ROYAL BOTANIC KEW GARDENS

What is it? Kew Gardens are extensive gardens and botanical glasshouses. It is a botanic investigation center too and it has one of the most important bank of seeds in the world.
Where is it? It is placed between Richmond and Kew, in southwest London.
When was it built? Current gardens are from 1759, when the princess Augusta, mother of George III, wanted to use 3,5 hectares of her property as a botanic garden.
Characteristics: It is used as a growing, conservation and preservation of the worldwide flora. It is organized in zones with gardens of different flowers inside the park, two greenhouses with tropical flowers, a bamboo garden, another Japanese garden, and strange animals such as poisonous frogs, multicolor lizards and the famous giant plant called Amorphophallus titanum. The garden has representative structures called Gran Pagoda and some museums. We find also the Marianne North Gallery.

Timetable: It is open to the people all the year.
Open and Closing times, Sun 29 Mar to Sat 29 Aug
Monday to Friday
Saturday & Sunday
Kew Gardens
9.30am
6.30pm(last entry 6pm)
7.30pm(last entry 7pm)
Glasshouses & Galleries
9.30am
5.30pm
5.30pm
Rhizotron and Xstrata Treetop Walkway
9.30am
5.30pm(last entry 5.15pm)
6.30pm(last entry 6.15pm)
Climbers and Creepers
10.30am
5.30pm
5.30pm
Kew Palace
10.30am
(From 10 April)4.15pm
(From 10 April)4.15pm

Price: Free, once inside the Gardens.
Enquiries: by email

info@kew.org or tel: +44 (0)20 8332 5655

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

What is it? Is the residence of the Royal British Family. It is used for ceremony and State visits and touristic visits. The Palace is a place where the British people meet in difficult times and festivity days.

Where is it? In London, at the western end of St James Park.

When was it built? It was built by the first duke of Buckingham in 1703 and bought by the King George III in 1762 to turn it into a private residence.

Characteristics: The main halls of the Palace are: Music Room, whose arch dominates the facade; Throne room and Green Room; Guard room, which contains a great marble statue of Prince Albert; Arch room, crossed by people to celebrate the Queen’s parties in the garden’s palace.

On the east, the rooms are decorated with an oriental style, and in the centre we can find the famous balcony with crystal doors of the central hall.

Timetable:

26 of July to 28 of September of 2009: 9.45 – 18.00 (last hour to visit at 15.45). A visit lasts from two hours to two and a half.

If you want to see the Changing Life Guards, you can see it from Mondays to Saturdays at 11.00 am and at 10.00am on Sundays.

Price:

State Hall’s, Buckingham Palace

Adults: 16.50

Adults over 60/ Students (with card): 15

Younger than 17: 9.50

Younger than 5:

Families: 44 (2 adults and 3 children younger than 17)

A Royal Day Out

(State Hall’s, Royal depot and Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace)

Adults: 29, 50 pounds
Over than 60 / Students (with card): 26, 50 pounds
Younger than 17 : 16,50 pounds
Younger than 5 : Free
Families: 78 pounds (2 adults and 3 children younger than 17)

Getting there:

By train: London Victoria station

By underground: Victoria, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner stations

By bus: using the routes 11, 211, 239, C1 and C10

By car: There are some tour operators that included a visit to the State Hall’s

Tel: +44 (0)20 7766 7300
Fax: +44 (0)20 7930 9625