Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Reviews

Lovely day out, good cafe/ restaurant for lunch and lots to see!

We had a lovely family get together at the gardens. I have never been before and hadn't realised how big they were! There were lots of paths to explore, huge glass houses and a tree top walk with far reaching views. Sadly the hot, dry weather had taken it's toll on the grass. I would love to revisit in the spring when the rhodedendrons are in flower.

Love this place. Went there with whole family and had so many quality conversations about flowers, plants and so on. Walks on the high bridge amongst the big trees was very enlightening. The views are magnificent and the experience is superb. There are so many flowers there as well as some animals to see that are natural to the local flora and fauna. Watch out for big walking monsters also who teach everyone about what each plant is and that are amazing to look at. The place is awesome for relaxing at also and going for a general visit with friends and family. The parts which are like rainforest are very sweaty, so go along in clothes which you can take a layer or two off without problems to not get overly sweaty.

Definetly one of the best places in London. Had an amazing Sunday afternoon and cannot wait to go back for there are so much more things to experience. Absolutely wonderful.

Such a beautiful park. Would recommend everyone to go.

Especially the children's play area. The children's park has tickets for time slots, perfect for not getting over crowded. One side has a sand area and the other side has water features, with a lovely green chill out area in the middle.

Nice for an afternoon out. Just remember it closes at 3.15 on a Sunday. Still trying to figure out what the ice room is for.

A firm favourite, perfect day out for all the family, beautiful gardens, gift shop, places to eat, more than one visit needed, Kew Palace, the Mariane North Gallery, I love Queen Charlotte's cottage, Temperate House and Princess Diana conservatory. Enchanting.

A magical illuminated walk around Kew. Lights wonderful and well worth a visit. Allow at least three hours.

Amazing park with botanical gardens and greenhouses!
There's a huge variety of trees and botanicals from all around the world.
Lovely place to relax when you feel overwhelmed by the city life.

Great place for the family to enjoy nature with amazing lights show

Kew at Christmas was really good and very well organised. The lights are really worth visiting.

Beautiful gardens. The restaurants are a bit expensive but you're in London so it is expected..

Beautiful Botanical Gardens set just 45 minutes from the centre of London. Kew Gardens is absolutely stunning and has plants found all over the world. The stunning glasshouse houses lots of tropical plants.



The beautiful imposing glasshouse has a myriad of beautiful plants and flowers.

Look for my review on Kirstenbosch Gardens too, Kew Gardens cousin in Cape Town, South Africa.

Beautiful gardens and so much to see. One of my favourite places!

These gardens are well kept. The climate houses have plants from across the globe. There are restaurants and snacks. Reasonably clean bathrooms. Great landmarks and follies. Expect to spend more than the entrance fee, but it will be enjoyable and worth it.

Came to Kew Gardens on a weekend - got the District line to Kew Gardens station.

The grounds are huge and be prepared to get on your walking boots and explore the beauty of nature that Kew offers!

My personal favourite was the rose garden. Loved the Kew Garden Land Explorer train - has a route around the whole grounds and you get a lovely overview of the whole park.

The Great Pagoda is a huge tower based on Chinese architecture - 253 steps up to the top to get amazing views across London.

Terrific and romantic! You can spend the whole day therr

An amazing place, great for children and adults, fun for a picnic, educational, pretty lakes and amazing gardens. Great tree walk up in the air. It's accessible by the underground trains.

Visited Kew at Christmas to see the lighting in the dark. You need to book in advance. All payments by card, no cash on site. Another good show, loved the little panto, the arches and the tree walkway. There is food, drink and toilets along the route. Mulled wine is best. There is a fun fair halfway around and a shop at the end. Wheel chair access along path is good. Bus stops nearby, taxi rank outside, Kew Gardens tube 5 mins walk away, parking in some streets but read restrictions. This has become a family Christmas tradition.

Last time I went was 35 years ago ..
Had a lovely time and really enjoyed all the different plants . Great little play area for the kids .
I wont leave my next visit this long .
Loved it ...we took a pack lunch so I cant say if the price of food was good . .

Wonderful! The most amazing gardens I've ever been to!

Same as Davis House Kew Gardens. For real appreciation of Kew Gardens allow a minimum of 6 hours. Highly recommended

Lovely atmosphere, plenty to look at, and needs plenty more than just a day to see everything! Highly recommend atleast once!

A marvelous and huge botanical garden and a park. You really should spend a whole day here, definitely a must see for any plant-lover! Probably the most interesting botanical garden in the world, considering the historical aspects as well. Simply amazing, I will return on my next visit to London.

Few places on Earth, nevermind in London combine nature with history so well. Great place to walk and spend day appreciating plants. Good flat paved eslks for easy access.

The glass sculptures are worth the visit alone. Early in the season so not as much in bloom but still loads to see in the various greenhouses and especially liked the Diana botanical building and display. Only disappointment was the Bonsai greenhouse which was tucked away and just housed about 8 trees.

