Chelsea Physic Garden reopens: what to see and how to book your visit to London's apothecary garden
Londoners can once again enjoy the city’s famous green sights, with some outdoor visitor attractions allowed to reopen as lockdown rules continue to lift.
Chelsea Physic Garden is open again and is truly one of the city’s hidden gems.
Founded in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, this unique green space in the heart of Chelsea is best known for its collection of rare healing plants.
Nestled by the Thames in Royal Hospital Road, the garden features Europe’s oldest rockery, the Garden of Medicinal Plants and glasshouses with species from around the world.
What’s on for visitors?
There’s plenty to learn and enjoy in this garden full of edible and useful plants.
The World Woodland Garden section is split into three regions displaying 150 species used in medicine, clothing, food, shelter and for tools, from the Americas, Europe and East Asia.
Families can also take part in socially distanced events, including a garden safari, dinner with dinosaurs — a trail where children can discover the living fossils that dinosaurs ate — and Chocolate Tuesday — where all the family can learn about the history, geography and science of chocolate.
Most parts of Chelsea Physic Garden are open for visitors again although, in line with government rules, the glasshouses remain closed to the public for now.
Booking your visit to the Chelsea Physic Garden
All visitors to the Chelsea Physic Garden must now pre-book an allocated time slot, to ensure there are not too many in at one time.
General visitors and Friends of the garden can book a 30-minute time that suits them, but are encouraged not to spend more than 90 minutes inside the garden during their visit, to ease pressure on space so the garden can be enjoyed safely.
Now open between 11am and 4.30pm every day except for Saturdays, visitors can pre-book tickets and a time slot here, while Friends will be sent details of how to book their free slot.
More details on entry to the garden can be found here.
Chelsea Physic Garden entry costs and membership details
Entry to the garden costs £13.50 for an adult, £9.50 for concessions (students and children aged five to 15) and a family ticket costs £40.50.
Annual membership of the Chelsea Physic Garden is available, from £40 for a single membership or from £58 for a joint membership. An annual family membership costs from £68.
Will the café be open?
The Physic Garden café will be open for takeaways only and will serve teas and coffees, cold drinks, cakes, pastries and ice cream.
What social distancing measures will be in place at the Chelsea Physic Garden?
While the general public and Friends must visit the garden at an allocated time, there will also be strict safety measures in place to keep the public safe.
These include the regular cleaning of public areas including toilet facilities, though garden benches will not be sanitised.
Visitors will also have to keep their distance from each other while inside Chelsea Physic Garden and are asked not to visit the attraction with anyone outside their household, or approach the horticultural teams.
There may be new routes for visitors to follow, to ensure that social distancing rules are adhered to. Some work areas may be taped off to allow staff to work at a safe distance from visitors and may be closed to the public temporarily.
What other London gardens are currently open?
All London parks — including Kensington Gardens and Regent's Park— are open, with visitors encouraged to maintain social distancing at all times. Certain areas within the Royal Parks may be closed to the public.
All children's playgrounds are currently closed. The Diana, Princess of Wales memorial fountain in Hyde Park has been switched off and closed to the public.