Reykjavik Botanical Garden Travel Guide
Visitors to Iceland can see the botanical garden through guided and self-guided tours in Reykjavik. For example, you can add a stop at the attraction on this four-hour private tour of Reykjavik. If you want to explore at your own pace, consider buying a 24-hour Reykjavik city card and include a visit while touring other Reykjavik attractions at discounted prices.
A trip to the Reykjavik Botanic Garden is free and can be an excellent introduction to learning about Iceland's rich flora.
Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by rheins. No edits made.
About Reykjavik Botanic Garden
The Reykjavik Botanic Garden, locally known as Grasagarður Reykjavíkur in Icelandic, is a small open-air green museum in Iceland. The park lies in the beautiful valley of Laugardalur, east of downtown Reykjavik and just three miles (five kilometers) from the domestic airport.
With its convenient location and extensive area of 12 acres (five hectares), the Reykjavik Botanic Garden is one of Iceland's most visited green spaces. Hundreds of travelers and locals visit the lush garden daily to see the diverse plant collections and do other recreational activities.
The city of Reykjavik built the garden in 1961 to have a conservation area for the flora of Iceland. Apart from the conservation efforts, the museum aims to strengthen research and education on different plant species. That is why most plants in the park have information labels so you can learn while sightseeing.
You can visit Reykjavik Botanic Garden throughout the year, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (10:00 to 22:00). During summer months, you can join free guided tours of the botanical garden in English that lasts for half an hour.
Features of Reykjavik Botanical Garden
When visiting Grasagardur in Reykjavik, you can access an expanse of greenery that highlights the nature of Iceland. There are thousands of plants to explore in the area, including native and foreign species, blossoming vegetation, and tree covers.
The open-air museum houses its plant collections in eight departments, categorized into variations, species, and uses.
The largest has 300 species of native shrubs and Arctic flowering plants.
Meanwhile, two areas in Grasagardur are dedicated to roses and lynx roses. You can see different varieties and colors of the famous plant near the garden pavilion of the outdoor museum.
Other sections of the Icelandic botanical garden include perennial herbs, vegetable gardens, forest floor plants, tree collection, and the stone hill. While the tree collection area is the broadest part of the museum, the stone hill is where you can learn about plants from other regions like Asia and South America.
Apart from the thriving and lush gardens, you can also find small ponds and nesting birds in the attraction. Some birds and ducks you may see are goldcrests, greylag geese, and redwings.
Other Things to See in Laugardalur Valley Near Grasagardur
The Reykjavik Botanical Garden is just one of the many attractions in Laugardalur valley. The large valley district in Reykjavik, with an area of 2.5 square miles (6.4 square kilometers), is home to a sports stadium, zoo, ice skating rink, and the largest swimming pool in Reykjavik.
Laugardalslaug Swimming Pool
After an educational tour of the botanical gardens of Reykjavik, enjoy a geothermal bath in the Laugardalslaug swimming pool. The largest of the three thermal pools in the area measures 164 feet (50 meters). Other facilities of the Laugardalslaug swimming pool are steam baths, waterslides, and hot tubs.
Reykjavik Park and Zoo
Less than a mile from the botanic garden and Laugardalslaug pool is a family park and zoo. The small zoo is home to domesticated animals that you would see on a typical Icelandic farm. Highlights of the zoo are the wildlife of Iceland, like Arctix foxes, seals, and reindeer.
By purchasing a 48-hour Reykjavik city card or a 72-hour Reykjavik city card, you can visit the Laugardalslaug swimming pool, Reykjavik Zoo, and more popular destinations in the city.
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