Metro Vancouver’s mild climate gives it gardens that bloom almost year round, from a sunken quarry garden on the city’s highest hill to a walled Japanese stroll garden and a temple courtyard in Richmond. This guide covers the best gardens in Metro Vancouver, what each one is known for, and when to visit. Some are free and some charge admission, so use the official links before you go.
Best Gardens in Metro Vancouver at a Glance
- Best overall: VanDusen Botanical Garden
- Best views: Queen Elizabeth Park and its Quarry Garden
- Best for a rainy day: Bloedel Conservatory
- Best for roses: Stanley Park Rose Garden and UBC Rose Garden
- Best Japanese garden: Nitobe Memorial Garden
- Best free garden walk: Kushiro Park on Burnaby Mountain
- Best themed gardens: Park & Tilford Gardens in North Vancouver
- Most peaceful: International Buddhist Temple gardens in Richmond
1. VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver
VanDusen is the garden most people mean when they ask for the best garden in Vancouver. It covers about 55 acres near Oak Street and 37th Avenue and holds more than 7,500 plant species and varieties arranged in around 70 collections. Winding paths link ponds, lawns and themed areas, so you can spend an hour or a full afternoon.
Look for the Rhododendron Walk, which is at its best in spring, the Sino-Himalayan Garden, the Alma VanDusen Meadow Garden and the Elizabethan hedge maze that kids love. The visitor centre is shaped like an orchid when seen from above. VanDusen also hosts a seasonal holiday light event, which makes it a good winter stop.
Admission is charged. Check ticket details on the official VanDusen website, then read our full guide: VanDusen Botanical Garden.
2. Queen Elizabeth Park and the Quarry Garden, Vancouver
Queen Elizabeth Park sits on Little Mountain, the highest point in Vancouver, so the gardens come with city and mountain views. The main draw is the Quarry Garden, a former basalt quarry turned into a sunken garden with waterfalls, ponds, shrubs and seasonal beds. You can look down on it from the lookout or walk the paths through it.
The park also has a rose garden and an arboretum with roughly 1,500 trees, and the grounds are free to enter. It is one of the most photographed spots in the city, especially in spring and early summer. Read the full guide: Queen Elizabeth Park.
3. Bloedel Conservatory, Vancouver
The Bloedel Conservatory is the best garden to visit when the weather turns wet. Under a triodetic glass dome at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park, you walk through tropical and desert plantings while free-flying birds move overhead. It stays warm and bright inside through the coldest months, which makes it a reliable winter and rainy day choice.
Pair it with a walk through the Quarry Garden next door. Admission is charged, so confirm current details with the City of Vancouver. Read the full guide: Bloedel Conservatory.
4. Stanley Park Rose Garden, Vancouver
The Stanley Park Rose Garden was established in 1920 with funding from the Kiwanis Club and holds more than 3,000 rose bushes in tidy beds, plus an arbour of climbing roses and clematis. The Park Board has described it as the largest public rose garden in western Canada. Peak bloom is usually in June, and roses continue into September.
The garden is free and sits just off Pipeline Road, which makes it an easy stop on a Stanley Park day. Read the full guide: Stanley Park Rose Garden.
5. Shakespeare Garden, Stanley Park
Just beside the Rose Garden, the Shakespeare Garden is a quieter, shadier stop. It is a small arboretum of trees mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays and poems, with plaques that carry the matching quotes. The first tree was planted in 1916, and the garden officially opened in 1936.
Come here for calm and history rather than flower beds. Read the full guide: Shakespeare Garden in Stanley Park.
6. UBC Rose Garden, Vancouver
The UBC Rose Garden sits at the north end of Main Mall on the university campus. Roses and other plantings share the space with wide views over English Bay and toward the North Shore mountains, which makes it one of the best viewpoints on campus. It is a short, easy visit and pairs well with the gardens below.
7. Nitobe Memorial Garden, UBC
Nitobe Memorial Garden is a traditional Japanese stroll garden of about 2.5 acres, completed in 1960 and designed by Kannosuke Mori. It honours Inazo Nitobe, a diplomat and educator who hoped to be a bridge across the Pacific. Paths wind around a pond, past stone lanterns, a bridge and a tea house, and the garden changes with the seasons: cherry blossoms in spring, irises in summer and red and gold maples in fall.
Nitobe is run by UBC Botanical Garden and charges admission, with seasonal opening days. Check the official Nitobe page before you go.
8. UBC Botanical Garden and Greenheart TreeWalk
UBC Botanical Garden is Canada’s oldest university botanical garden, established in 1916, and it is a larger, more woodland style visit than the formal city gardens. Collections include plants from around the world, and the Greenheart TreeWalk takes you along a canopy walkway among the treetops. Plan more time here than for the other UBC gardens.
