Parks & gardens

Shepstone Gardens, Johannesburg

Shepstone Gardens is a tranquil green haven in the heart of old Johannesburg. more
Emmarentia Dam, Johannesburg

Emmarentia Dam is where you can watch an open-air music concert, paddle around in a canoe, try your hand at sailing, or simply have a peaceful stroll along the banks. more
Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, Johannesburg

For a great escape from the bustle of Johannesburg without having to venture too far, head to the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens. more
KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Gardens

At the KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Gardens in Pietermaritzburg, you can see plants indigenous to the province, including many traditional medicinal plants, and enjoy biodiversity walks and birding. more

More about Parks & gardens

South Africa's botanical gardens

It's not just an enormous variety of plants that you will see when visiting the botanical gardens of South Africa, but many birds, mammals and reptiles too. more

Pretoria Botanical Gardens

The Pretoria Botanical Gardens are an urban oasis, housing hundreds of tree, plant, bird and mammal species in the heart of the capital city. more

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town

Bio-diversity is the key at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, one of the natural treasures of Cape Town and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. more

1Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Western Cape

Part of the Cape Floral Kingdom World Heritage site, this world-renowned garden grows only indigenous South African plants and is one of 18 biodiversity hotspots on the planet.

2Free State National Botanical Garden, Free State

Just outside Bloemfontein, the botanical garden consists of woodlands and grasslands dominated by wild olive and karee trees.

3Harold Porter Botanical Garden, Western Cape

This garden is found in Betty’s Bay in the very heart of the Cape’s fynbos region, some 100 km from Cape Town.

4Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden, Western Cape

This garden in the town of Worcester is unique as it is the only truly succulent garden on the African continent.

5KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden, Pietermaritzburg

This garden specialises in the conservation of plants from the eastern grasslands region of South Africa. Take a walk down Plane tree avenue, planted in 1908.

6Lowveld National Botanical Garden, Mpumalanga

Explore various types of African Rain Forests, and see 600 of South Africa’s 1000 tree species in this lovely garden situated in Nelspruit, not too far from the Kruger National Park

7Nieuwoudtville National Botanical Garden, Northern Cape

Described as the ‘bulb capital of the world’, this 6300 km garden on the Bokkeveld plateau is a biodiversity hotspot, and conserves endemic and threatened species.

8Pretoria National Botanical Garden, Gauteng

Close to the city centre, this botanical garden, founded in 1946, offers a glimpse into a variety of indigenous biomes - savannah, forest and fynbos. There is a special collection of medicinal plants and the birdlife is fantastic.

9Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, Gauteng

Set against the backdrop of a magnificent waterfall, this garden is known for its musical concerts, walks, succulent plants and its pair of nesting Verreaux eagles.

10Botanic Gardens, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

These are the longest surviving botanic gardens in the country. Visit the orchid, cycad and bromeliad house, and there is a trail for sight-impaired visitors.