England & Ireland
May 2026

UNESCO World Heritage site. 300 acres with the spectacular Victorian Palm House, Temperate House (world’s largest surviving Victorian glasshouse), 18m Treetop Walkway, restored Great Pagoda with panoramic views, Japanese Garden and 2025 Carbon Garden. May is peak season — wisteria, azaleas and rhododendrons in full bloom. Voted best garden in the UK for 2026. A return from your autumn visit will feel like a completely different place.

London’s oldest botanic garden, founded 1673 by the Society of Apothecaries. A small, intimate, walled 3.8-acre garden with over 5,000 medicinal, edible and useful plants. Completely different from Kew — peaceful, curated and rich with history. The walled enclosure protects early blooms making May a lovely time to visit. A working Fernery, World Woodland Garden and historical glasshouses add to the experience.

Two connected Royal Parks covering 625 acres in central London. Hyde Park has the Serpentine Lake, Serpentine Galleries (free), Speaker’s Corner and Diana Memorial Fountain. Kensington Gardens has the formal Italian Gardens, Sunken Garden near Kensington Palace (beautiful in May), Albert Memorial and Peter Pan statue. Free. A perfect morning stroll before or after South Kensington museums.

60 acres of magnificent historic gardens surrounding Henry VIII’s Tudor palace. The Great Vine (planted 1768, still producing grapes), the world-famous maze, Privy Garden restored to its 1702 appearance, and the Tiltyard. In May the gardens are at their most spectacular. Combines perfectly with a palace tour for a full day out.

Queen Mary’s Rose Garden within Regent’s Park is one of the finest in the UK — 12,000+ roses in 85 varieties, just coming into bloom in late May. The Open Air Theatre runs summer Shakespeare and musicals. London Zoo is within the park. Free entry to the park and rose garden.

One of the world’s greatest natural history collections in a breathtaking Victorian Gothic building. Highlights: the Blue Whale skeleton in Hintze Hall, the dinosaur gallery, the Vault with precious gems, Human Evolution gallery, and the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition (currently showing). The building itself is as spectacular as anything inside. Allow 3–4 hours. Pair with the V&A next door for a full South Kensington day.

The world’s greatest museum of art, design and performance — 5,000 years of human creativity. Jaw-dropping collections of jewellery, fashion, sculpture, ceramics, furniture, photography and textiles from every culture. The Cast Courts with Victorian replicas of global monuments are extraordinary. 2026 major exhibition: Fragile Beauty (Annie Leibovitz). Literally next door to the Natural History Museum.

One of London’s most underrated treasures. A Hertford House mansion in Mayfair with a stunning private collection of Old Masters (Rembrandt, Velazquez, Frans Hals, Titian), exquisite French 18th-century furniture and Sèvres porcelain, medieval armour and Orientalist paintings. Uncrowded, intimate and beautiful. Often described as the best museum nobody visits — a world-class collection in an elegant setting.

One of the world’s finest art collections — 2,300 paintings from 1250 to 1900. Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Monet’s Water-Lilies, Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, da Vinci. The recently renovated Sainsbury Wing is magnificent. Trafalgar Square itself is a London landmark. Allow 2–3 hours.

The former home of architect Sir John Soane (1753–1837), left exactly as he arranged it — crammed with antiquities, Egyptian sarcophagi, Hogarth’s original Rake’s Progress paintings, casts and eccentric room-within-room designs. Only 80 visitors per slot so it never feels crowded. A completely unique experience unlike any other museum in London. Book a timed slot online in advance.

Already visited this morning! Worth knowing: the permanent collection changes regularly, and the Turbine Hall commissions are always spectacular. A return for a specific exhibition or the underground Tanks performance spaces is always worthwhile — and it’s free.