The World’s 100 Best Botanical Gardens

A large botanical garden in central Algiers with plant species from around the world, ponds and shaded paths. It has long tree avenues, giant old trees and a tree linked to the Tarzan films, and the shade keeps it cool.

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Themed display gardens laid out in a former limestone quarry near Victoria on Vancouver Island. The Sunken Garden sits at the quarry floor with the Ross Fountain, and blooms shift by season from spring tulips to summer roses and autumn dahlias.

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A large botanical garden on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, planted with indigenous South African flora. There are lawns for picnics, a treetop walkway and hiking routes up the mountain, and visitors often see birds, including owls.

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A rainforest garden in Onomea Valley near Hilo with thousands of tropical plant species along paved paths and boardwalks. A steep trail descends through the valley past waterfalls to ocean views at Onomea Bay.

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A large National Trust garden on a hillside above the Conwy Valley, with formal terraces, woodland, meadows and a steep valley of streams and waterfalls. The Laburnum Arch flowers in late spring, and the house remains private.

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A large botanical garden on the edge of Kandy, over 200 years old, with palm avenues, an orchid house and very old trees. Colonies of fruit bats hang in the trees near the river, and monkeys roam the grounds.

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A large tropical garden near Pattaya with themed sections, plant collections and daily Thai cultural and elephant shows. Hundreds of life-sized dinosaur models and animal sculptures fill the grounds alongside orchid, cactus and palm gardens and a vintage car exhibition.

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A large botanical garden on hilly terrain in Gothenburg, bordering a nature reserve with forest trails. It has a rock garden with a waterfall, a Japanese dell, a rhododendron valley and a viewpoint over the city.

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Large botanical garden with a conservatory, outdoor gardens, meadow and the du Pont house. Fountain shows with lights, music and fire at night draw crowds, as do seasonal displays, especially the Christmas lights.

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A large tropical garden in central Singapore with lakes, rainforest trails, themed sections and wide lawns, free to enter. A ticketed National Orchid Garden holds thousands of orchid varieties, and monitor lizards, turtles, squirrels and swans roam the grounds.

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A large botanical garden in Montreal with themed outdoor gardens, an arboretum and a network of greenhouses holding arid, temperate and tropical plants. The Chinese Garden draws the most attention, and in autumn it hosts the evening Gardens of Light show.

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A strolling garden in Kanazawa built by the Maeda clan, counted among Japan's Three Great Gardens. Ponds, moss, stone lanterns and shaped pines change with the seasons, and in winter rope yukitsuri cones protect the trees from snow.

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An outdoor flower park in the desert with millions of flowers arranged into sculptures, arches and themed installations. Displays are rebuilt each season, and the garden opens only in the cooler months.

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A large botanical garden in St. Louis with indoor and outdoor gardens, a tram tour and seasonal light events. The Climatron's tropical rainforest dome with waterfalls stands beside Japanese and Chinese gardens, a children's garden and historic buildings.

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A 38-hectare botanic garden beside Melbourne's city centre, with lakes, lawns, fern gullies and over 8,500 plant species. Visitors come for picnics, punt boat rides on the lake, a mini bus tour and the night-time Lightscape light show.

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A hillside tropical garden at Monte above Funchal, with exotic plants, koi ponds, waterfalls and Asian-style areas with pagodas and red bridges. Museums of minerals and art, ceramic artworks, flamingos and views over Funchal and the ocean sit along steep paths.

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A small tropical garden of about two acres planted in a collapsed cave sinkhole in the Barbados countryside, created by horticulturist Anthony Hunte. Winding stepped paths descend past dense foliage, sculptures, large pots and secluded seating areas, with music playing throughout.

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A collection of themed walled gardens on the banks of the Waikato River, set within larger free parkland. Each enclosed garden recreates a garden style from a different culture or era, from Japanese and Chinese to Italian Renaissance, Indian and Surrealist.

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A 12-hectare botanical garden on a hillside amphitheater outside Merano, laid out in themed areas around a castle that houses the Touriseum tourism museum. Paths climb to viewpoints over Merano and the mountains, passing a walk-in aviary, a pond and Empress Sissi's rooms.

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A 32-acre garden built from flat arable land over 50 years, divided into themed garden rooms with formal borders, exotic planting and wild meadow. Gaps cut in hedges frame views of Happisburgh lighthouse and a church tower.

