The five Historic Royal Palaces (if you want to visit them all, buying a membership is the cheapest way) are the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace. These magnificent buildings are monuments to the wealth and grandeur of past royalty and filled with incredible paintings, furniture and stories.
The Tower of London also has the Crown Jewels, astounding diamonds and rubies including the actual crown still worn by Queen Elizabeth II on regal occasions. The Tower is guarded by Beefeaters, a special force of soldiers who also act as lively tour guards. Similarly the other royal palaces are filled with specialist guides and guards who know almost everything about these buildings and are happy to share the information.
Kensington Palace is where Princess Diana lived and where her sons Princes William and Harry still have rooms to stay in. Hampton Court was Henry VIII's favourite home and is a wonderful mix of his Tudor era palace and a later Baroque palace with a park filled with deer and swans.
Kew Palace is a lovely small residence in Kew Gardens beloved by Queen Charlotte as her picnic house in the 18th century. The Banqueting Hall is all that remains of the enormous Whitehall Palace which was destroyed by fire.
The other royal palace in London is Buckingham Palace, the current royal residence. This is only open to the public during summer when the Queen is away, during August and September. A visit to the State Apartments and the palace garden during this time is well worth it, but you'll need to book ahead as it's very popular. You can also see the royal art collection at the nearby Queen's Gallery which is open all year.
Tours & Tickets
London in One Day Sightseeing Tour
On the London in One Day Sightseeing Tour, you will explore the very best of London on a fully-guided tour. You'll take a scenic drive through the West End and ... Read more
Location:
London, United Kingdom
Duration: 8.5 - 9 hours
London Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
From a private tour of the Tower of London to the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace - you'll see everything England's capital has to offer on the ... Read more
Location:
London, United Kingdom
Duration: 9 hours (approx.)
London Pass
Discover the joy of sightseeing with the London Pass, and enjoy free entry to 60 of its world-class sites like St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and the ... Read more
Location:
London, United Kingdom
Duration: Flexible
Skip the Line: Tower of London Tickets
Take a journey back in time at the UNESCO World-Heritage-listed Tower of London. The 'skip the line' entrance ticket includes viewing the White Tower and the ... Read more
Location:
London, United Kingdom
Duration: 1 day (approx.)
