Chelsea Flower Show

In this case, the guide can provide information about logistics such as getting to the Chelsea Flower Show but the group doesn't visit together, so you'd book your own ticket. The May 10 Best of England tour departure is actually sold out.

In addition to which, the Chelsea Flower Show regularly sells out. Even the "Member Days", which sells tickets to foreign devils like me for 150 pounds or so (I forget) sell out. Another way to get tickets is to buy hotel-show combination tickets from the participating hotels.

I can't comment on crowding on regular admission days, but the "members only" day we went was like a tube station at rush hour. It was wall to wall people everywhere. Luckily, some 40% (?) of the show is "outside" the formal building, and the paths there are a bit less crowded. Even buying lunch is difficult, with long waits and even at the walk-up counters, nowhere to sit once you buy some food on a tray.

I'm not complaining, just warning you that even Rick Steves does not have the power to get you in! I'm glad I went, once. You might wish to check on other annual shows run by RHS in other cities, which might not be quite as famous or hard to get tickets for. (Haven't been to any of them.)

I will say that I was very happy with my online ordering of the fat-cat CFS tickets. They charged my credit card correctly, and I received holograph-equipped large paper tickets at home in the U.S. at least eight weeks before the show date.

Edit: Small plug for the largest indoor flower show in the United States: Philadelphia Flower Show, typically first ten days of March. (I am an amateur exhibitor there.)

Chelsea Flower Show is May 19-23. For the Best of London tours, the free time is afternoon of day 6 and all day on day 7. The free time coincides with the some of the Show’s public days, which are lower price and sell out quickly. Booking is now open.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show

The two tours dates that coincide with the Garden Show are “filling fast” or “open” on the Rick Steves website. As soon as you choose one of the tour dates, book your Garden Show tickets directly from the official link above. There are half-day as well as full day prices.

If you like gardens, this could be a once in a lifetime experience: it was for me, and I went back a second time. And will probably attend in 2020.

The show is wonderful. We’ve scheduled two trips around it and will do so again I’m sure. We were introduced to Pimm’s cups and mushy peas at Chelsea. And incredibly, I bought a wonderful king size quilt that was shipped home. We’ve always gone on the public days, getting tix is easy. Unless they’re sold out. Go if you can, it’s terrific.

Emma, well, they weren’t simultaneous! I’m not much of a drinker but I took to Pimm’s Cup instantly. I asked around and lemonade, lemon-lime soda and ginger ale were the varied responses. We were also told that the Chelsea Show was the inaugural event of Pimm’s season. We felt special :)
What is “British style” lemonade? With alcohol?

British style lemonade is clear, unlike the cloudy lemonade I've seen in the US, it's a bit like Sprite/7up.

Thanks for the information, and for “permission” to serve Pimm’s year round. One less calendar rule to remember. I’d have hated to offend anyone, like wearing white tennis shoes after Labor Day :)

Just want to thank everyone for the info and tips!

I’ve gone twice. Both times my mother joined the royal horticulture society so we could go on member days. I would recommend that if it all possible simply because the first year we went it was hot and by the public days there were some shoe gardens really stressed plus honestly as crowded as it is it’s less crowded on member days.

The sell off at the end is great fun. If you can get them to let you back in (which we’ve been successful by showing them a receipt from something we bought at the show and pretending we had to pick it up) you can sit there and watch the fireworks, because as an American it’s not like you can take any of those plants home. we would get a Pimms and sit on the hill and just watch people fighting over plants it was great

I had to be drug there the first time, I wound up spending eight hours. The second time at least I knew what I was getting into and I think I spent 10 hours that time. I’m not a gardener and this was an amazing experience

I wonder if Kew Gardens would be much less crowded during the Chelsea Flower Show, with the gardeners over in Chelsea. I know they are not all that close to one another, but seems possible :)
-Aly

We go to Kew every time we visit London. Even with, say, a Dale Chihuly art show there, crowding is not a visit-spoiler. Yes, Kew can be busy. But it is huge, and it’s a hike from downtown.

Not only was Kew totally enjoyable on a nice day during the Chihuly show this August, we walked right up to the ticket booth to buy our 2-for-1 tickets. There was no line once we realized the small crowd of people were a tour group headed in a different direction.