If you’re looking to find out the highlights of Kew Gardens, where to park, and how to get discount tickets for the gardens then you’ve come to the right place.
Kew Gardens, also known as the Royal Botanic Gardens, is a real botanical paradise set in West London that offers visitors a very different journey through nature. For me, it’s one of London’s best attractions and alongside those other major attractions, it also has a real history dating back over 250 years.
Kew Gardens has evolved into a global centre for plant science, which makes it a must-visit attraction for nature enthusiasts, plant experts, and anyone looking for a calm escape from the bustling city. Here are some of the highlights that make Kew Gardens one of London’s top attractions.
The highlights of Kew Gardens
World-Class Glasshouses
These have to be top of the highlights. Kew Gardens boasts a series of amazing glasshouses, some of the best you will see and each is designed to replicate specific climates from around the world. The Temperate House has a remarkable collection of temperate zone plants. The Princess of Wales Conservatory features more desert and tropical plants and both have walkways up top to admire the plants from high and low.
The Treetop Walkway
This elevated walkway offers visitors a bird’s-eye view of the gardens and the chance to appreciate the towering trees and distant views over the gardens.
The Waterlily House
In the Waterlily House, where you can admire the impressive Victoria amazonica, the giant Amazon water lily. These enormous lily pads can reach up to three meters in diameter and the house is a serene setting to relax in.
The Great Pagoda
Ascend the Great Pagoda’s 253 steps to enjoy panoramic views of Kew Gardens and the surrounding area. Architecturally it is brilliant and great for photos but it does cost an additional entry fee to ascend it.
Events and Festivals
Throughout the year, Kew Gardens hosts a variety of events and festivals, including outdoor concerts, art installations, and themed exhibitions. These events can certainly enhance the experience of your visit so aim to try and coincide your trip with a Kew Garden event.
How much does Kew Gardens cost?
It depends on the time of year you visit as there are peak and off-peak seasons. These are prices without a donation included.
Peak (1 February to 31 October)
Advance purchase (48 hours before): £17.00
£24.00 on the gate
Off-Peak (1 November to 31 January)
Advance purchase (48 hours before): £12.00
£14.00 on the gate
Top tip to get a discount for Kew Gardens
We used a Go City Explorer attraction pass and Kew Gardens is included in the pass along with many other London attractions. We visited three different attractions over two days so we saved ourselves about £30 overall as opposed to paying direct attraction gate fees.
The best place to park for Kew Gardens
The official car park is small so there are limited spaces. It will cost £7 all day and is in Ferry land near Brentford Gate. I would say it’s not worth taking the chance on getting a spot here as it’s almost always full.
Instead, I would opt for Kew Green which is outside the Elizabeth Gate. Parking is usually a bit cheaper and it’s right outside without the long walk. There are free options further away you just need to consider the extra walking time.
Other top tips for your visit
- Visit from March to September to see the best of the gardens
- Try to get there before 11 am to make the most of your day. You won’t see much if you arrive after 2 pm
- Bring a picnic to enjoy the day outside and avoid spending a fortune on food
- You will do a lot of walking to plan what you want to see in advance with stops included
The best bits
The glass houses are a real highlight and no matter what time of year you go the tropical surroundings will make you feel like you are somewhere far from London. The high walkways and range of plants offer loads to see, which does come with plenty of Instagrammers posing for photo shoots.
The sheer size of it and the range of plants and trees in one place offer that wow factor that I haven’t seen in any other man-made botanical space around the world.
The not-so-good bits
It’s a little far out of central London if you’re in town for a quick visit but there’s a benefit to that.
Parking can be a bit tricky especially on busy days so public transport is sometimes a better option.
For a day out you could spend a lot as prices in and around the gardens are high and there are frequent visual requests for donations. My advice would be to take a picnic and spend most of the day there.
Our overall rating: 4 out of 5
I’d rate it as one of the best attractions in London in terms of the things to see, the amount you pay and the time you can spend here (all day basically). I’ve been three times and I have still only seen around half of it. That was the Kew side furthest away from the Thames where most of the main attractions are. So you could visit this multiple times and still have an appetite for more.
I’d also advise using The Go City Pass as it leaves room to try other attractions and gives you a discount as we discovered.