notting Hill GateDistrictCentralCircle0.4 mi9 min walk
Nearest taxi ranks
- Taxi rank, Westbourne Street0.8 mi15 min walk
Black cabs can also be hailed in the street: a lit yellow TAXI sign means the cab is available.
Key sights
- Harrods1.2 miWalk 23 minCycle 7 minCar or taxi 12 min
- Buckingham Palace2.0 miWalk 40 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min
- Leicester Square2.5 miCycle 16 minCar or taxi 22 min
- Trafalgar Square2.6 miCycle 17 minCar or taxi 22 min
- Westminster Abbey2.6 miCycle 17 minCar or taxi 23 min
- The British Museum2.8 miCycle 18 minCar or taxi 24 min
- Covent Garden2.8 miCycle 18 minCar or taxi 24 min
- London Eye2.9 miCycle 19 minCar or taxi 25 min
- The Shard4.4 miCycle 28 minCar or taxi 35 min
- Tower of London4.8 miCycle 31 minCar or taxi 39 min
Main rail terminals
- Paddington0.9 miWalk 18 minCycle 6 minCar or taxi 10 min
- Victoria2.0 miWalk 41 minCycle 13 minCar or taxi 18 min
- Charing Cross2.7 miCycle 17 minCar or taxi 23 min
- Euston2.8 miCycle 18 minCar or taxi 24 min
- Waterloo3.2 miCycle 21 minCar or taxi 27 min
- St Pancras International (Eurostar)3.2 miCycle 21 minCar or taxi 27 min
- King’s Cross St Pancras3.3 miCycle 21 minCar or taxi 27 min
- London Bridge4.4 miCycle 28 minCar or taxi 36 min
- Liverpool Street4.6 miCycle 30 minCar or taxi 37 min