Trip 52

December 21, 2025

We’ve visited the Kew Royal Botanical Gardens a number of times beginning in about 2015) , through various seasons. Each season has a different vibe , whether it’s Spring/Summer time full of blooming flowers and trees, autumn with the beautiful foliage or winter with the bare trees, silhouetting against the sky and the gigantic holly bushes blooming. Christmas at Kew is altogether something different with the excitement of the holidays, people queue up at the entrance ready to follow the trail of lights.

The Gardens design and partner with exterior lighting designers to put on a special way of viewing the gardens at night; they open the park at 5pm (nightfall this time of year is before 4pm).

Instagram post

Want an aerial view? Instagram.

They built a pontoon bridge over the central lake and built lighted floral displays in the lake. Look across at the Palm house.

It’s very busy, so the line pauses and stops at times. The trail occasionally brings you to concessions for those needing a warm up on this chilly December evening and later, to some amusement rides for the younger children.

The lights are very well done, with holiday music playing. In the cloudy sky, to the left , we see traces of spotlights.

We spent perhaps two hours walking the trail, though the trail certainly does not encompass the entirety of the botanic gardens and its many exhibits.

Prior to entering the gardens, we had tea & scones at the Original Maids of Honor, about 0.7 mile down the road from the Kew entrance.

Time now to catch the Tube back to London; the Kew station is a short, direct walk from the entrance to the station and 60 minutes (some line changes along the way).