Will be in London in Oct. Want to tour a castle or palace... we will just miss the season for Buckingham Palace, what other would you suggest, do all the palaces have a certain season they are open for public tours?
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Hampton Court .. so much history.. we enjoyed it immensely..
Windsor Castle, I have not been there yet.. but its on our list.. its just so hard to make time for all the wonderful sites in London.. 5 times and we still have not scratched the surface of interesting things to see.
Posted by
205 posts
There is of course an enourmous castle in the middle of London. (The Tower of London).
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15807 posts
You bet! The Tower of London (which is, for all practical purposes, a castle) is smack in the middle of London and has a very long, very important history. Free hour-long tours of the high points are provided by the Yeomen Warders who live within the walls (do this!). Before or after your tour you're free to explore the larger complex.
http://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/
Windsor is the largest and oldest continuously occupied castle in the world, and is about an hour out of central London by train. This one was established during the same period as the Tower (11th century) and is still a royal residence for part of the year. A favorite of mine!
https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/windsorcastle
Hampton Court Palace was a manor home greatly expanded by Henry VIII's Chancellor in the 16th century and 'given' to the Crown. It's about 30-40 minutes from central London by train, and has its share of interesting stories!
http://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/
You can't really go wrong with any of them so it comes down to how far you're willing to travel and interest in particular eras.
Posted by
Gloucester, UK
27 posts
The big three are the Tower of London, Windsor Castle and Hampton Court. They are all wonderful in different ways. However, the Tower is the closest of them to central London has the Crown Jewels in it as well, (very sparkly) and is easy to get to on the undergroun (Tower Hill stop), and the guided tours (which I think are free once you've paid for entry) are all from beefeaters who are usually pretty entertaining. If, however, you want to see something more along the lines of Buckingham Palace, then Windsor Castle is the best as it has lived in state rooms. And if you are into the Tudors, then pick Hampton Court. For getting around in London, use the tfl.gov.uk website for public transport options and buy either daily travel cards or an oyster card as the fares tend to end up cheaper. Buying individual tickets works out more pricey. However, for Windsort Castle, which is outside London, you will need to buy a separate train ticket.
Posted by
3245 posts
I really enjoyed Kensington Palace. For one thing, the gardens around it are gorgeous and the public parts of the palace are not crazy crowded. I had a very nice lunch in the Orangerie. The gift shop was also a high point - better Christmas ornaments than Harrod's IMHO. This is an especially good choice if you're staying in the Bayswater area.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15807 posts
Kensington was interesting but if there's only time for one castle or palace, the other three are much older and more historically important. The Tower is a must for any first-timer's London trip, IMHO. Still, we made a day of Windsor - including a ramble about town - and had a marvelous time. I've 'done' that one twice now and will cheerfully do a third with a walk to Eton next time.
Posted by
OP
32 posts
Is Kensington palace open year round for tours?
Posted by
Singapore
302 posts
Hi
Kensington Palace is open pretty much all year round - we were just there. Windsor Castle ditto - you can check the details at hrp.org.uk. Kensington Palace has the advantage of convenience but Windsor Castle is a great day trip. Hampton Court has a slightly different feel as it's no longer has royal residents, but it is magnificent. Make sure you also walk past St James Palace (you can't go inside) - it's very much understated, but it's my favourite.
Simon
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
15807 posts
Posted by
Austin, Tx
149 posts
Hey there- I want to second what many said- and go with Hampton Court (1st choice), Tower (2nd), and then Windsor. If you are only there for a limited time, I would consider skipping Kensington for any of those others.
Posted by
Brisbane, Australia
7175 posts
A little further afield if you have time and transport.
Leeds Castle (really a country house)
http://www.leeds-castle.com/home
Bodiam Castle
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodiam-castle
Hever Castle
http://www.hevercastle.co.uk