Discover Kensington

Kensington combines extensive parkland, royal history and museums with diverse ways to explore. Those looking for accommodation here can plan their stay around walks, art, architecture and interactive family experiences.

Parkland with History and Nature

Kensington Gardens cover 265 acres and provide a variety of habitats for wildlife. These include historic grassland, riverside woodland and flowering meadows such as Buckhill Meadow. The gardens originally belonged to Kensington Palace and were once exclusive. This historical connection still shapes the area today, without confining the parkland to a single route.

On the northern side of Kensington Gardens are the Italian Gardens, an ornamental water garden with four main basins. The 400 m-long South Flower Walk complements this landscape with specimen trees and shrubs typical of the period. The allotment area also provides space to relax, along with practical tips on growing fruit and vegetables.

Smaller, clearly defined attractions are also part of Kensington's character. The Peter Pan statue was erected beside the Long Water in 1912; J. M. Barrie donated and personally funded it. Serpentine presents contemporary art at two locations in Kensington Gardens. The Albert Memorial represents splendour and remembrance, adding another architectural accent.

Royal Rooms and Cultural Attractions

The Palace Gardens at Kensington Palace invite you to take a walk in the footsteps of the royals. When William and Mary ascended the throne, Kensington Palace was a small suburban villa called Nottingham House. They transformed it into a magnificent country residence. The King's State Apartments comprise lavish rooms; at their entrance, the King's Staircase displays fascinating and unexpected figures.

For a museum visit, the V&A South Kensington offers a destination for art, design and the performing arts. General admission is free, and booking is not required. This makes the museum an independent cultural stop that you can include in your stay without additional admission planning.

With children of different ages, Wonderlab at the Science Museum offers a different focus. The interactive family gallery combines hands-on experiments and live demonstrations with more than 50 exhibits. Alongside Kensington's historical and artistic side, this provides an explicitly experimental approach to science.

Walks and Orientation

Kensington Gardens can be reached on foot within a few minutes from Lancaster Gate, Queensway and Bayswater Underground stations. For longer walks, the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk covers seven miles. It is marked by 90 ground plaques and passes through four of the eight Royal Parks, including Kensington Gardens.

This allows short routes through the park, individual cultural attractions and a longer marked walk to be combined in different ways. When looking for a hotel in Kensington, you can therefore pay particular attention to whether you would prefer to fill your stay with gardens and royal history, museums or family-oriented experiments.

For further exploration of London, you can also find Southwark (Southwark), Richmond (Richmond), Kilburn (Kilburn), New Malden (New Malden), Sutton (Sutton), Westminster (Westminster) and Kenley (Kenley).

More About the Destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Kensington and Chelsea.