Kew Gardens: Everything about this Lovely Place!

Kew Gardens is an old botanical garden with the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. This 18th-century botanical garden occupies 330 acres and houses 27,500 living plants, a herbarium of 7 million dried species, a vibrant collection of tropical orchids, succulents, tropical ferns, and Australian plants. Kew Gardens are also included as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2003. This botanical beauty has four entrances as it covers a vast expanse of land. One entrance for such huge gardens is not practical. It is one of the major tourist attractions in London and brings 2.1 million people together. Plan your visit and explore some peace within nature and also try not to get lost in the greenery! So, here’s everything you need to know about Kew Gardens and its four entrances.

Kew Gardens Entrances

There are a total of four different gates/entrances from which visitors can enter the gardens and those are –

1. Victoria Gate
2. Lion Gate
3. Elizabeth Gate
4. Brentford Gate

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1. Victoria Gate

It is the most famous entrance of Kew Gardens and is also towards the garden’s south and 500m from the Kew Garden station. You can visit this garden through this gate and explore the temple of Aeolus, rose garden and so much more!

Explore near this entrance

• Palm House
• Victoria Gate Café
• The Botanical
• Temple of Aeolus
• Rose Garden
• Waterlily House
• Temple of Bellona
• Temple of Arethusa

Quick tips

• Take bus number 65 as it stops right outside this gate
• You can sign up and take free guided tours starting from Victoria Gate.

2. Lion Gate

Lion Gate gives you an entry to the south corner of the botanic garden. It is 1km from the Richmond station and allows quick access to the famous Great Pagoda. The Great Pagoda is a Chinese architectural masterpiece that was designed by Sir William Chambers and was gifted to Princess Augustas. This tower gives so amazing views of London and is visited by many people.

Explore near this entrance

• Great Pagoda
• Temperate House
• Marianne North Gallery
• Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art
• Treetop Walkway
• Japanese Gateway
• Ruined Arch

Quick tip

• Take bus number 65 as it stops right outside this gate

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3. Elizabeth Gate

The Elizabeth Gate is located to the north of the park and is accessible by a bus or a river commute. It is 0.8 km from the Kew Bridge station and therefore is best for those who want to explore and know about plant and plant specimens.

Explore near this entrance

• Agius Evolution Garden & Kitchen Gardens
• The Hive
• Princess of Wales Conservatory
• Herbarium & Library
• Nash Conservatory

Quick Tip

• Take any bus number 237, 267, 110 & 65 as it stops right outside this gate
• A convenient option for those using boat services from Westminster

4. Brentford Gate

This gate is accessible by bus, car and river commute and lies in the west of the Kew Gardens. This is the perfect entrance for those who are visiting with their own vehicle. this entrance gives many benefits and you can explore children’s garden, queen’s garden and so much more!

Explore near this entrance

• Children’s garden
• Queen’s garden
• Great Broad Walk Borders
• Kew Palace
• White Peaks family restaurant

Quick tip

• This gate is accessible by car and is highly recommended as it’s the only one with a parking lot.

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Kew Gardens Timings

The Kew Gardens is open every day follows the following hours of the day:

• Monday – Friday – 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
• Saturday & Sunday – 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
• On bank holidays – 10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Kew Gardens Tickets

You can book your tickets online at a discount and skip the hassle of standing in ticket queues. You can visit from any entrance gate with your online ticket.

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Basic rules

1. Animals are not allowed inside the garden
2. Plucking flowers is prohibited
3. Do not step over plants and be careful
4. Toys and drones are prohibited
5. Musical instruments and loud music is not allowed
6. Do not litter
7. Playing ball games is prohibited
8. Do not jog in the garden
9. Picnics are allowed except the glasshouses or on planted areas

Explore the Kew Gardens

1. Amazing architecture of the Kew Garden

The gardens have an amalgam of prehistoric structure and modern-day architecture while being in nature. These are some attractions which should not be missed –

• The Kew Palace
• The Royal Kitchens
• The Pagoda
• Queen Charlotte’s Cottage
• The Orangery
• The Minka House
• The Nash Conservatory

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2. Explore Galleries and Museums

The place has many museums with several plants and plant species on display. The museums educate visitors about the good practices of gardening and so much more.

• The Museum No 1
• The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art
• The Marianne North Gallery of Botanic Art

3. Gardens of Kews

Explore the Kew Gardens which house a variety of plants, flowers and trees and even some of the collections are housed within glasshouses for better care and protection.

• The Palm House
• The Davies Alpine House
• The Princess of Wales Conservatory
• The Waterlily House
• The Temperate House

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4. Adventures & Libraries

Enjoy the power-packed entertainment for people of all ages and also participate in fun activities for the adventurous minds and libraries for the book-lovers.

• The Treetop Walkway
• The Rhizotron
• The Sackler Crossing
• The Hive

Explore the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world. It surely won’t disappoint you at all! Check out Pickyourtrail for the best deals on London trip packages. You can also customise your London itinerary on your own. Do not get lost in this enormous greenery!

Frequently Asked Questions