Make a day of it this winter at Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

Winter is one of the most beautiful times to visit Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Its seasonal blooms, fascinating events and stunning harbour views will brighten up the cool season.

10 JUL 2026

Get out and enjoy Royal Botanic Garden Sydney this winter for an instant mood lift.

Start with an event

Heading to the Garden for a special event this winter? Why not turn it into a full day out?

Come along to Cheryl Leavy's Words That Grow event, which brings together guided discovery with storytelling and reflection. You're invited to find inspiration in nature and enrich your creative writing. This event is free to attend, though registrations are essential as places are limited.

Or visit The Garden Gallery to experience one of our latest exhibitions. On until the end of July is the Leaves & Pages exhibition, showcasing fascinating art, prints and books drawn from the Daniel Solander Library of the Botanic Gardens of Sydney. Australia's oldest botanical research library is full of treasures, which you can now enjoy to your heart's delight in this exhibition.

From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 16 August, Anna Glynn's tranquil, aesthetic and poetic 'Unbridled – The Year of the Horse' is showing in the gallery space.

From 20 August to 1 September, you can see the 14 Artists exhibition featuring Australian artists, showcasing a diverse range of styles, mediums, and creative perspectives that celebrate artistic individuality and contemporary expression.

With so much happening across the Garden, it's easy to build an unforgettable winter day around your visit.

Join Botanic Gardens of Sydney's Writer in Residence, award winning poet and children's book author Cheryl Leavy for 'Words that Grow' this winter.
In 'Leaves & Pages', you can explore a selection of original art, prints and books from the Daniel Solander Library, at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
Nature lies at the heart of Anna Glynn's 'Unbridled - The Year of the Horse'. See it this August in The Garden Gallery.
14 Artists is exhibiting works by Cilla Campbell, Nicolette Eisdell, Kate Gorringe Smith, Nicole Hayes, Angela Jursevics, Virginia Lydiard, Ro Murray, Sue Poggioli, Trudy Rice, Fiona Roderick, Maggie Stein, Karen Tanner, Susan Tee and Warwick Wood.

See the Garden in a whole new way

Want to see the Garden from a whole new perspective? Every day, our passionate volunteer guides lead guided walks through the Garden from 10.30am to 12pm. They're available by donation and along the way, you'll uncover fascinating stories about plants, wildlife, history and heritage that you might otherwise miss.

Every guide brings their own interests and expertise to the experience, meaning no two tours are ever quite the same. Whether it's your first visit or your fiftieth, you're bound to discover something new.

Or if you have a special interest in orchids, succulents, aroids and rare horticultural treasures, don't miss our Behind the Scenes Glasshouse Tours.

For just $25, you can gain a fascinating glimpse into parts of the Garden that most visitors never get to see, showcasing some of the remarkable plants cared for by our expert horticultural teams.

Tip: Book ahead to secure your spot for a guided walk or tour.

Follow Your Own Path

Prefer to explore at your own pace? Winter is the perfect season for a self-guided wander.

Keep an eye out for seasonal highlights throughout the Garden, including:

Camellias in a dazzling array of colours and forms
Glowing golden ginkgo trees
Delicate cherry blossoms, which burst into bloom for only a short time each year

Standout Camellias include the stunning Queen Diana with its perfectly intricate petals (on your left after the stairs if entering from Woolloomooloo Gate), Zhenzhu Cha (Camellia grijsii) which smells like liquorice or anise, Camellia yunnanensiswith white and yellow flowers which look delightfully like fried eggs, and Camellia 'Kogane Nishiki' with its tri-colour flowers - but you find your favourite! There are so many varieties to discover.

The Australian Native Rockery also offers beautiful native plants awash with seasonal colour, and one of the Garden's most spectacular vantage points with breathtaking views of the Sydney Opera House. Look out for the fluffy little puffballs of bright, beautiful, blooming wattles.

To make the most of your visit, pick up the monthly Must See Guide from the visitor centre, The Garden Shop or kiosk, or access it on your phone. Compiled by our knowledgeable volunteers, it highlights the native and exotic plants looking their very best right now and helps you create your own seasonal walking route.

Walk in Beauty on Gadigal Country

Looking for a deeper connection to place?

Take time to experience the renewed Gadigal Story Journey within Cadi Jam Ora – the First Nations Precinct of Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

Developed in collaboration with Elders, Traditional Descendants and First Nations knowledge holders, the revitalised experience features 75 metres of interpretive installations sharing stories of the Gadigal people, marana yurabirong, the first people of this place.

Exploring themes of Country, Culture and the enduring relationships between people, plants, land, sea and sky, it's a powerful and rewarding addition to any visit.

Enrich your experience with a First Nations-led Bush Tucker or Aboriginal Harbour Heritage tour, and gain an insight into the ways of life, history, and ingenuity of the world's oldest living culture.

Keep Little Explorers Entertained

Bringing the kids or grandkids along?

Why not do a 'Rainbow Hunt' and see if you can find flowers of every colour of the rainbow? Locate the smallest and biggest plants or leaves you can. Check out the eels and mullet in the Main Pond, and look for turtles in the pond next to Farm Cove Eatery, and keep your eyes peeled for Eastern Water Dragons here too. Count how many different kinds of birds you can find in the lush and living Gardens, or play a game of tip on any of the vibrant green lawns.

Plus, a bit further afield - on Saturday 22 August from 10am to 3pm, Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan will be host to Sydney Science Trail Community Day. It's a great one for families as there will be activities, hands-on workshops, family-friendly walks, tours led by our experts, friends like Invertebrates Australia and the Australian Museum FrogID, plus food trucks, coffee, ice cream and more. Young scientists can complete their Plant Passport and go into the draw to win an annual school holiday programs pass. Register now if you'd like to come along.

For an instant mood lift, make a day of it this winter at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney where the season is anything but ordinary.