Montreal Botanical Garden - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Montreal Botanical Garden
Montreal Botanical Garden
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Recognized as one of the world’s finest, the Montréal Botanical Garden is a true living museum featuring plants from every part of the globe. This jewel in the city’s crown, founded in 1931, covers 75 hectares and features some 20 thematic gardens, a vast arboretum, the Frédéric Back Tree Pavilion and 3 exceptional cultural gardens: the Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden and First Nations Garden. Enjoy a colourful program of events, exhibitions and activities all year long.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie
Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie has one of Canada's most prominent Italian communities, with Little Italy concentrated along the convivial bends of Saint-Lawrence Boulevard. Known for its fantastic bars and authentic Italian fare, the domain includes the Jean-Talon Market, the largest public market in North America. Open year-round, sunny months see fruit and vegetable stalls set up outside the main chalet, while blustery weather draws crowds indoors to meat and cheese sellers, spices and truffles stalls, and for regional delicacies such as rare Charlevoix lamb. While the market dictates what's fresh for local restaurateurs, visitors can please more than their palates, taking in the Renaissance architecture and frescos of Madonna della Difesa, the picturesque Rue Saint-Rominique with its cheerful homes and splendid gardens, or the ornamented thoroughfare of Plaza Saint-Hubert.
How to get there
  • Pie-IX • 6 min walk
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See what travelers are saying
  • Mia Andrea
    Los Angeles, California23 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Gorgeous garden but under construction for Summer season at the moment
    An easy place to spend half a day. A bit outside the main city but worth the metro trip. I caught them right before the summer season so things were under construction, a lot of the gardens just had dirt or dead plants, many of the ponds didn't have water and the main building was under construction. Nonetheless, the gardens that weren't under construction were gorgeous. I still would recommend going to check it out. Especially if you're a plant lover.
    Visited May 2023
    Written May 12, 2023
  • Janet Marie & m’Archibald
    Michigan3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The perfect day outdoors
    A year ago in Paris we visited the Jardin Botanique, to that point in my life, the most impressive collection of plant life I’d ever seen. Our visit to the Botanical Gardens here in Montréal blew that experience out of the water. Don’t get me wrong, Paris is no slouch in the flora department, but the range and diversity of the Montréal collection, paired with the presentation in really authentic habitats really changed the game. Not to mention the gorgeous architecture of the China gardens, tea ceremonies and taiko drummers in the Japanese Gardens, and the largest and most aromatic collection of lilac trees and bushes anywhere—it was delightful. Cap that with a collection of mostly locally sourced and expertly prepared lunch selections—it was an incomparable day.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 21, 2023
  • ScottEP
    El Paso, Texas581 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Relaxing and destressing in Montreal
    Beautiful and relaxing diversion in Montreal. Recommend strolling the various interesting gardens while taking your time away from the tourist bustle. Take 1 hour or 3. Easy subway access.
    Visited June 2023
    Written June 25, 2023
  • Lynne1153
    Edinburgh, United Kingdom886 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful
    What a beautiful place to visit! Stunning, peaceful gardens with lots to suit all different ages. The outdoor cafe was a bit disappointing- big queues, not a huge menu and pricey so probably wouldn’t eat there again. We loved sitting in the yellow chairs and watching the world go by!
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written July 9, 2023
  • Ashley J
    Dallas, Texas49 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great place - needs more refreshments and path markers
    we visited in July and the botanical garden entrance was under some construction. We took the metro to station Pie IX on the green line. To reach the area, it was a short walk from there, although there was a big hill. Once inside, we really enjoyed all of the plants and the way they were grouped into little worlds. The China Garden was the most memorable and so photogenic. Fans of Epcot will surely love it. I will say it would have been nice to have more refreshments throughout the park. It was only 74° but humid when we went, and we never saw any water other than right after we purchased our tickets. I also thought it was odd that they sold glass water containers in a park. Although there certainly were shaded areas, some of the main arteries of the park are in full sun. Some of the signs were misleading regarding where they pointed, and we definitely spent way more time walking because of it. They provide maps but it would be so helpful to have named or labelled pathways and direction markers so you can confirm your location. One thing that stood out to me as different from other botanical gardens, such as Dallas and Cincinnati, is that this one did not have hard surfaces like bricks or pavers or asphalt. Everything was pea gravel and compacted soil pathways. This makes for a more natural experience, however, if it has rained recently, there are some muddy parts, and I almost slipped couple of times. My favorite part was the irisis and lilies around a big pond with lily pads. The area was like a Van Gough painting and so peaceful. They had adairondak chairs along the edge and I could have spent the whole day reading. Nearby fast food to refuel: La Belle Province - diagonal from the entrance. Note: insectarium is very nearby and shown on the maps but admission is not included.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 17, 2023
  • William Kim
    London, Canada100 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must see in Montreal
    The Montreal Botanical Gardens are seriously amazing. I wasn't so sure what to expect when my friend recommended I come here with him and some of his other friends, but I am so glad that I trusted their recommendations. The botanical gardens are composed of so many great places to see while here, from Chinese and Japanese gardens to butterfly conservatories and arboretums, and being here makes you feel like you've been transported into a calm, serene, perfect world with no problems. Seriously, this is probably one of the best botanical gardens I've been to! Everywhere you go is filled with plants, flowers and details of all kinds, but all well maintained and chosen accordingly to catch your attention as you stroll through the gardens. You could easily spend hours here looking around and not even realize it. There is such a quiet, serene feeling here that is quite unique given how this garden is located within a major city in Canada. There are also student discounts available, so students in the area should definitely take advantage of that. Also, plan on spending an entire day here. When I was here, there was not enough time for me to see everything here as I was visiting from Ontario, and only had so much time to do things. Seriously - Montreal has one of the best botanical gardens I have EVER been to! This city is very lucky to have this gem here. I’ll be back for sure.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written July 21, 2023
  • Tobias Rud
    Aarhus, Denmark8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A beautiful botanical garden
    A beautiful, large and diverse botanical garden that's undoubtedly worth visiting for anyone in Montreal. We particularly enjoyed the Chinese Garden and the lakes. Very scenic and interesting even for those without an interest in everything botanical.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 31, 2023
  • eskdunning
    Hermitage, Tennessee287 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful gardens
    What a delightful way to enjoy a gorgeous day in Montreal. We spent approximately 3 hours at the botanical gardens. While we felt we'd done justice to the gardens, we didn't enter any of the indoor exhibits. The outdoor spa e is divided into smaller themed gardens. Our favorites were the Chinese, Japanese, and Alpine gardens. If you enjoy nature, I highly recommend these gardens.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written August 2, 2023
  • fm0072018
    Canterbury, United Kingdom157 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful gardens
    Really beautiful gardens especially the China garden. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time to wander around but what we did see was gorgeous. We had bought an annual ticket which included the garden, the Biodome, the Insectarium and the Planetarium which are all on the same complex. You can get to the garden from the Viau metro station on the green line.
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written August 7, 2023
  • Anne P
    Sudbury, Canada2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Botanical Garden
    Great staff at ticket booth. Should have more staff around the property for questions. Not all pictures provided online are available to view as they no longer have some stuff. It’s a beautiful place very nice to see all the cultures. I loved my visit with my son and loved that he was able to have free access with his status card. Highly recommend if you haven’t visit beautiful place
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written August 11, 2023
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 wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

