The Best Palaces in London

Buckingham Palace needs no introduction – but we’re going to give you one anyway. Built at the beginning of the 18th Century, this baroque and neoclassical edifice has been the official London residence of the British monarch for nearly 200 years, and has been central to the pomp and ceremony of countless state occasions down the years. Hatches, matches and despatches, coronations, presidential visits, Brian May from the band Queen playing guitar on the roof… Buckingham Palace has seen it all, and then some.

For fairly obvious reasons, public access to the palace’s 750+ rooms is somewhat limited, but there are a few good (and legal) ways to get up close, including:

• The King’s Gallery. View rotating exhibitions from the Royal Collection, the largest private art collection on the planet, which includes pieces from da Vinci, Rembrandt, Rubens, Hogarth and more.
• The Changing of the Guard. Arrive early to catch this near-daily spectacle, held in front of the palace.
• State Rooms and Gardens. A smattering of opulent state rooms are open to the public during the summer months, as are the expansive gardens.

If murder, mystery and intrigue is your bag, look no further than the mighty Tower of London which – though technically no longer a palace – still ticks all the right boxes. Priceless jewels? Check. Archaic guard uniforms? Check. Tales of imprisonments, executions, mysteriously vanishing princes and ghostly wanderings? Check, check and check again! Don’t miss:

• Beefeater Tours. Discover the Tower’s gruesome history on a tour led by traditional Yeoman Warders in their smart navy tunics with tomato-red piping. Anne Boleyn’s headless ghost, the mystery of the Princes in the Tower and the imprisonment of Guy Fawkes are all covered.
• The Crown Jewels. Shield your eyes against the dazzle and sparkle of the priceless royal collection, including swords, sceptres, amulets and the famous St Edward’s Crown, worn by both Elizabeth II and Charles III during their coronations.
• The Ravens. Find out why the wellbeing of the Tower’s resident ravens is considered critical to the very existence of the monarchy!

You’ll know this one better as the Houses of Parliament, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that sits on the north bank of the Thames opposite Westminster Abbey. Access to this epic Gothic Revival confection is limited, but selfie opportunities abound outside. Snap your best side from Westminster Bridge, posing in the shadow of the iconic Big Ben clock tower, or from Parliament Square, home to imposing statues of Churchill, Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and several other world leaders of yore.

Pro-tip: the Palace of Westminster’s central location puts it within easy reach of many hot London attractions, including Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and more. You can save up to 50% on the cost of regular admission to both (plus the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and more) with The London Pass®. Hit the buttons below to find out more or read on to explore more of our favorite London palaces.

Tucked away in the southwest corner of Kensington Gardens, Jacobean Kensington Palace is perhaps most closely associated with Diana, Princess of Wales, who lived here at her beloved ‘KP’ through the 1980s and 1990s. And, indeed, you’ll find a statue of her likeness in the palace’s fine Sunken Garden.

Elsewhere in the palace, you can ogle Queen Victoria’s bling, including priceless tiaras, necklaces and brooches, as well as visiting the very rooms in which she was born and raised. Explore Queen Mary’s sumptuous State Apartments, complete with sweeping staircase and lavish dining rooms, and don’t miss the opulent 18th-century musical clock with the suitably pompous name ('Temple of the Four Great Monarchies of the World'); you’ll find it in the Cupola Room of the King’s State Apartments.

Lovers of Art Deco design will find much to admire at elegant Eltham palace in Greenwich. Designed by the eccentric Courtauld family in the 1930s, the magnificent interiors include a map room, a lavishly panelled dining room, a golden bathroom, and even special heated sleeping quarters for the family’s pet lemur. This modern building is attached to a much, much older palace, featuring a well-preserved medieval great hall complete with hammer beam roof, minstrels’ gallery and soaring stained-glass windows.

Suitably awed, take time to wander the meticulously landscaped gardens, home to a sunken rose garden, a moat and London’s oldest working bridge!

The very definition of the fairytale palace, Hampton Court’s storybook chimneys and dreamy Tudor towers belie its bloody history, a reputation that’s largely down to former resident (and, um, serial monogamist) Henry VIII.

Get lost in the 17th-century hedge maze, try to resist the urge to pluck fruit from the planet’s oldest grapevine and dodge the wailing ghost of Catherine Howard in the aptly named Haunted Gallery. You can also visit the vast medieval feasting hall, where Henry and his mates cultivated their gout back in the day, and view art from the Royal Collection including pieces by Gainsbourough and van Dyck.

Don’t miss Henry’s ostentatious 15-foot-tall Astronomical Clock, and the Chapel Royal, an extraordinary example of baroque Tudor architecture.

Read our comparison of Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle here.

Windsor Castle has been a firm favourite of the royals since the days of William the Conqueror, and was the preferred weekend retreat of the late Queen Elizabeth. Pop by for a visit and you’ll soon understand why. From opulent State Apartments adorned with masterpieces by the likes of Holbein and Rubens, to Queen Mary’s enormous Georgian doll’s house, there’s something for everyone to enjoy here. Visit the gloriously grand gothic confection that is St George’s Chapel – final resting place of several former monarchs (including Liz herself), and climb the regal Round Tower for sweeping views over the gardens and across the Thames Valley to the shimmering London skyline beyond.