The World's Most Instagrammable Botanical Gardens

Since 1759, when Princess Augusta established the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in England, the concept of English landscape gardens spread across Europe, North America, and the world, also allowing more people to understand the significance of botanical gardens in studying plant diversity and ecological conservation. They are oases in urban life and encyclopedias recording natural ecology. Today, Go City introduces the five most worthwhile botanical gardens in the world. Save this list!

01 Kew Gardens (Original price £18, free with Go City Pass)

Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its vast collection of plants, endangered plants, and fungi. To date, the garden holds over 33,000 species of native and exotic plants, trees, and flowers. It is also the filming location for the documentary "The Green Planet" narrated by the famous host David Attenborough.

In the renowned greenhouses of the garden, you will find tropical rainforests, a water lily house, a treetop walkway, and other beautiful and delicate floral plants from around the world. Every step brings a new view, and every corner brings surprises.

Kew Gardens features a royal residence that was once George III's summer "retreat" and is the most private royal palace in England.

There is also the world's largest flower border, stretching 320 meters and planted with over 60,000 varieties of summer flowers. In spring and summer, a hundred flowers bloom, intoxicating the senses—a splendid floral world. No wonder George III moved here to live.

Kew's influence in horticulture, plant species, and economic botany research extends worldwide.

02 Chelsea Physic Garden (Original price £12, free with Go City Pass)

Founded in 1673, Chelsea Physic Garden is the oldest botanical garden in England. It is nearly 100 years older than the famous Kew Gardens. Throughout the 17th century, it developed through the establishment of seed exchanges. The seed exchange, a global system created by Chelsea Physic Garden, played a significant role in promoting ecological diversity throughout history.

With the advancement of modern medicine, Chelsea Physic Garden now grows a wide variety of plants used in indigenous and Western medicine, as well as for perfumes and spices.

In its world-famous greenhouse, it houses many plants from the Americas and Pacific islands. Chelsea Physic Garden also boasts the largest olive tree in England, considered its "crown jewel."

03 Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Original price $16, free with Go New York Pass)

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is New York's urban oasis. Once a landfill site, it has been transformed since the late 19th century and is now a model for excellent urban gardens and horticultural exhibitions in the United States.

The Cranford Rose Garden is one of the largest and best rose gardens in the U.S., with over 5,000 bushes of nearly 1,200 varieties, including all American rose species. In May, the bluebell wood features over 45,000 bluebells dancing in the wind, creating a mesmerizing scene.

The Plant Family Evolution Area showcases the奇妙 combinations of plants in Earth's evolutionary sequence.

The Lily Pool contains nearly 100 hardy or tropical water lilies and sacred lotuses, making it a captivating landscape every summer.

Notably, the Children's Garden, founded in 1914, is the world's oldest continuous children's garden and has become a model for fostering hands-on skills in children. It is an excellent place for learning through play.

04 New York Botanical Garden (Original price $22, free with Go New York Pass)

New York Botanical Garden covers about 100 hectares and is one of the world's finest botanical gardens. It features a world-leading plant laboratory and attracts over one million visitors annually to see tropical, temperate, and desert plants. The garden is an advocate for the plant world, fulfilling its mission through its role as a living plant collection museum.

At the heart of NYBG is an "old-growth" forest—the largest remaining remnant of the primeval forest that covered all of New York City before the arrival of European colonists in the 17th century.

The "crystal palace" greenhouse, rose garden, rock garden, and herbarium are popular spots. Smell the roses, multi-colored azaleas, delicate cherry blossoms, and sweet magnolias. As you approach NYBG, you will feel a spiritual shock in stark contrast to New York's skyscrapers.

05 Gardens by the Bay (Original price S$28, free with Go Singapore Pass)

Gardens by the Bay is the world's "youngest" botanical garden, yet its reputation is global and it stands tall compared to the antique gardens above. Founded in 2012, it won the "Landscape Award" from World Architecture News the following year, the "Best Attraction in Asia Pacific" from Travel Weekly in 2015, and the "Best Leisure Experience" from the Singapore Tourism Awards in 2019.

The Flower Dome at Bay South Garden broke the Guinness World Record in 2015 as the largest glass greenhouse in the world. It gathers floral plants from five continents, from olive trees thousands of years old to magnolias and orchids—everything you can imagine.

Cloud Forest is a misty landscape of rare plants and spectacular scenery. Looking up at the height of this cloud mountain and exploring plants from tropical highlands will surely leave you in awe.

The Supertree Grove ranges from about 25 to 50 meters tall, with two towering structures connected by a huge aerial walkway. At nightfall, the buildings light up with a dazzling light show. Climb to the 50-meter-high Supertree Observatory, and the skyline of Marina Bay will be unforgettable.

Take Go City, stroll leisurely, and breathe in the fragrance.