We just LOVE exploring Sydney’s many beautiful gardens with our little ones. There is something so very magical about our lush landscapes that makes them the perfect setting for imaginative play and a bit of nature loving!

Sydney's Best Botanic Gardens for Kids

Looking for the perfect family day out in Sydney? Botanic gardens are more than just beautiful green spaces - they’re living classrooms, playgrounds, and picnic spots rolled into one.

Whether the drawcard is a fabulous onsite cafe, playground, bird watching, waterfalls, bike trails or a scenic view, these are our favourite gardens that are sure to delight the whole family.

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Mrs Macquarie’s Road, Sydney. Open daily. Free entry.

The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is the perfect place for parents and bubs to picnic, lie back and watch the light dance through the foliage, or pound the pavement with the pram for some exercise in magnificent surroundings. Children will love roaming the fairyland-like surrounds, and as it rambles over 30 hectares, even the most active kids will have plenty of space to explore. They also run some great school holiday activities that are well worth checking out!

Wendy Whiteley’s Secret Garden

Access via through Clark Park, off Lavender St, Lavender Bay. Open daily. Free entry.

Wendy’s Garden is a magical place and truly one of Sydney’s hidden treasures. The surprisingly large garden is lush and green and has amazing harbour views. It's hard to believe that in the ’90s, this was a derelict rubbish heap! Nowadays it's a real oasis and possibly the best picnic spot in Sydney. Wendy, who transformed this space all by herself, said “Children love this garden. It sparks their imagination and they make up games and find spiders and fairies and things.” 

Auburn Botanic Gardens

Corner of Chisholm and Chiswick Roads, Auburn. Open daily. A family ticket (2 adults + 2 children) is $19.40. Auburn residents free entry.

Tucked away in Sydney’s Western suburbs, the Auburn Botanic Gardens are made up of 9 different parks and full of natural beauty. The highlight for the kids is the animals - you’ll see peacocks, swans and if you visit on weekends between 10 am and 2 pm, you can watch the Fauna Keeper feed the Swamp Wallabies, Red-Necked Wallabies, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Emus and Wombats. It’s most famous for its Japanese Garden, especially when the pink cherry blossoms are in bloom from mid-August to early September. 

Paddington Reservoir Gardens

251–255 Oxford Street, Paddington. Open every day. Free entry. 

This could be Sydney's smallest, but most historic botanic garden, located below the bustling Oxford Street in Paddington. Paddington Reservoir Gardens is a heritage-listed urban park that some say is reminiscent of the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Originally constructed in 1864 as part of Sydney’s third water supply system, it was restored and re-opened in 2009 as a sunken botanic garden with a rooftop park. This charming garden is perfect for a game of hide and seek with the kids! 

Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden

Mona Vale Road, St Ives. Open 9am-4pm on weekdays, 10am-4pm on weekends and public holidays. Free entry. 

Nestled in the leafy suburb of St Ives on Sydney’s Upper North Shore, Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden spans a vast 123 hectares of predominantly untouched sandstone bushland, right next to to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. The garden has short, easy tracks (like the Senses Track) where kids can explore without tackling a full bushwalk. Your little ones can spot turtles, frogs, insects, and wallabies, plus there's even a waterfall! And, as the name suggests, you'll find an abundance of wildflowers and these displays change through the year, so there’s always something new to see. If you have more time in the Ku-ring-gai area, check out the nearby Bobbin Head Nature Playground, a fully fenced playground the kids will love that showcases the natural beauty of the area.

The Chinese Garden of Friendship

Darling Harbour. Open daily from 9.30 am to 5pm excluding Good Friday and Christmas Day. Family pass (2 adults + 2 children): $30.

The Chinese Garden Of Friendship is the perfect place for parents and bubs to relax on a picnic blanket - the peaceful environment really does seem to soothe the little ones. Toddlers, pre-schoolers and older children will love exploring the garden’s twists and turns and discovering hidden waterfalls and ponds full of fish. Have a cup of Jasmine tea at the traditional Teahouse, get a photo taken in traditional Chinese dress, or watch the fish-feeding sessions!

Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens

Bells Line of Road via Bilpin, Mount Tomah. Open every day but Christmas. Free entry.

The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah is a great place to spend some quality family time away from the distractions of the city, and a sister-garden to the Sydney Botanic Gardens. There are adventures galore for kids here, from self-guided tours to a ramble around the children’s garden, and they all involve nothing but your child’s own imagination! There are different events on during the year with specific gardens blooming in different seasons. Check out Bog Gardens, the unique wetlands habitat, daffodils in the Brunet Meadow, and walk through the treetops on the Forest Lookout Boardwalk to see Sydney, Parramatta, and the stunning wilderness of the Blue Mountains all at once.

Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan

Narrellan Road, Mount Annan. Open every day of the year. Free entry.

With about 2,000 kinds of plants, on over 416 hectares of lakes and rolling hills, the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan is the perfect place for adventure and exploration. Book a picnic shelter, bird watch at Lake Nadungamba, enjoy the playground, eat at the restaurant, bike ride on the 20km of paths, or just lie on your back and enjoy the serenity.

More Places To Explore In Sydney

SShhh! Secret Gardens in Sydney
Six Of The Best Waterfalls Near Sydney
Secret Beaches in Sydney

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