The best parks and gardens in the world include everything from sprawling botanic gardens with lakes and ponds to palm-lined parks that skirt waterfront promenades. If you seek out green spaces when you travel, whether for respite from big city chaos, some exercise or a leisurely stroll, or to spread a picnic blanket out on a manicured lawn to relax with a good book, bowl of strawberries and bottle of sparkling wine, then our guide to the world’s best parks and gardens is for you.
In Siem Reap, we’ve just been staying at the beautiful Maison Polanka, a petite boutique hotel consisting of two traditional Khmer timber houses surrounded by private parkland. Sprawling lush lawns are dotted with towering trees. Butterflies flutter about. Squirrels bounce between branches. And honeyeaters feast on the fragrant flowers. It’s my idea of heaven.
Parks and gardens should be on your to do lists when you visit cities, especially if you’re a lover of local travel. They’re fantastic places to stretch your legs after a long haul flight, and the fresh air they generate will help you sleep. They’re great for picnics and DIY lunches if you’re travelling on a budget. They also provide a real insight into how locals live their lives.
And if you’re settling into a destination for a while and travelling with your dog, or you’re an expat new to a place and you’ve adopted a little furry friend, parks and gardens are perfect for giving your pup a walk, as much as stretching your legs if you’re in an apartment rental. Just don’t forget to scoop. More tips for taking dogs to parks when you travel, below.
Best Parks and Gardens in the World to Spread Your Picnic Blanket
These are our picks of the best parks and gardens in the world to kick back in, get some exercise, take your dog for a walk, or spread out that picnic blanket.
Best Buenos Aires Parks and Gardens
Buenos Aires has some of the best parks and gardens in the world and the best time to experience the Argentine capital’s parks is on Sunday when the city’s sprawling verdant spaces fill with Porteños, as Buenos Aires’ locals are called.
They’ll be sunbathing, rollerblading, cycling, skateboarding, jogging, juggling, power walking, playing roller hockey, playing guitar, doing pilates, riding silly bikes, rowing silly boats, doing yoga, and even belly-dancing in the parks.
While parks are dotted all over the city, Palermo has a handful of parks that are clustered together, called the Parque Tres de Febrero, the highlight of which is our favourite, Bosques de Palermo (‘Palermo Woods’ or ‘Palermo Forest’), sprawling green space of lakes, rose gardens, and shady lawns, with wide walking and cycle paths running through them.
Best Paris Parks and Gardens
Paris is perhaps home to the best parks and gardens in the world and the moment the sun comes out Parisians hit their parks and gardens with a good book and their pretty little pooches, embracing the balmy weather.
They amble, walk their dogs, sink back on the public seats scattered around the fountains and ponds, reading their books and newspapers, and spread out picnic blankets. Orchestras, mime artists and jazz bands perform in the sunshine, soaking up the French enthusiasm for life.
Paris boasts an abundance of parks but my favourite is the elegant courtyard garden within the Palais Royal. Take a look here at these Snapshots in Paris on a Spring Afternoon and you’ll see what I mean.
Best Sydney Parks and Gardens
Sydney is blessed with some of the best parks and gardens in the world, glorious sprawling green spaces offering some of the most breathtaking water vistas. In the city centre, at the Royal Botanic Gardens, those views are of sparkling Sydney harbour, and the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Along the city’s coastline, many of Sydney’s best beaches are backed by verdant parks with jaw-dropping views of the sea and ocean swimming pools. Some of our favourites are the parks at Bronte Beach and Manly Beach that have picnic tables and barbecues beneath towering pine trees.
My self-guided Sydney stroll takes in the best parks in the city, including leafy Hyde Park and the Chinese Garden of Friendship at Darling Harbour. Richard Graham’s fabulous My Sydney Detour also takes you to secret parks you wouldn’t find without a local.
Best New York City Parks and Gardens
When you think of New York City parks, you probably think of Central Park, which is wonderful, but we prefer the East Village’s welcoming community gardens for respite from the busy streets, as much as an insight into local life.
Tucked between tenement buildings, some of the community gardens are local secrets, hidden behind high walls dripping with vines. Others are the life of their block, always buzzing with activity and people taking advantage of these little pieces of paradise in the concrete jungle.
Aside from gardening, there are always activities going on in the community gardens – yoga, tai chi, storytelling, poetry nights, film screenings, and jazz concerts – not to mention the occasional tourist, who can’t believe their luck, taking photos or just enjoying a breather and the chance to rest their weary feet.
While New York is a dog-friendly city, if you’re taking your pooch for a walk in one of Manhattan’s sprawling parks, consider investing in an invisible dog fence, a super-cool GPS tracking collar. That way you can relax without having to worry about your pup running off and getting lost. And don’t forget a poop-scooper and portable dog bowl, especially in summer, when it’s scorching.
For more information see our posts on New York’s Secret Gardens – Urban Oases in the East Village and 10 Tips to Enjoying the East Village Community Gardens.
Best Bangkok Parks and Gardens
Bangkok’s beautiful parks and gardens make great escapes from Thailand’s chaotic, gridlocked capital. We developed a soft spot for Bangkok’s green spaces when we lived in the Thai capital and would take regular walks around Benjakiti Park, near our apartment building.
There are few faster ways to feel like a local than bumping into the same people out and about every day, doing as you’re doing, whether it’s power walking, jogging and cycling the circuit around the manmade lake, or leisurely strolling the park with their dog.
Lumphini Park, Bangkok’s answer to Sydney’s Centennial Park, London’s Hyde Park or New York’s Central Park is another of our favourite parks and gardens in Bangkok for people-watching – locals practice tai chi, work out at the gym, participate in mass aerobics classes, and pedal swan bites here.
See all our favourites here in this guide to Bangkok Parks and Gardens – a Breath of Fresh Air in the Big City.
Those are our picks of the best parks and gardens in the world but we’d love to hear what your favourite green spaces are.
Great list, if you are ever in the Dominican Republic make sure to pass by the botanical gardens there as they are truly beautiful.
We do hope to get there one day – I just love a great botanical garden. This list is by no means comprehensive – I think I’m going to add some more great parks cities actually. Thanks for dropping by!