Which Kensington Palace Ticket Is Actually the Best in 2026?
Quick answer
book the sightseeing entrance ticket if you want to go inside. Book the afternoon tea walk if you want Kensington Gardens and tea. Book the VIP gardens high tea only if you want a smaller, higher-rated tea tour. Most visitors should take the entrance ticket. Kensington Gardens themselves are free.
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The top 3 tickets people actually book
Ranked from live GetYourGuide products, not from a made-up shortlist. Review counts, starting prices and product photos are taken from those listings. Prices below convert to your currency. The exact fare is confirmed on GetYourGuide at checkout.
#1Best for almost everyone
London: Kensington Palace Sightseeing Entrance Tickets
This is the Kensington Palace ticket people actually book. It is the official-style sightseeing entry to the State Apartments, with an audio guide, and it is the most reviewed Kensington Palace product on GetYourGuide.
- From
- £19
- Time
- 1 day ticket
- Rating
- 4.4 (4,687 reviews)
- Inside the palace
- Yes
- Afternoon tea
- No
- When
- Open most of the year
Who it is for: First-time visitors, royal-history fans, and anyone who wants to go inside Queen Victoria's birthplace without paying for tea or a walking tour they will not use.
Book Kensington Palace entrance ticketFree cancellation. Instant confirmation
#2Best if you want tea and the gardens
London: Kensington Palace Afternoon Tea & Guided Walk
This is the tea-and-gardens product people book after the entrance ticket. You walk Kensington Gardens with a guide, then sit down for tea. Palace interiors are not automatic: select the option that includes entry if you want the State Apartments as well.
- From
- £95
- Time
- 2-4 hours
- Rating
- 4.6 (367 reviews)
- Inside the palace
- No
- Afternoon tea
- Yes
- When
- Guided walk, then tea
Who it is for: Couples, celebrations, and anyone who already wants Kensington Gardens and tea in one booking. Most visitors who only want the palace should book the entrance ticket.
Book Afternoon tea and gardens walkFree cancellation. Instant confirmation
#3Best rated gardens high tea
London: VIP Kensington Palace Gardens Tour & Royal High Tea
This is the higher-rated gardens-and-tea tour: a walk through Kensington Gardens, then royal high tea. It has 71 reviews. That is a thinner sample than the two products above, even though the score is higher. It is not a State Apartments ticket.
- From
- £115
- Time
- 2-3 hours
- Rating
- 4.7 (71 reviews)
- Inside the palace
- No
- Afternoon tea
- Yes
- When
- Gardens walk, then high tea
Who it is for: Travellers who want a smaller gardens tea and are happy to book a less-reviewed product for that. Most people should start with the entrance ticket.
Book VIP gardens high teaFree cancellation. Instant confirmationWhich one should you book?
- Book the sightseeing entrance ticket if you want to go inside Kensington Palace. That is the ticket almost everyone should buy.
- Book the afternoon tea walk if you want a guided stretch of Kensington Gardens and tea in one booking. It is a treat, not a better palace ticket.
- Book the VIP gardens high tea only if you want a smaller, higher-rated gardens tea. It has 71 reviews. Most people should not start there.
Time, price and the gardens, honestly
The entrance ticket is a one-day sightseeing ticket for the State Apartments, with an audio guide. Plan about 90 minutes to two hours inside. Kensington Palace is open for most of the year, unlike the Buckingham Palace State Rooms.
Kensington Gardens are free. You do not need a Kensington Gardens ticket to walk the park, see the Albert Memorial, or photograph the palace from outside. A ticket is only for going inside, or for a guided walk and tea you have chosen to book.
The two tea products cost more because you are buying a walk and a meal, not a higher floor of the palace. The VIP tour has a thinner review sample than the afternoon tea walk. Neither one is the official State Apartments ticket unless you select an entry option at checkout.
What about skip-the-line and official extras?
Historic Royal Palaces sells official timed-entry tickets on its own site. The GetYourGuide sightseeing ticket is the entrance product people actually book on this platform. There is no separate skip-the-line add-on, because you are buying entry, not a queue-jump on top of a free walk-up.
We are not going to pretend a gardens tea is the same as going inside. If you want the King's and Queen's State Apartments, book the entrance ticket. If you want tea, book tea. If you want both, check the option name on the tea walk before you pay.
Want the Guard Change and tea in one booking?
GetYourGuide also sells London: Kensington Palace Tour, Guard Change & Afternoon Tea, rated 4.4 from 35 reviews. It is a 5.5 hours combo from £109. The ceremony itself is at Buckingham Palace, not Kensington. That is the right pick only if you want the Guard Change, Kensington and tea handled by one operator. Most people do not need it: the entrance ticket is cheaper, and the ceremony is free to watch on its own.
Top pick
London: Kensington Palace Sightseeing Entrance Tickets
Official-style palace entry, 1 day ticket, rated 4.4 from 4,687 reviews. From £19.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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- Which Buckingham Palace Ticket Is Actually the Best in 2026?
book the State Rooms if you want to go inside and they are open. Book the Changing of the Guard walking tour if you want the classic palace visit with a guide. Book the Royal Mews if you want the official year-round royal ticket. GetYourGuide does not sell the official Royal Day Out bundle.