Almost like a secret garden set behind a lovely old red brick wall. So many exotic plants as well as herbs, vegetables and medicinal plants. Beautifully maintained with a cafe area with delicious cakes.

A haven in the heart of Chelsea. It is 350 years old and while there are bigger botanical gardens in London this place is really charming and peaceful.

A visit with my daughter yesterday hoping for snowdrops but sadly mostly finished. It's like a secret garden in Chelsea, and we spent more than 3 hours there looking at plants and labels explaining the medicinal uses. Wonderful garden for photography as well. Make sure you visit the greenhouses, the fernery, and the carnivorous plants. The garden was created in 1673 for apothecaries by Hans Sloane, so there are some beautiful old trees. There is a 'cafe' but it's more like a restaurant and expensive so we just had hot drinks and took our own lunch. See my separate review of the cafe.

Beautifully maintained 350 year old garden, originally created by Apothecaries to grow medicinal plants. The garden has more than 5,000 different plants! It’s also extremely relaxing and visually stunning. A bit pricey for a garden with a £12.50 entrance fee but worth it when you know your contribution is going to the upkeep of this historic garden. Great little cafe, too!

Spectacular, make sure you go in a good summer season. I was very impressed with the collection of plants and how well they've been maintained. Each one of those plants has an amazing story, both with their origins, location and utility. It is a small place compared to larger parks in London. But the collection is beautiful. - make sure you take the guided tour. They are free and give you a brilliant insight to the place. It helps you appreciate the collection and each one of those plants better. Without the guided tour, we'd have been bored easily. - Food was very good, the soup of the day is highly recommended. Very tasty but the portion sizes we're very small - Food is very expensive relative to the places around, but I guess the premium is because of the place - Allocate an easy half day for this place to make the best of this experience

I was hoping to visit the snowdrop trail as I visit every year, however this year it closed a little earlier in the year as the garden opened the dash of lavender trail. The garden always has some useful facts about history and social views of the times which I enjoy. The garden has been updated with some information around how virus's are tracked and treated, as well as the usual information on plants used in anaesthesia and medicine. You will find locals as well as visitors here, giving a nice mix of what London is. When you visit the green house, ensure you go through the doors to the tropical plants area as people sometimes miss this thinking that they can't enter. I'd say if there is a door without something placed in front of it that is unlocked, you are permitted to enter. If staff are cleaning areas, they will occlude entry with a large plant or lock doors. I tend to spend around 60-90 minutes around the garden, a little longer in Spring & Summer as there is more to see in the garden plants wise, however the flip side is that you get to enjoy the cafe a little more in Winter and see some of the wildlife hiding in the bushes and tress as it is less busy. Weekdays before lunchtime seem to always be a little less busy whatever the time of year, it's nice to sit with a hot coffee and enjoy some quiet time. The staff are friendly and will share some insights about plants if you ask them. The cafe has a small menu, but the food is always tasty and caters to hot, cold and allergy status. In Summer I remember they had fantastic salads, in Winter they do soups, hotpot and shepherds pie - real British comfort food (not sure why there is rice with the hotpot, but I ate it nonetheless).

Charming walled garden quite literally hidden in the heart of London. The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries chose this spot in 1673 as not only was it previously a market garden, but also banks onto the river, so they could go on plant finding expeditions. To this day it remains London’s oldest botanical garden! This is probably one of the few places in Chelsea where it truly lives up to it’s original name of Chelsea Village and is well worth a visit for a stroll and brunch during your favourite season. If you found my review interesting or useful please leave a quick thumbs up 👍 Thanks!

A great place to visit. A haven in central London. I joined a tour which was very interesting - the guide was very knowledgeable . The garden is steeped in history and is currently celebrating it's 350 year. The café was very good with plenty of outside space. I had coffee and I didn't eat but the food looked very nice. Well worth a visit.

