Kensington Palace – Address & Directions

Several Underground stations are within walking distance of the palace. The best route depends on which line you are using:

High Street Kensington (Circle and District Lines): This is the most common arrival point. After exiting the station, walk east along Kensington High Street, enter the gardens at the King’s Arms Gate, and follow the signs north to the palace entrance. The walk takes approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

Queensway (Central Line): Exit the station and cross Bayswater Road into Kensington Gardens via the Black Lion Gate. From here, a direct walk south past the Round Pond will bring you to the palace in roughly 10 minutes.

Notting Hill Gate (Central, District, and Circle Lines): From this station, walk southeast into the gardens and follow the paths toward the palace. This route takes approximately 15 minutes.

Bus travel offers some of the closest drop-off points to the palace gates.

From the South (Kensington High Street): Routes 9, 49, 52, 70, and 452 stop at the “Kensington Palace” stop. From here, it is a 5-minute walk through the park to the entrance.

From the North (Bayswater Road): Routes 70, 94, and 148 stop at “Queensway Station.” The walk from this side of the park takes approximately 10 minutes.

London Paddington is the nearest mainline railway station. It is served by Great Western Railway, the Elizabeth Line, and the Heathrow Express.

From Paddington, you can reach the palace by walking for approximately 20 minutes through the residential streets of Bayswater and into the park. Alternatively, you can take the District or Circle line from Paddington to High Street Kensington or Bayswater stations to shorten the walk.

Cycling is a convenient way to reach the palace, though please note that cycling is only permitted on designated paths within Kensington Gardens.

Bike Docking: There are Santander Cycles docking stations located at Black Lion Gate and Palace Gate.

Parking: Private bicycle racks are available near the palace entrance for those using their own bikes.

Driving to Kensington Palace is not recommended as there is no public parking on-site and the palace is located within the London Congestion Charge zone.

If you must drive, the nearest commercial car park is the Q-Park Queensway located on Bayswater Road.

From there, it is approximately a 10-minute walk through the gardens to reach the palace. Limited on-street “pay and display” parking may be found on some surrounding streets, but availability is restricted and time limits are strictly enforced.