I wish I had planned a bit better because it took so long to get over to Kew Gardens and it's really beauty that needs about a half day to walk around in, so we ended up having to cancel our plans to see a second play to fully enjoy it. Don't buy your Kew Gardens tickets through Get Your Guide. You have to wait in the same line as purchasing regular tickets so it saves you no time and actually costs you more time than just buying them through their website. You're able to bring in food and water, which is fantastic if you're planning to stop by Ginger Pig and make a picnic out of it, which we did. The space is really pretty and their hot houses are delightful so make sure to bring your walking shoes and enjoy yourself! read more

This was a beautiful opportunity to get close to nature and enjoy quality time with my family where there was something for everyone. Kew Gardens- yeah I know - Metropolitan Ave, right between Forest Hills and Richmond Hill/Jamaica and 22 minutes from New York city; well this is the original, the Kew Gardens 22 minutes from London in the United Kingdom with a 22 pound( that's 30 dollars US )admission for adults and $8 US equivalent for kids up to age 15 , which I thought was awesome and so worth it. What we enjoyed - 37 acres of nature- wildflowers, tall grasses and beautiful trees. Shaded walkways as we witnessed gorgeous butterflies and dragonflies in their natural habitat. Comfy shoes please!!!!!!!! Suggestion- hire a tour guide for 20 pounds for the group ( that's $26 US) - worth it as they know which sites are popular, busy and their knowledge about the history of the trees and flowers is precious. Maximize your time here!!!! Then on to the Alpine House where we loved seeing some of the most resilient plants in an Artic induced environment. The best part of the day - the Hive - a recreation of a real beehive with the real sound that is 63 feet high( photo) with over 1500 LED lights and music symphony responding to the sounds in C- the very key the bees buzz in. You have to also get to the top of the 160 feet Great Pagoda for some nice photos. Thank you Kew Gardens for being open year round and having so much for the grandkids who are still buzzing ( fun pun) about it. You will need the full day to experience every awesome aspect here. They are open from 10-7.( The Hive closes at 6). Please buy your tickets online to save time. Furthermore get the subway or tube day or 3 day pass to avoid the lines or US credit card processing delays at the machines at the stations. Public transportation especially the tube or subway here in London is absolutely stellar. Parking here is crazy and expensive. So yes take the tube or taxis are $68-70 from Central London. Great day here! Fully recommend Kew Gardens as a must stop. read more

Kew Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me

I absolutely loved Kew Gardens. Just about 30 minutes on the tube from city center get you to the nearest station. I spent all day in Kew Gardens, exploring all the different buildings and gardens. There's so many interesting plants and sculptures to look at. Since I went during off season (Oct), many of the museum building were closed. If I visit London again I will time it for a different time of year, maybe summer. read more

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This is one of my fav places to visit when in Kew! Everyone is so friendly and helpful. It's huge! You will def be here all day with how much there is to see but it's the best, and a really lovely time. I recommend doing Christmas at Kew as well! Grab a hot drink and walk around. read more

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Kew Gardens was one of the most enjoyable garden visits. It's huge (500 acres) with more than 11,000 trees. Its history dates back to 1759, and it was part of the Kew Palace and the royal family (Queen Caroline and George II). When there, you must visit The Temperate House (the world's largest Victoria glasshouse). It was built between 1859 and 1899. House to 10,000 plants and made up of 1500 species from Asia, Australasia, the Americas, and Africa. You also must check out the unique Alpine plants at the Davies Alpine house. It is designed to create dry, cool, windy conditions for alpines to thrive without using energy-intensive A/C and wind pumps. If you love gardens, Kew Gardens is heavenly. read more

