6 Days in London - Day 2 Kew and Hampton Court Palace

Kew Garden! I was so excited to go to Kew, probably the most famous old Botanical Garden. Founded in 1759, it has plants from all over the world. The weather forecast was okay, but it ended up overcast, breezy, and bit drizzly, so not the best garden day, but oh well.

Kew is a huge garden and since it was early in the season (January), we spent most of our time in the greenhouses. The palm house is quite old and has a cool, high walkway above the palms.

We spent most our time in the glasshouses, but did find some big old trees while walking the paths. I definitely need to go back later in the season, I think June would be great.

After lunch at the Orangery, we hopped on a bus to Hampton Court Palace.

Our first stop was The Maze, part of the huge grounds made up of formal gardens and parks surrounding the palace. I only got us just a little lost following the pathways to the center and back.

Hampton Court Palace is conveniently set up with a number of audio guided 30 minute tours to different areas of the Palace. It makes it easier to pick and choose where to go, depending on how much time is available and what is interesting. Between the tours and the gardens, you could spend an entire day there, but since it was already mid-afternoon by the time we arrived, we made the most of the time available by touring The Kitchens, Henry VIII Apartments, and William III Apartments.

We stayed until the palace closed and then hopped the train back into central London, stopping at Masala Zone in Earl’s Court for a samosas and butter chicken thali dinner.