The World's Top Must-Visit Botanical Gardens

Since 1759, when Princess Augusta founded the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in England, the concept of English landscape gardens spread to continental Europe, North America, and the world, and also made more people understand the significance of botanical gardens in the study of plant diversity and ecological conservation. It is an oasis in urban life, and even more so an encyclopedia of natural ecology. Today, Go City introduces the top five must-visit botanical gardens in the world. Save them now!

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

Kew Gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its vast collection of plants, endangered species, and fungi. To date, the garden boasts over 33,000 species of native and exotic plants, trees, and flowers, and is the filming location of the documentary "Kingdom of Plants" narrated by famed presenter David Attenborough.

In the garden's famous greenhouses, you'll find tropical rainforests, a water lily house, a treetop walkway, and beautiful delicate floral plants from around the world. Every step reveals a new scene, and every corner brings surprise.

Kew Gardens also contains a royal residence that was George III's summer "retreat," the most private royal palace in Britain.

There is also the world's largest flower border, stretching 320 meters and planted with over 60,000 summer flowers. In spring and summer, a hundred flowers bloom in a breathtaking spectacle—a dazzling floral wonderland. No wonder George III chose to live here.

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

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 predates the famous Kew Gardens by nearly 100 years and developed throughout the 17th century with the establishment of seed exchange. The seed exchange system, created by Chelsea Physic Garden, played a crucial role in promoting ecological diversity in historical exchanges.

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-renowned greenhouses, plants from the Americas and Pacific Islands are collected. The garden also boasts Britain's largest olive tree, a true treasure of the garden.

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

Brooklyn Botanic Garden is an urban oasis in New York. Once a garbage dump, it was transformed starting in the late 19th century and is now a model of 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 rose species found in America. In May, over 45,000 bluebells and windflowers dance in the breeze, creating a captivating scene.

The Plant Family Evolution Area showcases the fascinating combination of plants in the evolutionary sequence of Earth's development.

The Lotus Pool features nearly 100 hardy or tropical water lilies and sacred lotus, making it the most charming sight every summer.

Notably, the Children's Garden, founded in 1914, is the oldest continuously operating children's garden in the world and serves as a model for cultivating children's hands-on abilities—a perfect place for learning through play.

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

Covering about 100 hectares, the New York Botanical Garden is one of the finest botanical gardens in the world. It houses 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 kingdom, fulfilling its mission as a museum of living plant collections.

At the heart of the New York Botanical Garden is an old-growth forest, the largest remaining portion of the primeval forest that covered all of New York City before the arrival of European colonists in the 17th century.

The "Crystal Palace-style" greenhouse, rose garden, rock garden, and herbarium are popular photo spots. Smell the roses, colorful azaleas, delicate cherry blossoms, and sweet magnolias. Approaching the New York Botanical Garden, you'll feel a spiritual shock in stark contrast to the skyscrapers of New York.

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

Gardens by the Bay is the "youngest" botanical garden in the world, with a reputation that resounds globally, and it is no less impressive than the antique-level gardens mentioned above. Founded in 2012, it won the "Landscape Award" from World Architecture News the following year, the "Best Attraction in the Asia Pacific" award from Travel Weekly in 2015, and the "Best Tourist Experience" award at the Singapore Tourism Awards in 2019.

The Flower Dome in Bay South Garden broke the Guinness World Record in 2015 as the largest glass greenhouse in the world. It gathers flowers and plants from five continents, from olive trees thousands of years old to magnolias and orchids—a vast variety.

Cloud Forest is a misty landscape of rare plants and magnificent scenery. Looking up at the Cloud Mountain and exploring plants from tropical highlands will surely awe you.

The Supertree Grove ranges from about 25 to 50 meters tall. Between two of these towering structures, a giant arched bridge of an aerial walkway connects them. As night falls, the structures light up in a spectacular light show. Ascend the 50-meter-high Supertree Observatory for an unforgettable view of the Marina Bay skyline.

Take your Go City pass, stroll leisurely, and gently smell the fragrance.