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At first I thought I was spoiled growing up so close to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, and I had never been to botanical gardens before, anywhere. Taking a look at some of these other reviews, I feel better about saying that I had a... mid... time? It was very green. UNDENIABLY green. No doubt about it, those are some trees. and ferns. and cacti. VERY green. But where were the flowers? If you live in Kew, or not far away, absolutely go and get a membership. Gorgeous place to go for a walk, or sit and read, or even do work. But for an hour-long tube ride outside of the city, I was a little disappointed that I felt like my favorite part was the gift shop, which was amazing. I got lots of postcards!! I was also disappointed that none of the waterbottle refilling stations in the gardens actually worked; you had to go to the cafe to refill a water station. I think there are plenty of places in London proper that would get you connected to nature without the fee. (It was 10 pounds for me as a Young Person). Might be better if there was a theme/ongoing festival, but on the off-season... it's just .. fine. read more

I was visiting London for few days and I find some extra time on my hand to explore other things than normally visitors do. This is a gem in south west London! The garden is very easy to get to buy Underground system. This is very well organized establishment. There are plenty of restrooms, benches throughout the garden and cafes to refresh. Plant collections are not too big compared to other major botanical gardens, but it is very convincing. There is a £25 admission fee. If you extra time on your while visiting London, it worth it. P.S. The neighborhood is gorgeous. Don't miss exploring neighborhood also. read more

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Pretty overrated hard-to-get-to "garden". Definitely go if you want to see the pretty buildings, but the gardens are equally nice in Regent Park with no admission fee or transport hassle. Transport was a nightmare with tube lines closed / significantly delayed. Wound up taking an uber there and to get back took the tube 1 stop, walked 20 minutes to a different stop on a different line and continued from there. Ugh. Grounds are nice and expanse with some cool sculptures. Pagoda is cool but imo not worth the £4.50 to climb up. Was surprised by the lack of things flowering (July) as it felt like in all the greenhouses it was mostly leaves to look at. Big, inconvenient and ultimately average. read more

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Beautiful and biodiverse garden in Richmond! Can be reached via tube on the District line. There are things to be seen every season - giant lily pads, fall colors, cherry blossoms, tulips, rose garden, the list goes on... read more

Kew Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me

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Had the opportunity to check out Christmas at Kew while in London . This light show was spectacular. There was a long line once I arrived at my ticketed time, but the line moved rather quickly. Once inside you move at your own pace and follow the trail. There are also multiple vendors to purchase food and drinks from. It was very cold so they even had a marshmallow pit to warm up. I really enjoyed myself and would definitely recommend this activity of you're visiting London. I did purchase tickets online about a month prior to me visiting. Dress for the weather and enjoy. read more

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A beautiful garden near the surrounds of central London. It's less than an hour on the train from SoHo and a great place to spend the day seeing the beauty London has to offer. It's very large and consistent of its own green house and pond. There's also a church, bonsai garden, temple, observatory and more to see. read more

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If you have the opportunity to visit Kew Gardens, it will not disappoint! Beautiful botanical gardens with several green houses, a fancy restaurant, and acres and acres of walking trails. Tickets are inexpensive if purchased in advance. I went through a third party website and it cost $14 USD. I visited in the afternoon this past December. The weather was gorgeous, and they were testing lights for the light show. I wish I would have had much more time to explore - I did get lost on the way from the train station and that wasted a good chunk of time.... Google Maps failed me :( For an ecology/nature nerd like me, Kew can be an all day excursion. There is also a lot to see and do in Richmond itself. I plan on revisiting during a spring/summer trip; I can only imagine how magnificent this wonderful space is when plants and flowers are in bloom. read more

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Got the ticket last min and found out they do close quite early, if you plan to visit, try to go before noon so you get enough time visiting the whole garden. read more

