Kensington: a palace, two parks and the High Street
Kensington’s the leafy, residential heart of the Royal Borough. High Street Kensington is the main drag, with Kensington Gardens on one side and Holland Park on the other, and the streets in between are full of grand terraces, garden squares and neighbourhood restaurants. If you’re after the Exhibition Road museums and the Royal Albert Hall, they’re just down the road in South Kensington.
Kensington Palace is the place to start. It’s where Queen Victoria was born and grew up, and you can explore the King’s State Apartments and the palace’s royal stories. Adult tickets are £24.70 and children’s are £12.40. It’s worth knowing that the Queen’s State Apartments are closed until spring 2027 for a major re-presentation, and the King’s Gallery closes from 18 November until spring 2027 for roof repairs. Until 22 November, the Power, Perfume and Scandal performances bring the palace’s party days back to life at weekends, included in your ticket.
Kensington Gardens, one of the Royal Parks, wraps around the palace, and it’s a lovely place for a wander. The Serpentine’s two galleries are in the park and free to visit: Justin Caguiat: Change Ringing is at Serpentine South until 10 January, and Amar Kanwar’s show is at Serpentine North until 31 January. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland opens next door on 19 November.
At the far end of the High Street, the Design Museum sits on the edge of Holland Park. Es Devlin: Other Worlds, the first retrospective in Europe of her 30 years of stage design, sculpture and light, runs until 4 April 2027, LAIKA presents Wildwood: The Exhibition is on until 10 January, and the permanent Designer Maker User display is free.
Holland Park itself is the Royal Borough’s largest park, with the Japanese Kyoto Garden, woodland walks and, every summer, Opera Holland Park’s open-air festival under its canopy. Just off the park, Leighton House on Holland Park Road was the home and studio of the Victorian artist Frederic Leighton, famous for its Arab Hall, and Sambourne House on Stafford Terrace is the beautifully kept family home of illustrator Linley Sambourne. Leighton House is closed on Tuesdays and Sambourne House on Mondays and Tuesdays. We’ll keep this page updated with what’s on nearby, so check back when you’re planning your next visit.
Key venues
- Kensington Palace – Kensington Gardens, W8
- Kensington Gardens – Royal Park between Kensington and Hyde Park
- Serpentine Galleries – in Kensington Gardens, W2, free entry
- Design Museum – 224–238 Kensington High Street, W8
- Holland Park – Ilchester Place, W8, home of the Kyoto Garden
- Opera Holland Park – open-air summer opera festival in Holland Park
- Leighton House – 12 Holland Park Road, W14, closed Tuesdays
- Sambourne House – 18 Stafford Terrace, W8, closed Mondays and Tuesdays
- Royal Albert Hall – nearby on Kensington Gore, SW7
Upcoming events nearby
- Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires – from Sat 7 Nov, V&A South Kensington
- Power, Perfume and Scandal – weekends until Sun 22 Nov, Kensington Palace, included in palace admission
- Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2026 – 19 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027, Hyde Park
- LAIKA presents Wildwood: The Exhibition – until Sun 10 Jan 2027, Design Museum
- Justin Caguiat: Change Ringing – until Sun 10 Jan 2027, Serpentine South, free
- Es Devlin: Other Worlds – until Sun 4 Apr 2027, Design Museum
Want the full picture? Browse the London events calendar or catch up on our What’s On guides for the best of each weekend.