National Botanic Gardens - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Europe
Ireland
Province of Leinster
County Dublin
Dublin
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National Botanic Gardens
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National Botanic Gardens

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National Botanic Gardens
4.5
#25 of 679 things to do in Dublin
Gardens
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
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
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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About
Ireland's premier garden is a green oasis situated in the leafy suburb of Glasnevin, not far from Dublin city centre. It is just under 50 acres in size and home to over 17,000 different plant species. Famous for its Victorian glasshouses: the Curvilinear Range, designed by Richard Turner, and the Great Palm House, Ireland's only tropical rainforest. Outdoor features include the rose and rock gardens, double herbaceous borders, the pond and river walks, the organic fruit and vegetable garden and wild Ireland, the native conservation area. Guided tours of the Gardens all year round- Sundays at 12.00pm & 2.30pm, admission free. Monday-Saturday 11.30am & 3.00pm, €5 pp. Pre-booked tours by arrangement.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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See what travelers are saying
  • Karen W
    19 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    You could spend all day here
    Fascinating, gorgeous gardens and glasshouses full of every sort of plant you can imagine. The gardens are attached to Glasnevin Cemetery so make sure to visit there too. Easily reached by taking Dublin bus.
    Visited July 2023
    Written August 1, 2023
  • Inspiration52984
    Dublin, Ireland40 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Bank Holiday Monday Trip
    Amazing gardens and a fabulous place to walk around and ground yourself in nature even though you are in the city. Lots of space and very family friendly. Gardens are a credit to the caretakers. Def recommend a visit in rain or shine. Car park gets really busy on a Saturday and Sunday in the good weather so recommend going by public transport if you can.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written August 12, 2023
  • John H
    Crowthorne, United Kingdom28 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A visit that is truly worthwhile
    A wonderful garden along with an exhibition of sculptures and free entry, a rareity these days. If you are interested in visiting one of Dublin's best kept secret gardens, you will not be disappointed. It has wonderful glass houses and open spaces with beautiful mature trees, all lovingly cared for by a team of excellent horticultural experts. The cafe is well worth a visit after a tour too. Surprisingly, it has a small car park so arrive early!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written October 9, 2023
  • Kityayma
    Sydney, Australia527 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Gorgeous greenhouses
    Our visit to the gardens was much shorter than we would have liked but we managed to see the gorgeous greenhouses, some magnificent mature trees and many of the formal flower beds featuring plants from around the world. There's an ornamental lake with a waterfall and resident waders. The gardens are very pretty and will be even more so in a few weeks. The flowers were beginning to bloom, birds were nesting, and squirrels were chasing each other (and being chased by kids). The National Botanic Gardens are a few kilometres from the centre of town. They are located right beside Glasnevin Cemetery which is also worth a visit. Both are free to enter and pleasant places to stroll.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 9, 2024
  • Jay K
    Dublin, Ireland80 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Gardens.
    The National Botanical Gardens (or the Bots as locals call them) are an absolutely delightful place to visit at any time of the year but particularly in spring and summer when the beautifully tended flowers, trees and shrubs are full of colour and life. There’s an excellent cafe there and best or all is that admission is free! The only slight drawback is that parking is limited so get there early if you have a car.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 11, 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 wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,970 reviews
Excellent
2,180
Very good
669
Average
104
Poor
10
Terrible
7
David J
Dublin, Ireland25 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nice gardens. Poor overall experience
Apr 2022
The pay machine for the car park is just awful. Loads of people who were unfamiliar with it had trouble paying. There is a large screen at eye level telling you to follow the instructions on the screen but the instructions never appear. Instead the instructions appear on a small dim screen hidden beneath a recess at the eye level of a 3 year old. There are also buttons to press but except for one these are unmarked. It takes several minutes to figure out how to use it and since there is only one machine, queues build up and everyone is delayed. Looks like a trick to have people run over into the next hour. The designer of the machine should look for a career change indeed so should the person or committee who bought it. They clearly didn't give it a reasonable test run before buying or maybe it was just the cheapest option. Also the car park is too small and once you turn into the access road you are stuck there for who knows how long and no way of reversing out. I would have expected much better than this from OPW on both counts.
Written April 18, 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.
Leonor Guevara
Dublin, Ireland25 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
The biggest and gorgeouss garden you'll ever see!
Aug 2020
I've never seen such a gorgeous garden in my whole life. So big that you could just stay there for hours and never get tired of everything you see. You will find a great variety of plants, flowers, trees. The colors are just amazing, the trees so tall and beautiful, and even the squirrels let you taken them pictures (if you give them food haha). Totally worth it, and if you have time, please go to the glasnevin cemetery that is just beside de garden.
