The 15 Best Botanical Garden Tours in the USA

1.Princeville Botanical Gardens Tour and Chocolate Tasting Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 774 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $126Our pick

Walk Princeville Botanical Gardens with guides such as Troy, Lauren, Zoe, or Heidi, tasting tropical fruit, honey, cacao nibs, and at least five single-origin chocolates. Expect stairs, hills, loose gravel, and rain-or-shine conditions. Walking sticks, umbrellas, and bug spray are provided.

“The garden was beautiful, our guide equal parts informative and entertaining. Highly recommend. But use insect repellent. My daughter spent the next day in bed with cortisone cream treating over 30 mosquito bites.”

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2.Big Island Waterfalls Tour with Swimming and Botanical Garden

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 513 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $297

Spend about 10 hours crossing the Big Island from Kona or Kohala to Waipio Valley, Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. The highlight is a swim beneath 120-foot Kulaniapia Falls when conditions allow. Guides such as Derek, Dreu, and Stephen add island stories along the way.

“A great way to see a big part of the Island. Highligts were the botanical guarden and a fantastic swim in a waterfall. Our guide Dreu was fun, knowledgeable and entertaining and told os facts and stories about the island, which made the longer rides feel much shorter.”

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3.NYC: New York Botanical Garden Pass

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 359 reviews · from $35

Spend a full day at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, just 20 minutes from Grand Central by Metro-North. Your All-Garden Pass covers 250 acres, 50 gardens, the Haupt Conservatory, tram tour, Mertz Library Building, and seasonal exhibitions such as Van Gogh’s Flowers.

“Buying tickets via GYG is highly recommended. Got a steep discount compared to the official website for NYBG.”

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4.General Admission to Denver Botanic Gardens Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 312 reviews · 1 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $16

Spend 1 to 3 hours at Denver Botanic Gardens’ 24-acre York Street site. Walk through Colorado-native, Asian, Patagonian, African, and tropical plantings, visit the seasonal children’s garden, enjoy art and films, and stop at a café. Mobile admission costs $16.50.

“The place in so beautiful ,clean and very attractive i love ❤️ it . I really recommend to everyone can enjoy this nature.”

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5.Byodo In Temple, Waimea Botanical Garden-Waterfall: Includes Fees

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 291 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $164

Spend about 8.5 hours circling Oahu with Captain Vince or Justin, traveling by air-conditioned vehicle with Wi-Fi. Visit Byodo-In Temple and Waimea Valley, swim beneath a waterfall, see coastal lookouts, sample local treats, and learn Hawaiian history and phrases along the way.

“Amazing and full day! Captain Vince was so informative, safe, yet so much fun. Each activity and stop was amazing (especially swimming in the waterfall, but please understand sometimes the waterfall is closed if there has not been enough rain which is out of Vince’s control). If we were not able to swim we still would have had a great time. We noticed at each and every stop, captain Vince knew at least one staff member and they were all very happy to see him at each stop which was great to see. Amazing tour with amazing stops and I would recommend this tour and company to anyone traveling to…”

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6.Denver Botanic Gardens General Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 95 reviews · from $16

Spend a full day at Denver Botanic Gardens at York Street, where 24 acres combine global plant collections, high-altitude gardening, modern design, art, science, and the Mordecai Children’s Garden. The Freyer - Newman Center adds galleries, a library, classrooms, herbaria, and a coffee shop.

“I liked all of the unique things that they had in their, from the plants to the flowers. It was very well maintained and the staff were very helpful. Would recommend!!”

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7.All-Garden Pass for the New York Botanical Garden

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 59 reviews · 2 to 3 hours (approx.) · from $35

Spend 2 to 3 hours exploring the New York Botanical Garden with daytime access to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, Tram Tour, outdoor collections, old-growth forest, and Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Seasonal events such as the Orchid Show and Holiday Train Show may add extra appeal.

“I visited the Botanical Garden with my best friend for her birthday, and it was such a lovely experience. The Orchid Show was the highlight of our exploration, but the rest of the garden doesn't fall far behind. This massive plot of land is such a delight to have in the Bronx. We will certainly be back!”

