Best Gardens in the World to Visit

The best gardens in the world are worth the journey. Whether it’s a two-hour hop to the Mediterranean or a long flight to Cape Town, a garden made over centuries gives you something a beach or city break can’t.

Here are 14 gardens in 10 countries. For each one you’ll find what makes it special, how to get there, what else to do nearby and the best months to go. Prices and opening times change often, so check the official site before you book.

Which gardens should every gardener visit at least once?

Start with Kew Gardens in London, Kirstenbosch in Cape Town and Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. They’re very different. Kew has grown plants for science since 1759. Kirstenbosch shows off South Africa’s wild plants under Table Mountain. Gardens by the Bay uses huge glass domes to grow plants from every kind of climate.

Love Japanese garden design? Add Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto. If Mediterranean planting is more your thing, the Alhambra in Granada and Park Güell in Barcelona do it on a scale you’ll never manage at home.

Big glasshouses are a treat in any weather. Leave time to look up, as some of the best plants are high in the canopy.

Best gardens to visit in the UK

The UK has some of the world’s best gardens right on the doorstep. Summer borders are at their peak from late June to August.

Kew Gardens, London

Kew was founded in 1759 and is now a World Heritage Site. It’s big, at around 326 acres, so give it a full day. The Victorian Palm House, Temperate House and Princess of Wales Conservatory are packed with tropical, temperate and desert plants. The Treetop Walkway takes you 18 metres up into the canopy.

There are seasonal shows all year, plus Christmas at Kew, an evening light trail on selected dates from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The rock garden, Japanese gateway and rhododendron dell are lovely quieter corners.

Getting there: Kew Gardens station (District line and London Overground) is a 5-minute walk from Victoria Gate. From Heathrow, take the Piccadilly line to Hammersmith, then the District line. Allow about 50 minutes.

Nearby: Pair Kew with the Chelsea Physic Garden and Hampton Court Palace Gardens. Windsor Castle is a short trip further west.

Entry: Check the Kew Gardens website for current prices and times.

Best months: April to June for spring colour. Mid-November to early January for the light trail.

Eden Project, Cornwall

The Eden Project sits in an old china clay pit near St Austell. Two giant domes hold a steamy indoor rainforest and a warm Mediterranean garden, with outdoor gardens all around.

Getting there: Newquay is the closest airport, or try Exeter. By train, go to St Austell, then take a short bus or taxi. There are direct trains from London Paddington.

Nearby: Cornwall’s beaches at Polzeath, Padstow and the Roseland Peninsula. The Lost Gardens of Heligan are a short drive away, so do both on one trip. Tate St Ives and the coast path are lovely too.

Entry: Check the official website for current prices and times.

Best months: Any time, as the domes are heated. The outdoor gardens are best in summer.

Which UK gardens are World Heritage Sites?

Three UK World Heritage Sites are famous mainly for their gardens or parkland: Kew Gardens, Blenheim Palace and Studley Royal Park.

Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire has sweeping parkland and a great lake, laid out by Lancelot “Capability” Brown in the 1760s. Studley Royal Park, near Ripon in North Yorkshire, is an 18th-century water garden of canals, ponds and little classical temples. Walk on down the valley and you reach the ruins of Fountains Abbey.

Fancy more UK days out? Our guide to the best open gardens to visit in the UK has plenty closer to home.

Best gardens to visit in France

Palace of Versailles Gardens, near Paris

Versailles is the grandest formal garden of them all. André Le Nôtre designed it in the 1660s for Louis XIV, with neat parterres (patterned beds edged in low hedges), fountains, canals and woodland groves. Gardens across Europe copied it. In winter, the Orangery shelters citrus trees in big wooden tubs.

The formal gardens at Versailles, all clipped hedges, fountains and long views.

On set days in the warmer months, the Musical Fountains Shows bring the fountains to life with baroque music. The Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon have quieter gardens away from the crowds.

Getting there: Fly into Paris Charles de Gaulle or Orly. Take the RER C from central Paris to Versailles Rive Gauche, about 40 minutes. The palace is a 10-minute walk from the station.

