Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne has landed on the New York Times list of must-visit cities for 2026.
Melbourne’s beloved green space has been singled out as a top attraction in the prestigious international travel guide, putting the 180-year-old gardens on the global tourism map. Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne continues to draw crowds with its stunning landscapes, cultural events and free entry that’s made it a local favourite for almost two centuries.
Almost two million people visited Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne last year, with the gardens attracting both interstate and overseas visitors alongside Melburnians who’ve been coming here for generations.
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
- Where: Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne
- When: Open daily, 7.30am–7.30pm (spring/summer), 7.30am–5.30pm (autumn/winter)
- Cost: Free entry
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Highlights worth checking out include the Perennial Border with its rainbow-coloured floral display, the Arid Garden showcasing over 3,000 cacti and succulents, and Fern Gully, which stays around four degrees cooler than the rest of the gardens during summer; a godsend on those scorching Melbourne days.
Food lovers will appreciate the recently opened Observatory, a new all-day dining venue that reflects Melbourne’s iconic food and coffee culture. It joins the popular lakeside brunch spot The Terrace, overlooking Ornamental Lake at the opposite end of the gardens.
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne extends over 38 hectares and houses a collection of more than 8,500 species of plants from around the world. Collections include camellias, rainforest flora, cacti and succulents, roses, Californian species, herbs, perennials, cycads, plants from Southern China and the Rare and Threatened Species Collection featuring plants from south-eastern Australia.
Other Melbourne icons recognised by the New York Times included the Australian Grand Prix, Queen Victoria Market and the Great Ocean Road.
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria plays a leading role in the conservation of plants through biodiversity research, programs to protect rare and threatened plants, and the study of habitats. This work is supported by education and visitor programs about the importance of plants to life, with the organisation encompassing two diverse sites at Melbourne and Cranbourne, plus the State Botanical Collection housed at the National Herbarium of Victoria.
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