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Reza Sattarzadeh
Muscat, Oman2,221 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Solo
Montreal Botanical gardens is a true gem of the city of Montreal. Even though it has a fee to enter, bit the money you spend is well worth it. The area is huge and you would need a full day to really appreciate the grandeur and beauty of the gardens. The area is very well-signed and you know wherever you are at all times. This can be an amazing place to refresh in nature and truly appreciate its beauty. The Chinese garden was the most scenic of all.

The ate gardens with plants of special nature which can be interesting to those who are specialised in botany.
Written December 5, 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.

AdventureKA
New York514 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
Jardin Botanique is large and spread out. We started with the Aquatic Garden, then onto the nearby the Japanese Garden, then ambled through the Shade Garden (not much to look at but it was shaded as the name suggests) to the larger Chinese Garden. From there we thought we’d take a look at the toxic plants was but it was closed – kind of disappointing when we went out of our way to see it. On our way to the toxic plants, there was a family with a boy who was having a total meltdown yelling something like I’m not falling for that again and I’m not walking any more. We felt for the kid and kind of agreed with him. It just felt like a lot of walking. The garden did seem to be lacking kid friendly stations with hands on activities or fun exhibits like gopher holes (NY Botanical Gardens).

In Jardin Botanique, some years ago we had seen an impressive special exhibit called the Garden of Light. It was really special and we have such great memories of it. Without this exhibit, the gardens did not seem as interesting.

In terms of logistics, we drove because it’s too far away from city center to walk, the busses looked infrequent, an uber would have cost C$20 plus tip and the metro at C$6.50 round trip for 1 person didn’t make sense for a party of 4. The main parking lot is small and it was challenging to find a parking spot – it took about 15 minutes. Entrance is timed so while you can buy tickets online, we didn’t know our exact timing so we decided to purchase the tickets upon arrival. We waited in line for maybe 10 minutes. To be clear, this is to gardens and the other “museums” are separate entrances and fees. If you want the passport which includes all 5 museums (Jardin Botanique, Insectarium, Biosphere, Biodome and Planetarium), you get directed inside the nearby building undoubtedly to wait on another line. Admission costs C$22.75 adult, C$20.50 senior 65+, C$16.50 student 18+ with card, C$11.50 children 5 to 17y, C$62.75.25 family 2 adults 2-3 children. Children under 4y are free but you’ll need to get a ticket for them. CMM residents get less expensive pricing C$17 adult, C$16 senior 65+, C$13.25 student 18+ with card, C$8.50 children 5 to 17y, C$48.25 family 2 adults 2-3 children. We wanted tickets for the insectarium (same pricing as Jardin) but the sales rep indicated they were sold out but recommended that we head over to their ticket booth to check. It was odd because we went online via cell phone and purchased 4 tickets for entrance half an hour later. Once you enter the garden, you walk through a long gauntlet of white tents selling various items.

