Kew Gardens - only 2 hours, what are the highlights to see?

[HugTrees]

Only have 2 hours, possibly 3 to visit Kew Gardens. What are the highlights or a good route to take around it to get the most out of it?

What age group? There is a great area for kids but if yours are old enough to go round the glasshouses for twenty minutes with you that would be good.

Adults only trip, have a few hours between appointments and thought it would be a nice place to visit, but I guess not if raining!

Palm House, Treetop walk weather permitting, generally just wander.

Yes to the Palm House. But 3 hours is plenty to walk around to be honest. It’s big but not that big. The new Temperate House is lovely. Also the Sackler Crossing is one of my favourite places to sit and read. Please take food with you. The food inside Kew Gardens is hideously overpriced.

And the food isn't that great either.

Palm House, Waterlilly house, Temperate House, Long Border, the pagoda may be open now and if the glass sculptures are still there go to the gallery for the film about how they made them. Have coffee and cake before you go in. There are lots of shops around the station. Food in the garden is overpriced, not that good and the service is very slow. The shop is good though.

Are you going before 27 Oct? if so you can see the Chihuly glass sculptures which are amazing. In that case get a map on the way in of where the sculptures are and nip round them all.. it can be done in 2 hours if you go at a clip and miss out the Marianne North gallery.
So that would be... Mediterranean garden, Temperate house (just redone- make sure you go on the balcony) Japanese garden (stunning) then back via lake to Palm House and Lily House. Add the Princess of Wales conservatory if you have time, it has live iguanas walking round (hard to spot though) but no Chihuly.
Lucky you. I adore Kew Gardens, even in the rain. PP is right though that the food is terrible and scandalously expensive.

You have to pay extra to go up the pagoda

Sorry to barge in. Do you think the Chihuly thing would engage a 6yo at night? Cheers

The Temperate House and Water Lilies are the best Chihuly bits if you're going before the 27th.

I also like walking around the palace and palace gardens. It's so different from the rest of the park. The area around the little cottage is very different from the rest of the park, I enjoyed that a lot.

The Treetop Walk is not good for anyone nervous about heights! I realized how little I like heights halfway through, oops.