Kensington Palace Entry Fee

The palace issues tickets on a timed-entry basis, a system that keeps the State Apartments from becoming overcrowded and protects the fragile textiles in Queen Victoria's private quarters. Your admission unlocks four permanent route sections—the King's State Apartments, Queen Victoria Revealed, the King's Gallery, and the temporary exhibition space—and each follows a marked path through interconnected rooms furnished with original pieces from the Royal Collection. The Kensington Palace entry fee covers all indoor galleries and does not charge separately for special exhibitions, a policy that differs from some other Historic Royal Palaces properties where blockbuster shows carry a supplement. Children under 16 visit free, which makes the palace a viable option for families watching their London budget, though every child must be listed on the booking to comply with fire-safety capacity limits. Members of Historic Royal Palaces—an independent charity that also manages the Tower of London and Hampton Court—enter free year-round and can book fast-track slots during school holidays. Annual membership costs more than two adult visits, so frequent royal-history enthusiasts often find it pays for itself within a season. Palace admission price does not include the Orangery café or the Pavilion gift shop, both of which sit outside the ticketed perimeter in Kensington Gardens and remain open to the public regardless of palace tickets. The palace closes Mondays and Tuesdays, which can catch out visitors who assume all London museums follow a seven-day schedule. Booking your ticket online at least a day in advance locks in your chosen time slot and avoids the standby queue at the Broad Walk entrance, where walk-up availability is never guaranteed during half-term weeks and the summer season. Your ticket remains valid only for the date and time printed on the confirmation, and late arrivals forfeit their slot without refund. The voluntary donation toggle during checkout adds roughly £2.70 to the displayed palace entry fee, a contribution that funds conservation projects across all five Historic Royal Palaces sites. Unchecking the box is straightforward and does not affect your booking or the scope of your visit. What you pay secures roughly two to three hours inside the building, depending on your reading pace through the interpretive panels and your interest in the video installations that recreate court ceremonies from the Georgian and Victorian eras.