A beautiful botanical garden in London. But u have an entrance fee unlike Hyde park or Kensington garden. You can easily spend a whole day inside if you love nature and greenery

We went to Kew as a spur of the moment day out.
Tickets were easy to purchase online but you can also purchase them there. From what I could see, you can rent mobility scooters at the entrances.

Even though we came on a super chilly day, it didn't matter too much as a lot of the plants were indoors and in very warm greenhouses! It felt nice to take my coat off and walk around in the warmth.
Kew is VERY informative - every tree, bush and flower is labelled. I now know my favourite tree is a Sweet Chestnut.

The eateries are AMAZING but don't get foolishly caught out like we did; kitchens close at 1500. No matter though because the cakes and coffee are to die for, and there's so much choice.
A lot of vegan friendly meals too!

The gift shop had some beautiful items and was quite reasonably priced. There is something for everyone in these shops!


The orchid display that they have on at the moment was breath taking. I've never seen so many well kept plants in one place. Not so fun if you have hayfever! A lot of effort was put in to this display, including some beautiful hand woven animals made entirely out of plants from Kew.



For a place that doesn't sell tickets for it's wildlife, there sure is a lot of wildlife!
We saw, and came in to close contact with...

-Squirrels
-Deer (Muntjac)
-Swans
-2 different types of Geese
-Cootes
-Robins
-Bees
-Fish
-Frogs
-Turtles
-And your average gulls and pigeons.

It's directly under a flight path so great for those plane spotters! Can be a bit loud when the MASSIVE planes go over, but it's an amazing sight to see the planes so low.

There is so much to see and do at Kew that we couldn't fit it all in in one day. We missed the inside of the Pagoda, the other big greenhouse, the hive and the galleries.
Definitely going to come back in the summer. We loved our first trip here.

In 1759 botanists began delving around the world for specimens to plant in the 3-hectare Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. They never stopped collecting, and the gardens, which have bloomed to 121 hectares, provide the most comprehensive botanical collection on earth. It is the world's largest collection of orchids. Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the gardens can easily devour a day's exploration. It is at a walkable distance from Richmond tube station.

Enjoyed a short visit, mainly to see the very popular display of Colombian Orchids. Beautifully displayed and a wonderful show - despite the long wait to enter the Princess of Wales' venue. Easy to get to by train, Tube and bus. Parking not so easy though.

The best experience ever. I couldn't believe all existed. It is a long walk but worth every bit of it.

Lovely gardens and such a beautiful experience even though it's February! Good food alternatives and friendly staff! Would love to go there in summer! I'd highly recommend this

A must go location for the whole family. Filled with many wondrous sites to see and a truly breath taking experience. Have been visiting there on and off for the past 25+ yrs and has never disappointed and now my children also absolutely love the place too.

The gardens are fantastic - once in, it's a delight.
Kew's management of the queues for entry is a disaster.
2-300 people huddled up on the pavement outside, even when you have booked, is disgraceful. Social distance? Forget it

Beautiful vistas and walks, full of regency aesthetics. Easy to spend a full day here, but expect a ticket booth bottleneck at the start of your adventure.

These gardens are amazing and very well cared for by all the gardeners and other staff. Garden items and trees are well labeled. Excellent exhibits in the Palm building, Temperate building, and Kew Palace. We had lunch in one of there restaurants, but were very disappointed that there Lunch menu hot sandwiches were not available until 3 pm, and we had to leave before that. In Canada, lunch is usually available after 11 am. We settled for a pre-made cold sandwich and it was quite good.

We spent a whole day and only managed to cover a quarter of it. The newly restored glass House is amazing and we enjoyed Bijou and teams gymnastics show. The Japanese pagoda has a separate entry fee which is a downer since you already pay a lot for a single entry to the Kew. Tropical house was amazing too and I had a few new lessons in botany to learn. This place keeps young and old interested. Top walk is definitely recommended.

Not quite sure why anyone would want to know about Kew from me but...got off the tube at Kew. Collection of shops, cafes, bar there. Short walk to the gardens. We had a timed ticket but still about a twenty minute wait to get in.
They were limiting numbers plus expecting mask wearing inside the big greenhouses so there was some queuing up. Otherwise just free to wander around the grounds.

Amazing gardens, highly recommend. Closes a bit early (today @ 15:30)

Very beautiful park. A lots of different type of plants . It is a must to visit place in london

Always love Kew - any time - any season - go there. Recommend becoming a member as it works out much cheaper for families of 3/4 who go often. If you are fortunate enough to live in London for a year or more I recommend visiting each season - winter for the lights, spring for the magnolia, summer for concerts and autumn for the amazing colours... and all other times for the brilliant events going on and the nature. a very special place... bring a picnic.

This place is 7 stars! for the Botanical enthusiasts. Don't miss this. It's worth the queue at the Gate for tickets. a Kew Kwet Class of her own.

I really liked this place. Seeing green scenery, hearing the birds singing and watching beautiful trees and flowers... It was a very peaceful experience. I went here early March, so the weather was still not so warm. But I guess it gets even better and more exciting in the summertime.

