Kew Gardens is the Royal Botanic Gardens at Richmond, a 300 acre scientific institution founded in 1759 by Princess Augusta and made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. It holds one of the largest and most diverse plant collections anywhere on earth, and it is a research organisation first and a day out second. Easter is when those two purposes line up, because the collection is planted for spring and the holidays are when families come to see it.
The site is best understood as four things at once. There are the historic glasshouses, led by the Palm House of 1848 and the Temperate House, the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse in the world. There is the living collection outdoors, which runs from a crocus carpet in February through the cherry walk in April to the bluebells in the conservation area. There is the architecture, including the ten storey Great Pagoda of 1762 and Kew Palace. And there is the Treetop Walkway, which puts you 18 metres into the canopy on a 200 metre circuit.
Easter adds a family trail to all of it. What Kew does not add is any shelter from the fact that 300 acres is a long way to walk, and most first visits go wrong the same way: people arrive at the wrong gate, walk two miles before seeing anything, and run out of children by two o'clock. This guide covers the spring planting and when it peaks, the Easter trail, the walkway, the glasshouses that make Kew rain-proof, where to eat, where the photographs are, and how to arrive so the day starts well. Westway Ride holds Transport for London licence 73850301.
Why Kew at Easter
Easter lands Kew at its best and its busiest. The spring collection is up, the glasshouses are warm, the days are long enough to do the site justice, and the holidays mean the family programme is running. It is the fortnight the gardens are designed around.
The argument for Kew over a free park is straightforward: a park shows you what grows in London, and Kew shows you what grows anywhere. The Princess of Wales Conservatory alone runs ten climate zones under one roof, from desert to mangrove, which is why an April afternoon can take you through a rainforest while it rains on the glass above you.
It is ticketed and it is worth booking, because Easter slots go early. Kew members enter free, which pays back quickly at this time of year. What you are paying for starts the moment the beds come out.
The spring planting, and when it peaks
Kew moves week by week in spring, so what you see depends on when you come. The crocus carpet near the Temperate House goes first, from February, and it is a genuine carpet rather than a scattering. Daffodils follow through March. The cherry walk peaks in April and is the single most photographed thing on the site.
Then the bluebells arrive in the conservation area at the western end, which is the quiet half of Kew that most visitors never reach because it is a long walk from the main gates. It is worth the walk. The magnolias near the Princess of Wales Conservatory come early and go fast, sometimes in a single windy week.
Where Easter falls decides which of these you get, since the date swings between 22 March and 25 April. Early Easter gives you daffodils and magnolia. Late Easter gives you blossom and bluebells. Either way, the children are there for something else.
The Easter trail for children
Kew runs a family trail through the holidays, and the format is dependable: a marked route, an activity sheet, things to find, chocolate at the end. It changes theme year to year and it is generally included with admission rather than sold separately, though it is worth checking when you book.
The trail earns its place by solving Kew's real problem with children, which is distance. Three hundred acres is a lot of walking for short legs, and a trail turns the walking into the point rather than the cost. Children who would complain about a mile between glasshouses will happily cover two looking for a stamp.
Kew also has the Children's Garden, a large dedicated play space near the Brentford Gate built around the things plants need, and it is excellent. Fair warning: it is popular enough to need its own timed entry at busy periods, and once a child is in it, they are not leaving for a glasshouse. Do it last, and do the walkway first.
The Treetop Walkway
The Treetop Walkway opened in 2008 and puts you 18 metres above the ground on a 200 metre circuit through the canopy of oaks, sweet chestnuts and limes. In spring it is the best way to watch the trees come into leaf, because you are inside the canopy rather than under it.
It moves. The structure flexes slightly in wind, which is deliberate and entirely safe and still surprises people on the first few steps. There is a lift as well as stairs, so it is accessible, and the view back across the gardens from the top is the one that shows you how big Kew actually is.
Below it sits the Rhizotron, which takes you underground to look at what roots do, and the pairing of the two is neat: the same tree from below and above. When it rains, though, everyone goes to the same place.
The glasshouses, and why they matter in April
The glasshouses are what make Kew the only reliable spring day out in London, because a British April will rain on you and the glasshouses do not care. The Palm House, built between 1844 and 1848 by Decimus Burton and Richard Turner, is the older and more beautiful of the two great houses, and its rainforest interior will fog your camera lens within seconds.
The Temperate House is the bigger claim: the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse in the world, reopened in 2018 after a five year restoration that took the whole structure apart. It holds the plants from the world's temperate zones, many of them rare and some extinct in the wild, and it is twice the size of the Palm House.
The Princess of Wales Conservatory, opened in 1987, is the third and the cleverest, running ten computer-controlled climate zones under a single roof so you walk from desert to mangrove swamp in twenty metres. The Waterlily House sits next door and is tiny and lovely. Between them, these four buildings mean a wet Easter Monday is not a lost day, which is more than any park on the list can promise.
Eating and resting
Kew has several places to eat, from the Botanical brasserie near the Victoria Gate to smaller cafés and kiosks spread across the site, and the sensible strategy at Easter is to eat early or late rather than at one o'clock with several thousand other people.
Picnics are allowed and Kew is made for them. Three hundred acres means you can walk five minutes from any path and find grass with nobody on it, which is not something Hyde Park can offer at Easter. The lawns near the Palm House are the obvious choice and therefore the busy one; the conservation area at the west end is emptier.
Benches are plentiful, which matters more than it sounds after three miles. Sit down before the children need to, because once they have stopped, restarting is a negotiation. Rest also gives you the light, and the light is the other reason people come.
