How to Get to Chelsea Flower Show
Once inside, you’ll feel a mix of awe and terror. The show gardens are stunning, but the crowds are thick enough to knit a sweater. Move with purpose, like you’re in a supermarket on Christmas Eve—except instead of turkeys, people are fighting over a photo of a weeping willow.
Bring a small bag. Do not bring a backpack. I saw a poor soul get turned away because his backpack was “too large.” He stood at the entrance, defeated, holding a coat and a water bottle like a man who had just lost custody of his plants.
Trips to chelsea flower show 2026 - Touristvisitorguides.com
Food and Drink: Pack Your Wallet
Casual sandwiches cost the same as a Michelin-star meal inside. I paid £8 for a sad-looking salad and a glass of lukewarm water. My advice? Eat a big breakfast beforehand and smuggle in a granola bar. You’ll feel like a rebel, and you’ll save enough for a souvenir shrub—or a gin and tonic, which is basically the same thing at Chelsea.
There’s a champagne bar, but it’s full of people who definitely own a pair of gardening gloves that match their handbag. I just drink tea from a paper cup and pretend I’m classy enough to be there.