What are your favorite things to do when you travel? Whenever we travel, we look for botanical gardens. For us, it’s natural because we love plants — talking about plants, looking at plants, discovering new plants… Our favorite botanical gardens is the the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland. Here’s why we loved this place so much.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
During our short stay in Edinburgh, the highlight by far was our half-day visit to the garden. One of Britain’s first botanic gardens, it was founded in 1670 (!) to grow medicinal plants. Like most botanical gardens we’ve visited, this one is focused on research and education — discovering and recording plant species, preserving plants, and educating the public about the world’s plant life.
And, like so many attractions in the U.K., the gardens are free to the public!
Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh has a huge variety of plants to ooh and aah over, including some really impressive hedgerows.
Read more: Scotland Travel Tips
Something special about the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh is its beautiful glass houses. The oldest one is the elegant Victorian Palm House from 1834 with tall palm trees that seem like they’re going to burst through the glass ceiling. Touring the glass houses requires a ticket purchase but is very worth the fee.
Update 2023: the glass houses are currently closed while the garden is being restored.
How to visit the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh:
The garden is open daily except for December 25 and January 1.
Hours vary depending on the season.
March to September: 10am – 6pm (last entry 5:15pm)
October and February: 10am – 5pm (last entry 4:15pm)
November to January: 10am – 4pm (last entry 3:15pm)
In extreme weather, the garden may close. If the weather is bad, you can call 0131 552 7171 to check if the garden is open.
Admission: The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is free to the public!
Where to eat at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh:
There are three places to eat in the garden: the Gateway (seasonal dishes, outdoor seating available), the Terrace (small savory or sweet bites and afternoon tea available — tea must be booked 24 hours in advance), and the East Gate Coffee Bar.
Where to shop and buy souvenirs:
Save time to visit the lovely Botanics Shop where you can find gifts, house plants, books, and sustainable products.
How to get to the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh:
We took the bus from the city center (right in front of our hotel) and loved the experience.We got to ride in a double-decker bus, which our kids just loved, especially since we had front-row seats on the top level. The bus dropped us off right across the street from the garden.
Bus: The West Gate on Arboretum Place is served by Lothian Buses 29, 42 and 24 via Stockbridge and the Majestic Bus Tour. The Garden’s East Gate entrance on Inverleith Row is served by bus routes 8, 23 and 27 from the City Center.
Have you been to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh: Do you love botanical gardens, too? Any favorite botanical gardens you’ve discovered on your travels?
I love botanical gardens too and I am ashamed to say I never visited the ones in Berkeley while living there 8 years! The cactus are blooming here in the desert and last weekend we made a mad rush to all the gardens: Desert Botanical in Phoenix, the Botanical Gardens and Sonora-Arizona Desert museum in Tucson all in a single weekend – those blooms don’t last long!
How fun! I really want to get to Arizona someday soon. Maybe Spring is a good time to do it–not too hot yet and blooming cactuses!
Yes if you catch it just right – it’s amazing!
I love this article. We look for nature typically though our last two big trip have been Disney related. But for me it is either the mountains 0r beach. Though I do love botanical gardens too.
We look for nature, too, but we really enjoyed our recent trip to Disney. So much fun as a family!