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8.Desert Botanical Garden: Peaceful, All Inclusive Walking Tour PHX

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $125

Walk the Desert offers a private, slow-paced tour of Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Garden, usually led by local guide Allie. Expect Sonoran plants, wildlife, Indigenous and Western history, photo stops, bottled water, optional cactus candy, and admission valid for the rest of the day.

“I enjoyed this tour with Allie! She was very knowledgeable about plant life and the local environment. I learned so much during this tour. The hike to Hole in the Rock was the best part! Allie was so patient and kind. Five stars, well deserved!”

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9.Byodo Temple and Waimea Botanical Garden Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $164

Spend about eight hours circling Oahu in an air-conditioned vehicle with Captain Vince, Justin, or another local guide. Visit Byodo-In Temple, Waimea Valley, Diamond Head, coastal viewpoints, Dole Plantation, and more. Pickup is offered from Waikiki hotels, with a maximum of 14 people.

“I had a great time in this tour with Captain Vince. He provided a lot of information. I learned a lot of Hawaiian words, history. Great little places to eat. Best pineapple stand from a local seller!”

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10.Oahu: Guided Tour of North Shore and Waimea Botanical Garden

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 32 reviews · 9 hours · from $145

Spend nine hours seeing Oahu’s East End and North Shore, walking through Waimea Botanical Garden, and possibly swimming beneath its waterfall. Your English-speaking guide handles the driving, with past tours led by Ray, Ian, Paul, and Kurt. Lunch costs extra, and waterfall swimming depends on weather.

“It was totally worth it! Check out guides Kurt and Eric! They rock! They give you the “extras” and they are great!”

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11.Big Island: Waterfall Tour with Swimming & Botanical Garden

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 24 reviews · 10 hours · from $297

Join a small group of up to 13 for a full-day Big Island nature tour with hotel pickup, lunch, and an English-speaking guide. Visit Waipio Valley, Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve, then swim beneath Kulaniapia Falls before crossing Saddle Road.

“Dreu was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable and actually kept my 17 year old granddaughter’s attention. The day after our trip says we were driving she was pointing out things that he talked about and repeated information on the sugar cane history of Hawaii. She barely pays attention to anything so kudos to him!”

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12.Houston: Houston Botanic Garden Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 20 reviews · 1 day · from $12Best value

Visit Houston Botanic Garden near downtown and explore global plant collections, Pine Grove, the Culinary Garden, and the Susan Garver Family Discovery Garden. Your $12 ticket is valid for one day, with English assistance, wheelchair access, and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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13.Oahu Hidden Gems & Waimea Botanical Garden/Waterfall tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 15 reviews · 8 hours · from $184

Spend eight hours touring Oahu with a local English-speaking guide, stopping at Pali Lookout, Halona Blow Hole, Dole Plantation, the North Shore, and Waimea Valley. You can swim beneath the waterfall, wear a provided life jacket, and buy lunch at a Hawaiian-owned restaurant.

“Bus turned up an hour late when we were about to leave. The entire day felt extremely rushed. Some stops 5 or 10 minutes only. Too long a line at the Dole plantation to line up and enjoy an ice cream as no time. We were on left side of an old cramped minibus with inadequate air con. All the views and sights which we drove past were on the right side. Legs cramped over the wheel arch and very bumpy. Very disappointed and wouldn’t recommend at all.”

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14.San Antonio: Botanical Garden Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 14 reviews · 1 day · from $18

Spend a full day at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, a 38-acre living museum with formal gardens, native Texas plants, 35 rare and endangered species, cultural programs, and peaceful places to rest. General admission includes every garden area, with limited free parking near the entrance.

“It was all closed up. No exhibits were open. And like one other person was there feel like they weren’t supposed to let us in. Had to ask for a refund.”

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15.Santa Fe Botanical Garden General Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 11 reviews · 1 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $18

Spend one to eight hours at Santa Fe Botanical Garden, where walking trails link an orchard, native Piñon Juniper Woodland, ethnobotanical displays, seasonal flowers, and contemporary sculpture. You get garden admission and parking, with a mobile ticket in English.

“Compact and beautiful. Great selection of native plants very well laid out.. read a review here where someone complained that in the summer there was no collar. There was a riot color in August.”

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