Best Things to Do in Kensington, London: A Local's Guide

Kensington and South Kensington make up one of the best neighbourhoods in London for a day out, and I say that as someone who lived in the capital for years and keeps coming back for more.

Within a short walk you’ve got three of London’s finest museums (all free), a royal palace, one of the city’s best parks, and enough good pubs to keep you going well into the evening. It’s the kind of area where you can easily fill a full day without spending a penny on entry fees, or stretch it to two or three days if you want to take your time.

On a recent trip to London, we based ourselves in the Earl’s Court area, which is just a short walk or quick Tube ride from Kensington. We spent several days exploring the area and have come back many times since. This guide covers all our favourite things to see and do, with a map and practical tips to help you plan your own visit.

Here’s our complete guide to the best things to do in Kensington and South Kensington, covering museums, palaces, parks and plenty more.

Table of Contents:

How to Get to Kensington

Kensington is well served by the London Underground. The most useful stations are South Kensington (on the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines), which puts you right next to the museums, and High Street Kensington (on the District and Circle lines), which is closer to Kensington Palace and the High Street shops.

If you’re coming from central London, South Kensington is about 10 minutes from Westminster on the District line, making it an easy addition to a day of sightseeing.

We have a full guide to public transport in London if you need help working out the system, and tips on the best way to pay for transport in London which could save you some money.

The Best Things to Do in Kensington and South Kensington, London

Here’s our guide to some of our favourite things to do in Kensington, which covers a number of museums, palaces and other attractions. As you’ll see, there’s a lot to do in this part of London, much of which is also free!

1. The Natural History Museum

Ok, there are a lot of museums in Kensington, so brace yourself. The three I’ve chosen are three of London’s finest museums though, so if museums are your thing, you’re going to have a ball. You’re also going to run out of time, because all these museums can easily soak up a day or more of your time.

First up is the Natural History Museum, which is worth looking at from the outside even if you don’t go into the building itself. The Victorian terracotta facade looks more like a cathedral than a museum, which I suspect was rather the point.

You’d be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t go in though. From the blue whale skeleton suspended in the main hall (his name is Hope, in case you were wondering), through to the escalator that takes you up through a giant model of the earth, there’s loads to see. Those were my favourites, but there’s lots more.

One thing – the museum isn’t exactly cutting edge any more, so if you are used to fancy interactive displays and holographic shizz, you probably won’t find too much of that here. It’s a museum from a slightly older time, but don’t let that put you off.

Plus it’s free. Hurrah.

2. The Science Museum

Conveniently next door to the Natural History Museum, and conveniently also free (who said London was expensive!), is the Science Museum. I remember visiting as a child in the eighties and being wowed by all the interactive exhibits, in that way only an eight year old can be wowed by a button that makes a thing happen.

On a more recent visit, I was pleased to find that my happy memories had translated well into modern times. The buttons still work. The museum has exhibits on pretty much everything you can think of relating to science, from the Victorian steam age through to space exploration. Whatever you are interested in, you’ll probably find something on it.

There are loads of hands on exhibits too, making this a great family day out, and as mentioned, entry is free (with the exception of any special exhibits).

3. The V&A Museum

The V&A Museum, or the Victoria and Albert Museum to give it its full title, was a new addition to my “museums I’ve visited in London” list. For some reason, despite having lived in the capital for a number of years, the V&A Museum had somehow never had a look in.

Which, it turns out, was a terrible shame because damn, this is a good museum. Stuffed full of all sorts of treasures, from Roman and Greek artefacts (the giant pillars are a particular highlight), through to more modern collections, this is the perfect museum to round out the museum trilogy of Nature, Science, and Culture.

It’s also free. Seriously London, your free museums rock.

4. Shopping in Harrods

Yeah, I can’t really afford to actually *buy* anything in Harrods. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy wandering around this gloriously over-the-top department store and wondering what life would be like with my very own monogrammed luggage set from Globetrotter.

Or how much more I might enjoy Backgammon on a hand stitched artisan backgammon board.

Or how much I might enjoy the tea that is sold in the tea shop, poured in loose leaf form from giant urns, to pretty much any amount that you might want.

Ok, so it turns out I can afford something in Harrods. Tea. Terribly British of us, I know, but if you are looking for an excellent souvenir at a reasonable price, a bag of tea from Harrods is a good place to start.

5. Afternoon Tea at The Berkeley

Speaking of tea, all those museums and that shopping have likely worn you out, and the best way to revive yourself is no doubt with an afternoon tea experience.

I’m not going to lie, never in my life prior to this experience had I had afternoon tea. It’s probably the sort of thing that gets your British Passport taken off you, so this visit to London with Jess seemed the perfect opportunity to get my afternoon tea experience on. Which I did, twice.

The first was at The Berkeley Hotel, and to be honest, it was not the most traditional of afternoon tea experiences. But it was a damn good one, so I’ll let it slide.

