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We can help you book your perfect break to Tresco. We all live here, so it's our specialist subject!

Call us on +44 (0)1720 422 849 or email us.

By Helicopter - Direct to Tresco

By Helicopter - Direct to Tresco

Fly direct to Tresco with Penzance Helicopters - making the flight to the Isles of Scilly as memorable as the destination

Before you Arrive

Before you Arrive

Our pre-arrival checklist - from letting us know your travel plans to ordering your wine and groceries

Tresco Islandshare

Tresco Islandshare

Own a piece of this unique island, with 40 years of holidays on Tresco as more than just a visitor. Discover Islandshares for sale...

Tresco Offers & Breaks

Tresco Offers & Breaks

From seasonal escapes to wellness and creative breaks and last-minute offers, discover our latest offers & breaks on Tresco Island

Eating

Eating

From beachfront dining to our cosy inn, get a taste for island-inspired dining with a Tresco twist

Grocery

Grocery

Place a pre-arrival grocery order and we'll deliver to your accommodation on your arrival

Events & Experiences

Events & Experiences

From the Low Tide Event to live music, Abbey Garden Theatre and more, discover extraordinary events on the Isles of Scilly

Day Trips to Tresco

Day Trips to Tresco

Whether you're coming from elsewhere on Scilly, or further afield in Devon or Cornwall, a day trip to Tresco is the perfect day out

Tresco Abbey Garden

A glorious exception, a perennial Kew without the glass, Tresco Abbey Garden is home to plants from every Mediterranean climate zone, flourishing just 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall.

Augustus Smith established Tresco Abbey Garden in the 19th century around the ruins of a Benedictine Abbey. Today, the garden is a sanctuary for some 2,000 specimens from across the southern hemisphere and subtropics, from Brazil to New Zealand; Myanmar to South Africa.

The garden is spectacular both for its incongruous presence on a tiny island cast out in the Atlantic and its incredible array of exotic plants from across the globe flourishing in an English garden.

A host of succulents, towering palms, and giant, lipstick-red flame trees fringe the lush grid of paths that criss-cross the gardens. Meander a myriad of winding paths through flowers of the King Protea and the handsome Lobster Claw, great blue spires of Echium, brilliant Furcraea, Strelitzia and shocking-pink drifts of Pelargonium.

The face of the garden changes throughout the year. Flowers bloom weeks ahead of the mainland in spring – the perfect tonic after a long, cold winter. In autumn, the seasonal foliage's reds, golds and ambers contrast with the magnificent proteas, aloes and camellias. Even at the winter solstice, there are usually around 300 species of plants in glorious bloom.

The treasures found within the Abbey Garden are not limited to the floral kind, either. Watch for red squirrels and golden pheasants meandering by, marvel at magnificent sculptures in shady glades, and browse haunting echoes of island shipwrecks in the enchanting Valhalla Figurehead Museum.

Plan Your Visit

There's no need to book, and it's easy to get here from across the islands and even from the mainland.

Opening Hours

1st March - 1st November 2024
Garden, Café & Shop open daily 10am - 4pm (last entry 3:15pm)

Entry Prices (on the gate)

Staying on TrescoAdultsUnder 16sUnder 5sConcessionsWeekly ticketFamily ticket
Included£18£5Free£17£25£40

Visit Information

From other islandsFrom the mainlandAccessibility
There are daily boats from Bryher and St Mary's, with regular trips from St Agnes and St Martin's. Please see your island boat boards for times. Please be aware that Tresco has no public transport.Penzance Helicopters fly direct to Tresco, landing next to the garden. Alternatively, the helicopter, Skybus flights and Scillonian ferry arrive on neighbouring St Mary's, with a short boat transfer to Tresco.A wheelchair-accessible shingle path winds through the majority of the garden. A few mobility scooters are available in the garden on a first-come, first-served basis. Tresco has no public transport.
Tresco Island Abbey Gardens History 960x540 4

History of the Abbey Garden

In 1834, Augustus Smith left Hertfordshire and took up residence on the Isles of Scilly as Lord Proprietor and leaseholder of all the islands. He chose to live on Tresco and selected a site adjacent to St Nicholas Priory - which had fallen into disrepair in the sixteenth century - to build his home...

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Scholarships & Bursaries

The Abbey Garden is an incredible place for horticultural students to gain invaluable experience. Garden curator Mike Nelhams is involved with various scholarships and bursaries which can help students gain placement in this prestigious botanical site.

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Stay on Tresco

Winter and Festive breaks are not always available to book online - for cottage stays or New Inn breaks over the winter months please go to Winter on Tresco or call 01720 422849.

Or call +44 (0)1720 422 849