Best for
Garden and nature lovers, families, a relaxed half-day outside central London
Time needed
3–5 hours
Worth it?
Yes — one of the world's great botanic gardens and a genuine change of pace from central London
Skip if
You're very short on time — it's a 30–40 minute journey from central London each way
About Kew Gardens
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, trace their origins to a small exotic garden created for Princess Augusta in 1759, expanded through royal patronage and, from 1840, opened to the public as a national institution for both science and leisure. Today Kew holds the largest and most diverse plant collection in the world — an estimated 8.5% of all known plant species — alongside one of the world's leading botanical research centres and seed banks.
The Palm House, completed in 1848, is the garden's most photographed structure: a curved glass-and-wrought-iron greenhouse built using shipbuilding techniques of the day, housing a dense tropical rainforest collection under its soaring, curved glass roof. The nearby Temperate House, the world's largest surviving Victorian glasshouse, reopened in 2018 after a five-year restoration.
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The Treetop Walkway, opened in 2008, lifts visitors 18 metres into the canopy of Kew's arboretum on a steel walkway that sways gently underfoot by design, offering a rare view down into ancient woodland from above. The Great Pagoda, an eccentric 1762 Chinoiserie folly, and the Hive, a striking illuminated aluminium lattice structure inspired by bee communication, round out the garden's more unusual landmarks.
Kew's UNESCO World Heritage status, granted in 2003, recognises both the historic landscape design and its ongoing global scientific importance — making it as much a research institution as a public garden, though for most visitors it simply reads as one of the most beautiful green spaces in London.
What to See: Highlights
- 1The 1848 Palm House, a Victorian glass-and-iron tropical greenhouse
- 2The Temperate House, the world's largest surviving Victorian glasshouse
- 3The Treetop Walkway, 18 metres up in the arboretum canopy
- 4The Great Pagoda, an eccentric 1762 Chinoiserie folly
- 5The world's largest and most diverse living plant collection
- 6UNESCO World Heritage status since 2003
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Insider Tips
Book tickets online in advance — always cheaper than paying at the gate
Allow a full half-day; the gardens cover 132 hectares and are easy to underestimate
The Treetop Walkway sways gently by design — not recommended if you're uneasy with heights
Visit on a weekday for slightly lower prices and smaller crowds
Combine with a riverside walk to nearby Kew Palace or Richmond, both close by
Book a Guided Tour
Get the most from your visit with a local expert guide.
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Getting There
Kew, Richmond, London TW9 3AE
Open in Google Maps →- 1Kew Gardens station (District line, London Overground) — a 5-minute walk to the Victoria Gate entrance.
Where to stay
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before you visit.
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Should You Visit?
Visit if...
- You enjoy gardens, plants or Victorian glasshouse architecture
- You want a relaxed, green half-day away from central London's crowds
- You're happy with a Tube/Overground trip out to Kew (roughly 30–40 minutes from the centre)
- You're travelling with children who'll enjoy the Treetop Walkway and open space
Skip if...
- You have only a day or two in London and central sights are a higher priority
- Heights make the Treetop Walkway uncomfortable and gardens generally aren't your interest
- You're travelling on a tight budget and central London's free parks would do instead
Ready to Book Your Visit?
More to See in London
Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
London's largest and most central royal park, split into Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, with the Serpentine lake, Speakers' Corner, and the Diana Memorial Fountain and Playground.
Regent's Park & Primrose Hill
A 395-acre royal park designed by John Nash, home to London Zoo and formal rose gardens, with neighbouring Primrose Hill offering one of the city's six protected skyline viewpoints.