A familiarisation trip to Richmond taking in The Poppy Factory and Kew Gardens

This familiarisation trip is free and includes:

• Admission to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

• Lunch at the Vineyard Café.

• Admission to The Poppy Factory.

• Coach transfers departing from and returning to Kew Gardens.

Please note that Reader Club trips are made available to group travel organisers and not to tour operators or travel trade suppliers.

About this trip…

VisitRichmond, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, The Poppy Factory and the Vineyard Café have partnered with Group Leisure & Travel to offer a Reader Club familiarisation trip discovering some of the area’s most iconic and fascinating landmarks on Saturday 26th March 2022.

Breath-taking natural beauty, world-class science and more than 260 years of history combine at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Be swept up in the wonder of nature as you explore the largest and most diverse collection of living plants in the world at this 326-acre UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You will have the chance to wander around and explore the famous glasshouses which provide fascinating discoveries whether it’s a tropical rainforest in the Palm House or a journey through ten climatic zones in the Princess of Wales Conservatory.

A visit to the Temperate House is a must – the jewel in Kew’s crown, it is the world’s largest surviving Victorian glasshouse which reopened in May 2018 after a huge five-year restoration. Over 10,000 plants from the world’s temperate regions are housed in this veritable cathedral of glass.

You can also opt for a soaring Treetop Walkway for a bird’s eye view of the gardens and visit two art galleries dedicated to botanical art which examine the beauty and intricacy of flora from around the world.

Kew is also home to The Hive, an extraordinarily beautiful and immersive 17-metre-high installation which examines the importance and plight of the world’s bees; and the Great Broad Walk Borders, a stunning array of more than 30,000 plants carefully chosen to create a unique display of colours and textures from early spring to late autumn.

Readers will then travel by coach to Richmond where the Vineyard Café, a registered charity which supports the local community, will put on a relaxed and freshly prepared lunch of soup, sandwiches and cake.

In the afternoon you’ll make your way to The Poppy Factory, a short walk away from the café.

The Poppy Factory has been an integral part of Richmond since the 1920s and a new visitor centre recently opened for group bookings.

Here, you’ll get to discover the home of Remembrance poppies and poppy wreaths and see how veterans still make Royal and regimental wreaths by hand today.

The factory runs private group visits led by expert hosts and you can even try your hand at making your own poppy before you head back home.

Application deadline: Wednesday 9th February 2022

How Reader Club works

Our trips and tours provide group travel organisers with the chance to familiarise themselves with venues, attractions and destinations they feel may be of interest and suitable for their group. It’s a ‘try before you buy’ scenario, but please only join us if this is a viable option for your group.