Kew Gardens, Richmond, London. Paid entry
Details
Accessibility
https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/accessibility
https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/accessibility#kla-ticket-prices
"Free garden day time entry for:
- essential companions, personal assistants, support workers and next of kin accompanying disabled visitors
- registered blind and partially-sighted visitors
Disabled visitors qualify for a concession ticket.
Those on Universal Credit qualify for a £1 ticket. Visit out tickets and prices page for more info.
Events
We understand that some guests will not be able to access some event without the assistance of an Essential Companion. We are pleased to be able to offer an Essential Companion ticket for those guests who require additional assistance to enjoy all that we have to offer.
When you arrive, you will be asked to produce documentation to validate your companion ticket.
Accepted documentation:
- Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance for children under 16
- Personal Independent payments for those aged 16-64
- Attendance Allowance or Carer's Allowance letter of award - Incapacity Benefit book
- A Blue or Orange badge - BD8 or a Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI)
- The Access Card
- International Proof of Disability
Please contact info@kew.org if you need to discuss your access needs further."
https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/accessibility#kla-ticket-prices
Kew Gardens car park (TW9 3AF) near Brentford Gate is open, however parking is prohibited along Kew Road. Check the Richmond council website for parking updates.
- Drivers displaying a blue badge can park in Kew Gardens car park (TW9 3AF) free of charge
- There are 11 accessible/blue badge parking spaces in the car park (use other spaces if full)
- There are 2 accessible/blue badge parking spaces to the right of the Elizabeth Gate on Kew Green (council controlled)
Getting around
The Gardens are largely flat, with tarmac paths in most places.
- If you require assistance finding your way, please ask a member of staff and they will be happy to direct you.
- The Gardens are under a flightpath and there are often vehicles and machinery at work in the Gardens and this could cause significant noise.
- All recognised guide, assistance or service dogs – including assistance dogs in training – are welcome in the Gardens. We ask that they are recognisable, with a lead or harness that identifies them as working.
Accessibility map
This map prioritises accessibility information and highlights areas in the Gardens of sensory interest. It also includes a zoomed-in map of part of the Gardens, to help you navigate the busiest area.
We recommend you use this alongside our visual guide to help you plan and enjoy your visit to Kew Gardens.
"Mobility scooters and wheelchairs:
There are a limited number of wheelchairs available to use at all public entry gates. There’s no need to book, please ask a member of the team when you arrive.
You are welcome to bring your own mobility scooter if it is a pavement-use scooter limited to 4mph.
We also have mobility scooters that are available to borrow, if booked in advance. They are available from Brentford, Victoria and Elizabeth Gates. We recommend booking your mobility scooter at least two weeks in advance
Glasshouses- The Temperate House and Alpine House are accessible by wheelchair and mobility scooter.
- The Palm House is accessible by wheelchair but not mobility scooter.
- The Princess of Wales Conservatory is accessible by wheelchair and mobility scooter. The upper floor is not accessible to wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
- The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art has a ramp to enter the gallery and is fully accessible by wheelchair.
- The Marianne North Gallery is fully accessible by wheelchair and can be entered via a platform lift near the Temperate House gate. The Marianne North Gallery is larger than the Shirley Sherwood Gallery, and can therefore accommodate a larger electric wheelchair.
Please note that the galleries are not accessible for people using mobility scooters, however we can provide manual wheelchairs for visitors to use on arrival. Visitors using electric wheelchairs are also welcome.
Historic buildingsKew Palace is accessible for wheelchair users, offering assisted wheelchair access into the building and an accessible lift.
Due to the historic nature of the narrow corridors and doorways in Kew Palace, small wheelchairs are required. Mobility scooters are not permitted in Kew Palace or the Royal Kitchens.
All recognised guide, assistance or service dogs – including assistance dogs in training – are welcome in Kew Palace and the Royal Kitchens.
Kew Palace has two manual wheelchairs that can be borrowed while visiting the Palace. There are a limited number of manual wheelchairs available to borrow at each entrance gate to Kew Gardens.
Accessible toilets
There are unisex accessible toilets within easy reach of all the main attractions, cafés and gates. These are marked on our map of the Gardens.
Hearing loops
Hearing loops are installed at the gate tills, retail shop tills, and catering counters.
