GardenClosed December 25

VanDusen Botanical Garden

#10of 10 places to visit in VancouverVancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Also known as VanDusen Garden

Quick answer

Opening hours: 09:00–17:00. Entry: CA$15.81. Allow 2 hrs. Best time: Weekday mornings.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Stan Shebs / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Opening hours: 09:00–17:00; Hours move through the year: 09:00 - 17:00 in early autumn and March, 10:00 - 14:00 from November to February, 09:00 - 18:00 in May and 09:00 - 19:00 in midsummer. Last entry 30 minutes before closing. Closed 25 December.
Entry fee: CA$15.81; Ticket from
Time needed: 2 hrs
Best time of day: Weekday mornings
Best months: May – Sep
Address: 5151 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6M 4H1, Canada

About VanDusen Botanical Garden

VanDusen Botanical Garden charges CAD 15.81 for adults from April to October, plus GST, as of 2026, and covers 22 hectares at 5151 Oak Street. The garden opened in 1975 on the former Shaughnessy Golf Course, and it holds more than 7,500 plant species in over 60 themed gardens, per a 2026 visitor guide. Yew hedges, ponds, lawns and mature conifers run through the site, and the season changes from rhododendrons in May to autumn colour in October.

Best time of day: Weekday mornings. May and June for rhododendrons, peonies and roses.

VanDusen Botanical Garden timings

VanDusen Botanical Garden opens at 09:00 and closes at 17:00. It keeps the same hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Opening hours: 09:00–17:00; Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00; Hours move through the year: 09:00 - 17:00 in early autumn and March, 10:00 - 14:00 from November to February, 09:00 - 18:00 in May and 09:00 - 19:00 in midsummer. Last entry 30 minutes before closing. Closed 25 December.
Closed on: December 25

Mon–Sun	09:00–17:00

Good to know: The winter Festival of Lights runs from late November to early January and is ticketed separately; verify dates and prices at the official site.

Opening hours compiled from vandusengarden.org and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

VanDusen Botanical Garden ticket price

Entry fees for VanDusen Botanical Garden
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	CA$15.81
Concession (student / senior)	CA$12.65
Children	CA$7.90

VanDusen Botanical Garden adult (19-64) admission is CAD 15.81 from April to October, as of 2026, with seniors (65+) CAD 12.65, youth (13-18) CAD 11.05 and children (5-12) CAD 7.90; children 4 and under are free. Prices exclude GST. From January to March and November to December, adult admission is CAD 11.19. A 2026 search snippet quoted CAD 13.85 online, so verify at vandusengarden.org. Bloedel Conservatory at Queen Elizabeth Park is ticketed separately (adult CAD 9.50 excluding tax).

Prices compiled from vandusengarden.org and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit VanDusen Botanical Garden

Quiet
Moderate
Busy

Opening - 11:00
MorningBest time to go
VanDusen Botanical Garden is quiet on weekday mornings, with birdsong and empty paths.
Quiet
11:00 - 15:00
Midday
Garden visitors and school groups spread across the site, and the maze can have a short queue in May.
Moderate
15:00 - closing
Late Afternoon
VanDusen Botanical Garden thins toward closing, and last entry is 30 minutes earlier.
Quiet
May - June
Bloom Season
Rhododendrons, peonies and roses draw larger crowds on weekends, so arrive early.
Busy

History of VanDusen Botanical Garden

VanDusen Botanical Garden opened in 1975 on the site of the former Shaughnessy Golf Course, in the residential south of Vancouver. The 22-hectare garden is now managed by the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, with the VanDusen Botanical Garden Association.

VanDusen Botanical Garden holds more than 7,500 plant species arranged across over 60 themed gardens, per a 2026 guide, including the Sino-Himalayan Garden, which shows plants from the mountains of south-western China and the Himalayas. The Elizabethan Hedge Maze, planted in 1981 with about 2,500 English yew bushes, takes about 15 minutes to solve.

VanDusen Botanical Garden runs a Festival of Lights from late November to early January, when more than 1.5 million LED lights are strung through the site. The garden's Bloedel Conservatory, a domed glass conservatory at Queen Elizabeth Park, is a separate site with its own ticket.

Rules & etiquette at VanDusen Botanical Garden

VanDusen Botanical Garden sells tickets online through ShowPass per a 2026 listing, and admission prices exclude GST, so the final cost is slightly higher than the listed price. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing, so late arrivals may be turned away.

VanDusen Botanical Garden asks visitors to stay on paths and not pick flowers, take cuttings or step into beds. Picnic and dog rules follow the garden's posted policy, and the official page did not list them when checked, so ask at the entrance.

VanDusen Botanical Garden's paths are mostly gravel and boardwalk, with some slopes, and rain makes boardwalks slick. Group visits of 10 or more paid tickets receive a 10 percent discount.

Tips for visiting VanDusen Botanical Garden

1
VanDusen Botanical Garden is best in May and June for rhododendrons, peonies and roses, and in mid to late October for autumn colour. Visit on a weekday morning for quiet paths, and allow about two hours to see the main gardens and the maze.
2
VanDusen Botanical Garden is reached by bus 17 Oak, or by the Canada Line to Oakridge-41st Avenue Station and a 15-minute walk. A TransLink adult 1-zone fare is CAD 2.85 with Compass from 1 July 2026, and street parking nearby is limited.
3
VanDusen Botanical Garden's Festival of Lights runs from late November to early January, and its hours are shorter from November to February, with closing at 14:00, so a winter daytime visit is brief. Combine a visit with Queen Elizabeth Park and the Bloedel Conservatory, about 2.5 km east, for a half-day of gardens.

How to reach VanDusen Botanical Garden

The red star is VanDusen Botanical Garden; the numbered pins are the 7 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

5151 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC V6M 4H1, CanadaDirections in Google Maps

From Oakridge-41st Avenue Station (Canada Line)
1.5 km · 15 min
Free on foot
From Downtown Vancouver (Granville and Georgia)
9 km · 30-35 min
CAD 2.85 (TransLink adult 1-zone Compass stored value, from 1 July 2026; 2-zone CAD 4.20)
From Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
9 km · 25-35 min
CAD 6.50 YVR AddFare plus the zone fare, from 1 July 2026 (verify current total at translink.ca)

Nearest airport

From Vancouver International Airport (YVR), about 9 km.

Nearest station

From Oakridge-41st Avenue Station (Canada Line), about 1.5 km, a 15-minute walk; bus 17 Oak runs along the garden's edge.

VanDusen Botanical Garden FAQs

How much is VanDusen Botanical Garden admission?

VanDusen Botanical Garden adult admission is CAD 15.81 plus GST from April to October, as of 2026. Seniors pay CAD 12.65, children (5-12) pay CAD 7.90, and children 4 and under are free.

What are VanDusen Botanical Garden's opening hours?

VanDusen Botanical Garden is open 09:00 to 17:00 from September 8 to October 31, and 10:00 to 14:00 in November and December. It is closed on December 25, and last entry is 30 minutes before closing.

How do I get to VanDusen Botanical Garden?

Take bus 17 Oak, or the Canada Line to Oakridge-41st Avenue Station and walk about 15 minutes. A TransLink adult 1-zone fare is CAD 2.85 with Compass from 1 July 2026.

When is VanDusen Botanical Garden at its best?

VanDusen Botanical Garden is at its best in May and June, when rhododendrons, peonies and roses bloom. October brings autumn colour, and the Festival of Lights runs from late November.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places