Vancouver is full of gorgeous landscapes, with some of the best examples found in the city’s beautiful gardens. From the colorful roses of Stanley Park to the tropical gardens of the Bloedel Conservatory, there are plenty of places to enjoy gorgeous displays of lush plants and blooming flowers around the city.
Looking to wander through some of Vancouver’s top gardens and botanical parks? We cover our favorite Vancouver gardens with breathtaking greenery and colorful blossoms. Whether you want to stop and smell the roses or retreat into nature for the afternoon, each garden offers something unique and all are worth checking out!
Beautiful Gardens in Vancouver
VanDusen Botanical Garden
The VanDusen Botanical Garden is one of the best gardens in all of Metro Vancouver. A 22 hectare paradise, this peaceful garden features beautiful ponds, totem poles, waterfalls, sculptures, and seemingly endless flowers.
Walk along the paved paths and take in more than 7,500 plants and flowers from around the world. Try to solve the Elizabethan hedge maze (one of the unique things to do in Vancouver) while you’re there!
Beautiful at any time of year, the VanDusen Botanical Garden has thousands of colorful flowers in the summer. In the winter, the garden transforms into a magical lit-up wonderland with the Festival of Lights.
Buy VanDusen Botanical Garden Admission Tickets Here!
Queen Elizabeth Park
A jewel at the center of the city, Queen Elizabeth Park is the perfect spot to visit for anyone who wants to appreciate a gorgeous garden. Home to a converted quarry garden, lush landscapes, flower gardens, and the unique Bloedel Conservatory, this 52-hectare park is a must-see on any trip to Vancouver.
Free to visit (except the Conservatory), this beautiful Vancouver garden is located at the top of the Little Mountain, 125 meters (410 feet) above sea level. With the North Shore mountains in the background, the gardens are quite scenic!
Bloedel Conservatory
The world-famous Bloedel Conservatory is a unique, glass-domed garden located in Queen Elizabeth Park. Truly a paradise in the City of Vancouver, this indoor tropical garden is filled with hundreds of species of exotic plants and birds.
Walk through the lush tropical and subtropical ecosystems of the Bloedel Conservatory. Above, Macaws, parrots, and other bird species fly freely through the plants of the domed gardens. With all of the garden indoors, this is also one of the best places in Vancouver to visit on a rainy day!
Buy Bloedel Conservatory Admission Tickets Here!
UBC Botanical Garden
Built in 1916, the UBC Botanical Garden is Canada’s oldest university garden and a wonderful spot to experience some outdoor peace and tranquility. This beautiful garden showcases a variety of native plants and flowers, with large collections of rhododendrons, magnolias and maples.
Within the UBC Botanical Garden, you’ll also find the Greenheart TreeWalk. An adventure through the tree tops, this 310 meter long aerial canopy walkway is a unique way to experience the forests of Vancouver.
Nitobe Memorial Garden
The Nitobe Memorial Garden is another beautiful garden on the University of British Columbia’s campus in Vancouver, BC. This stunning UBC botanical park features a carefully curated Japanese garden with cherry blossoms and tranquil pathways. If you’re looking for a peaceful outing, this is an excellent choice!
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden
The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden is a classical Chinese garden, one of the first built outside China. Located in the historic Chinatown, visiting the garden is one of the best things to do in Vancouver.
Adjacent to the Sun Yat-Sen Park, this urban garden oasis is a great place to spend an afternoon in Vancouver. You’ll feel completely at peace as you explore the grounds, taking in the sights of the koi pond, ornate buildings, and beautiful plants.
Stanley Park Rose Garden
If you’re a lover of roses and flowers, visit the Stanley Park Rose Garden. Here, you’ll find over 3,500 rose bushes and other beautiful blooming plants.
Located in the heart of the famous Stanley Park, these flower displays are one of the best examples of rose gardens in Vancouver (another being the UBC Rose Gardens). From June to October, enjoy a brilliant rainbow of colors from the annuals and perennials of the gardens. In March to May, you’ll also see the beautiful flowering bulbs blooming.
The entire Stanley Park is an incredible showcase of West Coast beauty, from gorgeous beaches to coastal rainforest. Make sure to explore the other highlights of the park, from the Brockton Point totem poles to the iconic seawall!
The park also features several other gardens, including the Shakespeare Garden, Stanley Park Rock Garden, and Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden. Each is beautiful in its own way and worth checking out!
UBC Rose Garden
For another jaw-dropping floral display, head to the UBC Rose Garden close to the Museum of Anthropology on the University of British Columbia campus. On Point Grey, the UBC Rose Garden has an abundant display of colorful roses with a stunning backdrop of mountains and ocean.
One downside of the UBC Rose Garden is that it can be booked for private events, like weddings. If you arrive and the garden is closed to the public, try visiting one of the other incredibly stunning gardens on the university grounds: the UBC Botanical Gardens or Nitobe Memorial Garden.
Park and Tilford Gardens
Park and Tilford Gardens is a 3 acre scenic botanical garden in North Vancouver, part of a shopping center that’s close to Lynn Creek. Small but beautiful, this spot doesn’t take too long to explore but it is worth a stop!
With 8 different themes through the Park and Tilford Gardens, there’s lots to see here. From the rock pool to the colonnade garden, soak in the serene atmosphere while exploring the well-manicured gardens!
Top Travel Tips & Resources for Vancouver, BC
- What to Pack: Click here for our Vancouver Packing List!
- Travel Insurance – If you’re travelling internationally, travel insurance is a must for any trip. Being covered by insurance is especially important when you’re going to an adventure-filled place like British Columbia. If you injure yourself while adventuring, you want to have insurance! We recommend using SafetyWing for international travel insurance. They are affordable and have great policies for travellers, digital nomads, and remote workers. Also, SafetyWing provides COVID-19 coverage, which many other insurance companies don’t cover.
- Car Rental – We find the best deal on vehicle rental prices using RentalCars.com. They compare the prices for different car rental companies so you can find the best deals out there!
- Accommodations – We prefer booking all of our hotels, hostels, and other accommodations through Booking.com because they have a flexible cancellation policy. Also, there are lots of different options on their platform, from hotels to vacation homes. Alternatively, Expedia and Hotels.com are good for booking accommodations. For vacation home rentals, VRBO is an excellent choice (they have lower fees than Airbnb, many of the same properties, and are more ethical).
- Flights – You’ll find many good flight deals on Skyscanner or Google Flights. You can book flights through these websites and they’ll help you find the best prices and flight times. If you fly at less popular times (e.g. mid-week or red-eye flights), you can also save some money.
- Tours – Get the most out of your vacation by taking a guided tour! This is a great way to see the city, adventure to exciting new locations, and learn about the local culture. Viator or GetYourGuide are great options for booking tours.
