Rotterdam, a Dutch city known for its modern architecture and avant-garde art, is not only famous for its port and graffiti. In a corner of the city, greenery grows quietly, and the exotic flowers and plants in the glasshouse seem to be the entrance to another world. Here, you can experience the moist fragrance of the rainforest, the minimalist tension of desert plants, and even encounter mossy woodlands from the subarctic zone.
Ⅰ. Recommended attractions
1. Arboretum Trompenburg: A green treasure in the city center
Location and transportation: Arboretum Trompenburg is located in the southeast of Rotterdam city center, close to the Kralingse Plas lake area. Take Metro Line 3 from Rotterdam Centraal to Voorschoterlaan Station, which takes only about 8 minutes on foot. Bus No. 38 also has a stop nearby.
Opening hours and recommended playing time: Open from March to November every year, from 10:00 to 17:00 every day. It is recommended to reserve 2-3 hours for in-depth walking and photography.
Cost: Adult ticket price is about 12 euros, and children and students with student cards can enjoy discounts.
Park highlights: Trompenburg Botanical Garden is a private botanical garden with more than 8,000 plant species. It is especially famous for its tall ancient trees, rich perennial plants and cactus greenhouses. Each tree-lined path is carefully designed, with beech trees in spring, maple trees in autumn, and azaleas blooming all year round, forming a green picture of the changing seasons.
Suitable for people: gardening enthusiasts, family trips, photographers, plant researchers.
Recommended booking platform: GetYourGuide and Tiqets can both purchase tickets in advance, and some platforms also provide audio guide services.
2. Rotterdam Botanical Garden (Kralingen): The secret garden of locals
Location and transportation: Located in the residential area of Kralingen, not far from the city center, you can take the subway A, B or C line to Gerdesiaweg Station and walk for 10 minutes to arrive.
Opening hours and recommended duration: Open all year round, from 10:00 to 16:00 on weekdays, and the opening hours on weekends are not fixed. It is recommended to check in advance. It is recommended to visit for 1.5-2 hours.
Cost: Free admission, one of the few public botanical gardens in Rotterdam.
Highlights of the park: Although small in scale, it has a compact layout and rich content. The botanical garden emphasizes education and ecology, with a teaching greenhouse, a medicinal plant area and a wild flower corridor. There are also gardening experience days for the public at the turn of spring and summer every year.
Suitable for: Family travel, student groups, and travelers with limited budgets.
Recommended booking platform: Viator and Tripadvisor have relevant introduction pages, and some gardening activities require advance registration.
3. Plantage Garden: A community garden that combines art and greenery
Location and transportation: Located in the Delfshaven neighborhood south of the city center. Take the subway to Coolhaven Station and walk for five minutes.
Opening hours and recommended duration: Only open on certain days (such as art festivals, open days, etc.), it is recommended to check the information on social platforms or community websites in advance. If open, it is recommended to play for about 1 hour.
Cost: Generally free admission, some activities require small tickets (2-5 euros).
Park highlights: This is an open green space jointly operated by artists and residents. There are creative woodworking installations, climbing plant corridors, small pools and interactive graffiti walls in the park. In spring and summer, handmade markets, environmental installation exhibitions and open-air performances are held here.
Suitable for people: Travelers, freelance photographers, backpackers who like to explore urban culture and community ecology.
Recommended booking platform: GetYourGuide can be used to book walking tours in the Delfshaven area, and Plantage Garden is often included in the route. You can also refer to Eventbrite to find relevant event venues.
4. Botanische Tuin Afrikaanderwijk: Plant Landscape under Multiculturalism
Location and Transportation: Located in the Afrikaanderwijk district in the south of Rotterdam, you can take the subway line D to Maashaven station and walk about 7 minutes after exiting the station.
Opening hours and recommended playing time: The opening hours are not fixed, usually on weekends in spring and summer. It is recommended to play for 1-1.5 hours.
Expense: Admission is free, and registration fees (3-8 euros) may be required for specific festivals or hand-made courses.
Highlights of the park: This community-based botanical garden features practical plants (medicinal, vanilla, fruits and vegetables). Combining multicultural elements such as Morocco, Suriname, and Turkey, it is a microcosm of the integration of Rotterdam’s ethnic groups. The park also has temporary exhibitions and gardening lectures by local artists.
