Tower of London
Located in a commanding position on the River Thames and with nearly 1,000 years of history to discover, it’s easy to see why the Tower of London is one of the city’s most popular attractions.
In its rich and varied history, the Tower has been used as a palace, a prison, an execution site, a weapons arsenal and more.
The building is still used as a jewel house today; one of the highlights of visiting is the chance to see the 23,578 gems that make up the beautiful Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
The huge array of facts, myths, legends and artefacts that you’ll encounter bring the Tower’s incredible story to life.
Stand on the execution site of three Queens (including Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn), discover why the famous resident black ravens are so important to the Tower, and hear first-hand tales on a guided tour from the people who know it better than anyone – the Yeoman Wardens (popularly known as Beefeaters) who’ve been guarding the Tower for more than 600 years.
Hampton Court Palace
Set in a beautiful area of South West London just 30 minutes by train from Waterloo, Hampton Court Palace is one of just two surviving palaces owned by one of England’s most famous kings, Henry VIII.
The palace welcomes over half a million visitors every year, drawn not only by the wealth of royal history, but also the immaculately groomed riverside gardens with 200,000 flowering bulbs, the royal parkland surrounding the palace and of course, the famous Hampton Court Palace maze.
As well as the spectacular grounds, there is plenty to fascinate and entertain visitors inside the sprawling palace walls. Henry VIII’s Great Hall, with its enormous tapestries, is one of the highlights of any visit to Hampton Court Palace, as is the Chapel Royal, famous for its stunningly beautiful ceiling and still used as a chapel to this day.
Art lovers will delight at the Cumberland Art Gallery, home to some of the Royal Collection’s most prized artworks, while aspiring chefs will love seeing the live ‘performance’ in the Tudor kitchens (on selected dates), which catered for 600 people, twice a day, for two centuries!
Kensington Palace
This beautiful 17th century palace in West London is famous as the birthplace of Queen Victoria, and the home of Princess Diana, one of the most revered royals of modern times.
The King’s Staircase and the King’s State Apartments to which they lead are two of the most popular parts of the tour, with the fabulous murals along the staircase and the opulent luxury of the apartments, which hosted aristocracy and nobility for centuries and now play host to some wonderful works of art.
Arguably the most stylish royal palace in London, Kensington Palace is the perfect venue for a special exhibition of some of the most iconic dresses worn over the decades by high profile royals including Her Majesty The Queen, Princess Diana and Princess Margaret.
The exhibition is a wonderful illustration of how styles have changed over time, and how prominent members of the royal family both set the trends and mirrored the fashion of the era.