Kew Royal Botanic Gardens

England · ENG

When to go

BestGoodBusyPeak crowdsClosed

Day: Tuesday, 8 September–29 December 2026: £10 adult online daytime admission.
Time: 10am opening for the quietest glasshouses and enough time for the major houses before lunch. · Late afternoon for warmer outdoor photographic light; visit glasshouses earlier because they close before the Gardens.
Avoid: Avoid persistent heavy rain or dangerous wind for an outdoor-focused visit; Kew Palace and the Pagoda are closed from 28 September 2026 until spring 2027.

About 6 hours

Start
Victoria Gate and Victoria Plaza10 min
Buy daytime admission online for the lower fare; gate purchase remains possible at a higher price.
+10 min
Palm House35 min
Make this first, before queues build; wheelchairs are allowed but mobility scooters are not.
+50 min
Palm House Pond and seasonal Parterre15 min
Add the nearby Rose Garden in summer.
+1 h 10
Temperate House30 min
Allow time for the scale of the glasshouse and its rare-plant collections.
+1 h 45
Marianne North Gallery25 min
A useful indoor stop in rain or heat.
+2 h 20
Treetop Walkway30 min
Continue toward the woodland side only if comfortable walking several kilometres.
+3 h
Arboretum and Great Pagoda end60 min
This is the long, quieter loop; omit it on a three-hour visit. The Pagoda is currently closed until spring 2027.
+4 h 5
Princess of Wales Conservatory35 min
Follow the sequence through its ten climate zones; the upper floor is not accessible.

Bring

Food & breaks

Allow extra time around lunch; cafés and food outlets are busiest near the central gardens.

Skip it if

Skip if you dislike gardens, cannot comfortably walk several kilometres, or have only about 90 minutes.