Ava GabouryCanada has over 30 botanical gardens, with several located in Vancouver. Whenever you need to get out of the concrete jungle and head into nature’s embrace, then these spots are just what you’ll need to recharge and recuperate.
We’ve curated the most beautiful and photogenic botanical gardens to help you unwind and get a bit of R&R. And who knows, you might make these green gardens a regular experience!
Queen Elizabeth Park and the Bloedel Conservatory
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Website: https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/bloedel-conservatory.aspx
Address: 4600 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC V5Y 2M4, Canada
Contact details: 604-257-8584
Operating hours:
- Open daily from 10 AM – 4 PM
In the heart of Vancouver lies Queen Elizabeth Park. Being 125 meters above sea level, it has breathtaking views of the city.
On top of that, it’s home to diverse plants and floral displays year-round, along with recreational areas, statues, and the renowned Bloedel Conservatory.
Built in 1969, the Bloedel Conservatory houses an exotic plant collection and serves as a bird sanctuary. Its domed structure shelters different climate zones and hundreds of rare plants from around the globe.
The Bloedel Conservatory showcases over 500 plant species and hosts a variety of birds, including parrots, macaws, finches, and pheasants.
And while you’re there, check out the Rose Garden. It’s pretty much hidden, but if you ask around, someone will lead you to it, where you can enjoy the various varieties of charming roses.
| Pro Tip: While park entry is free, admission fees apply for the conservatory. Paid parking is available onsite. |
VanDusen Botanical Garden
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Website: https://vandusengarden.org/
Address: 5251 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6M 4H1, Canada
Contact details: 604-257-8463
Operating hours:
- Open daily from 10 AM – 2 PM
At VanDusen Botanical Garden, you’ll find a sprawling oasis brimming with ponds, waterfalls, sculptures, and intimate garden nooks.
It’s over 55 acres, with cheerful spring flowers and cherry blossoms to vivid summer blooms and stunning fall colors. Even in winter, the muted palette dotted with winter berries makes the perfect backdrop to your family events.
With the water features and rolling landscapes, you’ll be guided to themed garden ecosystems showcasing flora from around the world. You have to try the Elizabethan hedge maze and see how fast you get through it!
Plus, the sleek LEED-platinum visitor center and the living roof that’s designed to resemble an orchid are perfect subjects for your snaps.
The spectacular rhododendrons flowering in April and May are top visitor attractions. So are the festive holiday displays during the winter months, when the garden is illuminated with a million twinkle lights.
| Pro Tip: We suggest taking the day to explore the garden’s wonders, then browse the well-curated gift shop, and finally dine in the gourmet café. |
UBC Botanical Garden
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Website: https://botanicalgarden2015.sites.olt.ubc.ca/
Location: 6804 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Contact details: 604-822-4208
Operating hours:
- Closed on Monday
- Tuesday to Sunday: 10 AM – 2 PM
UBC Botanical Garden is your wellspring to a wealth of knowledge focused on education and research on plant adaptation, phytochemistry, and genomics.
It’s in a coastal location and it has a rainforest garden alongside an Asian garden, a Carolinian forest garden, an alpine garden, and a food garden.
You can even join their workshops and events, such as the fall apple festival and poetry in the garden, to get additional bits of botanical gold.
| Pro Tip: At The Shop in the Garden, you’ll find a diverse selection of gardening and botanical books, handy garden tools and accessories, distinctive gifts, and dried flower arrangements for you to take home as souvenirs. |
UBC Botanic Garden Tree Walk
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Website: https://botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/visit/greenheart-treewalk/
Location: 6804 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Contact details: 604-822-4208
Operating hours:
- Closed on Monday
- Tuesday to Sunday: 10 AM – 2 PM
Up for an adventure above the ground? Exploring the Greenheart TreeWalk gives you a chance to walk along suspended walkways between trees, some reaching heights of up to 75 feet off the ground.
Please note there’s an entrance fee and an additional charge for the Greenheart TreeWalk, along with parking fees on campus. However, the campus is conveniently accessible via public transit.
| Pro Tip: While much of the garden is wheelchair or motorized-cart-accessible, some pathways may have irregular grading and be covered with wood chips or loose gravel. |
UBC Rose Garden
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Website: https://visit.ubc.ca/see-and-do/gardens-and-nature/ubc-rose-garden/
Location: 6301 Crescent Rd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada
Contact details: 604-822-6000
Operating hours:
- Closed on Monday
- Tuesday to Sunday: 10 AM – 2 PM
We’re not done with UBC yet! At the northern edge of the University of British Columbia campus, the UBC Rose Garden provides dramatic panoramic ocean and mountain views alongside stunning rose bloom displays.
Pathways guide you past beds of hybrid tea and floribunda roses arranged in geometric designs. Roses climb up bowers along the garden’s edges.
Sit on one of the benches to admire the display and views and maybe snap a few pics or a dozen!
| Pro Tip: Entrance is free, with peak blooming from June through September. |
Nitobe Memorial Garden
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Website: https://botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/visit/nitobe-memorial-garden/
Location: 1895 Lower Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Contact details: 604-822-6038
Operating hours:
- Closed on Monday
- Tuesday to Sunday: 10 AM – 2 PM
Here’s one more UBC spot to check out! Nitobe Garden is ranked consistently in the top 5 Japanese Gardens in North America.
