The Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens in the World

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Gethin Morgan

Content Editor

The serenity of a great botanical garden, prettily designed and full of exotic plants, can be an oasis of calm amid the hustle and bustle of a city, or simply a place to pause from high-energy adventures. From Sri Lanka to Brazil and beyond, these are the most beautiful botanical gardens you can visit with Culture Trip.

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Vivid blue building and garden of cacti and exotic plants in Majorelle Garden, Marrakech, Morocco

Jardin Majorelle – Epic Morocco

The tightly packed streets of old Marrakech are hardly synonymous with greenery, but tucked away a little outside the old medina is this striking botanical landscape garden. The site was created by noted French Orientalist artist Jacques Majorelle over a 40-year period starting in 1923. It’s a pretty small space, about one hectare (or two acres), centred around a charming bright blue cubist villa designed by Fresh architect Paul Sinoir. The gardens are embellished with cacti, sculptures and fountains, as well as around 15 endemic North African bird species. Indoors, meanwhile, is the Berber Museum and a selection of Majorelle’s own paintings. You’ll have a free afternoon in the city on the last full day of our 11-day Morocco tour, and we can’t think of a better place to reflect on the adventure of a lifetime.

From US$2029.3

Next available from 24th May 2025

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Casablanca, Morocco

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ENDS AT

Marrakech, Morocco

DURATION

11

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

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STYLE

Discovery

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Royal Botanic Gardens in Peradeniyam, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Kandy Botanical Gardens – Secrets of Sri Lanka by Train

The island nation of Sri Lanka is not short of luscious greenery, be it mountainous forests or rolling tea plantations, which you’ll carve through via scenic train rides on this 10-day Rail Trip. One of our key stops is the central city of Kandy, where you’ll be able to join an optional visit to Kandy Botanical Gardens, which lie a few kilometres outside the city. Found on the banks of the river Mahaweli, the trees, ferns and tropical gardens of this place have been pruned for over 200 years, with the site itself having a history far older. The walk through makes this place feel more like a park than just a garden, such is the scale of its 61 hectare (150 acres) grounds, situated about 1,550ft (472m) above sea level. Marvel at around 4,000 species, from the lake to the spice garden, cacti house and bamboo collection.

From US$1699.15

Next available from 19th Oct 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Colombo, Sri Lanka

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ENDS AT

Colombo, Sri Lanka

DURATION

10

GROUP SIZE

12

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

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STYLE

Discovery

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Shukkeien Japanese Garden is a beautiful greenspace in the centre of Hiroshima

Japanese Gardens – Japan by Train: The Grand Tour

Japanese Gardens are like a sub-section of the botanical garden, with an unmistakable look representative of classical Japanese design, usually featuring a range of ponds, rocks, cute little bridges and ornamental structures, as well as a diverse range of shrubbery. The gardens are imbued with philosophical and artistic inspirations, elevating the feeling of serenity to a whole new level. You can discover majestic gardens all over Japan, which means you’ll have plenty of chances to discover some on our 12-day Rail Trip. We recommend visiting Shukkei-en garden while we’re in Hiroshima, Ryoan-ji Temple in Kyoto and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo.

From US$3919.2

Next available from 2nd Sep 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Osaka, Japan

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ENDS AT

Tokyo, Japan

DURATION

12

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

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STYLE

Discovery

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