Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens, officially the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in Richmond, south-west London, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering about 300 acres beside the River Thames. Founded in 1759, it holds one of the largest and most diverse botanical collections in the world, with tens of thousands of living plants and millions of preserved specimens. The Palm House, a curved iron and glass Victorian conservatory opened in 1848, shelters tropical rainforest plants, and the Temperate House, the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse, houses species from islands and temperate zones. Other highlights include the Treetop Walkway, which rises 18 metres into the canopy of a woodland, the Hive installation, the Waterlily House, the Pagoda built in 1762, and Kew Palace, a former royal residence. Seasonal displays include crocuses and cherry blossoms in spring, bluebells in the woodland, roses in summer and autumn colour in October, while the Christmas at Kew lantern trail runs on winter evenings. Adult tickets cost around £19.50, and children under 16 are admitted free. A visit takes three to four hours, but botanists and photographers often spend a full day. The best photographs are taken from the Palm House pond looking back at the building, along the Rose Garden, and from the Treetop Walkway. Crowds peak at weekends and on sunny bank holidays between 11:00 and 15:00, while weekday mornings and late afternoons are quieter. Online tickets are cheaper than gate prices. Kew Gardens station on the District line and Overground, plus Kew Bridge station, are within a 10-minute walk, and river boats from Westminster run in summer. A tram, the Kew Explorer, links the main areas for those with limited mobility.