I think although this isn't the size of Kew or RHS Wisley it easily competes in other ways particularly if you have a special interest in the uses of plants. I am a novice gardener and this little garden has more transformed my relationship with plants because there is so much information on how the plants are used. I easily think the garden has a range of potential audiences school children, those who appreciate beauty, first year medical students, botanists, beginner gardeners and so on. Depending on the reason for your visit you could spend half a day to a day here with so much to see and read. The garden is absolutely worth its ticket price. It is so easy to see how much love has been poured into it and it is so manicured. It has lots of different gardens within a garden with lots of little areas that feel closed off so you can hide and rest for a while. I didn't leave feeling I hadn't got my moneys worth. Some have said the cafe is over priced, I disagree. The cafe is again beautifully presented and the food quality was very good. Yes it is expensive but this isn't unusual for London or a cafe within an attraction. What is unusual is a cafe having good food, this isn't always guaranteed. I haven't awarded five stars because on more than one occasion staff seemed unfriendly and there was a bit of a pretentious vibe. I suggest if you want to make everyone welcome remember to smile. Did you find my review helpful? If so please give it a thumbs up.

A lovely gem with a hidden entrance. Stepping inside, you’ll find a brightly decorated lobby and cafe. Botanic garden is soothing to wander about.

What a remarkable place and that's coming from someone who's not interested in gardening. The thing is that it's more than just a space for pretty plants. Instead it's a living laboratory for research into the numerous ways in which plants are beneficial. Of course it is also a garden and a very pretty one at that. You can easily spend an hour or two wandering the beds and reading the surprisingly informative labels. And if it rains there's a very nice cafe where you can shelter. Lovely.

We came on February 1st—a rare sunny end of winter day—in the hopes of seeing snowdrops and we were not disappointed. Most of the garden is still slumbering, but the snowdrops are spreading their cheer with all their delicate dropping white blooms. Very much the pick-me-up I needed.

An absolutely amazing little garden in the middle of London, with a fascinating and very long history (as it was founded in 1673). Highly recommended to take the guided tour which is included in the ticket.

Gem! The Chelsea Physic Garden was established as the Apothecaries' Garden in London, England, in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries to grow plants to be used as medicines. Oldest botanical gardens in Britain, after the University of Oxford Botanic Garden. Its rock garden is the oldest in Europe devoted to alpine plants and Mediterranean plants. The largest fruiting olive tree in Britain is there. Worth to visit in warmer season! Very pretty, small and unique. Always something for kids on weekends. Free garden tours running every day by volunteers! Enjoyable experience.

Went as community group so didn't pay entry cost. Probably wouldn't have visited otherwise as even at concession price is a little much but is worth a visit being the oldest botanical garden in London. It has lovely tranquil gardens with plenty of benches and shady spots. However there was several areas bare with labels and no plants. Cafe is mainly pricey but the tap water infused with fruit is nice. Shop has some lovely items inculding seeds.

Lovely space to spend the afternoon on a Sunday. So much to look at and learn about and the cafe served delicious cake. Will return again to explore and discover more about the plants.

Chelsea Physic Garden is a captivating destination for nature lovers and anyone looking to reconnect with the beauty and significance of plants. It's a place where you can both relax and expand your botanical knowledge

Beautiful garden in heart of city. I hope there were more greenhouses and I loved the tropical section. Also recommend to visit in late spring.

Beautiful gardens with wonderful staff and volunteers. With superb knowledge of the different plants and history of the place. Frequent volunteer run tours (which I missed out this time as I was so happily wandering around-but a definite for next time) really interesting areas dedicated to healing plants , fragrance etc. And beautiful glasshouses - a personal favourite. There’s also a cafe on site (another stop next time)

We visited this beautiful botanic garden recently. What a lovely place this is. It's perfect if you love plants, gardening or you want to visit somewhere different in London. It is close to the River Thames and across the River is Battersea Park. You can discover interesting plants and their uses, for example plants to make perfumes. Attractions include plant beds, greenhouses, a cafe, gift shop and plenty of benches where you can sit down and admire the views.