Suitable for people: Travelers interested in community ecology and cultural integration, especially suitable for summer visits.
Recommended booking platform: You can set a walking route to this place through the Rotterdam Routes App; local platforms such as Rotterdam Tourist Information also have guided tours.
5. Tropical Plant Greenhouse at Diergaarde Blijdorp (Rotterdam Zoo)
Location and transportation: The zoo is located in the northwest of the city, about a 15-minute walk from the central railway station. You can also take a bus or subway to Blijdorp Station.
Opening hours and recommended duration: Open all year round, 09:00 to 17:00. It is recommended to reserve at least 3 hours, including time for animal viewing and plant exploration.
Cost: Adult tickets are about 27.5 euros, and children and people over 65 years old enjoy discounted prices.
Park highlights: Although the main theme is the zoo, its “Tropical Jungle Pavilion” is comparable to a professional botanical garden. It has a large area of glass greenhouses, ecological wetlands and waterfall systems, and hundreds of tropical plants are planted. The symbiotic scenery of plants and animals is a highlight.
Suitable for: families with children, travelers who love natural integration space, and a good place to take shelter on rainy days.
Recommended booking platform: You can book tickets through platforms such as Tiqets, GetYourGuide and Klook. Some platforms support QR code scanning to enter the park without queuing.
Ⅱ. Tips: How to plan your green exploration trip
1. Travel tips and transportation planning
Rotterdam has a complete and efficient public transportation system, which is suitable for car-free travelers to travel easily between cities. It is recommended to download the NS (Dutch National Railway) and RET (Rotterdam Public Transport) App, which can not only view real-time subway, bus, and light rail timetables, but also purchase day tickets and connecting tickets with one click. Most botanical gardens, such as Trompenburg, Blijdorp Zoo and Arboretum Trompenburg, have direct bus or subway stops around them. For travelers who like cycling, you can also rent OV-fiets city shared bicycles to flexibly connect attractions.
2. Book in time to avoid queues
Spring and summer are the peak seasons for the Rotterdam Botanical Garden, especially when flowers bloom or during festivals. It is recommended to buy tickets online in advance for popular attractions such as Trompenburg Arboretum and Diergaarde Blijdorp through platforms such as GetYourGuide, Tiqets or Viator, which can not only skip the queues, but also facilitate the planning of the tour time. Some niche gardens, such as community gardens or temporary art greenhouse exhibitions, may release event notices through Eventbrite or local cultural websites. It is recommended to pay attention to pre-trip announcements to avoid missing special experiences.
3. Reasonable arrangement of time and weather
Rotterdam has a changeable climate, with a large temperature difference between morning and evening. It is recommended that travelers carry lightweight rain gear, foldable windproof jackets and waterproof backpacks regardless of the season. Spring (March to May) is the season when cherry blossoms, tulips and shrubs are in full bloom, which is suitable for visiting outdoor botanical gardens; while autumn and winter are more suitable for going deep into the greenhouse area to experience the “green haven” experience brought by tropical and subarctic plants. It is recommended to visit during off-peak hours and enter the park in the morning or evening on weekdays to enjoy a quieter and more leisurely roaming rhythm.
4. Can be combined with other theme tours
Rotterdam’s botanical gardens are often naturally integrated with cultural communities and art spaces, such as Trompenburg’s design shops and literary bookstores near the Kralingen district, and the community green space in Afrikaanderwijk often holds art installation exhibitions or farmers’ markets at the same time. It is recommended that travelers combine a visit to the botanical garden with a street graffiti exploration and a community tour to form a one-day route with rich themes. If you are interested in joining a local guided tour, you can make an appointment with an experienced local guide through the Withlocals or ToursByLocals platforms to get a deeper cultural interpretation.
When traveling in Rotterdam, you don’t have to always chase architectural landmarks or industrial lines of the seaport. The world that regulates temperature and humidity in the greenhouses is the real softness of the city. Plants coexist with reinforced concrete, and the glass is full of greenery. This respect and tenderness for life is the other side of the affection of this port city.
The next time you visit Rotterdam, you might as well put the botanical garden on your itinerary list and re-recognize the temperature and depth of this modern city in the quiet green spaces.
