London 3-day Itinerary
United Kingdom (UK)
Where to go and what to see in London to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Annabelle Thorpe.
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Overview >Bucket list experience:
Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew
Last updated: 06 November, 2022
Although founded officially in 1840, these renowned, UNESCO-listed botanical gardens have been around since the 1750s. They now showcase 30,000 species of plant over around 300 acres – the largest botanical garden in the world.
It’s not just for visual enjoyment, there’s a strong conservation purpose here too. The gardens are a world leader in plant science and conservation. The herbarium contains over 8.5 million preserved plant and fungal specimens from all over the world.
The wedding-cake Victorian Palm House is a centrepiece, alongside energy-efficient modern hothouses, an aquarium, butterfly house and a raised 200m treetop walkway through a woodland glade. Also look out for ‘The Hive’, a 17m-high, multi-sensory experience to highlight the extraordinary life of bees.
The gardens offer a year-round programme of tours and talks plus stunning site-specific art exhibitions – all adding up to a memorable, nature-inspired day out for anyone.
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Destination Guide >Recommended itineraries by our writers that include this experience
London 5-day Itinerary
United Kingdom (UK)
Where to go and what to see in London to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Annabelle Thorpe.
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London 9-day Itinerary
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Where to go and what to see in London to get the most from your trip – 9 brilliant, bucket list-packed days recommended by destination expert and travel writer Annabelle Thorpe.
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Overview >Price from: £13
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 4+
When: All year around
Getting there & doing it
Kew Gardens is 10 miles south of central London, an easy 20-minute journey by tube (District Line) or overground train. It’s a five-minute walk from Kew Gardens Station to the gardens’ Victoria Gate. The gardens have an excellent app guide for Android/iPhone (free).
For a tasty treat before or after your visit, try Maids of Honour, a bakery with a pie-making heritage stretching back to Henry VIII’s era, located just outside the Kew Gate.
When to do it
The gardens are open all year, seven days a week. Opening hours usually run later at the weekend between April and August.
With 14,000 trees, Kew is perennially pretty, but spring (April-May) brings gorgeous displays of prunus blossom and flowering bulbs; autumn (September-October) blazed with a riot of maple, red oak and sweet gum.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Kew Gardens, Richmond - Self-Guided Audio Tour
London
Enjoy a city break from London to visit Kew Gardens and explore the world's largest collection of living plants with this self-guided audio ...
£5 | Rating 4.8 / 5 [20 ratings]
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Tour supplied by:
Kew Gardens Entrance Ticket
London
See floral splendor and scenery without leaving London on a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew! Commonly known as Kew Gardens, the UNES...
£14 | Rating 4.20 / 5 [724 ratings]
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Tour supplied by:
Amazing Kew Gardens & London Landmarks Tour
London
Our tour guides will guide you on an exploration of London’s major 30+ landmarks. Buckingham Palace. Westminster Abbey & The Tower of London...
£69 | Rating 4 / 5 [8 ratings]
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Bingham Riverhouse
London, United Kingdom (UK)[2.7 miles]
A lovely, tranquil retreat for those who want to dip in and out of central London. Richmond Park, Hampton Court and The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are on your doorstep.
Official star rating:
Richmond Harbour Hotel
London, United Kingdom (UK)[3.1 miles]
A colourful and stylish ‘countryside retreat’ atop leafy Richmond Hill, overlooking the Thames and just 20 minutes from the city centre. Kew Gardens and Hampton Court are virtually next door.
Official star rating:
Portobello Hotel
London, United Kingdom (UK)[7.4 miles]
A colourful boutique hotel with an even more colourful rock’n’roll history, in the boho-chic residential quarter between Portobello Road and Notting Hill.
Official star rating:
Number Sixteen
London, United Kingdom (UK)[8.5 miles]
Dazzling design and local colour abound at this intimate, under-the-radar bolthole in a convenient, upmarket location.
Official star rating:
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
London
Greater London, United Kingdom (UK)
World-class culture, fashion, music, food and history – and a mind-boggling array of bucket list experiences – packed into one extraordinary, incomparable destination.
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Overview >Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Kensington Palace
London, United Kingdom (UK)[8 miles]
Birthplace of Queen Victoria, this regal 18th-century palace in Hyde Park is now the official residence of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children.
Best for ages: 13+ | £17
London Science Museum
London, United Kingdom (UK)[8.5 miles]
The world’s largest science museum, with 40 galleries celebrating three centuries of major scientific advances.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free
Natural History Museum
London, United Kingdom (UK)[8.5 miles]
Dinosaur skeletons, blue whales and chunks of meteorite set in a Romanesque, cathedral-like building – the world’s biggest and best such museum is a treasure trove of natural history.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free
Royal Albert Hall
London, United Kingdom (UK)[8.5 miles]
London’s premier venue, this iconic circular Victorian concert hall hosts everything from circus acts to classical music, with perfectly-crafted acoustics.
Best for ages: 13+ | £15 | 1+ hours
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Richmond Park
London, United Kingdom (UK)[4.4 miles]
Charles I’s deer-roamed royal park that remains little changed since the Middle Ages. Woodland, grassland, and cycleways make for a rural treat of a city retreat.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free
Madame Tussauds
London, United Kingdom (UK)[10.9 miles]
Meet the queen, get a selfie with Stormzy and take the controls of the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca at the world’s leading and original wax museum.
Best for ages: 8+ | £30
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
London, United Kingdom (UK)[11.2 miles]
A magical leafy setting that’s as memorable as the shows themselves, Regent’s Park Outdoor Theatre is one of London’s must-do entertainment experiences.
Best for ages: 18+ | £25 | 1-3 hours
Royal Academy of Arts
London, United Kingdom (UK)[11.3 miles]
An 18th-century mansion of masterpieces sitting pretty on Piccadilly, home to one of Britain’s oldest collections of fine art and regular blockbuster exhibitions.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free