Photographing Kew
Kew photographs better than anywhere else in London in spring, and the reasons are structural. You have the cherry walk, the Palm House reflected in its pond, the Great Pagoda's ten storeys rising out of trees, and the glasshouse ironwork, which is the thing photographers actually come for.
Come early for the light and the empty paths. The first hour after opening gives you the Palm House pond without a single person in the shot, and by eleven that is finished for the day. Bring a cloth for the lens, because moving from an April morning into a tropical glasshouse fogs everything instantly and it takes a few minutes to clear.
The Great Pagoda, built in 1762 and standing about 50 metres over ten storeys, is the one people miss because it sits at the southern end, a long way from the main gates. Which brings up the thing that decides your whole day.
Which gate, and how to arrive
Kew has several entrances and choosing wrong costs you an hour. The Victoria Gate is the main one and the closest to Kew Gardens station. The Elizabeth Gate sits at Kew Green at the north. The Lion Gate is at the south, nearest the Pagoda. The Brentford Gate is by the car park and the Children's Garden. They are more than a mile apart, so the gate you enter decides the order of your day.
By rail, Kew Gardens station is on the District line and the Overground and it is a short walk to the Victoria Gate, which is fine until you are carrying a picnic, a pushchair and an exhausted four year old back to it at five o'clock. The car park at Brentford Gate exists and fills early over Easter.
Being driven fixes the geometry: you are dropped at the gate that suits your plan and collected from whichever gate you finish at, which is rarely the one you started from. The picnic and the coats stay in the boot. For a day where the car waits rather than being rebooked, a driver for the whole day covers it, with fares from £80 and the V-Class at £140 for a family with the full Easter load. Kew sits about 10 miles from central London, which is 45 minutes to an hour by road.
If you want the season more broadly, the city's other parks and gardens covers the free alternatives, the Hampton Court egg hunt is 20 minutes away and a completely different day, and what is on at Easter covers the rest of the holiday.
What is Kew Gardens?
Kew Gardens is the Royal Botanic Gardens at Richmond, founded in 1759 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003. It spans 300 acres and holds one of the largest plant collections on earth. It is a working scientific institution, which is why the planting is deliberate rather than merely decorative.
Is the Easter trail included with Kew admission?
Generally yes. The family trail is usually included with standard admission rather than ticketed separately, and Kew members enter free. The theme changes each year, so it is worth confirming the details when you book your timed slot.
How long do you need at Kew Gardens?
A full day, or at minimum four to five hours. Three hundred acres and four major glasshouses cannot be done in two, and attempting it means walking past the good half. With children, plan around three or four fixed points rather than trying to see everything.
Which glasshouses are at Kew?
The four are the Palm House, the Temperate House, the Princess of Wales Conservatory and the Waterlily House. The Temperate House is the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse in the world and reopened in 2018 after a five year restoration. The Princess of Wales Conservatory runs ten climate zones under one roof.
Is Kew Gardens worth visiting in the rain?
Yes, and it is the best wet weather option of any garden in London, because the glasshouses are large enough to fill hours on their own. The Palm House and Temperate House together are close to an afternoon, and the Princess of Wales Conservatory takes you through a desert and a mangrove swamp while it rains outside.
What is the Treetop Walkway?
The Treetop Walkway is a 200 metre circuit 18 metres above the ground, opened in 2008, running through the canopy of oaks, chestnuts and limes. It flexes slightly in the wind, which is by design. There is a lift as well as stairs, and the Rhizotron below shows the same trees from the roots up.
Which Kew gate should I use?
It depends on your plan. The Victoria Gate is the main entrance and closest to Kew Gardens station, the Elizabeth Gate is at Kew Green, the Lion Gate is nearest the Great Pagoda, and the Brentford Gate serves the car park and the Children's Garden. They sit over a mile apart, so the wrong gate costs you an hour.
Can you take a picnic into Kew Gardens?
Yes. Picnics are allowed and the site has 300 acres to spread into, so unlike central London parks at Easter you can find empty grass. The lawns by the Palm House are the popular choice; the conservation area at the western end is far quieter.
When is the best time of day to visit Kew?
At opening. The first hour gives you the Palm House pond with nobody in the shot, the paths are empty, and the light is at its best. By eleven o'clock over Easter the main routes are busy, and the Children's Garden may need its own timed slot.
How far is Kew Gardens from central London?
About 10 miles, or 45 minutes to an hour by road depending on traffic. Kew Gardens station is on the District line and the Overground and sits a short walk from the Victoria Gate, though the walk feels considerably longer on the way back with a pushchair.
Is Kew or Hampton Court better for children at Easter?
Kew is better for younger children, thanks to the Children's Garden, the Treetop Walkway and the trail. Hampton Court is better for children who want history, ghosts and a maze. They are 20 minutes apart by road, so a long weekend can take in both without repetition.
What is the Great Pagoda at Kew?
The Great Pagoda is a ten storey tower of about 50 metres, built in 1762, standing at the southern end of the gardens. Most visitors miss it because it sits a long way from the main gates, which is a good argument for entering at the Lion Gate if seeing it matters to you.
Is there a play area for children at Kew?
Yes. The Children's Garden near the Brentford Gate is a large dedicated play space built around what plants need, and it is excellent. It can need its own timed entry at busy periods, and once a child is inside it they are not leaving for a glasshouse. Do it last rather than first.
Do I need to book Kew Gardens in advance at Easter?
Yes. Timed entry slots sell out over the Easter holidays, particularly the mid-morning ones families want. Booking ahead is also cheaper than the gate price in most cases, and Kew membership covers unlimited visits, which pays for itself across a spring.
