15 Australia Garden Tours Worth Flying For

1.Maleny Botanic Gardens Bird Aviary Experience Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 579 reviews · from $33Our pick

Walk through Maleny’s aviaries with a guide such as Lydia, meeting cockatoos, macaws, and other native and exotic birds that may perch on your hand, shoulder, or head. Your ticket also covers the gardens, free bird photos, and Wi-Fi. Allow 1 to 4 hours for the visit, longer if you add a picnic or buggy ride.

“Beautiful place to visit with great views and scenery. We enjoyed walking around the gardens and visiting the farm friends. They had a 2 month old baby donkey named ziggy who was adorable. We didn’t do the bird aviary but i’m sure that was a fun experience also. Recommend visiting if you are in the area!”

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2.Aboriginal Heritage Walk – Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 314 reviews · from $30Top rated

Spend 90 minutes in Melbourne Gardens with an Aboriginal guide such as Den or Jacobi, learning how native plants connect to Kulin culture, food, medicine, customs, and Country. The gentle walk includes sensory plant experiences and lemon myrtle tea. Meet at the Visitor Centre at 11:00am and return there at the end.

“Den was a great guide with fun humor. He walked us through garden explaining how the plants and land were utilized by aboriginal people. He also made us think about the land and how to continue connecting with the land and each other. Highly recommend this tour.”

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3.The Explorer – Melbourne Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 224 reviews · from $10Best value

Ride through Melbourne Gardens in a small open-air minibus with a driver-guide such as Eugenie, Eugene, or Verity. In 30 minutes, you’ll see lawns, lakes, rainforest areas, and living plant collections while hearing about the gardens’ past and plant life. The 12-person limit keeps the trip friendly and easy to follow.

“Excellent 30 min tour of the gardens Certainly beats walking Our driver /guide Eugenie was very knowledgeable and pointed out all the plants and trees and told us about the history of the gardens Loved the open sided bus , great to take photos Highly recommended”

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4.1-Hour Gardens and Sporting Precinct River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 196 reviews · from $27

Spend one hour on Melbourne’s Yarra River, leaving from Southgate and cruising past Princes Bridge, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Herring Island, the MCG, Olympic Park and the National Tennis Center. You get recorded commentary, complimentary tea and coffee, and views from an enclosed cabin or outside deck. The boat returns to Southgate.

“Som people smoking on the boat , that's really not good.”

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5.River Gardens Melbourne Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 193 reviews · from $29

Spend about an hour on the Yarra River from Southbank, with commentary on Melbourne’s bridges, gardens, sporting venues, and cultural sights. You can sit inside behind panoramic windows or outside when conditions allow. Tea and coffee are included, snacks and other drinks cost extra, and the cruise returns to Berth 2.

“A relaxing, informative experience with friendly staff. The weather played along excellently. Loved it!👌”

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6.Night Walk in Cairns Botanic Gardens – Let’s Go Buggin

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 153 reviews · from $57

Join macro photographer Bridgette Gower at 7 pm for a two-hour walk through Cairns Botanic Gardens. She helps you find frogs, insects, spiders, and fungi, then offers advice on camera settings and composition. Groups are capped at four, and camera hire can be arranged in advance for beginner, intermediate, or professional equipment.

“I had an absolutely incredible time on this bug and nature walk in the morning. I was able to see many different types of spiders, moths, butterflies, beetles, etc. Bridgette is very knowledgeable and has a meticulous eye for pointing out the various insects and arachnids. I would recommend this tour to anyone!”

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7.Hunter Valley: Wine Tour with 3 Tastings and Garden Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 103 reviews · 10 hours · from $166

Travel from Sydney to the Hunter Valley in a comfortable minibus with an English-speaking guide such as Ben, Rafael, or Jeff. Visit three or four boutique cellar doors, taste local cheese, enjoy lunch at Cypress Lakes, and browse Hunter Valley Village. Expect a full day, relaxed groups of 8 to 14, and a rotating winery schedule.

“Wonderful day out with 3 boutique wine tastings and cheese and chocolate shopping. Highly recommended!!”

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8.Cairns: Night Walk in Cairns Botanic Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 86 reviews · 2 hours · from $56

Join Bridgette or Ros from Aussie Macro Photos for a two-hour night walk through Cairns Botanic Gardens. Your guide uses a head torch and sharp eyes to find frogs, spiders, stick insects, possums, birds, snakes, and other rainforest life. The walk suits nature lovers and photographers, with optional camera hire available.

“Bridgette was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable. She founds lots of interesting creatures & insects that we would have never even noticed. We had a wonderful time on the tour.”

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9.Friends in the Rainforest Package: Koala Gardens & Birdworld

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 34 reviews · 1 day · from $27

Spend a day at Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld, where you can see koalas, wombats, quokkas, crocodiles, kangaroos, and more than 350 birds. Hand-feeding opportunities and photos with a koala or python add personal moments, while the $27 entry package keeps this wildlife stop easy to fit into a Kuranda visit.

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10.Pedals & Petals – Discovering Wildflowers Bike Tour Kings Park

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews · from $49

Join GoGo Active Tours for a two-hour bike ride through Kings Park and Botanic Garden. Guides such as Matt, Kevin, Kyle, or Bryan lead small groups of up to 10 along mostly flat bush paths, pointing out wildflowers, orchids, Nyungar history, the Eternal Flame, and Perth’s river and skyline views. Morning and afternoon departures are available.

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11.St Hugo Garden to Table Experience & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · from $197

At St Hugo Wines in Rowland Flat, Chef Simon Hicks leads you through the Kitchen Garden with Champagne before an eight-course meal at the open kitchen. Each course comes with a matched St Hugo wine. The three-hour experience starts at 11:00 am, costs $197.24 per person, and is limited to six adults.

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12.Foraging Tour: Botanical Gardens Walk & Picnic

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · from $56

Meet at Man O’War Wharf at 4:00 pm for a guided walk through Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens. With guides such as David, you’ll identify and taste native plants, hear about Indigenous food and medicine, spot wildlife, then enjoy a native-inspired picnic near Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. The tour lasts about 90 minutes to two hours.

“David was interesting and informative about the history and food of the indigenous peoples. We walked around the botanical gardens and had a box lunch of food produced by these people.”

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13.Spring Wildflower Private Day Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $395

Join Peter from Perths Tiny Tours for an 8 to 9 hour private wildflower outing from Perth. Choose city parks or a country route through Toodyay, Chittering, and the Central Wheatbelt, with hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, snacks, bottled water, and photos taken during the day.

“Great personalised wildflower tour ending with a wine tasting. Very comfortable car. Peter adapted the day to suit us.Great day”

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14.Picnic in the Royal Botanic Gardens for 2

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 12 reviews

Pick up a three-course picnic hamper for two at Botanic House in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden. Chef Luke Nguyen’s menu combines Southeast Asian flavors with Australian native ingredients, plus a bottle of wine. You choose your garden spot and enjoy an easy, romantic afternoon in the heart of Sydney.

“Enjoyed the meal and wine. Disappointed that Gardens did not have a walking map. We did not have access to internet to get the walking tour. Beautiful grounds”

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15.Kings Park Botanicals And Beyond

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · from $40

Join The Hike Collective for a guided 7km walk through Kings Park and Botanic Garden. Guides such as Ann, Anne, and Sarah share local plant life, wildlife, Aboriginal history, and Perth stories. Expect treetop paths, Federation artwork, Swan River views, and a moderate workout in a group of up to 20.

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