Kew Gardens Reviews 187

Arrived at the Pagoda just before the 4 pm last admission, closure at 4.30. No queue, 3 staff on duty dressed like Arcadian peasants (?). I was told I had 4 minutes to book the £4.50 ticket on-line as their payment system was down. I tried to buy through the Kew site but couldn’t find a link. There was no QR code available. A member of staff spent 5 minutes (really) scrolling through my phone but was unable to find a link to pay and eventually announced I couldn’t enter and it was too late to do the half mile round trip to the main kiosk. I asked if she could use her discretion only to be told I must have a valid ticket: ‘it’s just not your day.’ Oh the misery, pain, injustice and humiliation we grumpy old men are afflicted with. I felt like a flee brushed off the Marie Antoinette’s plus fours. I wouldn’t mind but I had spent £40 for access to the gardens earlier. Perhaps she was fearful I’d use up all the air in the Pagoda or wear away the treads. Don’t think I’ll be returning any time soon.

beautiful, peaceful place to browse nice plants , although me + 3 friends came to more than £100!

On London's outskirts and reachable by TFL.
Bit pricey to get in but worth it. If of age, ask for an OAP discount. ;-)
Hi-lites were Lily Pads and The Hive.
Our own positive park perspective is atop YT's MazzJohn Channel!

Lovely grounds at wakehurst but under Kews ownership everything continues to go downhill as they look to squeeze more and more money out of people. Yet another distressing and rude experience at the front desk (twice in the last two visits) We will be cancelling our family's membership.

Don't bother to get tickets to the special Peruvian evening exhibit. Instead, plan a daytime visit.

As a former exhibit designer, I recommend that the Kew environmental designers fully consider the conditions their exhibit will be viewed in. Either make accommodation for this nighttime event or don’t offer it; allocate funds for additional directional signage; consider crowd comforts for winter visitors: e.g. bring in a portable bank of toilets; a coat check area and umbrella stands, etc

Some of the misses: Directions to Jodrel entrance gate were emailed, but the attachment contained inaccurately illustrated directions from the Kew train station. A simple Google Maps from the Underground would have been easier to follow.

I arrived at the gate at the appointed time only to stand in a long queue under freezing rain for about 15 minutes. Once inside the gates, we were directed to a building with WCs, but there were just a couple of toilet stalls in the ladies’ room.

Inside the Conservatory was a chaotic scene, it was crowded and foot traffic was logjammed. Overall, the crowd management was poor and it seemed as if the event had been oversold. Traffic should have been routed to move in one direction. I also expected to find a coat check, as this is winter in London, and the public is entering a glass house with tropical temperatures.

The event promised Peru but didn't deliver. The live band was heard playing, but was visible only from one large monitor. It would have been nicer to have integrated the band into the “live action.” There were 2 bars with long lines inside the Conservatory, but the food was being prepared and served outside from one stall and one truck, without any provision made for inclement weather. Again, in London, in February, that seems like poor planning.

I’m sure this exhibit passes muster during the day, but at night, it was a failure. The lights were not directed for nighttime viewing, you’re either blinded or straining to see a hanging orchid in the dark. Also, no colored lights are needed to see these magnificent blooms, and there could have been more identifiers on the flowers.

There were butterflies and other hanging creatures made of painted straw adorned with dried flowers, scattered throughout. I think the theme they were aiming for was whimsical, but to me they were just awkward space fillers.

The Peruvian dancers added a nice touch, but there was no platform to see their performance, it was just a mass of heads if you were not lucky enough to be standing at the front when the dancer emerged from the grenenery.

Signage was completely absent on the alcove leading to the gift shop and lecture area (pictured.) There was not a single indicator that one should go in, so how do you sell souvenirs if no one is aware there’s a shop? That’s a missed revenue-generating opportunity.

Overall, I saw a failed plan to host large crowds attending a nighttime display during the winter. Providing a coat check and portable toilets would have been welcome and should be part of planning any exhibition. Planning for signage and directional lighting is also a given.