Key Gardens is a precious part of London and worth every penny. You'll easily get lost and stumble across new and exciting parts of the park; get there early as you'll lose the hours inside very quickly!

Did the Christmas lights at Kew, just amazing! To be honest Kew is amazing all year round!

Obviously a must. You can spend a day there. So much to see. Very well maintained garden and green houses. Best to buy a ticket online.

We love going here having been going here since we were little (over 30 years now) it doesn't matter what time of year you go there is always something beautiful to see. Nice to go for a walk and even have a little picnic. If I lived in England I would probably get a yearly pass.

If you love exotic plants plus information on how to look after them this is the place to go. Lots to see and the Museum to visit: the cafe, if you need to stop and refuel and, follow on to the garden shop to buy plants etc. Stop and relax by the pond to relax and watch the ducks and the beautiful view of the picturesque garden.

Visited as part of a photographic group. Looking to photograph the autumn foliage, but a bit too early in the season. Really enjoyed the visit. The plants in the hot house or greenhouse? were very interesting and educational. Enjoyed reading about the medicinal qualities of the plants.

We loved it! We checked the weather and had a picnic there. The place is so clean, beautiful and huge. It is better to buy tickets online especially if you're arriving late morning or noon time. There were two queues when we arrived at 11am, one for people with online tickets and one for those who want to buy tickets there. Luckily we bought ours online, and our queue moved very quickly.

Amazing! Absolutely beautiful. Well worth the evening visit and very festive

Christmas at Kew. Absolutely terrible. Don't waste your money. There is no light show just trees either covered in lights or lit up by lights. Some lights on a building and some hanging lights. People shuffle along at snails pace and you can't get out earlier if you want to. What a con. Avoid.

Lots to see, but a picnic if you don't want to pay extortionate prices for food and drink!

Beautiful, peaceful gardens with lots to see. Loved the Chihuly glass sculptures. Included with London Pass

Great venue for a gig, saw 'Garbage' very laid back atmosphere, can take picnic, chairs etc., good food served there. Staff very helpful.

Beautiful! Great kids zone. Lots to see and do. Bring a picnic if weathers good. Beware the glass houses close half an hour before venue so if you want to look around get there in good time!

I was really impressed to see how well organized the gardens were. You can see a lot of incredible things (the gardens are huuuge) and everything is really well detailed on the map. Kew Gardens is probably the best place in London for spending a a sunny day with family/friends. I would recommend going prepared for some picnic, get some wine (it is allowed, BBQs are not allowed) and spent the entire day there. It's a great way to spend a day when you feel like you need a rest, but also would like to disconnect from the usual days. Enjoy the green!

Beautiful gardens and the greenhouses had some very beautiful and unusual plants/ flowers! The blown glass sculptures are inspiring , would definitely go again.

Beautiful grounds and gardens. Lucky to be there when the exhibit Chuhully glass art.

What a great place to visit with family and friends! The area is so large and it's lovely to see the ducks wandering. There is so much to do and the new Children's Playground has been designed really well. Thoroughly enjoyed it and I definitely recommend you should come and visit!

The orchid collection was stunningly displayed. I would have liked some details about the orchids though as I did not find just seeing their magnificence was enough.

Kew Gardens I believe is one of the best parks in London. There's lots of space, there's so many different kinds of plants, flowers to explore. You can spot a number of Cherry Blossom trees for that Insta post. Perfect for a day out in the sun.

But unfortunately you have to buy tickets to get in unlike most other parks in London.

Beautiful and historic gardens. We had a wonderful day out here. Only complaint is the cafe is expensive but you can bring your own picnic.

Wonderful collection. Basic, quality food available in many locations. Currently features Dale Chihuly's impressions in glass. Need most of daylight hours.

Was huge, bigger than I expected. Loved the tree walk even though I dont like heights plants and trees were great, loved the crockery and indoor rainforest and cactus.

Really nice day out. Great way to fool your screenagers into walking 4 miles without realising.

the pavilion grill was fabulous. although one item on the meat sharing tray was a little dry the manager Hannah was the height of professionalism in the way she accepted the issue and sought to put it right.
for a "tourist trap" the food quality was excellent , and service all round, at the till, waiting staff etc was excellent. the meal came out in just a few minutes, I can't recommend this place enough. it's not MacDonald prices, but in the warm July sunshine in the garden terrace we had a perfect experience. highly recommended.

Christmas at Kew, well worth going to see the lights, will go back next year to see the gardens

Nice place, lots to see. Lots of walking !

Amazing to visit during the spring when the flowers are in full bloom, also good to visit during Christmas for the lights!

Website says everything is open but thats strictly not true. I'd do a reduced ticket for the amount of access available

Really big place, definitely worth joining to make it value for money.

By far hands down the best botanical garden/garden I have ever been too. Spend 7 hours and still was not enough time to see everything.

Worth the entry price and some.

Lots of places for kids to play at.

Highlights for me: balancing logs, peacock, badger hole. Japanese garden.

Recommended if you want Instagram style photos go closer to closing time as there is a lot less foot traffic.