Best things to do at Kew Gardens with your friends
Thinking of what to do in London for the day? Look no further! We have the perfect plan for a summer day with your friends! At Kew Gardens you can see some of the world’s largest, oldest, smelliest and hungriest of plants. You can also have a relaxing picnic on the grass if you prefer that, or why not go on an adventurous treetop walk? We are sure you will love this magical place! Read on as we will reveal some of our favourite secrets in this sprawling garden. This guide will help you get the most out of your trip to the spectacular Kew Gardens this summer!
Photo by @wander_lozz
Kew Gardens - the world’s largest collection of living plants, right in the middle of London! Here you can see the world famous glasshouses, historic gardens, and the royal palace - no wonder this place has over 1 million visitors each year! In fact, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are now considered a UNESCO World Heritage site. The origins of the gardens can be traced back to 1759, when Augusta, the Princess of Wales, acquired a large strip of land called Kew Fields. In the years following her husband’s death, she developed it into an exotic garden. And that was the start of Kew Gardens!
Marianne North Gallery
Marianne North was a Victorian plant hunter and botanical painter. She traveled the world while searching for new plants and made beautiful paintings out of her discoveries. Her talent even gained the attention of notable members of the scientific community, including Charles Darwin! In 1882 she opened her own gallery at Kew and today, you can find more than 800 remarkable paintings covering the walls of the Marianne North Gallery. Take your time and admire the work in this charming gallery!
Pro tip! If it starts raining, this is a great place to take shelter! And the entry to the gallery is free, yay!
Treetop walkway - a thrilling experience
If you feel adventurous - this is for you! 18 meters above the ground you will find a 200-meter long tree-lined pathway that takes you to the top of the forest. From there, you can literally reach out and touch the tops of the trees. You can see lime trees, oaks, chestnut trees and many others. Take your friends up in the air and enjoy a magical bird’s eye view of the royal garden - you will love it!
Hey, are you up for a fun challenge? We dare you to look down through the metal floor as you walk. Pretty scary, right?
The Hive - where art & science meet
Could the Hive possibly be the coolest spot at Kew? Well, at the very least it is the most photographed one and we can clearly see why! In the heart of a wildflower meadow you find this spectacular open-air attraction called The Hive.
Actually, you can connect to real bees in this hive. How does that work, you might ask. Well, it’s simple! An accelerometer, which is placed in a beehive at Kew, picks up vibrations from the bees activity and sends it to The Hive in real-time. Together with over a thousand LED lights that glow accordingly to the vibrations, this spectacular installation will give you an immersive sound and visual experience. Step inside and discover the secret life of bees. You can literally hear over 50,000 real honey bees working and making noises, impressive no? This unique experience will give you an insight into life inside a bee colony!
Psst! Right outside The Hive, you can discover the secret vibrations that bees use to communicate.
Photo by: @jaroslaw_marciuk
The Princess of Wales Conservatory - travel from the deserts to the tropics
Photo by: @jaroslaw_marciuk
The Princess of Wales Conservatory is Kew Gardens' most complex glasshouse. The conservatory was opened by Princess Diana in 1987, including a huge variety of plants separated into 10 sections with different climatic zones - from cool desert to tropical mountain and rainforest. In this glassy labyrinth you can see plants from all over the world, as well as pretty aquatic animals. The spiky cacti section is definitely a favourite!
Photo by: @jaroslaw_marciuk
