KEW Gardens is renowned as a place you can unplug among the bustle of London.
But from November until January the world-famous botanic garden becomes electrified – quite literally – in a fantastic extravaganza of multicoloured lights.
Kew’s annual light trail offers visitors the chance to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site in an entirely new way.
In recent years, many other outdoor attractions have copied Kew’s Light Trail concept but this really is the original and arguably the best.
Christmas at Kew is always a hot ticket – having gone on sale back in January – but there is still time to get tickets as the trail goes on until January 2026 so is an ideal activity for ‘Twixmas week.
It is a great family outing for all ages which will bewitch all ages-from grandparents to kids.
Read more on Light Trails
I took my two children aged 12 and 8 and they easily coped with the 3km loop.
This year’s trail starts at the Palm House and is perhaps the most spectacular yet and begins by taking visitors across a stunning new bridge from which they can admire 100 giant illuminated water lilies.
The botanic garden’s famous Chinese Pagoda is lit for the first time ever this year and stands like a shining beacon.
The ever-popular cathedral-like arch of lights is a photo opportunity not to miss.
And kids will also love bobbing and weaving through dangling tendrils of lights in another section.
Other fun surprises new to the route include a full dancefloor complete with giant light-up headphones offering a brilliant Instagrammable opportunity.
Elsewhere, fun-fair horses that pop up among the garden’s atmospherically lit trees in hues of purple and silver.
And keep an eye out for a very special Christmas visitor who pops up towards the end of the route.
The finale of the trail is as stunning as ever with an awe-inspiring music and light show projected onto the Temperate House, the world’s largest surviving Victorian glasshouse.
A musical mix from Mariah Carey to Coldplay bring to life this greenhouse which brims with some of the world’s rarest plants.
Christmas at Kew offers a feast for the eyes-but also the tummy, much to the delight of my two mini-trailers.
There are multiple festive food and drink stalls available along the way in wooden cabins, offering everything from gourmet burgers, Asian food, to Souvlaki wraps and mulled wine for me!
One delicious pitstop even offers marshmallow toasting over a fire pit.
My boys happily polished off giant hot dogs and mini waffle bites on the way round.
A trip to Kew after nightfall this wintertime will guarantee to see faces lit up as brightly as the gardens.
Christmas at Kew runs on selected dates until Sunday January 4, 2026.
Prices start at £18 for kids and £27.50 for adults.
For more on light trails, here’s how to find the cheapest one in the UK.
And here’s the 27 free festive experiences across the UK for families including light trails and Santa’s grotto.