Definitely worth seeing the enclosed gardens. There are lots to see and all are clustered together. Even on the very busy day that we were there, they still had heaps of room. They are well looked after and have different themes. No entrance fee.

First, Hamilton Gardens is FREE, which makes it a very popular attraction for both tourists and locals. Expect a crowd, so arrive early to avoid problems with parking. Spend the $2NZ for a map, or you will find yourself turned around and retracing your footsteps. Then... ENJOY! This is a delightful and innovative gardens from the wild and whimsical Alice in Wonderland to the ancient Maori gardens that reflect the history of the indigenous NZ population. It is just a great garden and unique! Don't miss this in your visit to New Zealand.

Recommended by our hosts when staying in the area and wow what an amazing place. So many excellently themed gardens planted with such a wide variety of plants. Alice in Wonderland was a particular favourite. When we went in January 2023 it was free to park and enter. There is a cafe on site and good bathroom facilities. We would suggest at least a couple of hours to tour the facility. Pictures attached speak better than words.

A beautiful garden divided into sections with many countries represented. Well kept grounds. Plenty of time for pics along the way. A great place for a short or long stroll. Definitely worth seeing. Admission is FREE.

The Egyptian garden is the highlight for sure, it’s very well made, looks authentic (at least to my laymen’s eye). Other highlights included the Māori Garden, and the English Garden. I also love that it’s free. Only drawback is it can be a bit difficult to find your way around. We got turned around a couple times.

WOW, so unexpected. We visited the information centre to ask what was there to see and basically was it worth a visit as we thought it was just another botanical gardens. The lovely volunteer explained it was not your average gardens and boy was she right. It was a total mesmerizing journey into creative, amazing and different gardens. All themed, ie Egyptian, Japanese, Italian, and even period style gardens and so artistic and thought provoking. Esy to get lost even with a map , so worth the visit.

We’re currently on a tour of New Zealand and our latest stop is Hamilton. We’re a bit disappointed and underwhelmed by the city if totally honest (when comparing to other parts of NZ) but these gardens are an exception and are one aspect of the city that we were impressed with. It’s a lovely park and if you are visiting, you must visit the ‘enclosed gardens’ part. You don’t have to like flowers or anything like that, but you’ll appreciate the design, colour and landscaping of the gardens. They are magical. It was free to get in but I’m not sure it will remain that way as they are developing new areas. I’m not sure how they are managing to maintain the gardens without charging. There are donation stations around the gardens so make a donation if you can afford it.

What an awesome place to spend a few hours! We dropped in to fill in some time before we could check into our hotel and ended up staying for 2 hours. The gardens are incredibly well designed and maintained and we had an absolute ball exploring the many gardens and sections inspired by different countries and eras. Absolutely brilliant and free!

The beauty of gardens is they are ever changing. The beauty of Hamilton Gardens is that the changes are not just seasonal. Around every corner, through every tunnel and down every rabbit hole there is a whole new experience and more to see and enjoy. Take time to smell the roses 🌹

Walking into the gardens you don’t quite know what to expect so my partner and I headed to the enclosed gardens and they were fantastic. Such a diverse range of gardens, the themes had interesting facts and so many awesome photo spots. Definitely a must see when visiting the Waikato region!