Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace Tour

Begin in one of London's Royal Parks, near a Gothic Revival monument commissioned by a queen in memory of her husband, directly across from a concert hall that's hosted the world's leading performers since the 1870s. Your guide walks you past a fountain memorializing a beloved princess and a statue inspired by a children's book character, whose real-life inspiration lived just across the road and sprinkled these same gardens with pixie dust in the story. Along the way, pass a set of galleries and a long stretch of water where local wildlife gathers.

Continue through an ornamental garden gifted between a king's grandfather and his grandmother, carved in marble and stone. Your guide points out a centuries-old pond dug by royal order nearly 300 years ago, then leads you to a garden transformed in memory of a princess, its statue commissioned by her own sons.

The visit finishes at a royal palace, the birthplace of a queen and home to young royals for more than 300 years. Head inside with your ticket already reserved, then explore the State Apartments with an audio guide at whatever pace you like, no group to keep up with and no one rushing you along.