Accessibility

Committed to access for all

We welcome all visitors to Kew Palace and aim to make your day out successful and enjoyable. We are committed to improving access and facilities for disabled visitors. 

Kew Palace is a historic building with narrow corridors and doorways. Wheelchair access is limited in some areas and the use of small wheelchairs is required. Mobility scooters are not permitted in Kew Palace or the Royal Kitchens. 

Kew Palace, the Great Pagoda, Queen Charlotte’s Cottage and the Royal Kitchens can only be accessed through Kew Gardens. The gardens are largely flat but may have uneven or gravel paths in some areas. 

On your way around Kew Palace and its other sites, you will meet our staff and volunteers, often dressed in period costume. They will be happy to help support your visit or answer any questions.

Contact us

If you have any questions on accessing Kew Palace that are not covered here, please contact kewpalace@hrp.org.uk.

Alternatively, call on 0333 320 6000 (lines open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 13:00). 

Access Map

The comprehensive Kew access map includes detailed information to help you plan your visit to Kew Gardens. The map details routes between Kew Palace, the Kitchens, Great Pagoda and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage. There is also information on quiet and sensory spots and facilities in the Gardens.

Quiet times 

The quietest time to visit Kew Palace is on a weekday morning, shortly after the palace opens at 11:00.

Please note that Kew Palace, Royal Kitchens, Great Pagoda and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage are open during spring and summer only. Queen Charlotte’s Cottage is open on weekends and bank holidays only. 

See our opening times for more information. 

Exploring Kew Palace can take around one hour. The Royal Kitchens, Great Pagoda and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage can take some time due to the distance between the sites. 

You may also wish to explore Kew Gardens, so we recommend visiting as early as possible (Kew Gardens open at 10:00) for the best experience.    

Peak visiting times

The peak visiting period is July and August, particularly during the school holidays. During these times, our buildings may be busier than usual.

Visiting the palace in spring (excluding half term and public holidays) can be less crowded. Opening hours can be found on our Kew Palace opening times page.

Event days and further information

We also recommend checking for any special events or tours that might attract more visitors on certain days, such as Kew the Run. We would advise checking the Kew Gardens website before your visit for any current and upcoming events.

Seating

Indoor seating is available throughout Kew Palace, Queen Charlotte’s Cottage and the Great Pagoda, and in most cafes and restaurants in Kew Gardens. There is no seating in the Royal Kitchens.

Outdoor seating is available throughout Kew Gardens that covers the majority of the main walking routes and near the Palm House and Temperate House. Outdoor terrace seating is available at the Orangery, Botanical Brasserie and Pavilion Bar and Grill.

Other outdoor seating options

There are several picnic-friendly areas throughout the site that are appropriate to sit on, however we would recommend bringing a picnic mat. During the spring and summer months, subject to weather conditions, deck chair seating is available outside Queen Charlotte’s Cottage when this is open to visitors.

Please check opening times for the cottage before your visit.

Interpretation and signage

On request, we can show images and have a QR code link available on signage to a short video showing the upstairs area of Queen Charlotte’s Cottage. 

While some accessible interpretation exists, additional support for people with learning disabilities or non-English speakers may be limited. Kew Gardens is well sign-posted and visitor maps are provided on entry.

There are large print guides available in Kew Palace and, on request, staff can increase light levels for objects and signage with torches. There are some tactile areas that staff can support with.

Tactile objects

There is a tactile model of Kew Palace and wallpaper samples available.

Interactive elements

The first floor of the Great Pagoda contains interactive elements to illustrate the history of the palace, which include a trading vessel and Pagoda replica. These can be moved by turning the small wheels on these elements. 

Large print guides

There is print signage throughout Kew Palace and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage.  

Large print room guides that contain images are located throughout the palace. 

Visitors with limited mobility 

Kew Palace, Queen Charlotte’s Cottage and the Royal Kitchens have narrow doorways, which are suitable for small wheelchairs only. Mobility scooters are not permitted across the sites. Please ask a member of staff for assistance on parking your scooter outside the buildings. 

The lift in the Royal Kitchens is currently out of use. We apologise for any inconvenience. Kew Palace can only be accessed through Kew Gardens which are mainly flat, but surfaces may still be uneven in places.

