Photos: Sumit Surai, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 BLM Oregon & Washington, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo credits
Photos: Sumit Surai, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 BLM Oregon & Washington, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Kew Gardens' glasshouses and treetop walkway
Your local guide
Charlotte Hughes
View profile
Highlights
- Victorian glass engineering up close
- Plants extinct in their original habitats
- A treetop walkway built to sway
- A decade of volunteer plant knowledge
- Two glasshouses, two different worlds
About this tour
This session covers Kew Gardens' two great glasshouses and the treetop walkway above the woodland, drawing on a decade of volunteering at the gardens. It covers the Palm House's Victorian engineering and plants in the Temperate House that no longer survive in the wild. It is a slower, more detailed session than a general garden stroll.
We start inside the Palm House with its engineering story, then move to the Temperate House and finally up to the treetop walkway. Questions about specific plants come up constantly, and I answer with a decade of volunteer knowledge behind me. I close with a note on which season suits a return visit best.
It suits plant enthusiasts and anyone who enjoys a slower, more contemplative session. It also suits families, since the treetop walkway tends to be a genuine highlight for younger viewers.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of London before heading out.
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Palm House interior 21 min
The camera moves through the glasshouse's tropical canopy, and I explain how its curved iron and glass structure was engineered in the 1840s specifically to house full-sized palm trees.
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Temperate House 21 min
Moving to the larger glasshouse nearby, I point out plants brought here from collecting expeditions across the world, some of them now extinct in their original habitats.
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Treetop walkway 21 min
From the elevated walkway, you see the woodland canopy from above, and I explain how the structure was designed to sway gently in wind by intention rather than as a flaw.
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Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about London: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Afternoon tea and Notting Hill, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in London time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through London, showing you Palm House interior and Temperate House live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on a video call moving between the glasshouses and the treetop walkway, since both need different camera angles to do them justice.
Times shown in London time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Sat 31 Oct · 10 seats left From 29,00 €
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