One of south London’s tallest buildings that the public can ascend to the top of reopens next month. This is the Great Pagoda inside Kew Gardens , and it offers some remarkable views across southwest London.
It was restored in 2018 after several decades of very rarely being opened to the public in recent decades. The reopening of the Pagoda also saw the legendary, and in some cases, controversial dragons restored to the outside, and the revelation of a secret WW2 research project that had implications for D-Day.
From Monday 3rd April, you will be able to climb the 253 steps to the top of the Great Pagoda for views across London. As you climb, learn why the Pagoda was built and how the royal family used this unique building in the 18th century.
The Great Pagoda sits within the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and an admission ticket is needed to get into the gardens, then it’s usually £4.50 to go into the Pagoda as well.
If you are a Historic Royal Palaces member, then entry to the Pagoda is free, and you get a 10% discount on the cost of going into Kew Gardens.
The Great Pagoda will be open until the end of September when it closes for the winter again.
It’s usually best to buy tickets to Kew Gardens in advance as they’re cheaper that way, and you can buy tickets to the Pagoda when you visit it.
- Adults: £17
- Young people (16-29)/Students: £8.50
- Children (4-15): £5
- Family (1+2): £24.50
- Family (2+2): £40
- Concessions/Local residents: £16
- Universal Credit and Pension Credit: £1
- Emergency service workers and military personnel (with a Blue Light Card): Free