Nearby: Paris, of course. Add the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuileries and Giverny. Staying in Versailles town is a calmer option than central Paris.

Entry: Check the official website for current prices and times.

Best months: May and June for roses and the formal beds. Spring to autumn for the fountain shows.

Claude Monet’s Garden, Giverny

This is the garden that inspired Impressionism. Monet made two gardens at his home. The Clos Normand is a flower garden bursting with colour. The Water Garden has the famous Japanese bridge, weeping willows and water lily ponds from his paintings. Both are planted in the spirit of his original schemes.

Getting there: From Paris Saint-Lazare, take the train to Vernon (45 minutes), then a shuttle bus to Giverny (15 minutes). Driving from Paris takes about 75 minutes.

Nearby: Combine it with Versailles and Paris. The Normandy coast and D-Day beaches are 90 minutes north. Medieval Rouen is about an hour away.

Entry: Check the official website for current prices and times.

Best months: May and June, when wisteria drips over the bridge and the water lilies open. The garden opens spring to autumn and closes in winter.

Best gardens to visit in Southern Europe

Villa d’Este, Tivoli, Italy

Villa d’Este, east of Rome, is a World Heritage Site and a showpiece of Italian Renaissance gardens. Cardinal Ippolito d’Este built it in the 16th century. Hundreds of fountains, jets, pools and cascades run mostly by gravity alone. The Fountain of the Organ once played music using water. Terraces step down the hillside past clipped hedges and tall cypresses, with big views.

Getting there: Fly into Rome Fiumicino. Take the regional train from Roma Tiburtina to Tivoli, about 50 minutes, then walk 15 minutes uphill. Or drive from Rome in about 45 minutes.

Nearby: Hadrian’s Villa, another World Heritage Site, is 5 kilometres away. The Amalfi Coast is about 2.5 hours south.

Entry: Check the official website for current prices and times.

Best months: April to June, and September to October. July and August are hot and busy.

Park Güell, Barcelona, Spain

Antoni Gaudí designed Park Güell between 1900 and 1914. You’ll know the mosaic benches and the dragon fountain. Beyond Gaudí’s buildings, the park is full of Mediterranean planting: pines, cypresses, palms, carob trees, rosemary and lavender. From the top there are views across Barcelona to the sea.

Getting there: Fly into Barcelona El Prat. It’s about 30 minutes by taxi. By metro, take L3 to Lesseps or Vallcarca, then walk uphill.

Nearby: Barcelona’s buildings, beaches and food. Montserrat monastery is an hour away. The Costa Brava, Girona and the Dalí Museum in Figueres are easy trips north.

Entry: Book a timed ticket online in advance. Check the official website for prices.

Best months: March to May, and October to November. Summer is hot and crowded.

Alhambra Gardens, Granada, Spain

The Generalife gardens at the Alhambra are the finest Islamic gardens left in Europe. Water channels, fountains and still pools have kept these courtyards cool since the Middle Ages. The Court of the Water Channel is the star, lined with clipped hedges, citrus trees and roses. Myrtle, jasmine and oleander scent the air.

Getting there: Granada airport is 30 minutes away. Málaga is about 90 minutes by car or direct bus. From Madrid, the high-speed train takes around 4 hours.

Nearby: Give Granada itself two or three days. The Sierra Nevada mountains are 45 minutes away and the coast an hour south. Add Córdoba’s Mezquita for a bigger Andalusian trip.

Entry: Book through the official Alhambra website well ahead. Daily numbers are limited and tickets sell out, especially in spring and autumn.

Best months: March to May, and September to November. July and August are very hot.

Want a bit of this at home? Try our water feature ideas for UK gardens and cottage garden planting plan.

What is the oldest botanical garden in the world?

The Orto Botanico in Padua, Italy, founded in 1545, is recognised as the world’s first botanical garden. It’s a World Heritage Site.

It was made for the university to grow medicinal plants for study. It still has its original layout: a round central plot, standing for the world, inside a ring of water. Padua is a short train ride from Venice, so it’s an easy add-on to a city break. Closer to home, Oxford Botanic Garden, founded in 1621, is Britain’s oldest.

