Kensington Palace (Kensington Palace)

Member Name: Hanash84

Product:	Kensington Palace
Date:	28/06/09 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A royal palace, beautiful, historic

Disadvantages: no cloakroom or lift

Kensington Palace, is a royal residence that has been part of the British Royal Family since the 17th Century.

Originally, it was acquired as an escape to the countryside, which looking at the upbuilt area now is hard to imagine.

It is situated in the surrounding Kensington Gardens which are a beautiful setting and the nearest stations are High Street Kensington or Queensway, which are just a short stroll away. The Gardens are home to very friendly squirrels which you may see as you visit the Palace, they have been known to come up to people and sit on their shoulder. So do beware.

The palace itself, charges an entry fee, which it is best to check the website for as you can get online discount. The opening times vary between summer and winter, but generally it opens at 10am and shuts at 5pm or 6pm depending on which time of year.

Upon entering the palace, there are audio guides available which give you a history of the palace as you walk around. These are available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese. These guides are included in the ticket price, and are well worth listening to.

The Palace has several different rooms and highlights as you go along, with the spectacular Kings Staircase, Queen Victoria's bedroom, and the King's Gallery just some of them. It is a beautiful palace that is wonderous to explore, and often there are exhibitions, one of which currently is an exhibition of Princess Diana's dresses.

I personally find the palace to be very grand and beautiful. The artwork, the decoration, is all magnificent and it shows how things used to be in the olden days. When you walk into some of the rooms it is jaw dropping as to the grandness. I certainly wouldn't mind if I had the luxury of living in such a place. The building itself is spectacular with a great setting.

It is worth noting that the time needed to epxlore the palace is roughly 1 and a half hours but may take longer depending on how thoroughly you wish to look at each room.

It is also worth noting that there are no lifts, and there are staircases throughout the tour. There is also no cloakroom facility.

An enjoyable trip, either on a sunny or rainy day!

Summary: An enjoyable day out!