Stunning gardens hidden away in Chelsea with historical significance🪴 We visited the Chelsea Physic Gardens on a very hot Sunday over the May bank holiday weekend. The weather was very good and the garden looked fantastic. It’s an amazing oasis close to the river but sandwiched between residential buildings and streets. It’s a fantastic garden that feels much larger once inside. The gardens are split into sections with detailed boards explaining the use of the plants in modern medicine, and exploring the significance of the gardens in the early days of its existence. There is a cafe/restaurant, which was serving food and drink with table service and takeaway. The quality was okay and tables were limited, it seemed that booking was essential if you want to be confident of getting a space.

Fabulous gardens, so much history, knowledge and information in one place.. I'm not a gardener but enjoyed it.. Decent cafe too.. Tours by some of the staff at regular times of day. Will have to visit again to see how it looks in a different season

I was very surprised how much I enjoyed my afternoon here. And that I also had no idea this place existed despite having lived in London all my life. We had a wonderful (free) guide who took us around the garden, talked about the history and the different areas of the garden. This was far better than just walking around ourselves. The glass houses weren't open because of covid restrictions but look very interesting and I would like to return to see them at a later time if possible. If it is a sunny day (as it was when I went) there are some nice grass areas to sit down and enjoy the sun. There is a cafe however when I was there the queue was huge and so I passed on what would have been a welcome cup of tea! Parking on Sunday on the local streets was no problem.

Absolutely on of my favourite gardens! The guided tours are definitely recommended, as the really know there stuff! There is an endless amount of history and information about every single plant, so make sure you take you're time and don't rush. 🪴 The little cafe/restaurant they have is really sweet. Food is good, but on the pricier side. Recommending popping in to the gift shop before you leave, maybe grab some local honey for your hay fever or a flower seed bundle to help our bees 🐝💚

Beautiful small (but very complete) botanical garden. The atmosphere is magical and it is curated in such a way that even if you’re knowledgeable about plants, you can still learn from your visit.

All the other reviews definitely have this place right, it’s a lovely spot that’s over 300 years old. Coming from New England, the general plant diversity in London has blown me away, but this garden takes it further. There are things planted here, in the ground, that are hard to believe. Worth a visit even if you aren’t interested in botany as it’s serene, you’ll hardly notice you are in a busier area. Editing years later to include some photos and express again how truly special this place is, and how much I yearn to frequent it. If you miss this while in London it’s shameful.

Absolutely gorgeous garden, and so interesting with the history. Love that it isn't too perfect and feels like a garden, friendly gardeners too if you have questions!

An incredible space ( four acres in total) in the heart of Chelsea. Well worth a visit to understand the link between plants and medicine and the ongoing part they play in future breakthroughs.

The 2nd oldest English garden and the oldest botanical garden in London. Among other things, you can find the oldest olive tree in U.K.

This garden checks all the boxes for academic study, garden style, and inspiration. A popular destination for those who already know about it, but also a really informative place for people just learning about plants and gardening. I can see returning again and again throughout the seasons, exploring species from around the world and their useful benefits. Well maintained with a dedicated staff. Various artistic expressions to add joy to wandering the many pathways.

Beautiful and serene green space in Chelsea. A gateaway from the city. Lovely place to unwind, walk around, get a coffee in the coffee shop, read a book, or just sit and look around. You can walk by yourself and take it all in - that's what I did, but in retrospect, I would have liked to take a proper guided tour. It's definitely worth the price of admission.

I really liked it even though it’s only 4 acres I believe and does always block out the noise of the traffic. We all know a little about plants but I still enjoyed reading all the information and I liked the fact that all the plants were labelled. The cafe is in a nice spot although the menu isn’t extensive.

Such a special little garden right in the middle of Chelsea. Seeped in botanical history. We went in March so not a lot of colour yet, but the garden looked ready for all the new Spring growth. We shall definitely go back in the Summer.