Written October 9, 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.
Bas
Maastricht, The Netherlands23 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Winter visit
Jan 2020 • Couples
Visited on the 2nd of January on a rainy day. Of course the out door gardens where not at its best on a day like this, still we found it well worth the trip for the impressive greenhouses, also being in a tropical climate in the middle of winter really is a nice break from the weather. We where however disappointed by the secondary services, the shop in the ‘information center’ was very dated, good information on the gardens was hard to find, the shop did not even provide a free map. Besides that the restaurant was also very old fashioned, it seemed like a missed opportunity. The garden provides a stylish setting but the cafe looks like the cafeteria of a public swimming pool. The surrounding area also doesn’t provide much of a alternative, this is a pitty since it’s a little trip outside of Dublin’s center to come for a visit, specially in winter it could have been a nice place to have a lunch.
Written January 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.
Maja I
Osijek, Croatia241 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Beautiful and relaxing
Dec 2019
Even if you are in Dublin during the winter (as we were) don't hesitate to visit the Botanic Gardens. Even though the outside plants may be cut down or hibernating, there is still so much to see and experience. You can take a leisurely stroll along the massive grounds and simply enjoy the trees and evergreens (we had amazing weather for late December), and then go through the 7 glasshouses which house an amazing array of plants. I just wish the The Victoria Waterlily House was open, unfortunately it was under restoration. It was a treat to see the glasshouses themselves, a true piece of architectural and horticultural history, they were simply beautiful, and they are really extensively planted. Simply go and enjoy.
Written January 15, 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.
SBCamb
Cambridge69 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
What a gem, even in January
Jan 2020
The weather might be cold and dull on the outside but it’s warm, tropical and colourful on the inside. Set in immaculate and beautiful grounds, the multiple glasshouses tower above In Victorian splendour. What a beautiful place to enjoy an hour or two. There’s a little Wren singing its heart out in one of the houses, amid the highly scented Jasmine. Good Cafe to round it off. Great value - Free entry to gardens, must be unique!
Written January 30, 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.
kay f
Dublin, Ireland13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
A Definite gem
Nov 2021
In the spirit of openness, I am not a tourist when it comes to The Botanics but a regular visitor. My favourite time of the year is October during the Sculpture in Context’ season. There is a lovely Winter Rose Garden . The greenhouses are elegant and beautiful. The gardens are inviting with plenty of open spaces for children to run around. There is an exhibition space upstairs in the same building as the cafe. The food is great. The displays change. And it’s all free. It’s a haven of peace and beauty in the bustle of Dublin.
Written November 21, 2021
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.
Mark F
Dublin, Ireland46 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Free Oasis
Feb 2020
While not as big as some botanical gardens around the world, Dublin's is a unique asset to the capital. It doesn't cost a cent to go in, has multiple impressive Victorian glasshouses (not unlike Kew Gardens), countless trees, centuries-old round tower views (O'Connell Tower, which is accessible to all and has panoramic views), the Tolka River runs through it, and there's a shop and canteen. Me and the Plus One have been here on our own and with pals and it's sublime no matter the season. Though prob better when there's some colour.
Written February 22, 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.
Susieq965
Dublin, Ireland142 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Beautiful walk
Jan 2023 • Couples
Lovely place to walk around. The greenhouse’s are amazing. The amount of squirrels in and out of the trees are fabulous, not frighten of visitors at all.
Cafe on site but tables to sit are very scarce, better off getting a take away coffee and drinking it on your ramblings thru the gardens. We went in January so not much colour in the flowers so will be back again ( with nuts for squirrels) in late spring
Written February 5, 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.
Bridget W
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Get the free tour- you won't regret it!
Oct 2021
Such beautiful gardens with too much to explore all in one day. That's why i would highly recommend getting the free tour. Our tour guide Melissa was a delight, she treated us to a snapshot of the gardens history and picked out some plants and areas of particular interest which she paired with fascinating stories about their origins. She really went above and beyond to make it a fab tour for me, my sister and granny, tailoring it to what we were interested in. I will definitely be coming back as the gardens are always changing and the work that they do is amazing!
Written October 27, 2021
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.
Inspiration52984
Dublin, Ireland40 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Bank Holiday Monday Trip
Aug 2023 • Solo
Amazing gardens and a fabulous place to walk around and ground yourself in nature even though you are in the city. Lots of space and very family friendly. Gardens are a credit to the caretakers. Def recommend a visit in rain or shine. Car park gets really busy on a Saturday and Sunday in the good weather so recommend going by public transport if you can.
Written August 12, 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.
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National Botanic Gardens - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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