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Large botanical garden in west London with historic glasshouses, woodland, lakes and plants from around the world. Visitors pair the Palm House, Temperate House and Princess of Wales Conservatory with the Treetop Walkway, Great Pagoda and Kew Palace.

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A botanical garden in Geneva by the lake, with themed outdoor gardens, an arboretum and several exhibition greenhouses holding tropical and desert plants. Free entry also covers the greenhouses and a small animal park with flamingos, deer and goats.

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Botanical garden in the centre of Furnas with thermal bathing pools, palms, ferns, grottos, lakes and trails. A large orange iron-rich thermal pool of around 40°C sits near the entrance, alongside two smaller, hotter jacuzzis.

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A botanical garden next to Nymphenburg Palace Park, with large themed greenhouses and wide outdoor grounds reached by tram. From mid-December to March a tropical butterfly exhibition fills one greenhouse and requires timed tickets.

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Botanical gardens of about 120–130 acres on a former railroad tycoon's estate in San Marino, with a library and art galleries. Sixteen themed gardens range from a large cactus and succulent collection to Chinese and Japanese gardens with lakes and bridges.

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A large botanical garden in Berlin-Dahlem with historic glasshouses and outdoor grounds arranged by world vegetation zones. In winter the grounds host a ticketed Christmas Garden light trail, and the greenhouses offer warmth on cold or rainy days.

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An Edo-period daimyo strolling garden from 1700, counted among Japan's three great gardens, with lawns, ponds, streams and artificial hills. Its open layout frames views of Okayama Castle across the river, and it also holds tea fields, rice paddies and red-crowned cranes.

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A large historic botanical garden in Rio de Janeiro with tropical trees, lakes, and themed collections, part of a World Heritage landscape. Monkeys and birds roam the grounds, and Christ the Redeemer stands above the imperial palm avenues.

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A botanical garden of glasshouses built in a former quarry at the top of Eduardo VII Park in central Lisbon. A large cold greenhouse with stone paths, caves, ponds and fish connects to smaller tropical and dry houses on upper levels.

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Botanic garden in central Denver with themed outdoor sections from different world climates, plus indoor exhibits and an art gallery. A tropical conservatory, Japanese garden and rooftop children's garden keep it open to visits through winter.

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A large botanical garden in Edinburgh with free entry, woodland paths, ponds and plants from around the world. Distinct areas such as the Rock Garden and Chinese Hillside sit alongside glasshouses that reopened after years of renovation.

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A strolling garden built in 1620 for the lords of Hiroshima, set around a central carp pond with bridges, hills, tea houses and a bamboo grove. Its landscapes are condensed into a compact space, and a ginkgo tree and memorial recall the 1945 atomic bombing.

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A daimyo strolling garden in Takamatsu, built over a century by the lords of the Takamatsu Domain and covering about 75 hectares. Six ponds and thirteen artificial hills are set against Mount Shiun as borrowed scenery, with around 1,400 sculpted pine trees.

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Tropical botanical garden of linked greenhouses beside Churaumi Aquarium in Ocean Expo Park, centred on large orchid displays. A butterfly house, arowana and arapaima ponds, and an observation tower with lift add to the plants, and crowds stay thin.

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Botanical garden near Boothbay covering over 300 acres of cultivated gardens, woodland trails and harbor views. Five large wooden trolls by Thomas Dambo stand along the forest paths, alongside a children's garden and a butterfly house.

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A university botanical garden founded in 1811 in central Wrocław, with ponds, labelled plants and many benches. Alongside the outdoor beds it has several greenhouses, a new cactus house, aquariums with tropical fish and a barefoot zone.

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A historic estate garden near Dublin, set around a Palladian house with themed sections spread over terraced grounds. Italianate terraces drop to a fountain lake, with the Wicklow Mountains behind and Japanese, walled and rose gardens beyond.

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A terraced hillside garden in Forio with plants from around the world, created on lava soil by William and Susana Walton. Shady paths pass ponds of water lilies and lotus, streams and fountains, and climb to viewpoints over Forio and the sea, with concerts held in the theatre.

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A terraced botanical park on a valley hillside replanted after a 2003 wildfire destroyed an olive grove, with fruit trees, herbs and plants from around the world. A 2.5 km loop descends to a lake and small farm with peacocks, donkeys and deer.

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A large botanical garden on the edge of Gijón, laid out by climate zones with Atlantic forest, streams, ponds and centuries-old trees. A laurel maze, where answers to questions choose the path, and a real beehive draw families.

