10 Kensington Palace Tours in London Worth Booking Ahead

1.The Kensington Palace Gardens Royal High Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 934 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $158Our pick

Meet your guide at Queensway Station for a roughly two-hour walk through Kensington Gardens, with stories about Hyde Park and the Royal Family. The tour ends with traditional afternoon tea at the Orangery, including sandwiches, scones, and cakes. Guides such as Doug, Paul, Paddy, Barbara, and Simon have led the walk. Palace admission is not included unless selected at checkout.

“Paul was an excellent guide, very informative and paced walking tour perfectly to accommodate all of us. High Tea was ok, had better tasting sandwiches and scones in other countries.”

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2.Kensington Palace Entrance Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 557 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $28

At Kensington Palace, explore the King’s and Queen’s State Apartments, the Victoria: A Royal Childhood exhibition and the gardens at your own pace. The ticket also covers temporary exhibitions, including Dress Codes during its scheduled 2025 run. Allow about three hours, and check opening times before setting out.

“Although once home to Princess Diana, you do not see where see once lived since her apartment is not offices to the Prince and Princess of Wales staff. The audio tour was nice. The Palace was super hot, no AC, so keep that in mind when traveling in the summer.”

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3.Kensington Palace Gardens Tour with Royal High Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 325 reviews · from $160

Walk Kensington Gardens with a guide such as Simon, Doug, Dee or Astrid, hearing royal stories and seeing the Sunken Garden and formal flower beds. Then settle in for afternoon tea at Kensington Palace’s Orangery, with sandwiches, scones, cakes and tea. Palace admission and sparkling wine depend on the option you book.

“My friend and I had a wonderful experience at Kensington Gardens and the tour. I will say, we were unaware that the tour was going to be an hour long and other members of our group were also unaware that the booking came with the tour and not just the tea. If you are booking this for the tea, be aware this comes with a tour! This was a great experience and great tour guide but we were unaware of the tour until right before. The tour was somewhat of a long walk. I do recommend this though!”

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4.VIP Kensington Palace Gardens Tour & Royal Tea Crown Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 102 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $159

Meet your guide near Kensington Gardens for royal stories, a walk to the Sunken Garden and Princess Diana statue, and afternoon tea at the 18th-century Orangery. Timed Kensington Palace entry is an optional upgrade, with palace rooms explored using the official audio tour. Guides have included Mike, Liz, and Warren.

“Really loved this experience! The first hour is spent walking in Hyde Park, getting a little bit of history of the area as well as about Kensington Palace and the Royal Family. After, you have tea at The Orangery. Come hungry because there’s a lot to eat and it will fill you up! You can also try more than one tea, if you like. Our tour guide, Mike, was wonderful. Very knowledgeable and kind.”

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5.Buckingham Palace Walk & Tea at Kensington Palace

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 50 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $160Top rated

Walk from Green Park through St James’s, past Buckingham Palace and up Constitution Hill with a guide, then take a red bus toward Kensington Gardens and finish with a full afternoon tea in the Orangery. Guides such as Simon, David, and Tom have led the route. Palace interiors are not included unless you add entry when booking.

“The High Tea was wonderful. We enjoyed the afternoon!”

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6.VIP Kensington Palace Gardens Tour & Royal High Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 39 reviews · from $154

Join an English-speaking guide for a walk through Kensington Gardens, with the Cradle Walk and a view of the Sunken Garden. Choose an option with timed Palace entry to see the State Apartments, then finish with sandwiches, cakes, and English tea at the 18th-century Orangery. Guides have included Pauline, Mike, Amber, and Marisol.

“Our guide Amber was absolutely brilliant, happy and funny. Would fully recommend a guided tour. She made our experience well worthwhile.”

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7.Westminster Walking Tour and Kensington Palace Visit

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 33 reviews · 5 hours · from $87

This five-hour experience pairs a three-hour guided walk from the Ritz through Westminster with two hours at Kensington Palace. You’ll see Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Downing Street and Parliament Square, then explore the palace on your own. Guides have included Ashley, Maebh, Sandra and Ari. The Changing of the Guard is only part of the 10am tour on select days.

“Very knowledgeable and pleasant guide! We enjoyed learning about all the major tourist sites and seeing them in person! Kensington Palace was a bit far from our ending spot and we got there on our own. (Walked an hour) We didn’t realize it was so faraway from the end of the Westminster tour. Kensington Palace was beautiful! Amazing splendor!”

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8.Kensington Palace Tour, Guard Change & Afternoon Tea

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 22 reviews · 5.5 hours · from $147

Spend 5.5 hours following a guide from the Changing of the Guard along The Mall and through royal parks to Kensington Palace. Pre-reserved entry, an audio guide, and tea with scones, sandwiches, and pastries at the Orangery are included. Guides on recent tours have included Sue, Sharan, and Susannah.

“A little less walking from one point to another.”

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9.Royal Kensington Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 13 reviews · 2 hours · from $99

Spend two hours walking Royal Kensington with an English-speaking guide, in a group capped at 10. Hear stories outside Kensington Palace, see the Royal Albert Hall and Albert Memorial, and pass through Kensington Gardens. The route may include the museum district and finish near Harrods. Guides Vincent, Diane or Diana have led tours.

“Tour guide was Diana. I was the only one, which ended up being a private tour. Very knowledgeable of the area, strolled at a good pace stopping along the way. Finished at the V & A museum. Tour time 1.5hrs”

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10.Kensington and Chelsea Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 5 reviews · 2 hours · from $26Best value

Start at South Kensington Station and walk through Albertopolis, Kensington Gardens, Knightsbridge and Chelsea, finishing at Sloane Square. Your guide connects Victorian museums, royal landmarks and tucked-away mews streets. Tours run in English, German or Italian; Simona has led the walk, though the guide may vary.

“Il tour e` stato molto interessante e la guida Simona molto preparata e gentile. Ci ha fatto scoprire Kensington e angoli di Chelsea che mai avremmo visitato da soli Spiegandoci storia, design, architettura usanze e costumi di questo quartiere di Londra. Noi eravamo con due bambine piccole e siamo riusciti, anche grazie alla guida, a coinvolgere nella visita. Tour consigliatissimo!”

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