I had been meaning to come here ever since I bought a London Underground poster that highlighted Kew Gardens as a tube destination. I won't tell you how many years ago that was, but it did a good job covering a big water stain on the wall of my dorm room. Yes, we're talking about quite a few rings around my trunk. And now finally I made it here with Jamie W., and it was less than an hour on one tube line (District). Then it was a quick stroll to the main entrance at Victoria Gate. Admission was just £15 ($17.75 US) - which struck us as quite a bargain since as I expected, we were overwhelmed by the scale of the gardens. We were also overwhelmed by the wearying 87-degree July weather, and it became a battle over the survival of the coolest. Consequently we didn't stay as long as we would have on a reasonably fair day. That meant we didn't get to features like the treetop walkway or the Japanese garden - but luckily we're from Northern California, so we've seen our share of such features. On the other hand, we hit the main attractions, most obviously the flagship Palm House built with traditional wrought iron arches (photo: https://bit.ly/3R45bg9). Its 62-foot nave accommodated a catwalk which provided a uniquely elevated view of all the tropical foliage. Twice as big as the Palm was the Temperate House which has recently been restored and much more space for random wandering (photo: https://bit.ly/3PF37dC). We also took in the Waterlily House with dozens of huge lily pads (photo: https://bit.ly/3QOlf6f) and the Princess of Wales Conservatory which housed a lot of cacti and orchids in a uniquely angular building (photo: https://bit.ly/3R4Zlez). We toured the Kew Palace, apparently the smallest of the royal palaces, which has been refurbished in the past decade (photo: https://bit.ly/3AgBPVm). It was flanked by the Queen's Garden in the back and a gazebo which provides a nice photo op. Toward the end of our visit, we made it to the 164-foot Great Pagoda (photo: https://bit.ly/3dUFqRq). We didn't climb any steps but rather just gazed at it from a bench that actually had shade. Kew Gardens is a true institution, and the expansive grounds only mean a return visit is inevitable. Hopefully the weather will cooperate next time. RELATED - Exploring London? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3zFACrx read more

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Wow! Just wow! What can you say, except maybe prepared to spend a couple of days exploring this amazing Gardens and exhibits! So many things to see I think it's very difficult to get it all done in one visit. The information ladies at the Victory gate were beyond friendly and so very helpful. We were totally confused by trying to figure out if we needed to pay the Londons emission charges, they assured us no after reviewing the map, we're not entirely sure but will argue you it if we get a letter in the mail! Anyways, back to Kew... highly recommended the tours, especially the one by "train" very lovely and informative! The greenhouses are spectacular all in all, even without all the amazing plants! Plenty of facilities around the gardens and things to entertain the children! Highly recommended! read more

Kew Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me

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Christmas at Kew. Fabulous light installations everywhere. There are 3 gates to enter for this DIY walking tour at night. Victoria gate entrance sold out. We booked entry thru Elizabeth gates. From there we walked thru the garden for about 2.5 hours. Absolutely beautiful. They put in a lot of work installing all the lights. Some even choreographed to music. I am so happy my young daughters enjoyed it start to finish. There are stopping points to use the toilets or grab warm drinks and food. It was crowded but manageable. Come bundled in layers and be prepared to walk. So comfy shoes are a must. The holiday dinner can only be purchased w tickets from the 1st entry gate. Victoria gates. I recommend this garden during Christmas light show !!! read more

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I have heard about Kew gardens all my life and have finally decided to visit and spend a whole day there. Getting there was easy via tube. After getting out of Kew Gardens tube, a straight walk up the road literally takes you to the entrance. Tickets cost 24 pounds and includes a donation. I heard online tickets are a little cheaper if bought a couple of days earlier. Everything is worth visiting and each area of interest takes a little bit of walking, so comfortable shoes are a must. You will get a free map bc this place is huge. I walked clockwise around the park and tried to hit all the areas. Bear in mind, last entrance for most places are 5 pm. The following are my favorite must sees when in the park. The Tree Tops - 100 steps to the top and yes, I counted them. Great views and worth the trek. Elevator is also available. The Palm house, Princess of wales and the Temperate are a must see regarding various plants from around the world. The water lily house had the most beautiful Lillies. I also enjoyed bird watching, with plenty of geese, ducks and swans to ponder with. The trees in this park were magnificent and they all have names on the trunk. Definitely check out the Indian horse chestnut tree blooming with pink flowers and underneath a lovely thick magical carpet of pink. This tree is located in front of the Nash conservatory. There's also a mini hop on hop off train that goes around the park for 6.50. There were plenty of benches and areas to bring a picnic lunch. A very family friendly park, with plenty of toilets at the east side of the park. At the end of the day, I grabbed a quick bite of sandwiches and tea at the cafeteria which also had a lovely gift show and loads of beautiful plants for sale too. This is wonderful and much loved park, definitely worth a visit and ponder at your leisure. read more