Absolutely beautiful garden hidden away behind high walls. We went on a scorching day and loved the sense of sun dappled sanctuary. There is plenty of information about all of the plants and it is immaculately well kept, even the areas that had been left to meadow were gorgeous. The cafe looked lovely and it was great to be able to buy a drink and lay down in the grass with a book.

I strongly recommend the guided tour it was fantastic and didn't cost a penny extra. Very informative.

A great hidden gem right on the Chelsea embankment. Definitely worth joining one of the free tours. Takes about 45mins and then you can wonder around at your leisure with a some nuggets of knowledge....

I went in December, and although the garden was quite dormant, it was well worth a visit.

An absolutely fascinating and enthralling place to visit!

This garden is an oasis of calm in London. We went on a very hot day and there were plenty of shaded spots to sit and relax and admire the view. There is a great tour as well, the volunteer (Jane) told us some very interesting facts about the history of the garden and medicinal use of plants both now and in the past. Lovely cafe as well.

A lovely place to spend an hour or 2 exploring the diverse flora. Make sure to visit on a sunny day, and the place really comes alive. Also you might see chunky bees so this is a plus.

I highly recommend visiting this little haven. It is peaceful and healing and perfect for time in nature while getting a chance to learn about many plants. From the time I entered the reception area, I was greeted with a smile and by helpful members of staff. I visited for an Open Day on the 27th Jan and my expectations of the entire place was above average. Each experience I had that day from my first greeting at front desk, to yummy bites in the garden cafe, to meeting the gardeners and asking question, to me wandering around the gorgeous garden and then lastly going on a guided tour, were all part of what made that open day one of my loveliest experiences in an English garden. Even if I don’t get accepted to the traineeship programme, I will most definitely become a volunteer when spaces open up and will become a regular visitor of this space as it flourishes with great energy and an interesting history.

One of London's not so hidden gems . Been meaning to visit here for years & it was as delightful as I hoped it would be. We had a nice lunch at the restaurant on site , then had a guided tour with one of the volunteer guides who shared lots of interesting stories that really made it above average. Definitely recommend having a guided tour when exploring the garden to get the best out of your visit.

(Translated by Google) A magnificent little botanical garden in the heart of London, not too well known to tourists, and 4 centuries old! Originally created to learn the profession of apothecary and recognize the good and bad plants to heal ... Indispensable for garden lovers ... (Original) Un magnifique petit jardin botanique au cœur de Londres, pas trop connu des touristes, et vieux de 4 siècles ! Créé à l'origine pour apprendre le métier d'apothicaire et reconnaître les bonnes et mauvaises plantes pour se soigner... Indispensable pour les amoureux des jardins...

Great place!

Love this little garden

Really well maintained considering the pandemic.

I love physics, that's why I love this garden.

Really beautiful place to visit!

Nice

Oasis of peace and calm with medicinal and useful plants. Do check the website for opening and admission info

Absolutely beautiful array of flora and fauna

Only recently discovered this wonderful refuge - a great place to while away a couple of hours. Well maintained; planning to return in early Spring

It’s a beautiful garden tucked away in a side street away from the hustle of Kings road. I was also very amazed by the history and the fact that it has so many varieties of flora and fauna. Must visit!

It is a greate escape from current Lockdown. You can find first sings of upcoming spring!

Lovely place to spend a couple of hours wandering through the gardens and reading informative placards about the uses, origins and families of plants.

One of the 1st gardens to visit after lockdown so needed a bit of a tidy but staff were friendly and the garden is a gem in the middle of London. Also great to see and learn about medicinal plants.

I’ve been in late January for the snowdrops (so lovely) and summer for the flowers and herbs. Both were lovely experiences. It is nice to be in a smaller garden, as you don’t get tired trying to see it all. The cafe has a good selection of savoury, cakes and drinks.

