Things to do in Richmond, Kew and Hampton Court

Richmond, Kew and Hampton Court sit along the same stretch of the Thames southwest of central London, but they are three separate places with three separate opening hours, ticket systems and travel times. Treating them as one stop is the most common planning mistake for this part of Greater London. This guide sets out what each place actually takes, how to move between them, and how to build a day (or two) that does not leave you rushing the last hour of a palace tour to catch a train.

Why this area needs more planning than central London

Central London’s museums and palaces cluster within walking distance of each other. Richmond, Kew and Hampton Court do not. Kew Gardens and Richmond town are close, roughly a 45-minute riverside walk or a five-minute train hop. Hampton Court Palace is a different matter: it sits further upstream, on its own branch line, and a round trip from central London plus a proper visit is close to a full day on its own.

The three sites also differ in kind, not just in distance. Kew Gardens is a working botanical research institution as well as a visitor attraction. Richmond Park is 955 hectares of open parkland with wild deer, not a formal garden. Hampton Court is a former royal palace with timed elements (the maze, the state apartments) that reward more time than a quick walkthrough. None of them are free at the door, unlike the national museums in Bloomsbury or Kensington.

Getting there from central London

There is no single “station for Richmond, Kew and Hampton Court.” Each has its own line:

Destination	Fastest route from central London	Typical journey time
Kew Gardens	Overground or District line to Kew Gardens station	25–35 minutes
Richmond	South Western Railway or Overground to Richmond	25–35 minutes from Waterloo/Clapham Junction
Hampton Court	South Western Railway direct branch from Waterloo	30–40 minutes

Oyster and contactless cover all three journeys within the TfL and National Rail fare zones, with the usual daily fare cap applied automatically — you do not need to work out the cheapest combination yourself. None of this replaces admission tickets once you arrive; the fare cap covers travel, not entry to Kew Gardens or Hampton Court Palace.

A slower alternative is the river. Boats run between Westminster and Richmond, and separately on to Hampton Court, mostly from spring to early autumn. These trips take two to three hours one way and depend on tides, so they suit a day built around the journey itself rather than a tight schedule between three sites. A shorter version links Richmond directly to Kew: a short river crossing between Richmond and Kew covers that stretch in under 30 minutes when the train feels like overkill for such a short distance.

Kew Gardens: what it actually takes

Kew Gardens (formally the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a working plant science institution, not just a park with flowers. The site is large — over 130 hectares — and the glasshouses (the Palm House and the Temperate House), the Treetop Walkway and the Kew Palace grounds are spread across it, so allow 3 to 4 hours minimum, longer if you want to see everything at a walking pace rather than a rush.

Admission is a separate paid ticket, booked in advance for the best price; it is not covered by Oyster, contactless or any TfL travelcard, and it is not one of the free-entry national museums. Because opening hours shift by season (shorter days in winter, later closing in summer), checking the current hours before travelling matters more here than at most central London sights.

For a different way to see the gardens and the town around them: a themed walking tour through Kew and Richmond built around filming locations combines the gardens with the surrounding streets rather than staying inside the glasshouses all afternoon.

Richmond Park: deer, size and realistic walking distances

Richmond Park is the largest of London’s Royal Parks and one of the largest urban parks in Europe. Several hundred red and fallow deer live here year-round, roaming freely rather than being fenced into an enclosure. They are wild animals: keep at least 50 metres away, more during the autumn rutting season and spring calving, and never approach one for a photo.

The park’s size (over 900 hectares) means “a walk in Richmond Park” can mean anything from a 20-minute stroll near Richmond Gate to a multi-hour hike across to Pen Ponds and back. If you are relying on public transport rather than a car, plan your entry and exit points around the same gate, since the park has several and they are not close to each other on foot.

Two ways to structure a visit here without guessing at a route: a guided walk through the park aimed at spotting deer and getting usable photographs sets a fixed route and pace, useful if you have limited time and do not want to wander without a plan. For a broader look at the town itself rather than just the park: a river cruise running from Westminster up to Richmond works as a slower alternative to the train, arriving directly on the riverside rather than at the station.

Richmond town itself, separate from the park, has a compact historic centre worth 30 to 60 minutes on foot: Richmond Green, the riverside path down to the bridge, and the view from Richmond Hill.

Hampton Court Palace: how much time to allow

Hampton Court Palace was Henry VIII’s principal residence and later home to William III and Mary II, which is why the buildings mix Tudor brick with later Baroque additions. It sits on its own branch line from Waterloo, roughly 35 minutes, and is not close enough to Richmond or Kew to combine casually with either on the same day unless you are prepared to spend most of the day travelling.