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A large city botanical garden beside Piedmont Park with outdoor gardens, a conservatory and orchid rooms. Rotating art exhibitions, such as Alice in Wonderland and Niki de Saint Phalle, join living sculptures like the Earth Goddess.

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Terraced botanical garden at Capo Mortola that descends from the coast road to the sea, with exotic and Mediterranean plants from many climate zones. Sea views from the upper paths, a seaside café at the bottom, and ongoing restoration with scaffolding and closed areas.

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Flower theme park in Ashikaga built around a Great Wisteria over 150 years old, with trellises, tunnels and seasonal beds of azaleas, roses, irises and hydrangeas. Winter illuminations light the grounds from mid-October, and evening light-ups also run during wisteria season.

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A large waterfront garden beside Marina Bay with free outdoor grounds and two paid, air-conditioned glass domes. Steel Supertrees light up for a nightly music show, and the Cloud Forest dome holds a tall indoor waterfall.

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Sloping tropical botanical garden on a former Coluche estate in Deshaies, planted with Caribbean and Asian species along a marked path. Waterfalls, koi ponds, sea views, a walk-in lorikeet enclosure, macaws, flamingos and goats share the grounds.

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A Japanese-style garden on a forested hillside in Washington Park, above the rose test garden. Koi ponds, waterfalls, bonsai and a hilltop cafe with downtown views sit at the top of a steep entrance climb.

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A 55-acre botanical garden in central Vancouver with plants from around the world, ponds, a lake and themed sections. Seasonal events include a spring cherry blossom festival, autumn Harvest Days and a winter light festival.

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Eight-hectare garden laid out by the Caetani family on the ruins of the medieval town of Ninfa, crossed by the Ninfa River and clear streams. Visits run only as timed guided group tours, with a history route and a botany route.

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A large national garden in central Shinjuku with wide lawns, old trees and a greenhouse of tropical plants. It combines Japanese traditional, English landscape and French formal gardens, with city skyscrapers visible beyond the cherry trees.

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A hillside botanic garden in Mae Rim with themed glasshouses, forest trails and a museum, linked by a steep road through the grounds. An elevated canopy walk runs above the valley forest, where birds can be seen and flying lizards sought.

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Free public botanic garden in Dublin with Victorian glasshouses, themed outdoor sections, lawns and water features. Tame squirrels feed from visitors' hands, and herons, ducks and foxes also roam the grounds.

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Hillside arboretum near Niemcza with thousands of plant species and varieties, gravel paths, gazebos and picnic lawns. Large collections of rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas and daylilies bloom across the hills, with views toward the Ślęża massif and Owl Mountains.

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A large, free botanic garden in central Christchurch, beside the Avon River and a short walk from the city centre. Big old trees, including giant redwoods, stand alongside themed areas such as a rose garden, a New Zealand native section and a glasshouse of tropical plants.

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A landscaped floral park below Apremont Castle on the banks of the Allier River, with labelled trees, shrubs and flowers. Garden follies, waterfalls and ponds sit among lawns open to barefoot walking, and the ticket includes the castle stables and terrace.

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A free botanic garden near the university in Tromsø, described as the northernmost in the world, with arctic and alpine plants from Norway and mountain regions worldwide. Stone paths, rock gardens and ponds run through regional zones on hillslopes with views of mountains and sea.

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Hillside botanical garden outside Batumi with labelled trees and plants arranged in zones by world region, including East Asia, the Mediterranean and North America. Paths climb to viewpoints over the Black Sea, and a zipline runs across part of the grounds.

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A large botanic garden in the northern Chicago suburbs, laid out on a chain of islands linked by lakes, bridges and paths. A narrated tram circles the grounds, and seasonal events include a jack-o'-lantern night and summer concerts.

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A 30-hectare botanic garden founded in 1816 on Sydney Harbour, beside the Opera House. A harbourside path leads to Mrs Macquarie's Point, with views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, past themed gardens, large old trees and native birds.

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Botanical garden in Liberec with indoor pavilions themed by continent and climate, from tropical jungle to cactus desert, plus outdoor beds. The greenhouses also hold aquariums with fish, a stingray and a caiman, and a giant water lily pavilion.

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A prefectural botanical garden covering a mountainside on Mt. Godai in Kochi, built to commemorate botanist Dr. Tomitaro Makino. Name tags mark every plant, and buildings by architect Hiroshi Naito house a memorial museum, exhibition hall and tropical greenhouse.

