London’s best gardens are not on your ticket.

This private, full-day route is exactly why I like booking a guide: you get curated access to small city green spaces you’d otherwise miss, and you also get the plant-focused context at places like the London Garden Museum and the Chelsea Physic Garden. I especially like the mix of formal gardens and oddball tucked-away spots, from a rose garden behind a church to the knot garden at Lambeth Palace. One consideration: the day involves a fair amount of walking and some built-in timing gaps, so plan for a slower start and a steady pace.

Because it’s private, you move like a small film crew with a host, not like a crowd. You’ll start at the front steps of St Martin-in-the-Fields on the east side of Trafalgar Square, then bounce around central London using black cabs so you’re not trudging between every stop.

Key points at a glance

• Private guide for just you means the pace and questions stay personal
• Black cab transport keeps the walking section manageable in central London
• Chelsea Physic Garden (established 1673) plus a traditional English high tea
• London Garden Museum at Lambeth Palace with a knot garden dating to the 1600s
• Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Temple Gardens give you the “hidden London” feeling without leaving the center

Where the day starts: St Martin-in-the-Fields to Covent Garden’s church-side gardens

You meet at the front steps of St Martin-in-the-Fields, on the east side of Trafalgar Square. It’s a good meeting point because it’s easy to find, and the church itself sets the tone: this tour is about London’s spiritual spaces and the green corners that grow around them.

From there, you’re guided into the kind of London you rarely plan for. You’ll peek at the grounds of nearby St Paul’s Artist Church, designed by Inigo Jones, and then head toward a rose garden behind the church area, opposite the Covent Garden entrance. This is the “secret garden” idea made practical: not a lost medieval orchard, but a series of small, carefully kept pockets that sit in plain sight once someone shows you where to look.

Why this works: starting in this part of town lets you get your bearings fast. Trafalgar Square is busy, but the moment you step into these church gardens and side spaces, you feel the shift. You’ll also notice how the tour balances quick glimpses with longer stops, so it doesn’t turn into constant standing in lines.

Quick drawback to keep in mind: you’re on your feet from the start. The tour requires moderate fitness, so if you’re the type who likes to pause often, you’ll want comfortable shoes and a steady rhythm.

Lincoln’s Inn Fields: bamboo, bamboo, and the calm of a city square

Next you’ll walk to Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London’s largest city square. It has the “rules of a formal place” feel, but inside that order is a very different kind of greenery. Adjacent to the square, you’ll find the John Soane Museum area and a bamboo garden walk that changes the mood fast. Bamboo in the middle of London always looks a little unreal, and it’s one of those details that makes photos and also makes you slow down.

What I like here is the shift from “pretty gardens” to “designed spaces.” Lincoln’s Inn Fields is about institutions, law, and older London planning, and the gardens and planted corners feel like part of that system rather than separate attractions.

What to watch for: because this is a walking tour, the enjoyment is tied to your comfort level. Lincoln’s Inn Fields is flat enough for most people, but it still adds to the total time on foot.

John Soane Museum in Lincoln’s Inn Fields: not just antiques, but garden-minded details

The John Soane Museum visit happens right in the same Lincoln’s Inn Fields zone. It’s home to antiques and includes charming garden statuary, which connects nicely to the day’s theme: plants and the people who curated them, not just “green views.”

This stop is a useful breather. You’re swapping garden pathways for indoor rooms, so your legs get a rest while your eyes keep working. If you like objects that show how earlier generations thought about gardening, display, and taste, this museum stop adds a layer that garden-only tours often skip.

One practical note: indoor stops help, but they don’t erase the walking time outside. The museum works best when you treat it like a reset, not a full stop.

Temple Gardens and the Inns of Court: where London hides its quiet

From Lincoln’s Inn Fields, you’ll head toward Temple Gardens. This is described as hidden among the Inns of Court, and that’s exactly the feeling you should expect: calm, enclosed spaces tucked inside a busy city.

Temple Gardens are a different kind of green than what you’ll see later. It’s less about a signature attraction and more about the “you’d never notice this” sensation that comes from London’s layout. If you like the idea of finding order and beauty in small, overlooked corners, this section tends to land well.

The value here is simple: the day isn’t only “top attractions.” Temple Gardens helps you understand how London’s civic institutions and old neighborhoods shape the gardens that grow around them.

Again, the caution is fitness and time. Even when the places are pretty, the tour keeps moving through central areas, then uses cabs to bridge longer segments.

Crossing to Lambeth Palace: London Garden Museum and its knot-garden story

After Temple Gardens, you’ll drive to the Embankment and cross the River Thames. That cab-and-bridge step is not just convenience. It gives you a visual break and helps explain why these gardens feel different depending on which side of the river you’re on.

On the Lambeth Palace side, you arrive at the London Garden Museum. This is a standout because it’s not just a pretty museum room. It has excellent displays and includes a knot garden from the 1600s. A knot garden is a serious gardening style: crisp lines, structured planting, and a look that’s meant to be seen from a certain angle. That fits perfectly with the day’s theme—how English gardening is both art and system.

