Kensington Palace Reviews Summary

Exhibits and Displays

Pros:

• "The exhibits were informative, and the staff was friendly."
• "Fabulous display. Well laid out with lots of information and detail."
• "Very informative exhibition on the life of Queen Victoria inside."
• "Had an amazing time at the Crown to Couture exhibition - so many memorable dresses and outfits from Met Galas, Oscars and other award ceremonies, all placed around different parts of the Palace."
• "The exhibit was excellent and well worth the money."

Cons:

• "The beginning of your walk through the palace had very little to do with history."
• "3/4 of the palace was taken over with an exhibit about modern clothing and red carpet outfits."
• "We were sad that there was no furniture or information about the rooms purpose or who they were used by in the Couture Galleries."
• "I’ve failed to see the relevance of the met gala exhibit."
• "Exhibition of celebrity met gala outfits seems out of place at Kensington Palace, particularly as main attraction."

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "The staff at Kensington Palace were friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to share their insights."
• "Staff was helpful and willing to answer questions."
• "All the staff were very friendly and helpful."
• "The staff were so helpful."
• "The staff were welcoming."

Cons:

• "After standing in line outside and standing now for my small bag to be searched twice, I was mentally and physically exhausted."
• "We had timed entry, but it was very busy and a bit chaotic getting in."
• "Booked tickets in advance to visit but still required to queue. Far too many people booked in at once, so it's very crowded and makes it difficult to enjoy the exhibitions."
• "It was a bit disappointing that we were unable to use the cafe without having a ticket to see the entire of the inside, as the food looked great."
• "Wasn’t prepared to pay the high entry fee of £20."

Gardens and Grounds

Pros:

• "The beautiful Kensington Gardens surrounding the palace added to its charm."
• "The gardens are beautiful and a huge pond. Lots of people walking around."
• "The grounds are very pretty. There were many families walking through the grounds and enjoying these spaces."
• "The sunken gardens design is worth the visit; as they have Princess Diana sculpture, beautiful flowers and cradle walk with a view all around."
• "Beautiful picturesque garden.. we visited at sunset."

Cons:

• "A little disappointing that the public can't walk within the sunken garden."
• "The sunken garden was being renovated but nevertheless was a riot of flowers and the surrounding environs beautiful."
• "Unfortunately opening hours aren't very reachable at least during spring time, so we couldn't go inside the gates to admire the garden."
• "The Memorial Garden outside is very picturesque too."
• "The garden, the pond, the Princess of Wales Playground."

Value and Expectations

Pros:

• "Buy tickets online ahead of time for a scheduled hour! It was a nice visit and not too crowded due to the timed slot setup."
• "The Palace was easily accessible and the entry fees were reasonable."
• "No wait to get in with a pre-paid ticket."
• "We had no issues getting in with the london pass, and it was really not crowded either."
• "We used our Art Fund passes and were pleasantly surprised it gave us free entry to the entire building."

Cons:

• "I expected more for a royal palace, but it’s probably because I’m American and all we see is the hype of the royal family."
• "Building is not very impressive, and there isn't as much to see inside as I've expected, particularly for the price."
• "However, for $31 I expected more about the history of the palace and Princess Diana and so on."
• "Incredibly disappointed with this. I was expecting an historic display. Instead of seeing a palace where Princess Diana lived, I saw a display of red carpet dresses worn by Beyonce and Katy Perry."
• "It’s a small building so not sure $28 pounds is worth it… I won’t be spending that for a small house."