Rather than a traditional afternoon tea featuring scones and cakes and, well, the sort of things you would imagine of an afternoon tea, the Berkeley offer a rather different experience. Their afternoon tea is fashion themed, with all the tasty pastries and cakes being modelled after recent fashion lines by top designers.

I’m not really a fashion expert (probably not a huge surprise), but thankfully the many cakes and pastries came with a little card which explained what was going on, and what each was meant to represent.

It was all a great deal of fun, made even more so by the fact that we had the posh version of afternoon tea, which meant starting with champagne. And who can argue with afternoon tea that starts with champagne? Certainly not me. Read a full review of our afternoon tea experience at the Berkeley, here.

6. Kensington Gardens

One of my favourite things about London is the sheer amount of green space. I spent a great deal of time in Hyde Park and Regent’s Park when I was living in the city, hiding in a small corner pretending I wasn’t in a city of nine million people.

If all of the above has you craving an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city streets, than take a bit of time to head into Kensington Gardens, one of eight Royal Parks in the city, which covers 242 acres.

There are a number of things to enjoy in the gardens, including a statue of Peter Pan and the Albert Memorial. A couple of other notable highlights are:

The Serpentine Galleries

Lovers of museums and art certainly have no shortage of choice in Kensington. For those of you interested in modern and contemporary art in particular, we recommend a visit to the Serpentine Galleries in Kensington Gardens.

There are actually two galleries here, the Serpentine Gallery and the Serpentine Sackler Gallery. These are a five minute walk apart, and both are free. We’ve been in, and even if you’re not especially into modern art they’re worth a look. They’re small, so you won’t lose much time, and since the exhibitions rotate you never quite know what you’ll get. For free, we thought it was an easy yes.

The Diana Memorial Fountain

A short walk from the Serpentine Galleries is the Diana Memorial Fountain. This one is technically in Hyde Park rather than Kensington Gardens, but since they’re connected with no obvious boundary between them, we’re including it here.

The fountain was built in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, and opened in 2004. It’s a peaceful spot, designed as an interactive memorial where visitors are welcome to paddle in the shallow water, and we’ve watched plenty of people doing exactly that on a warm day. It’s pretty, and pleasant to walk around. I wouldn’t rearrange your day to see it, but if you’re already in the gardens it’s worth wandering over. The surfaces get slippery when wet, so step in carefully unless you fancy explaining a sprained ankle to A&E.

7. Visit Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace is the official London residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales (William and Kate), and has been a home to members of the Royal Family since the 17th century. You can visit several of the State Apartments and explore the beautiful gardens.

Jess and I have visited, and it was right up her street, she loves a historical building with a story to tell, and the palace has plenty of those. We also stopped for tea and scones at the palace café, which was a highlight of the visit (worth checking what is open when you go). I wouldn’t expect to bump into any actual Royals during your visit, but there’s always a slim chance. The Palace hosts a rotating programme of exhibitions alongside the permanent collection, so there’s usually something new to see even if you’ve been before.

Kensington Palace tickets can be booked in advance here, or you can use a London Pass, which includes entry to the Palace. See more about the London Pass in our full London Pass review here.

Note that the Queen’s State Apartments are currently closed for major conservation work, with no reopening date yet announced. The rest of the Palace remains open, so it’s still well worth a visit, but the Queen’s State Apartments themselves aren’t accessible at the moment.

8. Visit the Royal Albert Hall

One of London’s most impressive and well known performance venues is the Royal Albert Hall, a Victorian-era performance house that plays host to everything from classical music concerts to tennis matches to film premieres. Yes, tennis. They cleared out the seats for the ATP tour finals once.

The building is named in memory of Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who died six years before it opened. Albert never saw the hall built in his honour, which seems a bit unfair on Albert.

As well as visiting for a performance, you can also take an hour long tour of the Royal Albert Hall. We did the tour and thought it was well worth it, getting a behind the scenes look at how a venue like this actually runs. We’ve since watched all sorts of shows broadcast from the hall on TV, most recently the celebration for David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, and it’s oddly satisfying to recognise the place and know a little about how it all works behind the curtain. The tours are popular, so book in advance. They’re also included in the London Pass.

9. Visit 18 Stafford Terrace

If you want to get a feel for what life might have been like in this part of London in late Victorian times, then you should definitely pay a visit to 18 Stafford Terrace, also known as Sambourne House.

This was the home of the Sambourne family, in particular Edward Linley Sambourne and his wife Marion, who lived here for over thirty years.

The Sambournes were a fairly well-off middle class Victorian-era couple, who lived and worked in this house. Edward was an artist, most well known for his illustrations which appeared in the British satirical publication “Punch“.