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I came here as I was staying in nearby Richmond and could not have imagined how much I enjoyed my time here. This place is absolutely massive - almost mind boggling. I was here for an afternoon and didn't cover everything as I was taking my time, but if you really rush you could probably see it all in 5 hours or so. Pack your walking shoes - you will cover a lot of ground here! I have never seen so many beautiful plant examples, landscaped gardens, art exhibits, and maintained grass areas all under one area. Some highlights, to me, are the greenhouses, the pagoda, and the main entrance area lake. read more

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This review is about Kew Gardens Christmas lights. Having been to Kew Gardens in daylight and seen the vast array of flowers and plants I was keen to see how they dress the gardens with lights. Entry is as usual via which ever gate you arrive at, but you must have booked before hand! The path you follow is clear so no one should get lost in the dark. There were plenty of stewards at points where you might stray! There are plenty of little bits dotted around the walk so you can get mulled wine, hot chocolate to name a few. The cafe area is also open giving you somewhere to have a break in the warm if, as it was for me, raining!! The experience was a good one even with the weather being against me I would say it is a pricy evening so you've been warned! read more

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Unbelievably beautiful and diverse plants are found throughout the hundreds of acres that make up Kew Gardens. I could have spent days exploring the gardens and still not have seen everything. My favorite part was the Waterlily House. It was raining on the day I visited, so this was a welcome respite from the rain. There is a walkway around a circular pond filled with a variety of lilies of different colors. It was such a lovely view...not matter what place on the walkway I was. I was surprised at the number of buildings on site that housed plants, an art gallery, cafe and gift shop, and what was once a home for royalty. The tram ride was a great introduction and overview of Kew Gardens. It shows the immensity of the property and places where the tram stops so visitors can explore different areas of the gardens without having to walk such long distances. Someday I hope to go back to Kew Gardens and explore the areas that I didn't have a chance to visit. read more

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If someone had told me I'd go all 5-star in for Kew Gardens I'd have bet them the opposite. I've never been to a botanical garden that excited me in any way. Nice, yes, but continually exciting and inspirational? No. Kew Gardens is exciting and inspirational and in a different league entirely than every botanical garden I've ever before been to. Several hours in, at which point I'd not even seen half the place, I had to leave. I did so saying "if I lived here I'd become a member and be here all of the time". There's no escaping the wow factor. I hadn't been inside one of the big conservatories/greenhouses for long when one of many school groups arrived. I listened as their instructor told them to get up so close to the plants that the photos they took wouldn't even read as plants. I followed suit. Hundreds of photos later I had to willfully extract myself from this building. I could've stayed in there all day. Outside the conservatory, the grounds stun. During my visit they had Dale Chihuly sculptures placed artfully in the gardens and in various buildings. I've never been all in on what I think of Chihuly but here I can say I got it. This is the optimal setting for all of his works. Whether or not you think you like botanical gardens make time for a visit to Kew Gardens. It's a day in nature, fascinating, and drop-dead gorgeous. Having been to botanical gardens from San Francisco to Brazil, I feel comfortable proclaiming Kew Gardens the world's best. read more

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I grew up in London and never went to this place in recent memory - I strongly regret that, because this place was truly fantastic. One of my new favorite places in London. Absolutely lives up to the hype. No agenda, just walking around! read more

The place is outstanding, the people and service, much much less so. If you like the rude arrogant snobbish British treatment we make fun of here in the States, then this is the place for you. We could see no reason for it so it seems to be a culture from the leadership down. And what a pity that is. Despite that, it's a world class place and worth the visit. read more

Kee Gardens is a lovely botanic gardens with a ton to see and explore. It has a vast array of wide fields, forested areas, manicured flower gardens, greenhouses, unique architecture, kids activities, and more. Come prepared to walk a lot. You can easily spend a couple hours and clock multiple miles visiting all the sections of the gardens. It's quite spread out and not for the faint of heart! It's a bit pricey, so it's not the kind of park to visit every day, unfortunately. But it's nice for a special visit! read more

