Berlin Botanical Garden

The Berlin Botanical Garden (Botanischer Garten Berlin) in the Dahlem district covers more than 43 hectares (about 106 acres) and grows around 22,000 plant species, making it one of the largest and most important botanical gardens in the world. Greenhouses, an arboretum, and themed gardens let you travel across continents in a single afternoon. If you are looking for a quiet, green day trip within Berlin that most first-time visitors skip, this is it.

From a hop garden to a world-class collection

The garden's roots go back to 1679, when a hop garden was laid out in Schöneberg on Potsdamer Straße. As Berlin grew, that site became too small. The emperor approved a move to a former royal estate in Dahlem on August 30, 1899. Under director Adolf Engler, who led the garden from 1889 to 1921, the present layout took shape. It opened to visitors for a few hours on April 13, 1903, and the official opening of garden and museum followed on May 24 and 25, 1910.

In World War II, a bomb hit the herbarium and library wing in 1943, and much of the site was damaged by 1945. Postwar restoration brought the garden back to its former glory.

What to see

• Great Tropical House: built 1905 to 1907 by Alfred Koerner, about 60 meters (197 feet) long, 29 meters wide, and roughly 25 meters high; one of the garden's highlights
• Greenhouses: 15 show houses survive, including the Victoria House (reopened in June 2018)
• Arboretum: 13.9 hectares of trees from around the world
• Geographical areas: 12.9 hectares of landscapes and plants from different continents, around the Italian Garden
• Seasonal highlights: rich blooms in spring and summer, heated greenhouses in winter, and the Christmas Garden from November

Planning your visit

Allow two to four hours, longer if you visit every greenhouse. From October through March, the garden is open daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the greenhouses 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the ticket offices close at 6 p.m.; exits close on time. Longer hours apply from April to September. The Botanical Museum is closed for renovation and is expected to reopen around 2027, and the upper floor of the Victoria House is closed for repairs. From November 18, 2026 to January 10, 2027, the Christmas Garden shortens opening hours, and the garden closes at 4 p.m. In extreme weather, sudden closures can occur, so check the website before you go.

Tickets (as of October 2026)

Admission is 10 euros for adults and 5 euros reduced, including students, trainees, and visitors after 5 p.m. Children and young people up to and including age 14 enter free when accompanied by adults. An annual pass costs 30 euros. You can buy tickets online.

Getting there

The garden has two equal entrances, one at Königin-Luise-Platz and one on Unter den Eichen, linked by the main path. The address is Königin-Luise-Straße 6-8, 14195 Berlin. You can reach it by S-Bahn (Botanischer Garten station) and several bus lines. Parking nearby is limited, so public transport is easier. A single ticket in Berlin's AB fare zone covers the trip, and the Deutschlandticket is valid on local transport.

Nearby

• Domäne Dahlem, a historic farm estate with a museum and farm shop
• Freie Universität Berlin, the Dahlem campus
• Grunewald forest for a longer walk afterward