Kyoto Botanical Gardens

The Kyoto Botanical Gardens, one of the oldest in Japan, offers a serene escape into nature right in the heart of the city. Spread over a vast area, the gardens are beautifully maintained and provide a peaceful setting for a leisurely stroll or a day of exploration. The diversity of plant life here is remarkable, with seasonal flowers, trees, and plants that change throughout the year. Spring brings vibrant cherry blossoms, while fall transforms the garden into a palette of red, orange, and yellow. Even in winter, there’s beauty in the landscape’s quiet stillness. The layout is thoughtfully designed, with winding paths, tranquil ponds, and a variety of themed gardens that showcase Japan’s rich botanical heritage.

What a loving site! The basic entry fee is 200 yens and visiting the green house will cost additional 200 yens. It has a lot to see here, including native Japanese plants. I also like the Kyoto Botanical Garden has features similar to traditional Japanese garden with ponds, bridges, stream, etc. There are also lots of interesting Asian plants that aren't commonly seen in the US Botanical Garden. One will need more 4-5 hours to just look at the basic feature of the garden. There were also special fall flower exhibit which also very interesting and take the breath away from many visitors; I was not the only one running out of photo storage space here.

A large-scale garden filled with plants of the same species and beautiful flowers of various colors. In the nature greenhouse botanical garden, you can view unique species that have never been seen in the world. It is an eye-opener. Suitable for the whole family to spend leisure time.

Best day out! If you love exploring gardens, this is not to be missed! Only 200 yen for entry, and the current exhibition was 100 yen. So much to see and explore. I can only imagine how pretty this would be in different seasons. It was very quiet, not many tourists at all when we went around 3pm on a Monday. We rode hired bikes and there was plenty of allocated spots to park for free.

A beautiful place to spend a few hours, or even the whole day. It costs hardly anything to enter, and you get to see a huge range of beautiful flowers and plants. Each area is different so you don't get bored - you can see bamboo, the rose garden, the pond etc. There is a cute gift shop selling gelato (the rose and raspberry flavour was delicious) and a layered stamp dotted around the garden. I think this is a day out for any season.

Recommended experience: Light cycles by moment factory. Went to this experience at 6PM. Please note that your QR code is checked at the Garden entrance but the experience is farther in. Follow the path of lights until you find the Greenhouse area, this is where the queue for the experience begins. The experience can take 30+ minutes, dependent on if you stop to watch or are continuously walking. It can get crowded at times due to people stopping in the path but the staff do what they can to keep things moving. There was even a technical expert on hand to ensure the experience ran smoothly. Outside the experience was a few food/drink/dessert carts. Enough for curiosity or a quick bite. Note: The rest of the gardens are closed to visitors during after 5PM. The Gardens close everything except for what's needed for the experience.

The lake with maple trees is stunning with red leaves color. I bet the plum garden is lovely in spring too. It’s not the kind of immaculately groomed place, but rather the gardens were left to grow in their more natural state. All the staff we met were kind and helpful (we were confused at the ticket machine and were kindly helped 😁), and the garden offers a quiet, pleasant place to walk around and enjoy the seasons.

The Light Cycles event at Kyoto Botanical Gardens, while visually appealing, felt underwhelming given the ticket price. The installations, though beautiful, lacked the depth and variety one might expect from such an event. Many elements were difficult to appreciate fully in the nighttime setting, and I found myself wishing I could explore the gardens in daylight instead. The natural beauty of the flora seems to get lost in the artificial lighting. Overall, it’s a nice experience for a brief visit, but not worth the premium price, especially for those who might enjoy the gardens’ charm more during the day.

We found this place accidentally during one Spring morning in Kyoto while hunting for Cherry Blossoms and I fell in love with it instantly. They have of course lots of different flora but I was specially captivated by the tulips and Cherry blossoms. Some people brought their picnic mats and food so they had a great time under the good weather and the cherry trees. It's really a beautiful place and hopefully I can go back there again soonnnnnnn....

Because I went on a motorcycle, I was not troubled with the parking lot！ However, the parking lot of the car seems to be crowded because there is not so it. I recommend that go in public transport:） Many plants are planted and there are beautiful!!!! The flower that they can watch by a season is different, but a spring cherry tree and a summer hydrangea are recommended‼ It is all right even if U do not know what flower it is! billboard teaches U!!!! The person liking flowers, please drop in. p.s There is the cafe that cakes are delicious near an exit!!

Nice place to visit. However, I recommend going in the springtime when most flowers and cherry blossoms are in bloom. I went in early October and there was not too much to see except for large groves of trees and some cosmos. But I can imagine how pretty it must be when the time is right. It is easily accessible by subway and the entrance fee is reasonable. There is an additional entrance fee for the arboretum.

I had lived in a dormitory close to this publicly-operated large-scale botanical garden for only two years of my college period. But I'd not been here while I stayed in Kyoto. When I was junior, I returned home and attended my university from my house. I have been here twice. For the first time I came here with my junior of the circle activity when I was senior, next with a female friend of mine after I got married. Anyway, rumor has it that there is a sad legend of Kyoto. If couples come to a certain place, they will be apart. For example as a famous spot, Togetsukyo bridge. If a couple cross the bridge together, their relations will be over. There is no scientific evidence. I don't know whether it is true or not. So please misunderstand it. But this botanical garden is also counted for it. Both of them were my important friends. However I had said good bye to them for a long time because of a slight misunderstanding. A few years ago, our relationship has been regained. Sorry, back to the main topic. If you stop by here, you will enjoy seasonal flowers all year around. This garden is composed of two areas, Western one such as rose gardens or tulip beds and Japanese one like plum trees and so on. Especially tulip season is special! Also a large green house is annexed. You can observe various tropical plants here. Kamo river flows along the west side and a fashionable street of Kitayama adjacent to the north. You will enjoy strolling in the garden and shopping at the same time.

Located located along the Kitayama street and close to Kitayama subway station or bus stop "京都府立植物園 Kyoto Botanical Garden" I was here as school activity in elementary school. I guess almost all students have been here. At the moment we had to walk hand in hand with a classmate but I was crazy shy so I didn't do that. Oh it's really lovely my memory haha Beside of this garden, there is a cute cafe. Yummy food, unpretentious people, cozy place. That is amazing cafe! It takes a bit wait at lunch but it is worth! I had pizza lunch so delicious! I can't wait to try it again!