5 Unique Experiences at Vancouver’s Gardens

April 17, 2023
TE
ByTaryn Eyton
4 min read

Vancouver’s gardens are an explosion of colour every spring. But flowers aren’t the only thing to see. You can walk a hedge maze, hang out with tropical birds, experience a tea ceremony, and more.

Tea Ceremony at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is definitely the most picturesque place to drink tea in Vancouver. Book a ticket for a public tea ceremony, held each Thursday and Friday. You will learn about traditional Chinese tea ceremonies from a certified tea sommelier and Chinese tea master. The experience includes trying two different types of tea.

Family at the hedge maze at Van Dusen Botanical Garden. Photo: Tourism Vancouver / Sombilon Studios

Elizabethan Hedge Maze at VanDusen Botanical Garden

Get lost in the Elizabethan Hedge Maze at VanDusen Botanical Garden. Made of 3,000 pyramidal cedars, the maze was planted in 1981. Today the cedars form imposingly high walls. A raised platform outside lets you watch people try to navigate the labyrinth.

VanDusen Garden Hedge maze in Vancouver

Family at the hedge maze at Van Dusen Botanical Garden. Photo: Tourism Vancouver / Sombilon Studios

Tropical Birds at the Bloedel Conservatory

The huge dome of the Bloedel Conservatory at Queen Elizabeth Park is home to over 100 free-flying tropical birds. The former quarry is now an indoor paradise of exotic flowers and plants. Look for macaws, African parrots, exotic finches and Chinese pheasants flitting through the foliage. Some of them even talk!

A tropical bird at the Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver

Family at the hedge maze at Van Dusen Botanical Garden. Photo: Tourism Vancouver / Sombilon Studios

Greenheart TreeWalk at UBC Botanical Garden

Stroll through the forest canopy high above the ground on a series of suspended platforms and bridges at the Greenheart Tree Walk at UBC Botanical Garden. The walkway hangs from 100-year-old Douglas firs, cedars, and grand firs. You can explore at your own pace or book a guided tour to learn more about the forest ecosystem.

People walk on an elevated bridge at the Greenheart Treewalk at the UBC Botanical Garden in Vancouver

Family at the hedge maze at Van Dusen Botanical Garden. Photo: Tourism Vancouver / Sombilon Studios

Traditional Japanese Tea House at Nitobe Memorial Garden

Considered one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan, Nitobe Memorial Garden is gorgeous in spring. The south side of the garden features a traditional tea house, constructed specifically for the Japanese art of tea ceremony. A visit to the tea house is like being transported to Japan since it has traditional wood sliding doors, tatami floor mats, and rice paper panelled walls.

Tea house at Nitobe Memorial Garden in Vancouver

Family at the hedge maze at Van Dusen Botanical Garden. Photo: Tourism Vancouver / Sombilon Studios

Vancouver gardens
unique experiences
hedge maze
tropical birds
tea ceremony
spring colors
Vancouver attractions