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Privately owned garden of about 220 acres in the hills near Ball Ground, laid out as separate sections around a manor house on a slope. Displays change by season, from daffodil-covered hillsides and tulips in spring to Japanese maples in fall.

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A large hilltop park and botanic garden near central Perth, with native Western Australian plants, bushland trails, war memorials and playgrounds. Lookouts give views over the Swan River and city skyline, and spring brings wildflowers such as kangaroo paw.

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A large tropical botanic garden in Coral Gables with palms, orchids, lakes and themed sections across its grounds. A free guided tram tour, a misted rainforest and the Wings of the Tropics butterfly conservatory draw the most comment.

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Hillside botanical garden above Blanes with labelled plants from Mediterranean, tropical and desert regions arranged in themed sections. Its clifftop viewpoints over the rocky coast and coves draw crowds of photographers, especially at the staircase to the columned temple.

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Terraced tulip garden at the foothills of the Zabarwan Range in Srinagar, overlooking Dal Lake. Rows of multicoloured tulips, some twin-coloured, cover the slopes during a brief spring opening.

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A public botanical garden in Kitayama, founded in the Taisho era and over 100 years old, with seasonal groves, a rose garden and lawns. Its large strolling greenhouse holds rare tropical plants, carnivorous plants and night bloomers along a signed course.

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A Victorian glasshouse conservatory near Schenley Park in Pittsburgh, with about 14 themed rooms of tropical plants, orchids, ferns and edible plants. Seasonal flower shows, such as the Alice in Wonderland summer show and a winter holiday light display, change the rooms throughout the year.

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A botanical garden on a hillside above Lake Maggiore in Verbania, laid out along a signposted numbered route through exotic plants and centuries-old trees. It has a dahlia maze, lotus and water lily ponds, and views of the lake and the mountains.

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A 19th-century historic botanical garden on Málaga's northern edge, with plants from around the world arranged in themed sections. Shaded paths, water features and old trees lead to a viewpoint over the city, though motorway noise carries in places.

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Free botanical gardens on a hillside at the edge of Hobart, with views over the River Derwent and the Tasman Bridge. Themed sections range from a Japanese garden to a cold sub-Antarctic plant house, with clearly labelled plants throughout.

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A large botanical garden and sculpture park in Grand Rapids with themed outdoor gardens, wetland boardwalks and indoor conservatories. Works by Rodin, Moore and Miró stand among the plantings, alongside rotating exhibitions such as Chihuly glass and a spring butterfly show.

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A large landscaped garden park of about 60 hectares near Valeggio sul Mincio, with lawns, centuries-old trees, ponds and a farm. Spring brings tulip displays, and visitors tour the grounds on foot or by golf cart, e-bike or mini train.

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Lakeside park in Bellagio laid out around an early nineteenth-century neoclassical villa, with exotic plants, centuries-old trees, sculptures and a chapel. The grounds run long and narrow along the shore of Lake Como, with shaded paths, benches and views across the water.

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A free botanical garden in a valley below the Koʻolau Mountains, with a road running through plant collections grouped by world region. Parking areas along the drive give mountain views, and a short walk leads to a lake with koi and ducks.

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A university botanical garden in central Padua, founded in 1545 to grow medicinal plants and listed by UNESCO since 1997. A circular Renaissance garden with centuries-old trees sits beside a modern Biodiversity Garden greenhouse arranged by climate zones and continents.

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A 25-hectare botanical park around a château near Fougères, laid out as a series of numbered themed gardens with ponds, bridges and woodland paths. Japanese-inspired sections with maples for autumn colour stand alongside rose gardens, camellias, magnolias and a bamboo forest.

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University botanical garden in Leiden's city centre, founded in 1590, with outdoor themed gardens along a canal and multi-level tropical greenhouses. Poison dart frogs live among the tropical plants, and an observatory at the far end hosts a plants-and-planets exhibition.

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Subtropical valley garden in Cornwall descending through steep paths to a private beach on the Helford River. Gunnera, tree ferns and hydrangeas line the route, and the cove holds a D-Day memorial and an ice cream kiosk.

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A university botanical garden near central Kraków, established in 1783, with outdoor collections, several glasshouses and a palm house. Plants carry labels with scientific names, and old trees, a lily pond and resident squirrels share the grounds with a central café.

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A botanical garden in central Frankfurt with themed greenhouses covering rainforest, tropical and desert zones, set in a park with lawns and flower gardens. It also has a palm house, a butterfly house, and a lake with rowing boats and a walk-through waterfall tunnel.