We doubt we will return to the gardens unless there is a special exhibit. But we will return for the Insectarium.
Written July 11, 2023
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.

gmckee58
5 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
The exhibits get smaller and the price goes higher. At $22 each you would expect a bit more.

Two exhibits were closed, it was pretty in the spring, but I wouldn't want to spend more than $10 in the mid-late summer when the flowers are gone.

The park is way too big to travel on foot, and there is no reasonable way to "get around".

They need to reintroduce a "special" price to see two or three museums. $80 to see five museums in a few days is not money well spent.
Written June 17, 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.

PandPBlackpool
Blackpool, UK322 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Most people staying in central Montreal will have to use the Metro to reach the gardens. You have to pay to gain entry into each separate attraction/building (even the gardens, which are generally free to enter in most countries) and the charges seemed exorbitant. The gardens, however, were beautiful and we could have spent all day in them but didn't arrive until lunchtime. Another disappointment was that the Garden Restaurant appeared to only sell vegetarian food which wasn't particularly tasty.
Written June 8, 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.

Holly K
Celebration, FL465 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022 • Couples
My husband and I are members, purchased last year while living in Laval, we are US citizens and were staying at an Airbnb for 6 weeks. We took my mom this year to see all of the gardens.

First Nations garden, Greenhouse, rose garden, vegetable garden, Japanese and Chinese gardens and Alpine Garden…

If you are going to see the flowers at their finest probably come in late summer and the vegetable garden as well, it is much hotter but you will see all the flowers in bloom (perhaps a few less pumpkins and late fall flowers…but).

In late September we missed the Indian Summer, I believe last week it was much higher temperatures, in the 80s. Now it is 40s in the am and high of 60 in the daytime. Coming from Florida now quite a temperature difference and bring rain gear and walking shoes.

Plenty of bathrooms, a restaurant with average food (best to bring your own food and drink, unless you just want a cup of coffee or tea), and parking right at the entrance during the week, not a problem for $12.75 Canadian and very safe (by machine).

Tonight is the Jardin luminiere, park of our ticket. Looking forward to it. Plan to put in another 5 miles (10 total).
Written September 23, 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.

Lynne1153
Edinburgh, UK886 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
What a beautiful place to visit! Stunning, peaceful gardens with lots to suit all different ages. The outdoor cafe was a bit disappointing- big queues, not a huge menu and pricey so probably wouldn’t eat there again. We loved sitting in the yellow chairs and watching the world go by!
Written July 9, 2023
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.

John W
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
We went to both Montreal and Quebec City and both agreed that the best thing we did and saw was the botanical gardens. If you like gardens ge prepared to spend two or three hours there and don't miss the greenhouse. The Japanese and Chinese gardens are the largest we’re ever seen and quite fun. The price of entry is worth it just to see those two, but we just enjoyed all the other gardens as well. I just wish the cafe were still open as we would have been happy to have had lunch there.
Written September 10, 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.

BeLaZe
Penfield, NY406 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022 • Couples
Huge and beautiful with a great variety of gardens and some smaller exhibitions. Best (most grown-up) activity of the space de vie, but it’s worth visiting all with their passport. Even better deal: Montreal museum pass covers your entry (activate it in neighboring insectarium — the tickets there should be activated separately). We visited it in terrestrial rain and it was still beautiful.
Written September 22, 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.

Paula V
125 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
I am sure that this large park will be a delight to visit during the summer, in winter the different gardens are covered with snow. It was a lovely spot for a walk, peace and quiet in the middle of a large city. Saw people jogging and cross country skiing on trails in the park. Another large parc is next to it: Parc Maisonneuve. Accross the road is the Olympic stadium and the tower of Montreal. you can take the funicular up to the top of the tower. On a clear day you have a great view of the city and surroundings, while I was there it had closed until the end of Feruary.
Written January 16, 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.

Ralitsa
Cleveland, OH4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019 • Family
Montreal captivated us since the first visit in 2012. It became our yearly family tradition to visit. We stay for a week, sometimes more if the time permits. There is special magic in the simplest things to do. From wondering around at the Plateau area, having a picnic at Mont-Royal parc, walking the Old City, visiting the gorgeous Botanical gardens and the Museum of Art. The french culture in Montreal gives an unique experience while being in this city, from culinary to performing arts, language and lifestyle- it has everything to bring Europe on the continent. And this is very important to us experiencing and exposing our children to the wide cultural varieties in the world within a close and affordable distance.
Written April 13, 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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Montreal Botanical Garden - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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