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An enchanting location providing an exquisite experience to revel in the splendor of various botanical wonders. read more

Kew Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me

So much to see and they always have some sort of event and exhibition to see. I've seen Dale Chihuly twice there. I'd love to see them have another Henry Moore exhibition. Christmas at Kew is well worth the cost (and the difficulty in getting the tickets and subsequent tricky parking). read more

I'm not sure that Kew really lives up to its hype, or is worth its high ticket price. I don't mean that it isn't nice, because it is. But London has so many beautiful parks and gardens, that you can visit whenever you feel like, without having to buy a ticket! I didn't feel that Kew was any nicer than many of London's free parks and gardens. I also didn't find it superior to botanical gardens I've visited in other countries. Even the famous conservatory was larger, but not better, than San Francisco's. I did enjoy Kew Palace and its adjoining, Queen Charlotte's Garden. That was the highlight for me. read more

This is my second time visiting, but I wish I could spend a couple days walking through the trees, many of the specimens are very impressive! The Princess of Wales conservatory was especially nice this time with lots of plants in flower, and the specimens seeming more established since my last visit. The tree top walkway was fun, though I was constantly aware of how far off of the ground I was! The Palm House was great, though it felt like 90 degrees F and 100% humidity. The Alpine House was pretty cool, and the rock garden around it was a lot of fun to explore. It would be difficult to take in everything in a single day. read more

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Despite having visited London many times, it wasn't until yesterday that we finally visited Kew Gardens. Unsurprisingly, it was lovely. A special treat was the huge Dale Chihuly glass pieces exhibited in several locales. Our very favorite part of Kew Gardens was the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Not only is it *huge*, but it has the most extraordinary selection of cactus we've ever seen (not just the sizes, but the *colors*). I recommend purchasing tickets online because you get a small discount - and you can even do that on the day of your visit (which we did, since the issue of rain is a nearly-constant reality here). read more

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This is very large London park that has many (and sometimes old) specimen's of a great number of plants and trees. I generally am not a botany or horticulture fan but the park was phenomenal. I spent only a few hours there and felt like I hadn't began to see everything. They have a large children's playground area that has many activities for children including slides and climbing nets. There are several buildings that offer food and drink. The palm house has a extreme collection of tropical plants from around the world including banana, mango, and coffee. The house is large and high but many plants are the verge of outgrowing the house. There were many old trees including several sequoias; they were large and tall but not as tall as those in California. They have a tree walk that is an elevated circular walkway among the tree tops. I was fascinated. read more

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First of all this is such a vast space that it's more accurate to look at ratings for the individual attractions within. However, as an overall entity, Kew Gardens is a delightful day. It's great for families, couples and solo visits. Greenhouses with super interesting plays like cacti and Venus fly traps are great. The Great Pagoda is stunning, especially if you're lucky enough to get a blue sky backdrop. The tree-top walk is really fun too. There's a really enjoyable kids playground called the Children's Garden that will wear your little ones out for a while. Change of clothes not a bad idea - especially in summer where there's lots of water play. Only downside worth mentioning is that it's bang in the middle of the flight path so serene, silent moments are frequently punctuated by awful noise from planes above. Definitely worth multiple visits. read more

Kew Gardens - Cacti in Kew Gardens - Botanical Gardens Near Me

Horticulturist, gardener or not, Kew will open your eyes to the wonderful world of plants. I have been many times, during many seasons and Kew is different every time. This time, during the pandemic, Kew had everything in hand for safety. Booked, timed entrance to avoid queueing behind someone. Hot houses with a one way system, albeit limiting some viewing but safety first. In some areas, eg Lotus house, numbers were limited. As a highly vulnerable person I felt safe and wore my mask while entering hot houses but it was nice to be able to wander the grounds maskless. So much space so no worries of contamination from another person. I loved this visit. Thank you. read more

