Best Places to Visit in London: Knightsbridge and Kensington

Knightsbridge is a section of London that caters to those who have it all.  The stores are luxurious, the homes extravagant and walking through this area is a treat.   Kensington is similar to Knightsbridge with the addition of  a palace and numerous museums.   On exhibition Road, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum are located in close proximity to each other.

We provide brief descriptions of the leading attractions  in Knightsbridge and Kensington and link these to a detailed map of London showing the location of the attraction. The blue numbered locations symbolized on the map are linked back to the descriptions of the attractions, so you can click them and return to the feature's description on this page.

Knightsbridge and Kensington

Harrods  

  

Knightsbridge

Harrods, which has a reputation as the supplier to the “upper crust”, is a London institution that draws thousands of tourists to Knightsbridge and Brompton Road. This icon of retailing is a large store that consists of seven levels appointed with luxury goods. It offers over one million square feet of selling space, but is known for its high quality goods and excellent service.  Of course, most of us will never know the excellent service since we will probably not be purchasing items such as a £1,000,000 pair of diamond encrusted shoes or a £250,000 Madame Tassaud's waxwork of .......ourselves!

Harrod's is a fun place to visit.  If you are interested, head for the home furnishing areas and compare what you find there with the contents of your local mall.

Be sure to see  the magnificent “Food Halls” - shopping was never like this at home. You will wander the Charcuterie, Fromagerie & Traiteur, Chocolates, Confectionary and a Meat, Fish and Poultry areas that will astound you with the available selection.

At last count, Harrods had 11 restaurants and  17 eateries of one kind or another.  Have a snack or a meal at Harrods; it is likely that you will not regret it.

One other note: Harrods is owned by the Fayed family, which explains the statue of Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana that can be found on the ground level near the Basil Street entrance (Door 3).

Most of us will find a way to depart Harrods with one of their green shopping bags filled some goodies. Maybe these are goodies to die for, but most of us just want one of those trendy bags to show the folks at home. Click here for access to the website of the Harrods' Knightsbridge Store.  There are a number of  stores selling luxury goods in the Knightsbridge/South Kensington areas and you might want to walk down Brompton Road to Beauchamp Place. A short lane filled with exquisite shops and several good restaurants, Beauchamp Place was the shopping area favored by Princess Diana.

• An alternate route to Beauchamp Place is to exit on the Basil street side of Harrods and continue west down  Walton Street, exploring its interesting neighborhood until you reach Beauchamp Place - turn right.

Top of Page

The Victoria and Albert Museum  

map symbol 8  

South Kensington Station

Advertised as the world’s largest museum for the decorative arts, the V & A is considered one of the world’s treasure houses for this type of collection. The Victoria and Albert has more than a hundred galleries housing a collection of over four million objects representing three thousand years of the best in decorative arts. It includes National Collections of sculpture, furniture, fashion and photographs. In addition, there are extenisive sub-sections featuring architecture, ceramics, textiles, prints and sculptures.

Click here to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum's web site.

 Top of Page

The Natural History Museum

One of the finest European natural history museums, it includes Life Galleries (featuring dinosaurs, insects, ecology, human biology, mammals, primates and minerals), The Earth Galleries, the Darwin Center, the Wildlife Garden and changing special exhibitions. Tours are provided and you can inquire about them at the Information Desk. If you like natural history, this is a great place to spend a morning or afternoon.  Visit the Natural History Museum's website for more information.

The Science Museum

South Kensington Station

This is the place to go if you will be traveling with children. A fabulous place, the Science Museum has many interactive exhibits to keep young minds busy. The heck with kids, if you like science, engineering, machinery, medicine, or astronomy, this is the place to head for a fun-filled afternoon. Visit the Science Museum's web site. for information on operating hours and special exhibitions.

 Top of Page

Kensington Palace

 

  Queensway, High Street Kensington

Kensington Palace has been serving as a royal palace since the late 17th century. Queen Victoria was born at Kensington Palace, as was Queen Mary, the present Queen’s grandmother.

In the past few years, this residence of the “Royals” has grown in popularity due its having been one of Diana, Princess of Wales “official” residences. Currently, Kensington Palace houses the offices and London residences of a number of Royal Family members.

Parts of the Palace are open to the public and the tour features the Royal Ceremonial Dress collection, including ceremonial garments worn by the Queen and dresses worn by Princess Diana. Tickets can be booked online at  the website of the Historic Royal Palaces. 

If you need information about another travel destination, try Googling our site or the Web

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.ThereArePlaces.com

Click the button above to link to Transport for London's Journey Planner.  Fill in the form for the best transportation schedule to your destinations in London.  When finished, close the window to return to ThereArePlaces

 

Return to Our London Homepage or explore Westminster    Mayfair and the West End The Strand and The City Tower Hill Bloomsbury   South Bank Marylebone  London's Markets Daytrips in the London Area

Advertisement

 Marriott London Kensington

Best Places to Visit in the United Kingdom

 
London in One Day Sightseeing Tour
From Viator Tours

Harrods Afternoon Tea and St Paul's Cathedral London Tour

 
Skip the Line: Kensington Palace Tickets
From Viator Tours