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Christchurch Botanic Gardens

Christchurch Botanic Gardens

Christchurch Botanic Gardens
4.5
About
At the heart of Christchurch's reputation as the Garden City, the Gardens are a place of ever-changing beauty. Showcasing flora and fauna of New Zealand and other parts of the world, the Gardens feature one of the finest collections of exotic and local plants in New Zealand. With more than 1.1 Million visitors each year the Botanic Gardens are one of the Christchurch's most popular and well-loved attractions.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • patrick t
    43 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great city.
    I loved the city, and I was so pleased to be staying right outside Hagley park which was a beautiful place to walk thru every day, and the botanic gardens were great to see. What I loved about the park the most was the beautiful trees throughout. The quake museum is definitely worth a visit, as it shows the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake, and the riverside market is a must, as you can get every type of food you want there. I just love the layout of the place, and am heading back toNew Zealand in January 2024, and my starting base is 3days in Christchurch before a couple of months around the South Island.
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 13 October 2023
  • Rotiman1
    Sydney, Australia2,018 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth exploring
    Well laid and easily accessible from cbd. Enjoyed simply strolling around and discovering the variety of plants and trees. Small but pleasant cactii and orchid exhibitions. Visitors centre and cafe looked good
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 October 2023
  • Pippa H
    London, United Kingdom87 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful way to spend an afternoon
    Beautiful selection of trees and plants! Could spend hours walking through to see everything. A lovely place to spend time. There are a few signs around, but also information in the centre where the cafe is, including some interactive stuff for kids. In particular I liked the NZ section, and the twisted tree!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 November 2023
  • timjstark
    Shorewood, Wisconsin688 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A place of rest and respite...
    After a busy, travel day, navigating the Christchurch construction zones, and a hotel laundry stint, I exhaled by strolling through the Gardens and everything was perfect once again... The beauty of these Gardens (not particularly a flower guy), is that they allow anyone to simply "be" in the moment, take in whatever you choose at your pace, smile at others doing the same, and stay for as long as you want. If I had a guidebook or a guide, I imagine that more information and facts would have been placed into my mind, but I am very happy with the joy that I experienced by doing it exactly in the manner that I just described.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 November 2023
  • Angela M
    9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great for a Stroll
    Beautiful gardens! Many serene walking trails, ducks, flowers, trees. It is well laid out, there are maps at regular intervals, they do offer guided tours but we didn't take one. The cafe is nice and there is a gift shop on site. There are conservatories as well but they close at 4pm (?) and the gardens stay open til dusk so if you're there late in the day you won't be able to get in.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 November 2023
  • Debbie I
    Sydney, Australia210 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Definitely worth a few hours
    I visited the gardens multiple times over a 3 day visit because there is so much to see and lots of roses to smell. Most of the grounds are informal and easy to enjoy whilst strolling throughout and occasionally crossing the Avon River. The more formal rose garden and also the greenhouses are definitely worth a visit. It is a peaceful and restorative place to visit.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 12 January 2024
  • Katharine M
    22 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning Dahlias
    This botanical garden appears to be a re-creation of something out of Oxford and Cambridge. There are loads of UK garden birds who make an appearance. The dahlias are the most profuse and perfect that I have ever seen. The rose garden is beautiful. There are glass houses and a fernery. There is both a traditional and a modern tearoom/restaurant in the grounds. The gift shop is lovely. The garden is completely flat so is an easy walk.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 February 2024
  • Albywon
    Sydney, Australia13,618 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A local favourite
    I grew up in Christchurch and visited the Gardens often in my childhood and teen years. I no longer live in New Zealand but still like to visit when I come to Christchurch. So I visited recently and enjoyed wandering through the Gardens again.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 1 March 2024
  • TWal1
    Canberra, Australia2,938 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Gardens
    These gardens are located with the vast grounds of Hagley Park. They are well designed and feature an array of colourful and beautiful plants. The pathways are easy to walk as most of the area is flat. A very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the gardens.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 10 March 2024
  • Ben B
    Minneapolis, Minnesota26 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great green oasis next to the CBD
    Lovely green space with amazing examples of foliage from around the world. The Avon River runs along the edge of the gardens. The rose garden is spectacular and the New Zealand garden beautifully wild. I enjoyed a couple of nice walks there.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 12 March 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles6,820 reviews
Excellent
4,779
Very good
1,835
Average
191
Poor
10
Terrible
5

