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Free entry

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Edinburgh
Courtesy of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

ENTRY

Free

WHERE

Edinburgh

What it’s like

Free to wander, with acres of garden paths and glasshouses to explore without spending a penny on entry.

Getting in costs nothing, which makes this an easy one to say yes to on a random Tuesday. There's no set route, just paths through the grounds to wander at whatever pace your kids set, and the glasshouses to duck into if the sky's doing something unhelpful. The Palm Houses reopened in October 2024 after restoration, though access is limited to the Palm Houses themselves for now rather than the full glasshouse range.

Hours shift with the seasons, so it's worth knowing you get more daylight to play with between February and October (10am to 5pm) than you do in December, when it shuts at 3.30pm. That's a short window if you're planning a proper afternoon session in midwinter. It's closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, so don't turn up expecting a festive stroll.

There's a café and a gift shop on site, and toilets. Parking is metered on-street near the West Gate on Arboretum Place, with Blue Badge spaces there too, which is handy but not free, so factor that into the day. The whole site is wheelchair accessible, which also means buggies should have an easy time of it on the main paths.

There's no booking link for a general visit, so this is a turn-up-and-wander sort of place rather than one you need to plan around a time slot. That suits families who like to keep their options open, less so if you need everything locked in ahead of time.

What’s on here

Facilities

Blue badge parking
Café
Gift shop
Toilets
Wheelchair accessible

Need to know

Parking
Metered on-street parking near West Gate on Arboretum Place
Wheelchairs
All event spaces wheelchair accessible
  • Parking near the West Gate on Arboretum Place is metered, not free.
  • The Palm Houses reopened in October 2024 but access is limited to just the Palm Houses for now.
  • It shuts earlier in winter, as early as 3.30pm in December.
  • Closed on 25 December and 1 January.

Plan your visit

How much does it cost to get in?

Nothing, entry to the garden is free.

Do we need to book ahead?

There's no booking link for a general visit, so you can just turn up.

What are the opening hours?

10am to 5pm from February to October, 10am to 4pm in November and January, and 10am to 3.30pm in December.

Is it accessible with a buggy or wheelchair?

All the spaces are wheelchair accessible, and there's Blue Badge parking on Arboretum Place.

Is there anywhere to get food?

There's a café on site, plus a gift shop and toilets.

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