7 gardens, 4 free
Gardens to visit in London
London has world class botanic gardens alongside quiet corners of the Royal Parks and city squares. Many of the best are free to walk into, and the big paid gardens are easy to reach by Tube or train.
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Paid entry Chelsea Physic Garden (independent charity)
Chelsea Physic Garden
Chelsea, Greater London
London's oldest botanic garden, founded by the Society of Apothecaries in 1673, with around 5,000 medicinal, edible and useful plants inside sheltering walls by the Thames.
Adults £15 including voluntary donation, or £13.50 without; students and young people 5 to 25 £6.50 (£5 without donation); children under 5 free
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Paid entry English Heritage
Eltham Palace and Gardens
Eltham, Greater London
Nineteen acres of gardens around an Art Deco house and medieval great hall, with a sunken rose garden, rock garden pools and a medieval bridge over the moat.
Paid entry, see website for current prices; booking online by midnight the day before saves up to 15%
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Free entry Horniman Museum and Gardens
Horniman Museum Gardens
Forest Hill, Greater London
Sixteen free acres on a south London hillside, with views across the city, a Victorian conservatory, bandstand, themed gardens and a ticketed Butterfly House.
Free; Butterfly House, Aquarium and some exhibitions are ticketed (Butterfly House adults £9.90, or £11 with Gift Aid)
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Free entry The Royal Parks
Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park
Richmond, Greater London
A free 40 acre woodland garden inside Richmond Park, famous for its evergreen azaleas around ponds and streams in late April and early May, with autumn acers and winter heathers.
Free; parking in Richmond Park is also free
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Free entry Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Kyoto Garden, Holland Park
Kensington, Greater London
A tranquil Japanese garden in Holland Park, given by the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce in 1991, with a tiered waterfall, koi pond, stone lanterns and maples that colour well in autumn.
Free
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Free entry The Royal Parks
Queen Mary's Gardens, The Regent's Park
Marylebone, Greater London
Free gardens in The Regent's Park holding London's largest collection of roses, around 8,000 plants in 85 single-variety beds, with seasonal borders, shrubberies and an ornamental lake.
Free
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Paid entry Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Kew, Greater London
A world-renowned botanic garden on the Thames at Kew, founded in 1759, with the Palm House, the Temperate House, a treetop walkway and one of the largest living plant collections anywhere.
Adults £28 at the gate or £25 online (peak, 2 September to 31 October 2026); from 1 November £20 at the gate or £17 online. Children 4 to 15 £4 (£2 online), under 4s free. Prices exclude the optional donation
Prices and entry in London
A side by side summary. Prices and opening times change, so follow the link to each guide for details and sources.
| Garden | County | Entry | Price | Run by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea Physic Garden | Greater London | Paid entry | Adults £15 including voluntary donation, or £13.50 without; students and young people 5 to 25 £6.50 (£5 without donation); children under 5 free | Chelsea Physic Garden (independent charity) |
| Eltham Palace and Gardens | Greater London | Paid entry | Paid entry, see website for current prices; booking online by midnight the day before saves up to 15% | English Heritage |
| Horniman Museum Gardens | Greater London | Free entry | Free; Butterfly House, Aquarium and some exhibitions are ticketed (Butterfly House adults £9.90, or £11 with Gift Aid) | Horniman Museum and Gardens |
| Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park | Greater London | Free entry | Free; parking in Richmond Park is also free | The Royal Parks |
| Kyoto Garden, Holland Park | Greater London | Free entry | Free | Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea |
| Queen Mary's Gardens, The Regent's Park | Greater London | Free entry | Free | The Royal Parks |
| Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | Greater London | Paid entry | Adults £28 at the gate or £25 online (peak, 2 September to 31 October 2026); from 1 November £20 at the gate or £17 online. Children 4 to 15 £4 (£2 online), under 4s free. Prices exclude the optional donation | Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |