Palm House Tours

Tours run on selected Saturdays throughout the Spring:

Saturday 14 Feb

Saturday 14 March

Saturday 21 March

Saturday 11 April

Saturday 18 April

Tours will start at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm on each date. Please click 'book now' to see the Eventbrite listing which has full details of dates, times and prices.

Attendees will be guided onto the Palm House site through the Queen Mother's Garden before entering the building through the South entryway. The rest of the time will be spent viewing the interior of the Palm House which is in the process of being replanted. High-level walkways will not be accessible.

Tours will be led by a member of the Public Engagement team who will be able to provide an insight into the history of the building, the restoration process and some of the key Garden stories linked to the venue.

Please note that these tours will only cover our Palm Houses – our full Glasshouse range remains closed to the public at this stage.

The meeting point for tours will be outside the front of the Botanic Cottage within the Gardens. Please aim to arrive 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time of your tour so that we have time to cover essential housekeeping and safety information.

The Cottage is approximately a 10 minute walk from the John Hope Gateway entrance off Arboretum Place, and approximately a 20 minute walk from the East Gate entrance off Inverleith Place.

Please note: if you arrive at the Cottage more than 15 minutes after the scheduled start time of your tour, we regret that you will not be able to join. Refunds cannot be issued in this instance.

Each tour lasts approximately one hour.

The maximum capacity for each tour is set at 15 for Health & Safety reasons.

There is no limit to the number of tickets that can be bought in one transaction (up to the maximum tour capacity of 15).

If you would like to make a group booking and there are not enough spaces on the day/time you would like, please email palmhouse@rbge.org.uk with the below details and we will do our best to advise:

• details of your group
• the number of people the booking is for
• the date and time you are interested in

Please title your email GROUP BOOKING ENQUIRY [name of your group]

Footwear should be appropriate for muddy and uneven ground, and must be closed-toe; we recommend sturdy walking boots or wellies. Please also dress for the weather and bring a raincoat or umbrella if needed. 

The Palm Houses are in the last stages of their renovation with some active building work still happening. As such, pathways and flooring are incomplete and the access route is not suitable for those who use wheelchairs or walking aids at the time these tours will take place.

If you have any questions about the suitability of the route for your needs, please get in touch at palmhouse@rbge.org.uk and a member of the team will be able to advise.

Tours are aimed at an adult audience, but children aged 8+ will be able to engage well with content. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

The meeting point for tours is outside the Botanic Cottage, within the Gardens. This is approximately a 10 minute walk from the John Hope Gateway off Arboretum Place, and approximately a 20 minute walk from the East Gate entrance off Inverleith Place.

We ask that all ticket-holders arrive 5-10 minutes before the scheduled start time of your tour so that we have time to cover essential housekeeping and safety information.

If you arrive at the Cottage more than 15 minutes after the scheduled start time of your tour, we regret that you will not be able to join.

Refunds cannot be issued in the instance of lateness.

Yes, you can request a full refund (minus Eventbrite's non-refundable booking fee) up to 5 days before the day of your tour.

Refunds must be requested through your Eventbrite account and will be automatically processed by Eventbrite. This usually takes 5-7 business days, but can take up to 10. Booking fees are listed alongside ticket prices.

In the instance of lateness or no-show, no refund will be applicable.

Every effort will be made to ensure tours go ahead, including on rainy days.

However, if the weather presents a safety risk to visitors or staff (for example high winds, snow/ice or other weather warnings) a decision will be made to cancel the tours. In this instance, you will be notified via email by 5pm the day beforehand along with information around rescheduling or requesting a refund.

Please ensure you book with an email address you use regularly and look out for communications from palmhouse@rbge.org.uk

No refunds will be offered if the weather is simply inclement.

Yes, you can join the waiting list for the tour you are interested in attending by clicking on the orange 'join waitlist' button on the relevant Eventbrite listing. You will be contacted should a space become available. A maximum of one ticket can be added to the waitlist per request - this is an Eventbrite setting we cannot change. If you require multiple tickets to be added to a waiting list, they will need to be requested individually.

We also recommend regularly refreshing the Eventbrite page in case any tickets are returned last minute.

At the moment we do not have any tours scheduled beyond April due to limited site access around the remaining refurbishment and replanting activity, but if we are able to add more dates, information will be released via our website and social media channels.