Established in 1816, it is the oldest scientific institution in Australia. There is much to see and enjoy for the plant and garden lover, including orchids, roses and the Bromeliaceae family.

There are guided tours, the Gardens Shop and some delightful eating places in and around the gardens.

The Gardens are located at:

Cadi Jam Ora: First Encounters. A garden display that tells the story of the Cadigal people, the traditional Aboriginal owners of the Sydney city area, and features plants that originally grew on the site of the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney.

Choragic Monument. Carved (1870) in sandstone by Walter McGill, this Choragic Monument of Lysicrates is a scaled down replica of the original, erected in Athens in 334 BC.

Henry Kendall Memorial.

Herb Garden. Herbs from around the world used for a variety of culinary, aromatic and medicinal purposes. See a sensory fountain and sundial modelled on the celestial sphere are also features.

Government House Grounds. Formal grounds of sweeping annual displays, manicured lawns and larger scale shrub plantings.

The HSBC Oriental Garden. Plants from warm-temperate and sub-tropical areas of China, Japan and Vietnam.

Macquarie Wall. Only a small section of the wall remains of this 290-metre long wall intended to separate the convict domain from the town’s "respectable class of inhabitants".

Mrs Macquaries Chair. A carved rock ledge seat where the Governor’s wife, Elizabeth Macquarie liked to sit and watch the harbour.

National Herbarium of NSW. The Garden’s scientific heart, which contains over one million specimens of preserved plant material, including some collected by Joseph Banks on Captain Cook’s voyage to Australia in 1770.

Palm Grove.  Established about 1853, this is one of the world’s finest collections of palms, including some of the Gardens' oldest trees.

Rare and Threatened Plants of the World. Features plants from around the world that are rare or on the brink of extinction!

Rathborne Lodge.

Rose Garden. Inspiration to centuries of poets, writers and lovers, spend a summer day in the rose garden.

Succulent Garden. See a desert landscapes and experience the bizarre shapes of arid-adapted plants.

The Sydney Fernery. What makes ferns different from other plants? Find out where they grow.

Sydney Tropical Centre. Exotic plants from misty mountains and lowland forest. Discover the wonders of the tropical ecosystems.

The Wollemi Pine. One of the world's rarest plants with only 38 known adult trees growing in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Come see the first specimen ever planted out!

Visitor Centre: includes the restaurant/cafe, gardens shop, education display. There are also guided tours.