Lady’s 9 Garden Day Trips from London

Today I want to bring you my guide to garden day trips from London. There are a lot of great places to take in the prettiest flower beds and most beautiful landscapes near the UK capital. These spots are perfect for enjoying England’s floral displays and verdant grounds alike.

Garden Day Trips from London

These garden day trips from London will show you a range of destinations near the UK capital. Whether you’re looking for walled gardens or pergolas, English gardens or formal ones, there’s a place you’ll love.

Some of these destinations are easy day trips from London by train, while others make great day trips from London by car. There are tours, too. Whichever way you choose to travel, I hope you enjoy visiting these gardens as much as I have.

There’s more about day trips in the book Escape London: Days Out within Easy Reach of London, too. You can get it on Amazon here.

1. Garden Day Trip to Sissinghurst

I have to start my list of garden day trips from London with Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Kent. Created by writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson, this Grade I-listed creation is considered one of the best gardens in England.

Sissinghurst Castle Garden is renowned for its seasonal blooms, from the manicured gardens around the house to the wild bluebell woods on the periphery. It’s one of my favorite spring gardens in the UK.

But it’s great at other times of year, too. The Rose Garden comes to life in summer and the South Cottage Garden is beautiful in autumn.

Beyond those places, features like the White Garden, Herb Garden, and Purple Border are all delights to see.

2. Garden Day Trip to Blenheim Palace

Next on my list of garden day trips from London is Blenheim Palace. The main residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, Blenheim Palace is the the only non-royal, non-episcopal stately home in England to be called a palace.

The palace itself was the birthplace of Winston Churchill, and the grounds and gardens around it are a treat to discover. They make for one of the best day trips from London.

The Formal Gardens surround Blenheim Palace, and they’re worth a special trip. They feature 150 acres (61 hectares) of Water Terraces, the Italian Garden, the Secret Garden, the Churchill Memorial Garden, and the Rose Garden.

If this sounds like your kind of trip, you can book a day tour to Blenheim Palace here. It’s a great way to see the gardens and the surrounding countryside.

3. Garden Day Trip to Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace comes next on my list of garden day trips from London. A day trip to Hampton Court is a great way to see both the palace and its grounds.

Hampton Court Palace has an abundance of green spaces to discover. From the kitchen garden with its vegetables to the sunken gardens and ornamental flower beds, there are lots of growing spaces to explore.

And that’s to say nothing of the hedge maze and the centuries-old Great Vine, which is the largest grapevine in the world.

If you can time your visit to coincide with the annual Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, you’ll be in for even more of a treat.

If this sounds like your kind of day out, you can book an entry ticket for the palace and gardens here.

4. Garden Day Trip to Hever Castle

Kent’s Hever Castle is another of the best garden day trips from London. This 13th-century moated fortress has some of the prettiest seasonal blooms in Britain.

From spring tulips growing in front of the fortified house to summer roses dotting the landscape, the award-winning gardens flourish here year-round.

Unique features include a giant topiary chess set that graces the English Rose Garden and urns and classical statuary in the Italian Garden.

5. Garden Day Trip to Petworth House

Next on my list of garden day trips from London is Petworth House in West Sussex. One of the best stately homes near London, this 17th-century mansion is home to an outstanding art collection and renowned gardens.

The grounds at Petworth House were designed by acclaimed 18th-century landscape architect Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.

His Deer Park offers over 700 acres (283 hectares) of rolling hills. They’re dotted with giant ponds and have great views of the South Downs.

The Pleasure Ground is full of formal garden borders, woodland paths, and flowering meadows. There’s an Ionic Rotunda and a Doric Temple, too.

6. Garden Day Trip to RHS Garden Wisley

RHS Garden Wisley is another of the best garden day trips from London. Located near the city in Surrey, it houses one of the largest plant collections in the world.

RHS Wisley is a great place to immerse yourself in nature in any season. Its array of gardens include a Wildlife Garden, Wellbeing Garden, World Food Garden, Exotic Garden, and Rock Garden. There are also glasshouses and an arboretum on the grounds.

If you’re looking for London garden ideas, it’s a great place for inspiration. There’s even a shop where you can pick up plants to take home.

If this sounds like your kind of day out, you can book an entry ticket for the garden here.

7. Garden Day Trip to the Cotswolds

Next on my list of the best garden day trips from London is the Cotswolds. This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is home to a number of gardens that are worth a special trip.

From Kiftsgate Court Gardens to the Painswick Rococo Garden and the famous gardens at Hidcote and other National Trust properties in the Cotswolds, there’s no shortage of seasonal blooms and gorgeous grounds to discover.

And that’s to say nothing of the Westonbirt Arboretum and Batsford Arboretum, both of which are beautiful in autumn.

8. Garden Day Trip to Burghley House

Burghley House is another of the best garden day trips from London. Up in Cambridgeshire, this stately home is one of England’s largest and grandest Elizabethan houses.

Outside, the gardens and parkland were largely designed by Capability Brown in the 18th century. The Garden of Surprises and the Sculpture Garden in particular are worth seeing.

9. Garden Day Trip to Wakehurst

Wakehurst is another of the best garden day trips from London. This house and its botanical gardens in West Sussex are owned by the National Trust and managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Wakehurst’s wild botanic garden is home to the Millennium Seed Bank and over 500 acres of plants from around the world. The grounds feature everything from an American Prairie to wetlands, woods, and wildflower meadows.

This is a great place to visit if you want to get into nature and experience some of England’s most varied gardens and grounds.

Garden Day Trips from London

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of garden day trips from London and that it’s made you want to get out and discover some of the best flower beds and green spaces in Britain. Happy travels!

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