30 Things to See First

Thirty places to see first, in order, for somebody who has never been to London. Each says what it is, whether it is free, whether you must book, and whether the queue is worth it.

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Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Three hundred acres of botanic garden with Victorian glasshouses and a walkway up among the treetops. Ticketed, and the glasshouses shut before the gardens do.

Also in What’s On and Outdoors & Nature and Science & Engineering and Literary London.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a working scientific institution as much as a garden: the Palm House, the Temperate House - the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse anywhere - the Treetop Walkway out among the branches, and enough ground that a day is not really enough. The glasshouses shut before the gardens do, which catches people out on a long summer evening.

Where
Victoria Gate, Kew Road, Kew, TW9 3AE
Nearest station
Kew Gardens · 5 min walk

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Hours

Monday10:00 – 19:00
Tuesday10:00 – 19:00
Wednesday10:00 – 19:00
Thursday10:00 – 19:00
Friday10:00 – 19:00
Saturday10:00 – 19:00
Sunday10:00 – 19:00

Hours from the page that lists them, checked 3 September 2026.

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Data is compiled from public sources including OpenStreetMap, under the ODbL. Hours change often, so check before making a journey.

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