You can read more about the campus area in our University of British Columbia guide, and check hours and admission on the official UBC Botanical Garden website.
9. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Chinatown
On the edge of Chinatown, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is a walled scholar’s garden completed in 1986 for Expo 86. It was the first full-scale classical Chinese garden built outside Asia, modelled on the Ming dynasty gardens of Suzhou. Artisans from Suzhou assembled it with traditional methods and materials brought from China, so the pavilions, carved windows, weathered limestone rocks and koi pond all follow the old design rules.
The garden is small, so the pleasure is in slowing down: covered walkways frame changing views, and each window looks onto a different scene. Right next door, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park is a separate public park in a Chinese style that you can enter without a ticket.
The classical garden charges admission, so check details with the official garden site before you visit. It is a good fit for a Chinatown walk, and it is a fine rainy day choice because much of the path is covered.
10. Kushiro Park, Burnaby Mountain
Kushiro Park, on top of Burnaby Mountain, combines flower beds with wide views over Burrard Inlet and the North Shore mountains. The park is named for Burnaby’s sister city of Kushiro, Japan, and its carved wooden sculptures, known as Kamui Mintara or the Playground of the Gods, are a highlight. Spring tulips and the summer flower beds bring the most colour.
It is free to visit and works well as a short garden stop with a view. Read the full guide: Kushiro Park, part of Burnaby Mountain Park.
11. Park & Tilford Gardens, North Vancouver
Park & Tilford Gardens is a small, free botanical garden of about three acres beside the Park & Tilford shopping centre on Brooksbank Avenue. It was created in 1969 by the Park & Tilford Distilleries and is split into eight themed gardens, each easy to take in during a short walk.
The themes include a rose garden, an oriental garden with maples, pines and bamboo, a white garden under spring magnolias, a rock pool with a waterfall, a native garden with cedars and ferns, an herb garden, a display garden of spring bulbs and annuals, and a shaded colonnade garden with a long pergola. It is an easy North Shore stop to pair with a Spirit Trail walk or a coffee at the centre.
12. International Buddhist Temple Gardens, Richmond
The International Buddhist Temple on Steveston Highway is built in traditional Chinese imperial style, with flared roofs, courtyards and landscaped gardens that include water features and carved stonework. Entry to the grounds has been free, with donations welcome, and visitors of any faith are welcome. Walk quietly, dress respectfully and follow posted signs, since this is an active place of worship.
Some halls and services have changed hours over the years, so confirm what is open before you go. Read the full guide: International Buddhist Temple.
Best Time to Visit Metro Vancouver Gardens
- Spring: rhododendrons at VanDusen, tulips at Kushiro Park, cherry blossoms at Nitobe and Garry Point Park
- Summer: roses in Stanley Park and at UBC, plus the Quarry Garden at full colour. For a flower field with a different feel, see the Richmond Sunflower Festival
- Fall: maple colour at Nitobe and the tree-lined paths at VanDusen and Queen Elizabeth Park
- Winter: the warm tropical dome at Bloedel Conservatory and holiday lights at VanDusen
Tips for Visiting Gardens in Metro Vancouver
- Go early on weekends, since the most popular gardens fill up by midday.
- Bring a rain jacket. Many of these gardens look best under soft, overcast light.
- Stay on the paths and out of the plant beds, and do not pick flowers.
- Check each official site for current admission, opening days and any seasonal closures, since these change.
- Combine nearby stops, such as Queen Elizabeth Park with Bloedel Conservatory, or the two Stanley Park gardens in one visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best garden in Metro Vancouver?
VanDusen Botanical Garden is the best all-round choice, with more than 7,500 plant species and varieties, ponds, a hedge maze and themed collections. For views, Queen Elizabeth Park is the stronger pick.
Which gardens in Metro Vancouver are free?
Queen Elizabeth Park, the Stanley Park Rose Garden and Shakespeare Garden, Kushiro Park, Park & Tilford Gardens and the International Buddhist Temple grounds have been free to enter. VanDusen, Bloedel Conservatory, Nitobe Memorial Garden, UBC Botanical Garden and the classical Sun Yat-Sen garden charge admission. Check each official site for current details.
When do the roses bloom in Vancouver?
Roses at the Stanley Park Rose Garden and UBC Rose Garden usually peak in June and continue into September.
What is the best garden to visit on a rainy day?
Bloedel Conservatory is the best indoor option, with tropical plants and free-flying birds under a glass dome. VanDusen and Nitobe also look good in soft rain.
Is there a Japanese garden in Vancouver?
Yes. Nitobe Memorial Garden at UBC is a traditional Japanese stroll garden with a pond, tea house and stone lanterns, and Kushiro Park in Burnaby also reflects the city’s Japanese sister city connection.
Planning more outdoor stops? Browse our guides to Vancouver parks, beaches and day trips.