We had planned to see Christmas at Kew Gardens in December but strikes and the Kew Garden tube station was forced to close and stop service on the day we planned to go. We had no warning when we tried to take the train. Despite having ticket protection (worthless), we were not able to attend and were denied any refund. Poor customer service. They and their ticketing agent (See Tickets) had NO desire to help us. Given the extraordinary circumstances, I would have thought they would have been kinder and more sympathetic to out-of-town customers. Be wary of buying any tickets for their events. Since this is how they treat customers, I hate to think how they screw the people who want to make a donation. Shame on you, Kew Gardens staff! read more

240 american acres of lawns, wild gardens, Glass greenhouses, composed artistic gardens, Chilully glass sculptures. Bambie & I walked most of the property yet did not see it all. And that took 7 hours. Expensive entrance fee of nearly 20 english pounds. Truly, now that I've seen it once I have no grand desire to ever return and I'm a garden hound. read more

My favorite park in London! Not free but 100% worth it. There is so much to do that it's hard to fit it all in 1 day, but nothing you see will disappoint you! Some of the greenhouses were a little busy, but not too bad. There are multiple cafes and shops. I highly recommend the temperate and tropical greenhouses. read more

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Went for a very chilly visit here today. Even mid Winter, it's still full of beauty. No point in taking pictures as there are so many better online. The Tropical House with it's huge Banana Trees and heat and humidity was spectacular as always. As was the Orchid house. They have beautiful Christmas lights but unfortunately the show was sold out. This is a wonderland of Flora and not to be missed. Look at some of the online pictures to get an idea of how fragrant it is in summer. read more

The temperate house should be on your bucket list..awesome... Take the trailer bus tour for an overall look... Wonderful...well worth a trip read more

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Beautiful and bucket-worthy! An horticulturalist's dream (or an herbivore's at least), Kew Gardens is simply suberb. Gorgeous land-scaped grounds, manicured gardens, stately greenhouses, statuary, it's chock-full of Victorian charms. And it's also just such a serene, blissful escape from the real world - it's hard to imagine any discord or ugliness within these idyllic confines. The Temperate Greenhouse is a spectacular edifice with wonderful and rare specimens, and a catwalk from which to give an elevated view of the interior as a whole. Probably our favorite, though, was the water lily greenhouse which displayed an amazing diversity of lily pads from minuscule to mighty. Another favorite was the rock gardens, winsomely and engagingly arranged with meandering paths. There's also a terrific treetop walk which offered a birds-eye view of life high in the canopy - which is a rare view indeed for most folks. It was a delight to see the type of foliage at the upper reaches of trees - and as I have read in books, the birds you encounter high up seem to have less fear of you than they would at ground level. Though it might not be the best event for those with acrophobia - I have a mild case of it myself - I found that if I didn't look down through the grating and kept my eyes on the horizon, I did just fine (sort of ... ). Well worth purchasing entry tickets on-line ahead of time in order to avoid the ticket booth queues. read more

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Kew Gardens - lovely, but I have a complaint about the refreshments. We couldn't book the Orangery/Brasserie because we weren't sure of the time of arrival and in the event, traffic was horrendous yesterday 26th May, so we would have been late. Next cafe was closed due to refurbishment. So we just had the cafe in the shop. The shop is fabulous but the choice of food was appalling! Dry tuna/cucumber sandwiches with no mayonnaise,[£7.50!!] plain cheese sandwiches with not a jot of pickle in sight and huge French bread sandwiches with grated cheese and sliced tomato and sausage rolls. Disgraceful for such a lovely place and the amount of people there! My friend and I were so disappointed that we hadn't stopped at pub nearby. I live in Wisley and food choice is far better. read more

A little far from London, but a beautiful botanical garden and space. It is close to the Kew underground station and the main entrance is a short walk. I spent an entire day walking and exploring the grounds. It has definitely earned its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is a must see if you're coming to London. I would not mind visiting again and again. Also, their shop is quite large and full of souvenirs that are a bit different from the offerings at other sites around town. Would definitely recommend maybe finding a gift for mom or gardening-loving gran. Tip: I came in the springtime, and was able to see many baby geese wandering the grounds. So precious. read more