Bagged yourself a ticket to RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year? You are one of the lucky ones, with the popular floral event of the year selling out in record time! The world-famous flower show is taking place 21^st-26^th May 2024.

A snapshot of RHS Chelsea Flower Show

The roots of this iconic flower show date back to 1827, with the society’s first fete held in Chiswick. Over the years the yearly event became more and more popular, evolving in to the first official show, then known as the Great Spring  Show, held within Royal Chelsea Hospital grounds in 1913. Nowadays RHS Chelsea Flower Show welcomes 168,000 visitors over 5 days to enjoy all things floral.

For such a fabulous day out, you want to ensure that you are ready to soak up the atmosphere and see as many flowers, cutting-edge designs, show gardens and magical floral installations as you can.

Here are our 10 top tips for visiting RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Tip 1 Pick up an offical guide book

They cost £15 and can be pre-ordered when you purchase your entry ticket online. You then receive the Show Guide in the post before the event, which is great for making a plan ahead of your visit to ensure you don’t miss a must see garden. Missed pre-ordering? You can purchase your guide book on the day at the front entrance gate.

It feels a lot to pay just for a guide book, however it is so valuable for planning your route, insider information on the designs, finding nearest washrooms etc. Plus it is a lovely souvenir to take home after all the fun!

Tip 2 Be prepared for whatever the weather

As we well know, the weather in England can be somewhat unpredictable. Even in the month of May, RHS Chelsea Flower Show week has seen glorious rays of sunshine and other years deluge of rain, so keep a close eye on the weather forecast ahead of your visit.

For sunnier days, sun cream and a sun hat (the bigger the better in our opinion) are essential to pack in your bag. It is also handy to have a light scarf, which can help protect shoulders from strong sun, or double up as a rug for sitting on the grass for lunch. For rainer days, sturdy weather proof trainers are a good option for comfort, and a long waterproof coat to keep you as dry as possible. You can take a compact umbrella, but be advised that space can be very tight in places due to crowds and umbrellas often get in the way walking round the show.

Tip 3 Water, water, water

It's a long day discovering what RHS Chelse Flower Show has to offer. Keep well hydrated during the day, so a MUST do is pack a refillable water bottle - there are free water stations dotted around the show. On hotter days the queue can be quite long !

Check out the Ground Show map for where the water stations are at RHS Chelsea.

Tip 4 Budding photographers

There is overwhelming amounts of vivid colours, mixed textures and cool shapes to enjoy photographing at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, it is simply heaven for an amateur photographer. If you are planning on taking lots of photos during the day, don’t forget to pack an extra memory card and spare camera battery if possible, just so you don’t run out half way round!

Tip 5 Build in breaks

It is exhausting exploring all the stunning show gardens, Great Pavilion, exhibitors and stands - which cover 66 acres in total, so make sure to set aside some time in your day for a well earned break or two. There are tons of lovely refreshment and eateries to choose from when you are ready for some food & drinks, including street food, fancy toasties, Afternoon Tea, Champagne & Seafood Platters and fancy 3 course sit down meals. So grab a Pimms, and settle in to a spot to people watch, whilst you rest your weary toes.

Tip 6 Fancy Footwear

The average visitor spends 5+ hours pottering around RHS Chelsea Flower Show, so comfortable shoes are a must. Most of the ground round the show is flat with temporary walkways, along with some areas that are grassy, such as the picnic area, so can get a little muddy or slippery if the weather is wet.

Your most trusted trainers are a good bet, or for hot weather opt for sandals with a closed toe – feet can easily get trodden on! Stilettos are a no-go, but if you must wear a heel then low wedges are the way to go.

Tip 7 Take a small bag

RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a sell-out every year, and the event ground can feel busy most of the day, full of buzzing crowds. A small bag or neat backpack is ideal for carrying all your essentials (don’t forget to pack your water bottle!), but larger bags can really get in the way when navigating round the show so leave them at home.

Tip 8 Perfect Picnic

Did you know you can bring in your own picnic food to RHS Chelsea Flower Show? There is a cute picnic and seating area by the bandstand in Ranelagh Gardens, perfect for sitting to relax and soak up the atmosphere of RHS Chelsea. So pack a scrumptious home-made picnic and large rug, and enjoy!

Tip 9 You may not see it all

Hard as you try, you may not see all the Show Gardens and flowers that you wanted too - a Guide book does really help plan your day!  But never fear, the BBC has daily coverage running during Chelsea week and on iPLayer, so you can catch up with Monty and the gang from the comfort of your sofa. We love being able to see more detail of the show gardens, and hearing from the designers more information on their inspiration for their Show Gardens.

Tip 10 Don't miss Chelsea in Bloom

And the floral fun doesn’t have to stop once you have left RHS Chelsea Show Ground. To coincide, Chelsea in Bloom runs the week of the event. The annual competition sees Chelsea’s best retailers, restaurants and hotels adorning themselves with creative designs, all competing to be crowned with a coveted award. This year the theme is Floral Feasts, a nod to two of the things Chelsea is famous for – botanical heritage and fabulous food.

So don’t rush home after your day at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and spend some extra time wondering the decorated streets of Chelsea and marvelling at the magical floral installations.