What Visitors Say
Beautiful park and gardens. We visited Kew Gardens in July and it was really nice. If you are interested in plants and flowers, you will love it. There's a lot to see, quite a few greenhouses and park areas with different trees and plants. I am no expert when it comes to plants and trees but thoroughly enjoyed reading all the descriptions and learning more about plants that grow in completely different countries and regions. There's a few restaurants where you can make a stop and grab something to drink and eat. A few toilet stops throughout. I'd say you need 3-4 hours if you want to see everything without a rush. We also visited the Pagoda, which is a separate ticket. In my opinion not worth climbing it, there's nothing really to see. Appreciate it from the outside.
We had a wonderful family get-together at Kew Gardens and couldn't have asked for a better day. The gardens are absolutely stunning, with so much natural beauty to explore. The children had an amazing time, and we adults enjoyed every moment too. It was a very educational visit, with fascinating plants, trees, and beautiful landscapes around every corner. We brought a picnic, which made the day even more special, as there were plenty of lovely spots to relax together. To finish the day, we treated ourselves to delicious ice cream and refreshing drinks at the café. It was a warm day, so sitting inside with the air conditioning was the perfect way to cool down before heading home. A fantastic day out for all ages—we'll definitely be back!
It’s absolutely Gorgeous Kew Gardens! This is some of my favorite place to visit in London. I have the membership and spend a lot of time in here. I also bring friends and family to seeing that beautiful garden. Amazing in all the seasons. Highly recommend weekday or weekend. Always awesome!
Such a pleasant place to walk around. Going on a Monday was a game-changer with zero queues. Also, if you are a young adult, make sure to buy your ticket on their official website, shop.kew.org. I got mine there for about £8.75–£10, which is an amazing deal for such a huge and beautiful botanical garden. It is definitely a must-visit.
Enormous botanic gardens renowned for their exceptional glasshouses and biodiversity, deserving of their UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. A visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens will easily occupy a full day, with seemingly endless opportunities to discover rare plants from around the world. The famous Palm House faithfully recreates the atmosphere of a tropical rainforest, while the Princess of Wales Conservatory leads visitors through varied environments, ranging from deserts with incredible cacti, to lush tropical forests. These are particularly enjoyable in winter or when it's raining as they transport the visitor to different worlds. Outside, an immaculate Japanese Landscape, created around striking symbolic buildings, a sprawling arboretum and elevated walkway amongst the treetops are some of the highlights, alongside the particularly fine collection of redwood trees. The outdoor environment is beautifully kept, with easily navigable accessible paths, plenty of seating and attractive landscaping, with large ponds and flower displays. The Royal Botanic Gardens were not created simply to be beautiful, but to showcase plants from around the globe, and educate visitors. Exhibitions are held throughout the year focusing on specific plants, while research takes place on plants' adaptability to variable conditions. The orchid showcase running when we visited was stunning, and reason to visit alone. Onsite facilities are comprehensive, with a number of cafés and restaurants, a large gift shop stocking a wide range of botanical books, and well maintained toilets. Opening times are generous, allowing enough time to fully explore the gardens. Peak season ticket prices are predictably high, being £28 per adult at the time of writing, though discounts apply for off peak visits (November to January inclusive), students and pension recipients. It's worth booking in advance online to benefit from a small discount. Annual memberships offer better value for those planning to visit several times through the year. Whatever the season, whatever the weather, the Royal Botanic Gardens appeals, without doubt one of London's finest attractions and a blissful escape from the bustle of the city streets.
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Fun Facts
‘Kew Gardens’ is plural because in 1772 George III joined the Kew estate to the neighbouring royal estate at Richmond: two gardens became one.
The Great Pagoda’s 80 gilded wooden dragons were removed in 1784 and later vanished; a long-lived story claimed they were sold to cover George IV’s gambling debts.
Temperate House opened in 1863 even though it was only three-quarters complete, and the full structure was not finished until 1899.
Kew grows the world’s smallest waterlily, Nymphaea thermarum, extinct in the wild; its leaves are smaller than a 50p coin and horticulturists worked out how to propagate it in 2009.
A daguerreotype taken on 24 July 1847 is believed to be the first ever photograph of the Palm House interior, captured while the glasshouse was still under construction.