This traditional tea and stroll garden within the University of British Columbia campus has a ceremonial teahouse and embodies the essence of Japanese serenity.
It’s affiliated with the UBC Botanical Garden, with a large native forest, offering a Shinto-style stroll garden revered as one of the most authentic in North America. Give your imagination a push, and you just might think you’re in a Ghibli film!
Imported Japanese plants, native trees, and manicured shrubs all create a peaceful oasis. If you look closely, the garden’s counter-clockwise design symbolizes the journey of life, while stone lanterns illuminate paths and signify choices.
| Pro Tip: For full access to UBC’s gardens, get an annual membership. Enjoy benefits and support the community with options starting at $55. |
Park And Tilford Gardens
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Website: http://parkandtilfordfogs.ca/
Location: 333 Brooksbank Ave, North Vancouver, BC V7J 3S8, Canada
Contact details: 604-513-8880
Operating hours:
- Open daily from 9:30 AM – 5:15 PM
The Park and Tilford Gardens in North Vancouver is a small yet lively landscaping experience packed into a shopping mall.
Split into 8 themed gardens, it offers a rich variety of landscapes, including a display garden, white and yellow gardens, a magnolia garden, an oriental garden, a rose garden, a native garden, and an herb garden.
Whew! Talk about big things coming in small packages!
The Garden was the dream of George Kuhn, the CEO of Park & Tilford Distilleries, in a bid to improve the industrial site and provide an enjoyable lunch spot for employees.
He presented the Gardens in 1969 after making sure they remained free to the public indefinitely. Thank you, Mr. Kuhn!
| Pro Tip: You can enjoy beer, wine, and cocktails, which are all available as they hold a liquor license. |
Edwards Garden
Website: https://www.toronto.ca/data/parks/prd/facilities/complex/473/index.html
Address: 755 Lawrence Ave E, North York, ON M3C 1P2, Canada
Contact details: 416-392-8188
Operating hours:
- Opens daily from 10 AM – 8:30 PM
When it comes to enjoying the beauty of nature in Toronto, Edwards Gardens is a summer destination you won’t want to miss. With its stunning floral displays, serene ponds, and meandering pathways, it’s perfect for a leisurely stroll or a peaceful picnic.
For nature enthusiasts, Edwards Gardens is home to a wide variety of plant species, including rare and exotic specimens. Take your time to explore the different themed gardens and admire the meticulous landscaping.
Don’t forget to bring your camera along, as Edwards Gardens offers countless photo opportunities. Capture the beauty of the gardens, snap a shot of the picturesque water features, or try to spot some of the local wildlife that calls this place home.
| Pro Tip: Parking costs $2.50 per hour, payable by coin, credit card, or through the mobile app iParkMe. Paid parking is enforced 24/7, with no overnight parking allowed. |
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
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Website: https://vancouverchinesegarden.com/
Location: 578 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K2, Canada
Contact details: 604-662-3207
Operating hours:
- Closed from Monday to Tuesday
- Wednesday to Thursday: 9:30 AM – 4 PM
- Friday: 9 AM – 2 PM
- Saturday to Sunday: 9:30 AM – 4 PM
A hidden jewel in the heart of Vancouver’s famous Chinatown district, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is your serene escape. This small, intimate park invites reflection and escapes from the urban bustle.
With carefully arranged regional plants, winding paths, lily ponds, and ornate pavilions and pagodas, it reflects the architectural norms of Ming Dynasty-era Chinese tradition. Just don’t go singing “Reflection” here as it may get you some odd looks!
Modeled after the garden home of a Ming Dynasty scholar, this classical Chinese garden in Vancouver’s Chinatown features an asymmetrical arrangement of rocks and plants, echoing the rhythms of nature amidst the city’s hustle.
| Pro Tip: The best times to visit are when there are workshops and celebrations like Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. |
Stanley Park
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Website: https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx
Address: Vancouver, BC V6G 1Z4, Canada
Contact details: 604-681-6728
Operating hours:
- Open daily from 9 AM – 5 PM
In Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park, you’ll discover half a dozen gardens spread throughout the park’s length of the scenic Seawall path. One standout is the Stanley Park Rose Garden, with over 3,500 rose bushes, climbing roses, and clematis.
Now let’s go over the other gardens. The Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden features an extensive collection of hybrid rhododendron and azalea plants, which are particularly colorful during the first two weeks of May.
Then there’s the Rock Garden, created by master gardener John Montgomery in the early 20th century. It fell into neglect after World War II but was rediscovered and restored, and it’s now on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
For the bibliophiles, there’s the Shakespeare Garden. Unlike the others, it’s got trees mentioned in Shakespeare’s works, with plaques displaying appropriate quotes.
We bet you’ll leave the garden murmuring, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet.”
| Pro Tip: Hungry? You can enjoy walking around until you find a concession stand offering ice cream and other snacks. |