The home is set out today much as it would have been when the Sambournes lived here, and visiting feels a lot like wandering around someone’s house, except you’ve stepped through a time portal by mistake and landed in the late Victorian era. There’s a huge amount to take in, with the walls and almost every surface holding something to look at. It was one of my favourite stops in Kensington, and not one I’d expected to enjoy as much as I did.

Be sure to check opening times before you visit, as the home is not open all the time.

10. Leighton House Museum

If you want to experience some more art during your time in Kensington, then a visit to Leighton House Museum should be on your itinerary.

Open as a museum since 1929, and a companion museum to 18 Stafford Terrace, Leighton House Museum was the home of painter Frederic Leighton, who had the house purpose built. Today, as well as displaying 81 works by Leighton himself, art is also on display from members of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood.

The house itself is quite something, with a number of interesting features, including a pseudo-Islamic court and many art pieces from the Middle East. Despite its size, the house only had one bedroom, which I find a brilliant priority statement from a Victorian artist.

11. Have a Pub Lunch

If you fail to spot a Royal, don’t worry. You can drown your sorrows with a classic British pub lunch.

Admittedly, this is hardly something you need to travel to Kensington to do, given that the entirety of the UK revolves around the existence of the local Public House, but since it’s such a classic, I couldn’t do anything other than include it here.

Favourites include various pies (meat, covered in pastry), fish and chips (although I prefer mine served at the sea side), and on Sunday’s, the classic Sunday Roast, which will come with all sorts of trimmings. Go for the roast beef and Yorkshire pudding if you want to experience a true British meal, and don’t worry, the pudding isn’t a dessert.

Accompany the whole thing with a draft pint of real ale, and your day in Kensington will be complete. Even it it’s just the beginning of the afternoon.

Another option if you’d prefer something a bit different is a visit to the Churchill Arms. This pub is an homage to everything Churchill, and in summer the entire exterior disappears under thousands of flowers, to the point you can barely see the building underneath. They serve Thai food rather than traditional English pub food, but it is excellent, and the interior, which is filled with Winston Churchill memorabilia, has to be seen to be believed.

If you are interested in sampling British food and visiting historic pubs, then we can highly recommend taking a specific walking tour. We have a guide to all our favourite walking tours in London to help you find the right one for you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Kensington

Is Kensington worth visiting in London?

Kensington is one of the best areas in London for a day out. It’s home to three world-class museums that are all free to enter (the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and V&A), plus Kensington Palace, beautiful Kensington Gardens, and the Royal Albert Hall. You could easily spend a full day here without running out of things to do.

What is the difference between Kensington and South Kensington?

They’re neighbouring areas and most visitors treat them as one. South Kensington is where you’ll find the three big museums (Natural History, Science and V&A) and the nearest Tube station for those. Kensington proper, a little further north and west, is where you’ll find Kensington Palace, Kensington High Street for shopping, and the Royal Albert Hall. They’re about a 15 minute walk apart.

How many days do you need in Kensington?

You can see the main highlights in a single day if you pick two or three museums and a walk through Kensington Gardens. If you want to spend proper time in the museums and also visit Kensington Palace, two days is more comfortable. Each of the three big museums could easily fill half a day on its own.

Are the museums in Kensington free?

Yes. The Natural History Museum, Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum are all free to enter, though some special exhibitions may charge. The Serpentine Galleries in Kensington Gardens are also free. Kensington Palace and 18 Stafford Terrace do charge for entry.

What is the best Tube station for Kensington?

South Kensington station (District, Circle and Piccadilly lines) is best for the museums. High Street Kensington station (District and Circle lines) is closer to Kensington Palace and the shops. Both are well connected to the rest of London.

Can you visit Kensington Palace?

Yes, Kensington Palace is open to visitors. You can explore several State Apartments and the gardens. Tickets can be booked in advance, and the Palace is also included on the London Pass. It’s a working royal residence, so some areas may occasionally be closed.

Where to Stay in Kensington

Kensington is a lovely area of London, with a wide range of accommodation options. As you can see, there’s plenty to do here, and basing yourself in this part of the city for your time in London is a great option.

We’ve put together some suggested options for where to stay in Kensington below, across a variety of options. We can also recommend checking out the listings on booking.com for Kensington here, where you’ll find everything from apartments to hotels to hostels!

Astor Hyde Park Hostel – A well reviewed hostel just round the corner from the Royal Albert Hall
The Rockwell – an excellent value mid-range boutique hotel in South Kensington, 10 minutes walk from the Natural History Museum
Milestone Hotel Kensington – 5* boutique luxury hotel in Kensington

For lots more options in Kensington, see our complete guide to hotels in London, which has tips for every area in the city including Kensington.

Map of Kensington Attractions

We’ve put all the above attractions into a map to help you plan your day in Kensington. As you can see, the attractions are all relatively close to each other, and can be explored on foot. You can also see this map on Google Maps here.

The Best Things to Do in Kensington & South Kensington, London

How to Get to Kensington