Kensington Gardens

Kensington Gardens features magnificent formal flowerbeds and avenues of beautiful trees and several features that will appeal to all ages

A Peaceful Formal Pond Garden near the Palace in Kensington Gardens
A Peaceful Formal Pond Garden near the Palace in Kensington Gardens cc licensed photo by Alex Lecea

Kensington Gardens is contiguous with Hyde Park and covers 275 acres resulting in a total area of 625 acres of beautiful parkland in the heart of the city.

These beautiful gardens were at one time the private gardens of Kensington Palace. Bordering 'Long Water' that divides them from Hyde Park, the gardens have a number of neat features in addition to the tree lined avenues and flower beds.

For kids there is the Diana Playground, a Peter Pan themed playground with a pirate ship and beach that was made in 2000 in memory of the Princess of Wales. Kids and adults will enjoy the Round Pond with it's variety of birds and where model ships have been sailed since Victorian times.

Created in 1861 the Italian Gardens are an ornamental water garden decorated with fountains, statues and ponds. Also built in 1861 is the Albert Memorial, a gold plated statue of Prince Albert encompassed by large sculptures and a canopy of stone.

Kensington Palace stands at the west end of the gardens. It was Queen Victoria's birthplace and has served as a royal palace since 1689. The State Rooms can be visited by the public subject to an admission charge (see below).

To satisfy your appetite the Boardwalk Cafe is open year round and has an outdoor seating area and also offers a children's menu. The gardens also have a couple of refreshment points serving coffee, sandwiches and other light fare.

Facts For Your Visit

Official Website: Kensington Gardens

Fee: No

Open Now

Regular Hours:
Hours may be subject to change. Please verify on the official website.

  • Monday: 6:00 am - 8:30 pm
  • Tuesday: 6:00 am - 8:30 pm
  • Wednesday: 6:00 am - 8:30 pm
  • Thursday: 6:00 am - 8:30 pm
  • Friday: 6:00 am - 8:30 pm
  • Saturday: 6:00 am - 8:30 pm
  • Sunday: 6:00 am - 8:30 pm

Category: Parks

Address: The Royal Parks
London W2 2UH
United Kingdom

Phone: +44 300 061 2000

Reviews

Yelp Rating:
4.5 out of 5 4.5 Star Rating
Based on 99 Reviews.

See all reviews on Yelp

5 Star Rating Gorgeous park in the heart of London, the grounds are like a peaceful sanctuary in the middle of the metropolis. We strolled here from Paddington... Read More

Bill T. Mar-15-2023

5 Star Rating I was only here briefly when I was in town to run the London Marathon. I only walked through the eastern end of the garden where I came across the Peter Pan... Read More

Emil C. Oct-21-2022

5 Star Rating Kensington Gardens is one of London's Royal Parks and covers an area of 265 acres. We took a stroll through the South Flower Walk, and it was beautiful. All... Read More

Robyn P. Aug-19-2022

Accommodations near Kensington Gardens:

Directions

Tube Line Nearest Station Walking Time
Central LineQueensway and Lancaster Gate1 Minute
District and Circle LinesBayswater5 Minutes

How to get to Kensington Gardens by Tube

From Lancaster Gate exit to your right and when you get to the crosswalk cross over to the park gate. Follow the path that goes in a southwesterly direction from the Italian Gardens.

From Queensway Station exit to your right walk west on Bayswater Road to the crosswalk adjacent to the park gate. Cross over and follow the Broadwalk path straight south into the park.

From Bayswater Station on the Central line exit to your right and walk south along B411 to Bayswater Road proceed as above.

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Photo Gallery

Video


Great video about both the history and recent redisign of the Kensington Palace Gardens

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