Even in winter you can find enough flowers, seed heads and other botanical and man made structures to lift the spirits and make you smile. Loads of fascinating historical facts to entertain and inform too. Definitely worth a visit

Beautiful spot by the river in Chelsea. Wonderful gardens laid out in their original historic families. The glasshouses are superb with well thought out displays.

One of the best places I visited in England. As someone who loves gardening and science I found this place fascinating! If you're mildly interested I would recommend the visit. There was a little tour which was great and a cafe which made very delicious, fresh, delicate food.

Lovely gardens to walk around, the houseplant market was great for finding new plant vendors who aren't just from London.

An outstanding little heaven in the middle of London. We are members/friends of Chelsea Physic Garden and visit regularly to enjoy seasonal displays of plants and flowers. The one thing that has recently changed is that the eatery exchanged hands and has become an ordinary franchise cafe rather than the previously catered kitchen with a creative chef.

A very very special place

We had the most amazing and funny guide named Christine! The garden was really cool, I can't believe how many species they have and that I didn't know about this place sooner.

Absolutely beautiful place. Will come back when the glasshouses are open.

Oasis of calm in the centre of town.

(Translated by Google) As the name of the herb garden suggests, you can observe various plants that are useful for our lives. It's basically outdoors (greenhouses and cafes are semi-indoors), so it's best to visit on a sunny day. It's not that big, so it may take an hour or two. Admission is charged and requires advance reservation online. The entrance is a bit confusing and it's just a short walk into the Swan Walk instead of the boulevard (Royal Hospital RD). The exit is in a building with a toilet and you can reach the main street by pressing the red button and pressing the door. All are in English, but it is easy to deepen your understanding because there are guided tours, staff explanations, and detailed explanations on the signboard. There are gravel roads and paved roads, and gravel roads are a little difficult to reach with a stroller. You can also let your child play on the lawn outside the no-entry area. There is a cafe, and it was open even during Corona. Many people are basking in the sun on the bench near the statue of Sloan, and you can spend a relaxing time surrounded by plants. (Original) 薬草園の名の通り、私達の生活に役立つ様々な植物を観察することができます。基本は屋外（温室とカフェは半屋内）のため、晴れの日に訪れるのが適しています。そこまで広くないので、所要時間は1〜2時間ほどかと思われます。入園は有料かつオンラインでの事前予約が必要です。 入口が少し分かりづらく、大通り（Royal Hospital RD）ではなくSwan Walkに入って少し歩いた所にあります。出口は、トイレのある建物内にあり、赤いボタンを押してドアを押すと大通りに出ます。 全て英語ですが、ガイドツアーやスタッフの説明がある他、看板でも詳しく説明されているので、理解が深まりやすいです。 砂利道と舗装道路があり、砂利道はベビーカーだと多少進みづらいです。侵入禁止エリア以外の芝生で子供を遊ばせることもできます。カフェが併設されており、コロナ時でも営業中でした。 スローン像付近のベンチで日向ぼっこしてる方々が多く、植物に囲まれてゆったり過ごすことができます。

Really nice staff, and place!

Beautiful place.

Loads of history, lots to see!

It's looking very pretty at this time of the year and is always a soothing peaceful place to be

Amazing garden and glass houses guided tour a must

Those who love plants will find their happiness here. Plants are classified and this garden is perfectly maintained. A case of greenery and color. Many flowers. Friendly and welcoming reception staff.

A great place to learn about herbal healing, botanic and feel the peaceful environment. A mistic and historical hidden gem in central london.

Beautiful selection of plants. I had a tour with Lisa the guide and she was very informative, friendly and you could see that she had passion for what she does. Excellent tour- we will be back.

The Garden is always wonderful, no matter what time of year you visit. And we had a nice veg curry for lunch!

Absolutely beautiful garden. One of my favourite places to be. Relaxing and peaceful. The perfect place in times like these. Fully recommend.