I love going to see the orchids at Kew. But this year was a real disappointment. The experience was essentially one of standing in a giant, slow-moving queue for an hour - plus a long queue to get in. Some bright spark has decided to block off all but one route through the glasshouse, which means once you are in there is no option but to trudge along behind the person in front of you. Stopping isn’t an option either, with staff telling you you have to keep moving. This, combined with the excessive number of visitors (all ticketed), means that it’s just a throng of bodies. More people than orchids. I was there at the first slot of the day as well. It’s not an experience I’d like to repeat. It would have been so much nicer with fewer people and the option to walk around the glasshouse, as was the case in previous years.

Dreadful queues to start and throughout tour.. Would not recommend. Such a shame as tried so hard with the orchids which were wonderful

Rude response to emails, and then no response to emails.
Like many others I have been feeling let down after a poor Christmas lights experience. The event should’ve been cancelled for that day as the torrential rain and strong winds made the experience with children, frankly miserable and unsafe.
There were power cuts, no shelter, unsafe wet rides. The water from the lake blew back at the crowds, making it impossible to watch one of the main attractions, and despite wearing full rain gear and wellies, I had to literally ring out my 5 year olds socks.

When messaging Kew to discuss the issues we had experienced with the event, I was met with extremely rude responses, which really took me aback.
Eventually I had been offered replacement tickets…..although despite being a member and having had ticket insurance, I was met with phrases like
“We’re sort of doing you a favour”
… I then have also not had any response to confirm my replacement tickets since the 11th December, so I feel like the offer was completely fictional!
Overall I was left feeling like I wanted to cancel my Kew membership and not return to the lights again despite it being our annual tradition.
I can cope with disappointing lights…I can’t cope with rude and immature customer service from such a supposedly reputable institution.
Customer service needs a complete overhaul!

just want to note this is for the christmas walk

quite frankly i don't even know where to start from because this experience was so disappointing. i feel like the staff ran around 20 minutes prior to opening the gates and just threw on whatever lights were in their hand at the innocent trees and bushes.. i mean half of the path was super dark and completely unlit for some reason? here i am stumbling around trying to enjoy my overpriced hotdog (which wasn't that good for the 12.65 price tag attached to it) in pitch darkness about to say my final goodbyes as i hope i don't fall into a ditch due to this trail. furthermore the lights that WERE there were the most tacky and ugly things i've ever seen.. at some point it was just rods of cylinder lights angled upwards to represent a christmas tree which almost made me gag cuz ur telling me an actual designer went through the whole process of creating this 'artwork' ACTUALLY looked at it and thought "yeah that's mint i'll post that" because this CANNOT have been created by someone over the age of 5

and why was there a whole field of "fire" christmas trees which were just metal frames with fire pots on them?! how is this supposed to make me think christmas? i'm thinking hell, no escape, danger while walking through this skinny road fearing for my safety as the fire pits are dangerously close to tree branches..

enough about the lights the food was pretty mid and of course, overpriced asf!! please eat beforehand the food isn't that yummy to be spending money on it you can buy it for like £1 at your local chicken shop or just make it at home

i don't have much to note on the "theme park" since it was 3.50 for a token ( you have to spend one token per ride - shut up im not stingy im just unwilling to spend £3.50 on a carousel or a slide when i can get that experience for MUCH better at a actual theme park or just at any park) other than it was identical to last year and there was nothing magical or interesting about it.

overall i beg you not to come here because i mean it when i say this is a scam and stop bringing your babies they will NOT remember this and if they're younger than 1 the lights will likely scare them (but to be honest the lights scare us all at how horrendous they are) i'm tired of hearing wailing infants i'm already having a bad enough time spare me the crying

We have visited Christmas at Kew five times so far, excluding last year and the year it was canceled due to the lockdown. While previous years offered a sensational, unique, and festive spectacle, this year was extremely disappointing by comparison. Most of the installations felt cheap and tacky, lacking the magical and Christmas spirit that we had come to expect.

