Walk the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

In the Trial Garden, horticulturists run annual experiments, testing new cultivars from plant breeders across the globe to understand what will grow best in Sydney. Over 12 months, each plant here is assessed for resilience, beauty and performance in response to real-world conditions. 

Come and see this fascinating array of plants yourself in the Trial Garden, near the Conservatorium Gate. From this work, Botanic Gardens of Sydney produce a guide to the year’s top performing annuals, perennials and natives that have flower power, vigour and pest resistance best suited to the local climate—very helpful information for Sydney’s plant-growers.

The Palace Rose Garden, easily accessible from Sydney’s CBD, is a romantic symphony of colour and scents.

This area is a delight year-round, with green lawns and benches to rest upon. It’s a lovely spot to literally stop and smell the roses, which are in bloom from September to May. It’s a popular spot for weddings as well. 

The rose bushes are interspersed with plants that complement their colours and attract beneficial insects such as lacewings and ladybirds. Thanks to the Garden’s horticulturalists and scientists working together, the Rose Garden is alive with vibrant colour and buzzing bees.

Discover the sensory delights of the Herb Garden, where stories, scents and colour celebrate the many cultures that have shaped Australia. Wander the paths to learn how different communities have used and continue to use herbs for food, medicine and dyeing, or simply relax in the sandstone pavilion and enjoy the fragrant air. Kids of all ages will love the playful Sensory Fountain, while the Armillary Sphere Sundial offers a fascinating glimpse into the history of the telling of time. This vibrant garden is both a place to explore and a peaceful spot to unwind.

Relax and unwind at The Calyx, where you can sip a coffee or enjoy al fresco dining before stepping into a vibrant, sensory exhibition filled with spectacular plants. 

Exhibition entry is by donation. The moment you walk in you’ll feel wrapped in nature, as if transported deep into the forest. Inside, more than 18,000 plants are on display, including one of the southern hemisphere’s largest living green walls.

The Calyx is a public exhibition space, but it’s also available for private hire, so it may occasionally close for events. Check the Botanic Gardens of Sydney website for closure dates.

The Cadi Jam Ora First Nations precinct at Royal Botanic Garden Sydney shares an inspiring story led by Country, culture and 65,000 years of knowing the plants and place of Gadigal Country, where land meets sea.

The stories shared arose from a deeply collaborative creative process between Gadigal Traditional Descendants, Elders and knowledge holders, and the Botanic Gardens Team, including First Nations Educators.

Across 75 metres of signage, there are many renewed stories coming from a place of responsibility for caring for Country and the reciprocal and intimate relationships with land, sky, and sea.

Step into the Succulent Garden and explore a dazzling world of plants shaped by some of the Earth’s driest places. 

Wander through vibrant zones featuring Africa’s colourful Aloes and spiny Euphorbias, then journey to the Americas to see striking Agaves, towering Joshua trees and giant Furcraeas—once called “century plants” as they were so slow to bloom. You’ll also spot true cacti here, including iconic Golden Barrel cactus. 

Bathed in warming sun, the garden glows with bold colours and sculptural forms. You’re invited to slow down, soak up the beauty and marvel at how these plants thrive in extreme conditions.

Spring Walk, just inside Macquarie’s Wall, is the oldest continuous horticultural display in Australia. First planted with spring-flowering shrubs under Director Charles Moore in the mid-19th century, this walk has been delighting visitors for over 170 years. 

Here you’ll be surrounded by flowers and fragrance. In spring see the blooms of snapdragons, wisteria, ornamental peach trees, fluffball-like flowers of the Purple Mist, as well as unusual rhododendrons and other plants you might not typically see in a Sydney garden. 

No matter what the season, this walk is always worth exploring as its collection changes throughout the year in beautiful ways.

Harbour View Lawn is a treat not to be missed. Experience a quintessentially Sydney moment set to impress. Head to the eastern side of Farm Cove where you’ll find some of the Gardens’ best views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the city skyline and sparkling blue water. 

Whether you’re solo, with family, friends or showing off your sparkly city to visitors, there are plenty of spots along the stretch from Fleet Steps to Harbour View Lawn to take in the arresting views and atmosphere to boot. Soak in the views that have made Sydney famous across the globe.