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Kew Gardens - All About the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

Kew Gardens, situated in London, stands as a horticultural masterpiece, spanning 300 acres of diverse landscapes. Home to over 50,000 plant species, its iconic attractions include the Palm House, a Victorian g...

Founded On

1759

Founded By

Sir William Chambers

Kew GardensAbout

Quick Information

ADDRESS

Richmond, UK

RECOMMENDED DURATION

4 hours

VISITORS PER YEAR

2000000

NUMBER OF ENTRANCES

5

EXPECTED WAIT TIME - STANDARD

30-60 mins (Peak), 0-30 mins (Off Peak)

UNESCO YEAR

2003

Plan your visit

Did you know?

Kew Gardens began as a private royal garden in the 18th century. It was initially created by Princess Augusta, the mother of King George III, as a retreat from the pressures of court life.

Kew Gardens was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 in recognition of its historic landscape and scientific importance.

One of the highlights of Kew Gardens is the Rhizotron and Xstrata Treetop Walkway, a raised walkway that allows visitors to explore the canopy of the trees and offers stunning views of the gardens.

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What is Kew Gardens?

Kew Gardens is this amazing 300-acre botanical wonder in London, packed with 50,000+ living plants, historic glasshouses, and themed gardens. It's been around since 1759, and today, it’s a UNESCO site doing big things for conservation—like storing billions of seeds! Nature lovers, this place is a dream.

Quick facts about Kew Gardens

  • Official name: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  • Location: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
  • Date of opening: 1759
  • Timings: 10am-7pm, everyday
  • Established by: Princess Augusta
  • Architectural style: A mix of Victorian ingenuity, Georgian refinement, Chinoiserie accents, Baroque grandeur, and sleek contemporary elements.
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site: 2003
  • Number of visitors per year: Over 1.35 million guests
  • Collection size: Home to 50,000+ living plant species, 8.5 million preserved specimens, 750,000 library volumes, and 175,000 botanical prints and drawings.
  • Function: Botanical gardens

Plan your visit to Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

Timings
Getting there

Opening hours:

  • 1 April 2025 to 30 April 2025: 10am to 7pm, everyday
  • 1 May 2025 to 31 August 2025: 10am to 7pm (weekdays) and 10am to 8pm (weekend)
  • 1 September 2025 to 30 September 2025: 10am to 7pm, everyday
  • 1 October 2025 to 25 October 2025: 10am to 6pm, everyday
  • 26 October 2025 to 12 November 2025: 10am to 5pm, everyday
  • 13 November 2025 to 4 January 2026: 10am to 3.15pm, everyday
  • 5 January 2026 to 31 January 2026: 10am to 4pm, everyday
  • 1 February 2026 to 28 February 2026: 10am to 5pm, everyday
  • 1 March 2026 to 31 March 2026: 10am to 6pm, everyday

Last entry: 1 hour before the closing time

Best times to visit: It depends on what you love—spring for cherry blossoms, autumn for golden leaves, or winter for festive lights. Weekday mornings or late afternoons are ideal for fewer crowds and great photos.

Address: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London TW9 3AE, UK

Find on Maps

Kew Gardens is in southwest London, nestled in the charming riverside suburb of Richmond. The area’s leafy, relaxed vibe makes it a lovely escape from the city buzz, with cafes, pubs, and scenic walks along the Thames nearby.

Closest attraction: Bamboo Garden and Japanese Minka House (0.06 km)

Things to see at at Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

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Davies Alpine House

Tucked inside a sleek glass curve, this house shows off some seriously tough yet tiny alpine plants. Think high-altitude blooms, cool winds, and clever design—all mimicking the Alps, but without the frostbite.

Palm House

Built in the 1800s, the Palm House is a big, steamy Victorian glass beauty packed with tropical plants, rainforest humidity, cocoa trees, and even conservation work happening right under those glorious iron arches.

Princess of Wales Conservatory

With ten distinct climates under one roof, this conservatory hosts orchids, ferns, cacti, and carnivorous plants. It’s a living display of how species survive across rainforests, deserts, and everything in between.

Temperate House

The Temperate House is the world’s biggest Victorian glasshouse, filled with rare temperate plants from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and beyond. It’s a stunning, iron-framed haven for endangered species and conservation work.

Waterlily House

Kew’s smallest glasshouse has a huge personality. Inside, a central pond bursts with giant lilies, lotus flowers, and papyrus. Warm, humid air wraps around you as you wander through this tropical oasis.

Agius Evolution Garden

This thoughtfully designed garden walks you through hundreds of millions of years of plant evolution. Think living museum meets botanical trail, with mosses, ferns, and flowers all helping tell nature’s incredible survival story.

Bonsai House

The Bonsai House is all about precision. These miniature trees, crafted over decades, showcase the patience and skill behind the ancient Japanese art of bonsai. It’s like walking through a collection of living art.

Bamboo Garden & Minka House

Check out one of the UK’s largest bamboo collections, with over 130 species. The Bamboo Garden is an immersive escape, and the Minka House lets you peek into a traditional Japanese home that offers a glimpse into rural life and architecture.

Great Pagoda

Standing tall at 50 meters, the Great Pagoda was built in 1762 with a stunning Chinese-inspired design. Climb its 253 steps for spectacular views of the gardens and London, and discover the exhibits inside that reveal its rich past.

Chokushi Mon

This beautiful wooden gateway is a four-fifths scale replica of Kyoto’s Karamon gate, built in 1910 for the Japan-British Exhibition. Surrounded by tranquil gardens, it’s a striking example of traditional Japanese craftsmanship.

