If you’re in the mood to see some London sights that are both beautiful and historical, Kensington Palace and St. Paul’s Cathedral are top of the list. Both have entry fees of around 20 pounds, however they do offer student discounts and reductions for ordering tickets online a few days prior to your visit. Regardless, what you get for 20 pounds if you make the most of what is offered is worth it in my mind.
My experience at St. Paul’s was lovely. The church’s architecture is ornate. Every ceiling seems to glow with an inner light from the mosaic tile murals that adorn them. The stone from which the cathedral is carved has been cleaned in the past 10 years, leading to a bright and welcoming appearance.
You are provided with both the options of a self guided tour (using an electronic guide) or going in a tour group to see the cathedral. I recommend taking advantage of the tour guides since they are incredibly knowledgeable and will show you places you would be unable to access on your own. My tour guide was an adorable older man who had been coming to the cathedral for over 10 years to give tours. He could be lengthy with his speeches about the various sites of the cathedral, but his enthusiasm was contagious. I loved seeing the choir seats and organ in particular.
After finishing the tour, I, along with my friend’s Tianni, Abe, and Caleb, climbed to the top of the cathedral for a view of the city. Be warned, there are MANY stairs, but the beautiful view that awaits you made the walk feel worth it. Below are some pictures I took while there.
Kensington palace is surrounded by a beautiful, lush park with a lake filled with swans. I met my friend Allison there, this past rainy Sunday, to see the Princess Diana style exhibit. I will say, although Kensington Palace is indoors and therefore shielded from bad weather, I would have rather seen the palace on the nicer day. The exhibits came across as slightly more difficult to see in the darker rooms with little natural light. I’d recommend trying a sunny day!
My favorite exhibits in Kensington Palace were those pertaining to clothing. They had a great display of the costumes used in the filming of the movie: The Favorite. Diana’s iconic clothing exhibit was also incredibly beautiful. Below are some pictures of my favorite parts of the palace.
The Bucketlister 