Inside, the main draws are the Tudor kitchens, the state apartments, and the maze in the gardens, which is a genuine hedge maze rather than a marked path — allow 15 to 20 minutes to get through it, longer if you take wrong turns. Between the palace interior, the gardens and the maze, 3 hours is a realistic minimum, and garden enthusiasts can easily spend a full day.

Because Hampton Court is a standalone trip rather than a stop on the way to somewhere else, treat it as its own half-day or full day out from London, not as a third stop after Kew and Richmond.

Building a realistic one-day or two-day plan

One day, one focus. Pick either Kew Gardens or Hampton Court Palace as the main destination and pair it with a short Richmond walk if time allows. Trying to fit both gardens and the palace into a single day usually means seeing neither properly.

Two days, all three. Day one: Kew Gardens in the morning, then the short hop to Richmond for the afternoon and evening (the walk or the short boat link both work here). Day two: Hampton Court Palace on its own, travelling there and back from central London or from a hotel in the area.

With children. Richmond Park’s open space and the deer generally hold younger children’s attention longer than the formal glasshouses at Kew or the state apartments at Hampton Court; the maze is often the highlight of the day for kids specifically.

is a lower-key option for a first visit, and a Nordic-walking-style version exists for anyone who wants a brisker pace along the same ground.

Money, tickets and practical rules that apply here

The UK uses the pound sterling (GBP, £), never the euro, and that applies to every ticket price mentioned above — Kew Gardens admission, Hampton Court Palace entry and any tour booking. Card and contactless payment are accepted almost everywhere in this area, including at Kew’s ticket gates, though cash is still usable if you prefer it.

Oyster and contactless cover the train and Overground fares with the usual automatic daily fare cap; there is no TfL limit on the number of journeys, but contactless bank cards carry their own per-transaction limit, currently £100, set by the banks rather than by TfL. None of this substitutes for an admission ticket at Kew Gardens or Hampton Court Palace, which are booked separately.

If you are driving out to this part of London rather than taking the train, remember that driving in the UK is on the left, and parking around both Kew Gardens and Hampton Court is limited and often paid — the train is usually the simpler choice for a first visit.

Anyone travelling to the UK from most countries, including the EU, needs an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) arranged in advance through the official gov.uk/eta site before departure; this has nothing to do with local travel cards and should be sorted before you book any of the tickets above.

Exact current prices for Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace and any of the tours mentioned here shift with the season, so treat every figure above as a guide and check the booking page for the day’s rate before you travel.

FAQ about planning a Richmond, Kew and Hampton Court day

How do I get from central London to Richmond, Kew or Hampton Court?

The London Overground and South Western Railway run direct trains to Richmond and Kew Bridge from Waterloo, Clapham Junction and stations on the Overground network. Hampton Court has its own branch line from Waterloo, roughly 35 minutes. A slower but scenic option is the Thames river boat from Westminster.

Do I need a separate ticket for Kew Gardens if I have an Oyster card?

Yes. Oyster and contactless cover the train or bus journey there, not the entry fee. Kew Gardens charges a separate admission ticket, and it is not one of the free national museums.

Is Hampton Court Palace worth the trip from central London?

For anyone with an interest in Tudor history it usually is: the state apartments, the maze and the gardens fill a half-day easily. It is a longer trip than Kew, so it works best as its own outing rather than an add-on.

Are there real deer in Richmond Park?

Yes, several hundred red and fallow deer roam freely across the park. They are wild animals, not a managed exhibit, so keep a distance of at least 50 metres, especially during the autumn rut and spring calving season.

Can you walk between Richmond, Kew Gardens and Hampton Court?

Richmond and Kew are a manageable riverside walk of about 45 minutes to an hour. Hampton Court is much further, around three hours on foot along the Thames Path, so most visitors take a train or the seasonal boat instead.

Is a boat trip a good way to see this part of London?

The upriver boats between Westminster and Richmond or Hampton Court run mostly in spring and summer and take considerably longer than the train, often two to three hours one way. They suit a relaxed day rather than a tight itinerary.

For the rest of this corner of London, the Richmond, Kew and Hampton Court destination page lists every bookable activity in the area, and Greenwich makes a reasonable comparison if you are deciding between the two riverside day trips. If you’re weighing this against airport logistics first, see getting from Heathrow to central London and the wider guide to getting around London by tube, bus and boat. Before booking anything, confirm your UK ETA and entry rules, and if you’re new to the fare system, Oyster card versus contactless payment explains the difference.

For the boats themselves, the Thames river cruises guide covers routes beyond just this stretch, and day trips by train from London stations puts Richmond and Hampton Court alongside the other options leaving from Waterloo and King’s Cross. A wider look at activities in Richmond, Kew and Hampton Court or a full week of day trips from a London base can help if this is one stop among several. And if you are still checking whether contactless actually works on the Overground out here, see does contactless work on the Tube.