Queen Charlotte’s Cottage

Queen Charlotte’s Cottage, a peaceful 18th-century retreat, was used for royal picnics. Inside, you’ll see personal items, including Hogarth prints, and outside, the paddock once housed exotic animals like kangaroos and black swans.

King William’s Temple

Located in the Mediterranean Garden, King William’s Temple is a beautiful 1837 rotunda with elegant columns and a domed roof. Surrounded by aromatic herbs and shrubs, it’s the perfect spot for a peaceful pause during your garden exploration.

Temple of Aeolus

Perched on a mound, the Temple of Aeolus offers stunning views across the gardens. This classical, circular temple is dedicated to the Greek god of winds and reflects 18th-century garden trends for mythological buildings.

Temple of Arethusa

With its elegant columns and tranquil lakeside setting, the Temple of Arethusa is an 18th-century neoclassical treasure. It's a delightful spot that reflects the era’s fascination with classical design and offers stunning views.

Temple of Bellona

Dedicated to Bellona, the Roman goddess of war, this elegant 18th-century temple is a charming piece of history. It features classical elements and is a perfect example of the era’s love for garden follies.

Kew Palace

Kew Palace, or the Dutch House, dates back to 1631 and is the oldest building in the gardens. This charming red-brick palace, with its restored rooms and furnishing, gives a peek into royal life and King George III’s time there.

Shirley Sherwood Gallery

Since 2008, the Shirley Sherwood Gallery has been the world’s first gallery focused solely on botanical art. It features rotating exhibitions from the Sherwood Collection, where science and art come together to highlight plant beauty.

Museum No. 1

Ever wondered how plants influence the things we use daily? Museum No. 1 unpacks this with interactive displays on the crucial roles plants play in food, medicine, and even textiles. A must-see!

Marianne North Gallery

If you love art and nature, the Marianne North Gallery is a must-see! It houses over 800 vibrant botanical paintings from North’s global adventures, capturing plants and landscapes with amazing detail and color.

The Hive

The Hive is like stepping into the mind of a beehive. This stunning, multi-sensory structure uses lights and sound to mimic bee activity and reminds us just how important these pollinators are to nature.

History of the Kew Gardens

  • Started in 1759: Princess Augusta, George III’s mom, transformed a 9-acre plot into a botanical garden.
  • Great Pagoda built in 1762: Designed by William Chambers, it featured dragons (restored in 2018) and became an iconic landmark.
  • Joseph Banks’ influence: The famous botanist turned Kew into a global plant hub, bringing in seeds from Captain Cook’s voyages.
  • Public opening in 1840: The garden expanded to 300 acres, with directors like William Hooker leading its growth.
  • Palm house in 1848: A stunning Victorian structure that became a symbol of innovative wrought-iron design.
  • UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2003: Kew received global recognition, housing 50,000 plant species and the Millennium Seed Bank, which safeguards 2.4 billion seeds.

Who built and designed Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew?

If you’re admiring Kew’s most iconic structures, you can thank Decimus Burton. The man behind the Palm House, Burton, worked with Richard Turner to create the world’s first large wrought-iron glasshouse in 1844. His neoclassical style also influenced the Temperate House and Main Gate. Before that, William Chambers (1723–1796) brought the Great Pagoda (1762) into existence, featuring dragons and showcasing his love for Chinese architecture—despite the drama with landscape legend Capability Brown.

Architecture of Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

At Kew, you’ll spot everything from Dutch Baroque to modern designs! The oldest building, Kew Palace (1631), flaunts its Dutch Baroque style. Then, there’s the Great Pagoda (1761)—a quirky Chinoiserie gem. The Victorian era really raised the bar, though. Decimus Burton, working with ironmaster Richard Turner, created the Palm House (1844–1848)—the world’s first large wrought-iron glasshouse. Burton’s crowning glory, the Temperate House (1863), remains the largest Victorian glasshouse on Earth!

Additional information of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

Outdoor cinema

Every summer, Kew Gardens hosts Adventure Cinema’s open-air screenings, where you can enjoy movies like Mamma Mia! and Bridget Jones under the stars. Grab your blanket, a picnic, and settle in near the Pavilion Bar for cocktails that pair perfectly with the films. What’s not to love?

Fun year-round events

There’s no off-season for Kew Gardens! Richmond Runfest lets you jog through the breathtaking UNESCO landscapes each September, while Summer Cycle tours give you a chance to bike past Kew’s iconic palm houses and pagodas. Want to unwind? Try Tai Chi by the Bamboo Garden for the ultimate zen vibes.

Children's garden

If you’ve got kids aged 2-12, Kew’s Children’s Garden is a must-see! They can jump into Earth Garden’s sandpits, bounce on trampolines in Air Garden, and splash in Water Garden. Pro tip: For a quieter visit, try coming early or late in the day, and check out the Edible Science Garden for a hands-on food lesson!

Frequently Asked Questions about the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

How long does it take to cover the gardens?

With so many things to explore in the Royal Botanic Gardens, you need at least an entire day chalked out.

Are there any activities for children to do inside?

Yes, there are activities for children to enjoy here. A few of them are Children’s Quiet Garden Sessions, Little Explorers, and The Little Gardener.

Are there any parking facilities available?

Parking costs £7 per day in Kew Garden and is on a first come first serve basis. Know more about Kew Gardens parking facilities.

Are there any dining options?

Yes, there are a few cafes and restaurants at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Can I bring outside food or beverages inside?

Yes, you can carry your own picnic and have designated spots inside the garden.

Where are the shops located?

Kew Gardens shops are located near Victoria Plaza, the Children’s Garden, the New Pavilion Building, and Victoria Gate. There is an online portal for the shops as well.