Get in touch
For accessibility advice during your visit, please contact us (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm):
Call: +44 (0)20 8332 5655
Email: info@kew.org "
https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/accessibility#kla-accessibility-map
https://www.kew.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/Kew%20Gardens%20visual%20guide%20Feb%2024.pdf
https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/monthly-british-sign-language-tours
Brief description
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kew_Gardens
"Kew Gardens is a botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world".[1] Founded in 1759, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its living collections include some of the 27,000 taxa[2] curated by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, while the herbarium, one of the largest in the world, has over 8.5 million preserved plant and fungal specimens.[3] The library contains more than 750,000 volumes, and the illustrations collection contains more than 175,000 prints and drawings of plants. It is one of London's top tourist attractions and is a World Heritage Site.[4][5]
Kew Gardens, together with the botanic gardens at Wakehurst in Sussex, are managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, an internationally important botanical research and education institution that employs over 1,100 staff and is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.[6]
The botanic gardens at Kew formally started in 1759,[7] although they can be traced back to the exotic garden at Kew Park, formed by Henry, Lord Capell of Tewkesbury. The site now consists of 132 hectares (330 acres)[8] of gardens and botanical glasshouses, four Grade I listed buildings, and 36 Grade II listed structures, all set in an internationally significant landscape.[9] Kew Gardens is listed Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.[10]
Kew Gardens has its own police force, Kew Constabulary, which has been in operation since 1845.[11]
+ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kew_Gardens#Features + https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kew_Gardens#Plant_houses
+ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kew_Gardens#Ornamental_buildings + https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kew_Gardens#Galleries_and_museums "
Address
Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE
+
Kew Gardens Car Park,
Brentford Gate
Ferry Lane
Richmond
TW9 3AG
Phone
020 8332 5655
Website
Directions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kew_Gardens#Access_and_transport
2025: "Cycle racks are located just inside the Victoria Gate, Elizabeth Gate and Brentford Gate entrances. There is a 300-space car park outside Brentford Gate, reached via Ferry Lane, as well as some free, though restricted, on-street parking on Kew Road.[132]"
Kew Gardens is accessible by four gates that are open to the public: the Elizabeth Gate, at the west end of Kew Green, and was originally called the Main Gate before being renamed in 2012 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II;[130] the Brentford Gate, which faces the River Thames; the Victoria Gate (named after Queen Victoria), situated in Kew Road, which is also the location of the Visitors' Centre; and the Lion Gate, also situated in Kew Road.[131]
Other gates that are not open to the public include Unicorn Gate, Cumberland Gate and Jodrell Gate (all in Kew Road), Isleworth Gate (facing the Thames), and Oxenhouse Gate (south boundary with Old Deer Park).[63]"
Opening Times
Always check with the venue directly for up-to-date information including opening times and admission charges as they may be subject to change
June 2025: Opening times:
Weekdays, 10am to 7pm (last entry 6pm)
Weekends and Bank Holidays, 10am to 8pm (last entry 7pm)
16 July 2025: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpwq08rxxklo Kew Gardens' Palm House will close for five years for major makeover from 2027.
Transport
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kew_Gardens#Access_and_transport
2025: "Kew Gardens station, which opened in 1869 and now runs London Underground {District line) and London Overground (Mildmay line) services, is the nearest train station to the gardens: it is only 400 metres (1,300 ft) along Lichfield Road from the Victoria Gate entrance.[132] Kew Bridge station, on the other side of the Thames, 800 metres from the Elizabeth Gate entrance via Kew Bridge, is served by South Western Railway trains from Clapham Junction and Waterloo.[132]
London Buses route 65, between Ealing Broadway and Kingston, stops near the Lion Gate and Victoria Gate entrances; route 110, between Hammersmith and Hounslow, stops near Kew Gardens station; while routes 237 and 267 stop at Kew Bridge station.[132]
London River Services operate from Westminster during the summer, stopping at Kew Pier, 500 metres (1,600 ft) from Elizabeth Gate.[132] Cycle racks are located just inside the Victoria Gate, Elizabeth Gate and Brentford Gate entrances. There is a 300-space car park outside Brentford Gate, reached via Ferry Lane, as well as some free, though restricted, on-street parking on Kew Road.[132]"
Amenities
https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/eating-and-drinking
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kew_Gardens#Refreshments
"2025: Refreshments:
Kew provides multiple places to eat and drink, including The Orangery, the Pavilion Bar and Grill, the Botanical Brasserie, a Café by the Victoria Gate, and a Family Kitchen near the Children's Garden.[118]"
Baby Changing Facilities
Art Gallery / Craft Centre
Defibrillators
Disability Parking
Disability Toilets
Museum
Park
Parking
Cafe
Restaurant
Snack Bar / Take Away
Arboretum
Travel Information
For further travel information please see: www.traveline.info
Or call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33
(Calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company's access charge)
NB London ULTRA-LOW EMISSION ZONE
This started on 8 April 2019 in the Central London Congestion Charge Zone, and will extend to the whole of the London area within the
M25 Motorway from 25 October 2021.
For more details please see:
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle-35896
Vehicles registered with a 'disabled' or 'disabled passenger vehicles' tax class will benefit from a grace period after the ULEZ starts until 26 October 2025 as long as their vehicle doesn't change tax class, and this also applies to a 'disabled' vehicle registered outside the UK.
Location
Nearest Venues
St Anne's Church Kew, Richmond, London
609 metres*
*Distances are calculated in a straight line from the current venue, please allow extra time/distance based on available paths or roads.