Sound the Octo-alert!
This Easter, join the Octonauts on a buzzing family mission!
Captain Barnacles and the crew need you! Based on the Octonauts: Above and Beyond episode, ‘Honeybees’, help guide the honeybees back home at Wakehurst.
Following the trail through our springtime gardens, find out what bees need to communicate and survive, and help them get back to their hive for mission complete.
See how we study bees at Wakehurst and why these small but mighty pollinators are so important.
Perfect for children and their families, this interactive trail invites young explorers to complete fun challenges, discover amazing facts, and learn how to protect our planet.
Once you’ve finished the trail and activities, enjoy Wakehurst’s springtime beauty. Colour-hunt spring blooms, picnic on the lawns and explore our natural play spaces for a fun day out together in nature.
How to book
You must book a trail time slot to enter the Octonauts: Above and Beyond trail.
One time slot allows entry to Octonauts for everyone in your booking. You may add extra activity leaflets and badges if you wish.
After you select your Wakehurst tickets, remember to add your Octonauts time slot to your basket:
- On the "Optional extras available" screen, select "Octonauts: Above and Beyond trail timeslot, activity guide and badge"
- Choose your Octonauts time slot and trail guide/badge quantity
- Select "Add" to add these to your basket
- Scroll down and select "Checkout"
- The trail begins on the outer path by the Oaks - head towards the Mansion and follow the signs to take you to the start point.
- The trail will go ahead come rain or shine! Check the forecast before you travel so that you can arrive prepared.
- For a quieter visit, why not come in the afternoon? The trail is open until we close with last entry at 4pm, so visit us after lunchtime for a fun-filled afternoon when our gardens are typically a little quieter.
- This event goes along our dog-friendly route and is largely dog-friendly, although dogs aren’t permitted to go through the Water Gardens. Please follow the signs and obey our canine code for a fun day out for the whole family, paws and all.
- Please note that there will not be costume characters as part of this trail – it’s an interactive, activity-based trail designed to get children learning and discovering with their family and friends.
- Tiered car parking charges apply to National Trust members. Parking is included for Wakehurst and Kew members, and adult day paying visitors.
- The garden has buggy-friendly and wheelchair-friendly paths around the landscape, with mobility scooters and wheelchairs available to hire at the Visitor Centre. The Octonauts: Above and Beyond trail follows hard-standing paths throughout, with a few sloped gradients, and plenty of benches along the route.
- We've created a Pre-visit Guide, which details what you might expect to see and hear whilst at Wakehurst, as well as where you can find quiet spaces and support if needed. There may be queues at the Visitor Centre and Mission Hut during peak times in the morning, so we recommend visiting after lunch for a quieter visit.
- Sensory elements along the trail include Octonauts sound effects at the Mission Hut, subtle buzzing sounds at the bee-spotting station, and a large walkie-talkie with an audio message from Captain Barnacles further down the trail. There may also be noise from other visitors, and horticulturists working with machinery in the gardens. Throughout the trail will be colourful interpretation and 3D carved sculptures of the Octonauts characters. The trail finale will be a hub where children can run around our labyrinth and collect their badge.
- Our Community Access Scheme (CAS) provides group membership for organisations that provide services directly to people who face physical, sensory, psychological, or social barriers to visiting Wakehurst independently. This includes free visits to the gardens, and CAS members will receive priority ticket access. You can find out more about our CAS here: https://www.kew.org/learning/wakehurst-community-access-scheme.
- Visitors can find our range of ticket options here: https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/buy-tickets, including our £1 ticket for those on Universal Credit or Pension Credit, asylum applicants with a valid ARC card, and visitors in receipt of other legacy benefits.
- We recognise that the trail might not be accessible for all visitors and we’re constantly looking at ways to improve this. To find out more about accessibility at Wakehurst, visit https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/visit-wakehurst/accessibility.