Kensington palace and hampton court palace day trip from london

Visit two royal palaces in one day on this independent day trip from London. With transport from central London and entrance tickets to Kensington Palace and Hampton Court Palace included, this is the perfect full-day sightseeing trip with a royal twist! See rooms where high-profile royals, like Princess Diana, have lived in Kensington Palace, and explore King Henry VIII’s State Apartments at Hampton Court.

Leave London’s Victoria Station by comfortable coach for the short journey to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Right in the center of London, the neighborhood is one of the city’s most exclusive addresses, with luxury homes belonging to celebrities, politicians, and, of course, royalty! Your first stop of the day is at the borough’s most illustrious addresses – Kensington Palace.

Birthplace of Queen Victoria, the elegant palace and gardens have been home to successive members of the British Royal Family since the 17th century. Princess Diana is one of the most high-profile royals to have lived here in recent years, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Kate) are set to make it their official residence in 2013.

Your host will hand over your tickets, and then show you to the entrance, leaving you for roughly two hours to explore independently and perhaps grab lunch (own expense) in the Orangery restaurant. Reopened to the public in 2012 following a £12 million renovation project, the palace’s public rooms have been reorganized into a series of exhibitions that depict different centuries of royal life. Be sure to see the State Apartments with paintings from the Royal Collection.

In the afternoon, your tour continues to Hampton Court Palace in southwest London, approximately one hour away. With two hours to explore at leisure, you’ll learn all about the lives of famous monarchs who’ve lived in the palace like Henry VIII, plus admire the beautiful Tudor architecture and gardens. Lose yourself in the famous Hampton Court maze or relax with a coffee in the quaint Titlyard Café (own expense). Your tour returns to London Victoria by coach, where you’ll arrive in the early evening.