I also like the café at the museum area. You can refresh with a cup of tea or coffee there, which is handy on a long day. Just know that extra tea/coffee and snacks are not included in the main package.

This stop is one of the best places to slow down mentally. You’ll get context for the later plant places, especially when you reach Chelsea Physic Garden.

Chelsea Physic Garden: 1673 plant science meets traditional high tea

Next is the famous Chelsea Physic Garden, established in 1673. If you’ve only heard the phrase “physic garden” in passing, this is where it becomes real. The garden is known for apothecary plants and trees, and you’ll walk through an oasis-like layout that feels surprisingly protected for its central London location.

A key detail: one of the garden’s own gardener guides leads you during the visit. That matters because it changes the tone from sightseeing to plant understanding. You’re not just looking at flowers; you’re hearing how the garden thinks about its living collection, and why these plants were historically valued.

Then comes the traditional English high tea at Chelsea Physic Garden. It’s included, and it changes the day’s pacing in a big way. You get a proper sit-down moment in a place where the setting supports the theme. High tea here feels like part of the garden experience instead of a separate restaurant stop.

You’ll also have time to see the surrounding gardens, including the beautiful sunken garden in the Palace grounds. That’s a nice final act: a garden detail that feels theatrical, like London saving its best atmospheric card for last.

A word on timing: the day runs during the London garden season (April 1 to September 30), and it operates daily except Saturdays. Garden opening hours vary, so I recommend bringing a patient attitude. When the biggest garden opens, your schedule may feel like it has a small waiting pocket before the best part of the day.

How the black cab fits in: comfort, efficiency, and not over-walking

The tour includes transportation by one of London’s charming black cabs. In a city like London, that one detail can make or break a day.

Here’s why it helps you: central London distances add up fast when you’re doing multiple small stops. Walking between every garden would turn a garden lover’s day into a leg workout. The cabs let you stay in the “gardens and stories” zone rather than constantly scanning streets and intersections.

In practice, I’d treat the walking portions as the main “experience time” and the cab portions as the mental reset. If you’re okay with that trade, the day feels smooth. If you want an all-day seated sightseeing experience, this one is probably not your match.

Price and value: what you’re really paying for

The tour is listed around $526 per person for 1 day (and it also mentions £325 per person for a couple, with lower per-person cost when you add more people). Private tours can look expensive until you separate what’s included from what’s not.

In this case, the included value stack is clear:

• Private guide time for your group
• All garden admissions
• Transport by black cab
• Traditional English high tea at Chelsea Physic Garden

What that means for you: you’re not paying extra entry fees one by one, and you’re not arranging your own transit between scattered locations. For garden lovers, that’s the real luxury—getting a guided route that strings together places with different personalities without the planning stress.

If you’re the type who loves flowers but also wants structure and context, the price can feel fair. If you’re only looking for a single major garden and you prefer to go DIY, you might spend less booking separate public tickets and using transit. But you would miss the “how this all connects” feel that the guide brings to the day.

Who should book this Secret Gardens day, and who should skip it

This tour is a strong fit if you:

• Love gardens and want more than just photos
• Like guided context about plants, including medicinal and historical uses
• Prefer a calmer, private pace over crowd navigation
• Enjoy the mix of outdoor garden time and one museum stop

It may not be ideal if you:

• Want minimal walking (the tour calls for moderate fitness)
• Get cranky about small scheduling gaps tied to garden opening times
• Prefer to spend most of the day at one single flagship garden

It also works particularly well for birthdays and special days, because the day has that relaxed, treat-like rhythm when high tea arrives and you’re surrounded by garden settings.

Should you book it? My honest take

Yes, if you’re a garden person who likes discovering London’s tucked-away corners with a guide. The combination of church-adjacent green spaces, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, the London Garden Museum’s knot garden from the 1600s, and the Chelsea Physic Garden plant focus makes this feel like a theme-based day rather than a generic tour.

If you do book, go in ready to walk and ready to enjoy small moments. Bring comfortable shoes, and give yourself mental slack for the rhythm of a full-day garden route.

FAQ

FAQ

Where does the tour meet?

It meets at the front steps of St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, on the east side of Trafalgar Square.

How long is the tour?

The duration is 1 day.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. It’s a private group tour with a live English guide.

What transportation is included?

Transportation is included by one of London’s black cabs.

What’s included in the price?

The tour includes the black cab transport, the guide, all garden admissions, and a traditional English high tea at Chelsea Physic Garden.

Is additional tea or coffee included?

No. Additional tea/coffee and snacks are not included.

When does the tour run?

It runs daily except Saturdays during the London garden season from April 1 to September 30.

What fitness level do I need?

Moderate fitness is required for this guided walking tour.

Is it child-friendly?

Children 5 and under are free.

What language is the tour guide?

The tour guide is English.

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