San Diego Botanic Garden

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What visitors say

• german bejarano★★★★★

  I enjoyed my visit to the San Diego Botanic Garden and spent about 2–2.5 hours wandering around. It wasn't crowded when I went on a Wednesday, so it made for a nice relaxing morning. One of my favorite parts was seeing the wildlife. I spotted several birds, squirrels, and even a turtle hanging out in one of the lily ponds. The gardens themselves have a nice variety of landscapes, with sections featuring desert succulents, Australian and New Zealand plants, South African plants, native species, and more. It felt like there was always something different around the next corner. The greenhouse was probably a little underwhelming. It seemed a bit sparse, with several duplicate plants. I also noticed a handful of areas that looked like they could use some maintenance, along with a fair number of dead or struggling plants. If you're driving, parking looked plentiful. I took the Coaster to Encinitas and then the bus; I then walked to the garden, which was doable but ended up being around a 2-mile round trip just to reach the garden and get back. Unless you really enjoy walking, I'd probably recommend another way of getting there. One thing I agree with other reviewers on is that it's really more of an Encinitas attraction than a San Diego one, since it's a fair distance from downtown. That said, I still think it's worth the trip if you're looking for a peaceful place to spend a couple of hours. The gazebo lawn and nearby waterfall were especially nice spots to sit and relax.

  2 months ago

• Tyler Burns★★★★★

  Really nice botanical garden. Cant beat it for the price. The bamboo section and tropical forest waterfall were my favorite. I expected just a little bit more variety. Places like the native plants and people section were a bit run down. But overall a lovely afternoon stroll.

  2 months ago

• Wandering in Paradise★★★★★

  Amazing time at the holiday light show at the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas! All the trees and plants were decorated beautifully with intricate designs. The music works great accompanying. It is a mile 1-way walking tour with separate paths without stairs and less steep. The staff coordination for the event was impeccable. The parking situation flowed very smoothly and everything was made clear throughout. Everyone was super sweet, and there’s food and drinks (including alcohol) throughout the tour with many nice break areas. Buy tickets online before you go. Recommend!

  8 months ago

• Vee H★★★★★

  Such a lovely botanical garden. It is mostly outdoor with limited shade so be sure to bring a hat or umbrella/sunblock. Easy to walk along path. Some up and downhill but but steep. The conservatory was beautiful. Parking lots is not very big. It is free parking. The drive is quite a ways from San Diego considering traffic.

  5 months ago

• Kevin Kaehms★★★★★

  Nice little park like garden with a wide range of plants from all over. The tropical areas were very impressive with a waterfall and several small ponds. We were disappointed the orchid greenhouse was closed, would have loved to see that. Be ready for a bit of a hike, there's a greater elevation change than you would expect. It ended up being too much for my late 70's mother who stayed down at the treehouse.

  3 months ago

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