Even the dancing fountains towards the end of the trail seemed as though their budget had been drastically cut. The colors and song choices were uninspired, and the inclusion of a water screen displaying London landmarks felt unnecessary and out of place. At certain points, the trail felt more like walking down Oxford Street, overwhelmed by pedicabs blaring loud music and flashing colors, rather than an enchanting Christmas experience. Overall, the show lacked warmth and creativity, as if the designers had made little effort to deliver something memorable or spectacular. None of the installations left a lasting impression.

The food choices were equally disappointing, as though no thought had gone into curating the vendors. Portions were tiny, and the offerings were dominated by unhealthy options high in bad fats and sugar—not ideal for children or adults. The toilets were another letdown, with many left unclean and lacking toilet paper.

Overall, we didn’t enjoy the experience. The tickets were overpriced for what was offered, and the food was subpar. Sadly, we won’t be returning.

I had to leave a review on this.
I am a Kew Gardens member and I love the park but this year, the Christmas lights at Kew were a huge disappointment. Didn't worth a pound.
Such a waste of time and money, that's not even funny.
I went with my 2 children and a friend of theirs. I was expecting something big, but no..the Christmas lights in central London are more enjoyable and free.
Boring event, nothing outstanding, the prices on the food and drinks were so high, very crowded, long queues and waiting time to get some fries. Half way, I was keep checking the map to see how long we have left as I had enough by then.
I paid just over £100 for the entrance and more for food, drinks and couple of fair rides for the kids.
I can't believe that I actually paid to attend this event.
I feel like this event is a lack of respect towards the people who attended it. It was done just for financial gain with no intent to actually delivery something nice for the guests attending this event.
I don't recommend, shame on whoever managed this event. Do not waste your time or money and do something else!

After attending the last 4 Christmas at Kew light trails which were amazing, this year was so disappointing. I hope next year is back to the normal standards

We visited Kew Gardens on a weekday in December 2024. It was reasonably priced to enter at £11 per adult concession although I did not discover how to buy a ticket online without the discretionary donation. This needs to be made more clear.
No queuing and a friendly welcome when we arrived with helpful recommendations about what to see.
It was really cold and we had a 3 Yr old so flitted from greenhouse to greenhouse. The plants were fabulous and I loved the Victorian engineering of the older greenhouses. Beautiful! We left at 3.30 as the Christmas lights were coming on and they were great, an unexpected bonus.
Sadly we then went to the cafe at the Victoria entrance. The food was unbelievably bad and significantly overpriced. 2 hot chocolates, 2 cheese and ham toasties and 2 pieces of cake - £34. Way too much! The hot chocolates were lukewarm- in fairness this is not unusual. The cheese toasties were half cooked and semi edible. The cake was poor quality and hard.
If Kew gardens want to sell this type of snack then for goodness sake sell the franchise to Gregg's and let them do it so much better at half the price. At least they know how to make a cheese and ham toastie.
The experience of this cafe spoilt a lovely afternoon. Kew Gardens are internationally famous and the place deserves better.

What a fabulous evening and great event. Can’t understand the bad reviews. Well done Kew Gardens.

I booked tickets for the Christmas at Kew event – 2024. The event was cancelled due to the weather. I fully understand that these things happen, its just one of those unfortunate things, however the poor communication of the cancellation is not acceptable. Kew sent out an email on the morning of the event notifying of the cancellation, they obviously expect everyone to constantly monitor their inboxes & junk mail folders 24/7, I had checked mine 30 mins earlier. At the time of booking, Kew required a telephone number, I assumed for last minute changes. I don’t expect them to phone everyone as this would be to time consuming, however sending out a text would have alerted people with a mobile straight away & saved many people, including myself, the trip & expense of travelling into London. I feel this shows a complete lack of care & consideration for people who want to visit this event.

Further to my previous review: I’ve now found that Kew have only provided a partial refund when THEY cancelled the event. They have refused, in my case, to refund the credit card booking fee, but for others this could have been much more if they opted for the ticket refund protection (I’m sure at the time of applying for the refund that their website showed the full amount would be refunded). Someone is profiting from not providing any service / event at all!