Sallie S
Austin, TX85 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
The beautiful Botanic Garden is in city center, surrounded by a large bend in the Avon River. The large garden features huge trees as well as blooming annuals and perennials. Paths criss cross the park with areas set aside for specific types of plants, e.g. the New Zealand forest, rock and heather garden, etc. There is a beautiful rose garden, a conservatory, and a museum. Admission is free. If you are not up to walking the garden, there is an electric tram that runs along the park paths. The driver provides a commentary about the plants and trees (fee applies). Great way to spend a half day.
Written 7 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

StaceyCheer
Arapuni, New Zealand161 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We did the guided tour as part of the Christchurch Attractions package with the trams. We probably wouldn't normally have chosen to do the tour if it wasn't part of a package, but we are very pleased we did it as we had a fabulous time. Our guide was Mike, who was very knowledgeable, and funny with a great sense of humor. It was an un-seasonally chilly morning but we were wrapped up with blankets so were quite cozy. The gardens themselves are beautiful, with massive trees, paths alongside the Avon river, and wonderful structured gardens. Even if you are not a "gardener", I would highly recommend having a look around these gardens.
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hannah
81 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Beautiful grounds, take the trolley guided tour for a good overview. Parking on site is the easiest, no need to park further. It is a 3 hour limit until 6pm, and you can easily go back and move your car if staying longer. Well kept up and lots to see and do here.
Written 5 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Craig H
31 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
Really lovely gardens and close to other attractions. The park is very large so plan for a visit allowing plenty of time to meander through and perhaps have a break at the cafe. Try another perspective by having a ride down the picturesque Avon river on a punt.
Written 5 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sam
Melbourne, Australia45 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
A beautiful place to relax. There are plenty of sitting areas. The Botanic Garden tour costs $20, you can get a $2 discount coupon from iLEX. There are many parking space inside the Botanic garden. Tour guide Mike was very friendly, fun and knowledgable. The tour took 1 hour.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Qisiang R
Melbourne, Australia375 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
I am in total agreement with all the other reviewers before me-this is one of the most impressive and beautiful city gardens that I have the pleasure and privilege to visit. All the giant redwood trees in this garden looks very healthy and thriving. According to its website the oldest tree is probably only about 150 years old however, the size of these trees have already reached "giant" size status in both girth and height. I can see in the future these trees will become more accessible for future generations to appreciate as compared to those in the Mariposa Grove, California. Getting to the garden is easy, you can just walk from the Christchurch city centre. (It takes about 4 hours from San Francisco to get to Mariposa Grove, and during winter months it may not be possible). There are other giant trees apart from Giant Redwood-the corky bark oak (Quercus Suber), black walnut and a red gum with a very big girth. The garden is very well laid out to cater for different types of plants and flowers. Pending on the time of your visit, you could see azalea in bloom in spring, rose garden in summer etc. It also help the lay out when there is a river flowing through it. The sweeping lawns throughout the garden are cleverly used to contrast the giant trees. For the children there are quite a good variety of ducks and birds around. I would definitely recommend this place to vist especially if you love garden and giant trees.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anne D
Sydney, Australia64 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
Christchurch Botanical Gardens runs over a very large area with many smaller areas such as a children's playground and pool in the middle, the information center and café combined with a well though out museum. It was lovely to walk through the grounds. There are plenty of duck to feed but pick up some cheap bread for the supermarket as they don't supply duck food. The café in the information center was very reasonable.
Written 8 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Family
Christchurch, New Zealand8 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
Their chocolate dessert for $18 having three layers of sponge with caramel and ganache with berry compote was best value and delicious and the best of the three desserts we had, enough to share for two people
Delicious steak with duck fat potatoes and asparagus.

To give best service I suggest serving salad at same time as main meal not five minutes late. I would appreciate all three desserts to be served at the same time next time. NO excuses as quiet at the time.
Written 13 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pam G
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Magnificent trees all shapes and sizes and an endless array of plants and flowers In these city centre gardens.which have the River Avon flowing through them. Very family friendly with paddling pool and playground. We walked through here on almost a daily basis seeing something different each time. A lovely place to relax sitting in the sun or enjoying the cafe at the visitor centre.
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

roaming_kiwi58
Christchurch, New Zealand2,818 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2020
We live in Christchurch and always enjoy a walk through our city's Botanic Gardens. This time we were specifically on the hunt for penguins in the Pop Up Penguins which are scattered through the city until the end of January 2021. There is one outside the Ilex Centre. Here there is a cafe and also a shop and info centre. There is some nice stuff in the shop. Very pleasant and well maintained gardens.
Written 31 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CHRISTCHURCH BOTANIC GARDENS (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

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