Things to do in Kensington and Chelsea

Kensington and Chelsea is one of London's wealthiest residential areas, but its main sights are surprisingly affordable. The Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum sit within a few minutes' walk of each other on Exhibition Road, and all three charge nothing for their permanent collections.

Kensington Palace, by contrast, is a paid attraction, currently in the mid-twenties in pounds for an adult ticket, and it sells a different experience: staterooms and royal history rather than open-access galleries. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens link the two halves of the area on foot, a walk of 15 to 20 minutes.

Expect queues at the museums on wet weekends, when free entry pulls in families who might otherwise be outdoors.