London area of South Kensington guide

What to do and where to stay in London's South Kensington neighbourhood

The concentration of prestigious and world-class museums in South Kensington is unique to London. In no other city would you find the likes of such luminaries as the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and Royal Albert Hall within walking distance of each other and a large number of elegant hotels. It’s no coincidence that these bastions of culture are clustered together and the name of the street that links them, Exhibition Road, gives a clue as to why they are – the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851 created the foundations for these grand institutions dedicated to the arts and sciences. It was this investment in the area that set in motion a building spurt with large terraced houses which gives the district its current appearance as a high-class residential area; streets like the Boltons are among west London's smartest addresses. Catering for this type of resident are the designer shops around Brompton Cross. There’s also a distinct European flavour to modern day South Ken with a French emphasis making it all the more chic.

See our recommended nearby South Kensington Hotels, Entertainment, Sights and Attractions, Shopping, Restaurants, Pubs, Nightlife, Leisure, Education, and Meeting Venues.