The average walking times from the entrances to the Great Pagoda and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage can be viewed on our Kew Getting Here page.

Kew Gardens runs an electric land train between our buildings and other areas of the gardens. This is wheelchair friendly. Please see more information on the Kew Gardens website. 

Kew Palace

Kew Palace has level access. However, due to the size of the gardens and historic nature of the buildings, there may be more challenging surfaces in some areas.  

Kew Palace has a limited number of wheelchairs available to borrow while you visit the palace. There are a limited number of wheelchairs available to borrow at each entrance gate to Kew Gardens. These do not need to be booked in advance, but please ask a member of the team on arrival. 

There is a ramp with a wall alongside it, leading into Kew Palace to the right side of the steps. An accessible lift is available in Kew Palace that covers the first and second floors. Members of staff, who are dressed in period costume, are happy to assist you in navigating narrow spaces and finding the best route. 

Our Hidden Spaces tours take place in Kew Palace attic. This can be reached via a short flight of stone steps. However, due to the historic nature of this space we cannot provide lift access to the attic. 

The Kew Gardens accessibility map identifies accessible, lawn and steep paths around Kew Gardens.

Queen Charlotte's Cottage

We can provide access to the ground floor at Queen Charlotte's Cottage with small ramps over the steps at the entrance and exit. 

The Picnic Room is only accessible by stairs. On request, we can show images and have a QR code link to a short video showing the room. 

There are two steps up to Queen Charlotte’s Cottage, and staff are present at the entrance to assist. The cottage contains a spiral staircase to the upstairs area. 

The Great Pagoda

The Great Pagoda consists of a challenging climb of 253 steps up a narrow spiral staircase, and there is no lift access. The building has nine floors in total, which can get busy. You will be sent up in groups, with each allocated a 30-minute timeslot. 

The ground floor has step-free access, where you can learn about the Pagoda and use the automata.  

We would advise against climbing the Great Pagoda if you have a health condition that may be made worse by this experience. Children under 5 are not permitted above the ground floor. There is seating available on floor 02, floor 04 and floor 06. 

The Royal Kitchens

The lift to the Royal Kitchens is currently out of use. We apologise for any inconvenience. 

The path leading to the Royal Kitchens, and in the Kitchen Garden, can be uneven in places.

Guide dogs welcome

Trained assistance dogs are welcome inside Kew Palace, the Royal Kitchens and on the ground floor of the Great Pagoda. This includes medical alert dogs.  

We do not allow trained assistance dogs past the ground floor of the Great Pagoda, as the only access is via the spiral staircase, with no alternative exit point. This for the safety and comfort of the animal, and for the safety of our staff and guests in case of an evacuation.  

Unfortunately, due to conservation concern and the nature of items on display, we do not allow emotional support animals to enter the buildings at this time. 

Re-entry to site

You can exit and re-enter Kew Palace, Queen Charlotte’s Cottage and the Royal Kitchens as many times as you like during your visit. Visitors cannot re-enter past the ground floor of the Pagoda.

Lighting and sound

Low light levels

Visiting the palace and kitchens may involve going from bright to dark spaces. Darker or dimly lit spaces within Kew Palace include the attic and the King’s Dining Room.

Staff at Kew Palace have access to torches to support visitors in low light levels. These can be used to increase light to objects and text panels on a short-term basis.

The Great Pagoda and Queen Charlotte’s Cottage contain natural lighting throughout.

Sound effects

Kew Palace contains sound effects, including classical/flute music. On request, we can reduce the volume of some of our audio-visual soundscapes.

Certain events taking place in Kew Gardens may mean higher noise levels than usual at Kew Palace, the Great Pagoda, Queen Charlotte’s Cottage or the Royal Kitchens. Please check the Kew Gardens What’s On page before your visit.

Kew Palace is located within Kew Gardens, which is under a flightpath. There is also frequent noise from vehicles and machinery in the gardens that may be heard from the palace.

Fire alarms are not tested during opening hours.

Crowded or confined spaces

There are some small rooms and narrow corridors within the palace. In the Great Pagoda, the narrow, spiral staircase and each platform it leads to can also become crowded.