The Utrecht Botanic Gardens takes pride in being one of the largest botanical gardens in The Netherlands. It is a home to more than 10,000 plants, this park is spread across 10000 square metres. It was constructed in the late 1980s and is located in the Fort Hoofddijk in the city of Utrecht. Dating back to the 17th century, the Utrecht Botanical Gardens is located within the premises of the Utrecht University.
This garden was first dedicated for housing medicinal plants in the 1600s. Ever since then, the garden evolved and a lot of other units of the garden were installed. Although it is a part of the Utrecht University, this park is open to the public and you can check it out at any time of the year.
Highlights
• Take a guided tour and explore the Utrecht Botanical Gardens to learn about the different types of plants, collected from all over the world.
• Spend time with your near and dear ones by enjoying a picnic amidst the scenic Utrecht Botanical Gardens.
• Learn more about the honey production and how bees live in the Insect Meadow and Bee Hotel.
• Explore the various sections of the garden like the Rock Garden, Tropical Greenhouse, Butterfly House, Evolution Garden and North American Woodland Garden.
• Unwind in the Garden Cafe and try out the different beverages, ranging from coffee to tea and soup of the day.
How To Reach
- By Car: Utrecht Botanic Gardens is 4.7 kilometres away from the city centre of Utrecht. To reach, you will have to travel for up to 12 minutes by taking the LF4 Midden road.
- By Bus: Take bus number 28 from CS Centrumzijde station and get down at Botanische Tuinen station. From this station, the Utrecht Botanic Gardens is located 350 metres away and will take 4 minutes to reach by foot.
Best Time To Visit
Utrecht Botanical Gardens is open throughout the year, so you can plan your visit to this place at any time of the year.
- The best season is the spring season as this is the time when the flowers bloom.
- The best day in the week will be the weekdays due to less crowds regardless of any time of the year.
- The best time of the day to visit the Utrecht Botanical Gardens will be in the morning due to less crowds and a favourable temperature.
Other Essential Information
Visitor's Tips
- Visitors aged 4 years and below can enter the botanical gardens for free, so plan your visit accordingly.
- People accompanying a visitor in a wheelchair can visit the park free of charge.
- If you have a physical museum card, you can enter the botanical garden for free.
- Tickets are available online, so it is recommended to book them well in advance for a guaranteed entry into the park.
- If you are planning to celebrate any of your occasions, make sure you book the venue at least three weeks in advance.
- Visitors are requested not to pick fruits, seeds and plants, so please be mindful of your actions.
Explore the tropical greenhouse
The greenhouse is a place dedicated to plants from the northern part of South America. Here, you can find plants like tropical climbers, cacao, papaya and even liana. In this greenhouse the temperature is constantly monitored and it is usually around 21 degrees celsius. There is also a constant check on the humidity levels too and it is around 95 percent at night and 55 percent during the day.
Tour the different sections of the garden
The botanical garden comes with varied gardens, each having its own characteristics. For example, there is the Birders Den, which houses some robins. You can head to the North American Woodland Garden for the trees native to boreal forests of Canada. There is also the Bamboo Bush for the Japanese and Chinese plants. For a better experience, do not miss out on the Arboretum Park, which is a part of the Utrecht Science Park.
Visit the rock garden
The rock garden is one of the primary attractions you will see once you enter the botanical garden.This garden takes pride in being one of the largest of its kind and also has a height of up to 12 metres. For the construction of this garden, rocks had to be brought in from Ardennes. Being a rock garden, you can find plant species that grow on rocky areas, like double flowers and primrose plants.
Walk around the bee meadow
Alternatively known as the insect meadow and bee motel, this is a place made favourable for all types of insects and grass snakes. Here, you can find insects like dragonflies, butterflies, frogs and bees. There is also a place for bees to thrive, so a lot of bees that do not have any colonies can also live here. If you are planning to buy honey, then this is your go to place as it is made from the bees residing in this meadow.
Eat in the Garden Cafe
The Garden Cafe is located at the entrance of the garden and it features a cosy atmosphere. The cafe can accommodate 35 people at a time and also comes with a terrace that you can access if the weather is fine. Some of the popular beverages here include coffee and tea, but you can also try out the soup of the day, if you are looking for something unique.