Best gardens to visit in Portugal

Madeira Botanical Garden, Funchal

The Madeira Botanical Garden sits on a hillside above Funchal, with terraced beds of plants from around the world. The island is mild all year, so something is always in flower. Aloes, succulents, hibiscus, bird of paradise and camellias bloom while gardens back home are resting. There are plants native to Madeira too.

Getting there: Fly into Funchal. Direct flights from most UK airports take around 3.5 hours. The garden is a short taxi or bus ride from the centre.

Nearby: Madeira is a holiday in itself. Walk the levadas (old water channels) through laurel forest, climb volcanic peaks and taste the local wine. Stay a week if you can.

Entry: Check the official website for current prices and times.

Best months: Winter and spring, when you’re craving colour. It’s pleasant all year.

Best gardens to visit in Africa

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town

Kirstenbosch sits on the slopes of Table Mountain and grows thousands of South Africa’s native plants. The Tree Canopy Walkway, nicknamed the Boomslang, curves through the treetops. The wider estate is part of a World Heritage Site.

Proteas in flower at Kirstenbosch, with Table Mountain behind.

Proteas, pincushions and Cape heaths put on a spectacular show from August to November. Summer evening concerts in the garden are a Cape Town tradition.

Getting there: Fly into Cape Town. There are direct flights from London. The garden is a short drive from the airport.

Nearby: Table Mountain, Camps Bay beach, the V&A Waterfront and the Winelands at Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Drive the Cape Peninsula to see the penguins at Boulders Beach. Allow at least a week.

Entry: Check the official website for current prices and times.

Best months: August to November for spring flowers and proteas. Midsummer for the concerts.

Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech, Morocco

French artist Jacques Majorelle spent decades on this small garden of cobalt blue buildings, desert plants and pools. Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé bought and restored it in 1980. Today it’s full of giant cacti, bougainvillea, bamboo and tall palms, with a museum of Berber culture inside. The colours alone make it unlike anywhere else.

Getting there: Fly into Marrakech. There are direct flights from several UK airports. The garden is a short taxi ride from the airport.

Nearby: The medina, souks, Bahia Palace and Saadian Tombs fill three or four days. Add a day in the Atlas Mountains or on the coast at Essaouira.

Entry: Check the official website for current prices and times.

Best months: February to April, and October to November. June to August is very hot. Go early to beat the crowds.

Best gardens to visit in Asia

Ryoanji Temple Rock Garden, Kyoto, Japan

This is the world’s most famous Zen garden. Fifteen rocks sit in five groups on raked white gravel inside a walled rectangle. However you stand on the viewing platform, at least one rock stays hidden. The temple dates from 1450 and is part of a World Heritage Site. Around it are a pond garden, moss garden and cherry trees.

A Zen rock garden. Simple, calm and surprisingly hard to stop looking at.

If Japanese garden design inspires you at home, seeing Ryoanji in person shows you how much a few rocks and empty space can do.

Getting there: Fly into Osaka Kansai and take the Haruka Express to Kyoto, then a city bus. Or fly into Tokyo and take the bullet train.

Nearby: The Golden Pavilion, Fushimi Inari shrine and Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. Nara and Osaka are easy day trips.

Entry: Check the official website for current prices and times.

Best months: Late March to early April for cherry blossom. November for autumn colour. Arrive at opening to avoid crowds.

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Singapore’s big garden sits beside Marina Bay. The Supertree Grove of giant tree-shaped vertical gardens puts on a light and sound show every evening, so check the times before you go. The Flower Dome is cool and dry like the Mediterranean. The Cloud Forest dome has a tall indoor waterfall and walkways through misty mountain plants.

Getting there: Fly into Changi. There are direct flights from London. Take a taxi or the MRT to Bayfront station.

Nearby: Singapore makes a great 3 to 5 day stop on the way to Asia or Australia. Visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens (a World Heritage Site), Chinatown, Little India and the hawker food centres.

Entry: Check the official website for current prices and times.

