Chelsea Physic Garden is a historic walled botanic garden, founded in 1673, on Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea, London. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport, accessibility, and practical tips for planning a visit.
This guide was last checked in August 2026. Note: unlike many London gardens, Chelsea Physic Garden is closed every Saturday, and last entry is 4.30pm, half an hour before closing — details some other guides miss.
Quick facts
| Opening hours | Mon–Fri and Sun, 11am–5pm (last entry 4.30pm). Closed Saturdays. |
| Ticket prices | Adults £15 (incl. voluntary donation) / £13.50; students and young people (5–25) £6.50/£5; under 5s free. |
| Address | 66 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London SW3 4HS |
| Nearest transport | Sloane Square (District and Circle lines), about a 10-minute walk. Bus 170 stops outside. |
| Typical time needed | Around 1 to 2 hours. |
Chelsea Physic Garden opening hours: when to visit
The Garden is open Monday to Friday and on Sundays, from 11am to 5pm, with last entry at 4.30pm. It is closed every Saturday, all year round, which is worth building into any weekend itinerary.
Friends of Chelsea Physic Garden are welcome to enter from 10am, an hour before general visitors. Hours stay consistent through the year, though it is worth checking the official site ahead of a visit for any one-off closures around events.
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Chelsea Physic Garden ticket prices: how much do entry fees cost?
Standard adult admission is £15, which includes a voluntary donation, or £13.50 without it. Students and young people aged 5 to 25 pay £6.50 (or £5 without the donation), as do visitors on Universal Credit, Pension Credit or with refugee status, all of whom need to show proof or ID on arrival. Children under 5 go free, as do Historic Houses Association members, who should bring their membership card.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in August 2026. Check the official site for current details or to book tickets online.
Chelsea Physic Garden is included in The London Pass and Go City London, both of which bundle free entry to attractions such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and Madame Tussauds. The Garden also offers two-for-one entry through National Rail Days Out and BBC Gardeners’ World promotions, on production of proof of the offer.
The Go City London pass also includes the likes of Kensington Palace, the HMS Belfast and the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
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- 📱 Completely Digital: No need for paper vouchers; simply download the pass to your smartphone and scan it for easy entry at every stop.
- ⏱️ 60-Day Validity: Your pass is valid for 60 days after its first use, allowing you to explore London’s landmarks at your own pace without feeling rushed.
- 🚌 Hop-on Hop-off Bus Included: Take advantage of a 1-day Big Bus tour to navigate the city easily and see major sights like Big Ben and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
How to get to Chelsea Physic Garden: transport guide
The nearest tube station is Sloane Square (District and Circle lines), about a 10-minute walk away: turn left out of the station into Lower Sloane Street, then right into Royal Hospital Road and continue to number 66. South Kensington station (District, Circle and Piccadilly lines) is a similar distance on foot.
The 170 bus to Victoria stops directly outside the Garden on Royal Hospital Road. Cyclists can reach the Garden in around 15 minutes from Clapham or Fulham, or 20 minutes from Brixton, though bicycles are not allowed inside the Garden itself.
Parking at Chelsea Physic Garden
The Garden has no on-site car park. Metered, pay-by-phone parking is available on surrounding streets, and there is a single accessible parking space on Royal Hospital Road outside the Garden.
For more parking, pay-and-display parking in Battersea Park is around a 10-minute walk away, across Albert Bridge. A small number of solo motorcycle parking spaces are available in Swan Walk, along with bicycle racks on Royal Hospital Road and nearby streets.
How long to spend at Chelsea Physic Garden
Most visitors spend around 1 to 2 hours exploring the Garden’s four acres, including the glasshouses and rockery. Free 45-minute guided tours, led by volunteers, run from Sunday to Friday and are included in the admission price, though they are subject to volunteer availability, particularly in winter.
Accessibility at Chelsea Physic Garden
The Garden is on one level once inside, with paths that are flat and laid with small stone shingle. A limited number of wheelchairs can be borrowed by asking a staff member at the kiosk or on Royal Hospital Road on arrival.
Most of the glasshouses are wheelchair accessible, with the exception of the Southern Hemisphere glasshouse, which has a step, and the narrow Tropical Corridor linking two glasshouses; doorways are around 80cm wide, and it may not be possible to turn a wheelchair around inside. Wheelchair-accessible toilets are in the main building and the café, which also has baby-changing facilities, and guide and assistance dogs are welcome. The Gallery events space is up a flight of stairs with no lift, so contact the Garden ahead of a talk or event held there.
Inside Chelsea Physic Garden: what to see
Founded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1673 to train apprentices in identifying medicinal plants, the Garden holds more than 5,000 plant species, organised into zones including medicinal, poisonous and useful plants. The historic rockery, built beside a statue of Sir Hans Sloane using volcanic stone from Iceland and masonry from the Tower of London, dates to the 18th century.
The restored glasshouses, reopened in 2023 after a multi-year, National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported project, house exotic and rare plants from the Americas and Pacific Islands under improved climate control. Elsewhere, the Garden of Edible Plants and World Woodland Walk round out the collection, alongside the Physic Garden Café for refreshments.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Timing | Arriving soon after opening at 11am generally means smaller crowds in the glasshouses. |
| Crowds | The Garden is closed on Saturdays, so Sundays and weekday afternoons tend to be busiest. |
| Layout | The Garden is compact and on one level, making it easy to explore without a set route. |
| Entry process | Tickets can be booked online in advance or bought as a walk-up at the entrance. |
| On-site logistics | There is no cloakroom or bag storage, so visitors need to carry luggage with them throughout. |
Frequently asked questions about Chelsea Physic Garden
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Chelsea Physic Garden suitable for children? | Yes, children under 5 enter free, and young people aged 5–25 pay a reduced rate. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for Chelsea Physic Garden? | No, walk-up tickets are available, though booking online in advance is possible. |
| Is Chelsea Physic Garden open on Saturdays? | No, the Garden is closed every Saturday; it is open Monday to Friday and on Sundays. |
| Are dogs allowed at Chelsea Physic Garden? | Guide and assistance dogs are welcome; the site does not state a policy for other dogs. |
| Is Chelsea Physic Garden wheelchair accessible? | Mostly. The Garden is level throughout, though one glasshouse and a linking corridor are not step-free. |
Things to do near Chelsea Physic Garden
- National Army Museum: A free military history museum a few minutes’ walk along Royal Hospital Road.
- Royal Hospital Chelsea: The historic home of the Chelsea Pensioners, adjoining the Garden.
- Saatchi Gallery: A contemporary art gallery a short walk away on King’s Road.
- King’s Road: A well-known shopping and dining street a few minutes’ walk from the Garden.
- Battersea Park: A large riverside park about a 10-minute walk away, across Albert Bridge.
Alternative attractions to visit
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: A much larger botanic garden with glasshouses and a treetop walkway, about a 30 to 40-minute drive away.
- RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey: The Royal Horticultural Society’s flagship garden, roughly a 45-minute to 1-hour drive away.
- Wakehurst, West Sussex: Kew’s wild botanic garden and home to the Millennium Seed Bank, about an hour’s drive away.
- Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Kent: A celebrated National Trust garden created by Vita Sackville-West, roughly a 1 hour 20-minute drive away.
- Oxford Botanic Garden: The UK’s oldest botanic garden, also founded as a physic garden, about a 1.5 to 2-hour drive away.
