Skip to content
Mixroutes
South Kensington
District in London, England

South Kensington

South Kensington is a district at the West End of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Plan a trip to South Kensington→From Luton, Luton

Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with the advent of the railways in the late 19th century and the opening and naming of local tube stations. It is home to several well-known museums and cultural landmarks such as the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Imperial College London.

Get in

Getting to South Kensington

This is a large district, served by a similarly large number of Tube stations, in Zone 1 if not otherwise noted, and three Tube lines: Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly line) – For Hyde Park. Knightsbridge (Piccadilly line) – For Harrods, Harvey Nichols and other upmarket stores. Sloane Square (District and Circle lines) – For King's Road. South Kensington (District, Circle and Piccadilly lines) – For the museums.

  1. 01
    Kensington

    Also on the District line from Earl's Court, though the service is very infrequent usually running on weekends and bank holidays.

  2. 02
    West Brompton

    Also on the Edgware Road–Wimbledon branch of the District line, so you may need to change at Earl's Court.

  3. 03
    Imperial Wharf

    The last stop before Clapham Junction on the London Overground and right next to Chelsea Harbour.

See

Worth seeing

Exhibition Road and Cromwell Road in South Kensington are home to several world class museums and all have free entry, only charging for special temporary exhibitions. They do accept (and encourage) donations if you feel you have enjoyed your visit. Each of them more than justifies a full day's visit.

  1. 01
    Victoria and Albert Museum
  2. 02
    Natural History Museum

    Cromwell Rd (tube: South Kensington DIS PIC ), info@nhm.ac.uk.

  3. 03
    Science Museum

    Exhibition Rd (tube: South Kensington DIS PIC ), premium rate), feedback@nmsi.ac.uk.

  4. 04
    The Geological Museum
  5. 05
    National Army Museum

    Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HT (tube: Sloane Square DIS ).

  6. 06
    Memorial Scrolls Trust Museum
Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    London Cru

    21/27 Seagrave Road, mail@londoncru.co.uk.

  2. 02
    Royal Albert Hall

    Kensington Gore (tube: South Kensington),.

  3. 03
    Royal Court Theatre

    Sloane Sq, SW1W 8AS (tube: Sloane Square),.

  4. 04
    The Troubadour

    263-265 Old Brompton Rd, SW5 9JA (tube: Earl's Court or West Brompton), info@troubadour.co.uk.

  5. 05
    Fulham Road Picturehouse

    142 Fulham Rd, SW10 9QR (tube: Gloucester Road DIS CIR PIC ),.

  6. 06
    The Ronson Theatre

    IMAX cinema screen at the Science Museum showing documentary films and blockbusters.

Eat

Where to eat

Despite being a very upmarket and affluent area, there are still many places to eat on a budget, especially on the high street areas by the stations, each of which has its share of chain restaurants and fast food outlets. Gastropubs are another eating option, which can be found in the Drink section.

  1. 01
    Bosphorus Kebabs

    South Kensington, 59 Old Brompton Rd.

  2. 02
    Stick & Bowl

    31 Kensington High St.

  3. 03
    The Churchill Arms

    Kensington, 119 Kensington Church St.

  4. 04
    Phat Phuc Noodle Bar

    The Courtyard, 151 Sydney St.

  5. 05
    Mona Lisa

    417 King's Rd.

How locals move

Getting around South Kensington the local way

  • Get inMore entertainment than transport really, rickshaws run in Soho and the surrounding areas.

From Wikivoyage: London/Soho, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.