When I questioned this with Kew customer services, they sent me a link to their terms & conditions (which I’m sure nobody has the time to read). In section 22 (they point out, no doubt well versed in this type of complaint) of the 48 parts to the T&C they quote:
‘Please note that the Booking Fee and any Transaction Fees are not refundable in these circumstances. If you opted for Ticket Refund Protection this is also a non-refundable fee’.

I wonder why anyone would now pay for the ticket refund protection if it doesn’t cover this either?
I also happened to note that section 21 of their T&C states: ‘If a Promoter cancels an event or makes significant changes to the venue, date, show time or (concerts only) headline act and confirms this to SEE, SEE will try to inform you. This will usually be contacted by letter for phone bookings or email for online bookings. In urgent cases it may be by phone’.

As people were only made aware of the cancellation via email at some point on the day, I assume that Kew didn’t consider that the cancellation was URGENT enough to notify people by phone as per their T&C’s (Or maybe they hadn’t read it themselves!)

There are many of these events held around the country, many much nearer than me, I chose to visit Kew as I had held them in high regard. After the way they have behaved at every stage relating to the unfortunate cancellation it would seem that this high regard that I had for KEW WAS misplaced.

I have visited Kew on many occasions over the years, four times in 2024 alone. Needless to say, I won’t be visiting at all in 2025 due to the reprehensible behaviour & total disregard to its customers.

Completely disappointed from my experience of the Light Show. Money-making machine, stalls with food and drinks everywhere, and just a bunch of fairly lights from Ikea put up on bushes and trees. Not worth paying the entry ticket price.

I grew up near Kew Gardens and have visited hundreds of times, however on recent visits I’ve been shocked by how commercial it’s become. It’s starting to feel like a theme park and not a horticultural gardens. What really shocked me were the amount of electrical wires everywhere and the noise of construction and various new installations. Maybe time to visit the Royal parks more often, they are unspoilt, quiet and free!

My partner and I were supposed to go to the Halloween at Kew exhibition/trail, and our session was supposed to last 1 hour 30 minutes until they closed at 10PM. Unfortunately, our taxi taking us there cancelled last minute, and the next one was badly delayed. As a result, we arrived late, but we still had an hour and 10 minutes left on our session that I paid for. There could have easily been a compromise where they let us in for the rest of our session, but no, we (along with several other couples) were turned away. While the junior staff member was actually very nice and apologetic, their manager who intervened was extremely rude: when I tried to explain our situation, they cut me off telling me to let them speak, and then proceeded to condescendingly lecture us about how we should have read their (well-hidden) terms and conditions and arrived earlier, blaming us, even if our delay was completely outside of our control and we still had over an hour left on the session that I paid for! Rather than being apologetic about it, the manager showed a complete lack of empathy and continued to arrogantly talk back to us, so the argument inevitably got heated. The manager began calling security to “remove us from the premises”, effectively threatening the use of force, even though we were never even on the premises in the first place (they never let us in), even if we always kept our distance and never touched or threatened them in any way, in fact, we were actually giving up and starting to walk away at that point. This manager was clearly an unpleasant individual that enjoyed having a tiny bit of power.

It is a shame, because my partner and I were regulars at Kew Gardens and have some good memories there, but this experience completely put us off from coming again. They need to train their staff properly and not have such cruel terms and conditions. Avoid this place at all costs because you will not get your money (or your time) back!

PS: if customer service actually cared about our feedback, they would be passing it on immediately, rather than giving me (and all the other negative reviewers) a ‘copy and paste’ answer and telling us to get in contact with them.

Attended the Halloween special with my young child. It was marketed as 'spooky fun for all', but it was far from it. Terrifying for my little one and a complete waste of money as we had to power through the trail in about 30 mins. Not to mention the trail suffered the usual bottleneck issues as the ones (pathways just aren't wide enough!) and food for horrendously over priced with little seating area to eat. Have complained, but was informed 'everyone else had fun', so it must be my little one who's the issue clearly. Disgusting attitude and just another money grab. Have unfortunately already booked tickets for Christmas, but believe me this will be the last visit.

I visited Kew Gardens in late August and enjoyed it. The tickets and food were a bit pricey, however my family had a great time and we liked the overall experience.