11 Nov 2024
If you're fond of botany or you enjoy walking through nature, I recommend you set aside at least 3 hours to explore the incredible landscapes of Kew Gardens. I visited Kew Gardens with my sister and my parents earlier this year and we took advantage of the discounted tickets after 4:00 pm. We went on the great treetop walk, visited Temperate House, Palm House, and the Japanese landscape, as well as the bamboo garden, Minka House and many other highlights of the gardens. If you're keen on seeing all that the gardens have to offer, you should go in the early afternoon at latest so you can explore all the sights as some of them close in the late afternoon. It's best to visit the gardens in spring or summer when most of the plants are in fower. I think an autumn visit could still be enjoyable, but I doubt a winter visit would be much fun, unless you decide to buy a ticket for Christmas at Kew. If you're a fan of royal history, you can also visit Kew Palace, which is included in the ticket for Kew Gardens. To visit the Great Pagoda I believe you have to pay an extra fee, but take note that the pagoda is closed until spring 2025.
All in all, Kew is one of the premier London attractions and if you're willing to get up early to visit Richmond, you can enjoy a leisurely walk along the beautiful Thames path before you go to the gardens. To properly explore Richmond Park, the other outstanding site in Richmond, you'd need at least a couple of hours, so it's not possible to easily combine a visit to it with a visit to the gardens.