Kew Gardens, London, England, United Kingdom

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, known as Kew Gardens, is one of the world’s leading centres of botanical research and plant conservation. It lies on the River Thames in south-west London, covers 132 hectares and holds one of the largest and most diverse living plant collections in the world. The gardens were founded in 1759 and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003 for their science, historic landscapes and buildings.

Kew is famous for its Victorian glasshouses. The Palm House of 1844–1848 recreates a tropical rainforest, while the Temperate House is the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse in the world. The Princess of Wales Conservatory brings together ten climate zones, from desert cacti to orchids and giant water lilies. The Treetop Walkway runs 18 metres above the ground, and the ten-storey Great Pagoda of 1762 rises over the trees.

Visitor Information

Kew is a working scientific institution as well as a garden, with art galleries, seasonal flower displays and activities for children all year. Spring brings magnolias and cherry blossom, summer the rose garden and wildflower meadows. Halloween at Kew and Christmas at Kew, with illuminated evening trails, need separate tickets. Kew Palace, the Great Pagoda and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage are closed from late September 2026 until spring 2027.

Ticket prices depend on the season. From 2 September to 31 October an adult ticket costs £25 online or £28 at the gate, and from 1 November to 31 January £17 online or £20 at the gate; children aged 4–15 pay £2 online, under-4s go free, and young people aged 16–29 get reduced tickets. Every Tuesday from 8 September to 29 December 2026 entry costs just £10. In October the gardens are open from 10:00 to 18:00, from 25 October to 11 November until 16:00 and from 12 November to 3 January until 15:15, with last entry an hour earlier (45 minutes in winter); the glasshouses close at 17:00, and the gardens are closed on 24 and 25 December. Allow at least half a day and wear comfortable shoes.

Kew Gardens station, on the District line and the London Overground Mildmay line, is 500 metres from Victoria Gate and about 30 minutes from central London. Kew Bridge station, with South Western Railway trains from Waterloo, is 800 metres from Elizabeth Gate, and buses 65 and 110 stop near the gates. In the warmer months river boats sail up the Thames from Westminster. Parking at the Brentford Gate car park is limited and costs £10 a day.