It’s never too early to start planning. :-)
Christmas at Kew Gardens will be open from 13th November 2026 to 3rd January 2027.
https://secretldn.com/christmas-at-kew-2026/
I went the week before Thanksgiving this past November at it was the perfect time to go. I hope to return again this year with my mom and sister. We’re looking at the week before Thanksgiving.
EDITED to add: Tickets should go on sale this summer.
So tempting….. I agree Christmas at Kew is amazing.
Is it necessary or advisable to get tickets this early?
A highlight on our December trip to London…..the walk from the tube station to the gate at Kew was as pleasing as Kew……lovely English homes all lit up with trees and decorations for Christmas! It was fun to see an aerial shot of Kew from an airplane near Heathrow that was on Instagram.
Hi jcmdunc3, No, not this early. Tickets are not even on sale yet for 2026. But they do sell out quickly, especially for the Dec. dates. Last year, I think I bought my tickets in July for November. There were still plenty of tickets available at that time.
I’m planning my trip later this year around Kew Gardens, so I wanted to make sure I knew the dates before I booked flights and hotel.
Once tickets become available, I’m sure someone will post here on the forum to alert everyone.
Here is another info page from Kew.org. It has NOT been updated to 2026 but I think most of the things are similar year to year.
https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/christmas/everything-you-need-to-know
I am on a mailing list from Kew Gardens (which I am guessing Carrie is as well!) so get notified when the tickets go on sale later in the spring. Carrie, are you signed up to the Fever site as well for notifications? It looks like a ticketing site so not sure but I signed up anyway. (eyeroll!)
Carrie...did you find you needed a flashlight for your visit?
And thanks for the dates. I'm going this year so will probably go the week of our Thanksgiving.
Hi Pam, I did not need a flashlight. I have a flashlight on my iphone, but did not use it. I had the second timeslot at 4:20 so it was not completely dark when I arrived. It’s a straight shot from the tube station to Kew gardens. I believe there was a sign, but it’s the main road in front of the station that takes you past the homes mentioned above by Jean and right to the Kew entrance.
The path through the garden was well lite. I never had a moment of wait, I can’t see, where do I go. Also, all along the path there were park employees in fluorescent vests ready to help if needed. Plenty of toilets throughout. And various stops for food.
Not knowing what to expect, I was really impressed with the setup. The main giftshop near the entrance stays open late. So, you can stock up on all the bar soap afterwards.
I have a tip that I posted on another forum thread: I let my group at 4:20 go ahead of me and then it pretty much felt like I had the place to myself. But, you can’t linger too long, or the next timeslot group will catch up.
I’m on the mailing list for Kew Gardens, but I did not sign up for the Fever one. Not being familiar with that site, I didn’t sign up. I’ll add it here if others would like to sign up, but I would purchase tickets directly from Kew once they are available.
Also, I found both the visit London
https://www.facebook.com/visitlondon/
and secret London
https://www.facebook.com/SecretLDN
Facebook sites to be great resources for finding out when all the lights would be turned out, Christmas markets opening, etc.
Thanks for sharing this info!
If people are interested in going to Kew, they may also like to know that the annual orchid festival is starting soon (next month). Every year is a different country as the theme, and this year it's China. You can find more info here: https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/orchids-china
They also always have a few "lates" which I quite enjoy, normally there is live music/performance and food/drink relating to the country. It also tends to be less crowded than if you go on a weekend during the day.
Nice to hear about the festive street between Tube and Kew Gardens gate. I lived in that neighborhood as a child in 1971-72 and my best friend lived on that block.
Thanks Carrie for the extra information. I, too, was looking at the 4:20 time slot so I could get back to London for my early bedtime, hahaha! Good to know you didn't even need your phone flashlight.
I've been there a couple of times in the daylight so know that route from the Tube stop to the Victoria Gate and I think that is where the bigger gift shop is.
The Fever site kind of indicates the tickets go on sale the end of this month but I think previously it was later in spring...maybe 6 months out from opening. Well, I've got it on my calendar to watch for anyway.
I bought my tickets (for Nov 26) in mid-September. There were lots of tickets still available. I think only a few timeslots were sold out---the ones connected with parking seemed to go first.
We had a 6:20 time and it was just fine. I didn't want to cut my day in Richmond short. We stayed at the Kew Gardens Hotel just a short walk from the Victoria Gate.
