If you love Christmas at Kew, we've got glowing news for you — a similar light trail takes place at the botanic garden's Sussex outpost.
Wakehurst — also operated by Royal Botanic Gardens — hosts Glow Wild every winter, with 2019 tickets on sale now. The enchanting light trail consists of 1,800 lanterns, flame torches and projections, illuminating an enchanting path through the gardens and around the lake. Catch it on a still night, and the reflections are magnificent.
It's a more family-orientated affair than Christmas at Kew — the Wakehurst trail is slightly shorter, and in previous years, lanterns have taken the shapes of woodland creatures. Visitors are given handheld lanterns (pictured below) to illuminate their path, and the trail finishes in a courtyard with food and drink stalls.
It's also a chance to gaze up at what is apparently the UK's biggest Christmas tree, a towering redwood used as a navigation aid by pilots aiming for nearby Gatwick Airport.
Tickets for Glow Wild don't sell out as fast as Christmas at Kew — so if you missed your chance to get to London's best light trail this winter, we heartily recommend a trip to West Sussex instead.
If that's not convinced you, here's an idea of what to expect:
Glow Wild 2019 at Wakehurst, West Sussex. Thursday-Sunday, 21 November-22 December 2019. Tickets are £15/£9 for children and need to be booked in advance.