Best months: Any time. It’s hot all year, and the Flower Dome displays change through the seasons.

Best gardens to visit in the Americas

Butchart Gardens, Victoria, Canada

In the early 1900s, Jennie Butchart started turning her husband’s worked-out quarry into a garden. Her Sunken Garden is now one of the most photographed garden views in the world. There are Italian, Japanese, rose and Mediterranean gardens too. Displays change all year, from spring bulbs to winter lights.

Getting there: Fly into Victoria, a short drive away. Or fly into Vancouver and take the ferry to Vancouver Island. Float planes also fly from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour.

Nearby: Victoria’s harbour and the Royal BC Museum. On the island there’s whale watching, surf beaches at Tofino and old-growth forest walks.

Entry: Check the official website for current prices and times.

Best months: June to September for the big displays. December for the winter lights.

Best gardens to visit in Oceania

Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, Australia

Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden opened in 1816 and sits right on the harbour between the Opera House and Mrs Macquarie’s Point. Look out for the Wollemi pine, an ancient conifer only found in the wild in 1994. Palm groves, fern gullies and a succulent garden give shade on hot days. Those harbour views are hard to beat.

Getting there: Fly into Sydney and take the airport train into the city. From Circular Quay station, the main entrance is 5 minutes on foot.

Nearby: The Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley wineries and Bondi Beach. The garden, Opera House and Art Gallery of New South Wales make an easy walking loop.

Entry: Check the official website for current prices and times.

Best months: September to November for Australian spring colour, though it’s lovely all year.

The world’s best gardens at a glance

Formal water gardens look lovely in autumn, when the trees turn and the crowds thin out.

Tips for planning your garden holiday

Book the Alhambra early. Daily numbers are capped and tickets go weeks ahead in spring and autumn.

Pair up nearby gardens. Kew and Chelsea Physic Garden in London. Versailles and Giverny from Paris. Kirstenbosch and Babylonstoren in the Cape Winelands. Villa d’Este and Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli.

Check seasonal closures. Monet’s Garden shuts in winter, and most European gardens open shorter hours then. Singapore and Madeira are good all year.

Wear comfy shoes. Allow at least half a day for any garden here, and a full day for Kew, Versailles or Butchart.

Bring ideas home. Lots of these gardens grow plants that do well in the UK. Roses, lavender, wisteria and clematis all star in the European gardens above. Seeing them at their best is great for planning your own beds.

For more ideas closer to home, have a look at our small garden design ideas and how to start creating a wildlife garden.

Comfy shoes and plenty of time make a garden visit far more fun. Look out for plants that would do well back home.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best garden in the world to visit?

Kew Gardens in London is hard to beat. It’s a World Heritage Site with one of the biggest plant collections anywhere. Kirstenbosch in Cape Town and Gardens by the Bay in Singapore are just as special in their own ways.

Which country has the most beautiful gardens?

Italy is a strong contender. Villa d’Este, Giardino di Ninfa and the gardens of the Amalfi Coast go back centuries. France runs it close with Versailles, Monet’s Giverny and the Jardin du Luxembourg.

What is the best time of year to visit European gardens?

April to June gives you the most flowers. Spring bulbs peak in April, wisteria in May and roses in June. Mediterranean gardens like Park Güell and the Alhambra are best in spring or autumn, away from the summer heat.

Are world-famous gardens worth visiting in winter?

Yes, several look great in winter. Madeira’s botanical garden stays colourful thanks to its mild climate. Gardens by the Bay in Singapore is good all year. Christmas at Kew, an evening light trail, runs on selected dates from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.

How much does it cost to visit the world’s best gardens?

It varies a lot and changes each year. Check the official website before you travel. Many gardens are cheaper if you book online or go out of season. Kew and the Alhambra sell timed tickets that can sell out at busy times.

Can you combine a garden visit with a beach holiday?

Yes, several gardens are near the coast. Kirstenbosch is 20 minutes from Camps Bay beach. Madeira Botanical Garden looks out over the Atlantic. Butchart Gardens is on Vancouver Island, close to its beaches. The Alhambra is two hours from the Costa del Sol.