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A large hillside botanical garden in Troja with themed outdoor sections, glasshouses and seasonal exhibitions. It includes the Fata Morgana tropical greenhouse with butterflies, a Japanese garden with bonsai, and the St. Clare vineyard with wine and views over Prague.

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A 170-acre botanical garden in Naples with themed sections of tropical and subtropical plants, lily ponds and trails around lakes. It has an orchid garden, Victoria water lilies and guided tours, and visitors see alligators and birds.

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A 66-acre botanical garden beside White Rock Lake with themed garden areas, fountains, sculptures and a children's garden. Seasonal festivals bring pumpkin displays in fall, spring blooms and Christmas installations, and visitors can tour the historic DeGolyer House.

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Landscaped tropical garden in the hills above Fort-de-France, with palms, tree ferns, heliconias, flowers and views toward the mountains and bay. Suspension bridges cross the tree canopy, and hummingbirds feed at the Creole house terrace by the entrance.

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A 296-hectare living tree museum in Sarıyer, set beside Belgrad Forest and founded in 1949 for research and conservation. Over 2,000 tree and shrub species from around the world are planted in numbered plots, with ponds, turtles, swans and autumn leaf colour.

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A private park in the Campos do Jordão hills with 26 themed gardens inspired by different countries, linked by a signposted walking route. Mazes, a treehouse and a viewpoint over the Mantiqueira range sit along the trail, and a small train returns visitors to the entrance.

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A large Royal Horticultural Society garden in Surrey with dozens of themed areas, a glasshouse, allotments and a garden centre. The site combines display planting with trial beds, an orchard, a lavender hill and edible crop gardens.

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A small cactus and succulent garden at the top of Èze village, on the site where a castle once stood. Its panoramic views over the Mediterranean coast draw as many visitors as its exotic plants, sculptures and waterfall.

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A walled palm garden in Elche with palms from many regions, cacti, ponds and peacocks roaming the paths. Its centrepiece is the Imperial Palm, a date palm with seven or eight branches growing from one trunk.

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A small walled botanical garden in Puerto de la Cruz with tropical and subtropical plants from many countries. Large old trees, including giant ficus specimens, shade the paths, and a lily pond with koi and dragonflies sits at the top end.

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A hillside arboretum above Lake Balaton near Badacsony, planted with trees and flowers from around the world. A lookout tower and terrace restaurant face the lake, with play areas along the paths and a shop selling syrups made from plants grown on site.

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A Japanese garden beside Himeji Castle, opened in 1992 on the excavated site of former samurai residences. It is divided into nine walled gardens in Edo-period styles, with koi ponds, waterfalls, a tea room and views of the castle.

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A large botanic garden in Fort Worth made up of many themed gardens linked by walking paths and boardwalks. A big Japanese Garden with koi ponds, bridges and waterfalls draws most visitors, alongside rose gardens and seasonal exhibits such as LEGO sculptures.

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Desert botanical garden in Phoenix with trails through cacti, succulents and other native desert plants set against a mountain backdrop. Paths are lit after dark for evening visits, and quail, rabbits, lizards and hummingbirds live on the grounds.

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Castle grounds in Arcen with a 17th-century castle and many themed gardens in French, English, Mediterranean and Asian styles, linked by water features and streams. A mini-golf course is included in the entry fee, and evening light events run in autumn.

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A large Japanese garden in Maulévrier, with a central pond crossed by red bridges, a pagoda, sculpted trees and many Japanese tree species. Summer night visits add lanterns, coloured lighting and recorded Japanese tales in French, and spring brings cherry blossom and hanami events.

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A privately run water garden in the Dordogne, set out as a marked circuit past ponds, streams, waterfalls and bamboo, with many water lilies and lotuses. Visitors walk boardwalks over the main lake and a water maze, spot frogs, and feed koi at the end.

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A large public park and botanical garden in central Kuala Lumpur, built around a lake with fountains, walking paths and themed plant gardens. Entry is free, and it holds a deer park, several big playgrounds, and a 2.5 km lake loop used by runners.

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Large botanical garden in the Bronx with a glass conservatory, outdoor gardens, trails and wetlands across its grounds. Seasonal shows such as Flower Power and the orchid show fill the site, and a tram with audio commentary links distant areas.

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A large botanical garden in central Bogor with old trees, plant collections and Dutch colonial-era monuments, reachable on foot or by angkot from the train station. Bicycles, electric scooters and shuttles carry visitors around the grounds, and many families come to picnic.

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