In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Garden entry is free. The Palm Houses reopened on Friday 2 October 2026 after a five-year restoration and need a timed ticket: £5.50 for an adult, £4.70 for a concession, under-16s free, with slots daily from 10.15 to 16.15. Book online, because capacity is limited. The other glasshouses are still closed. The garden opens at 10.00 and closes at 17.00 from February to October, 16.00 in November and January, and 15.30 in December. Allow 10 to 15 minutes to walk from the gate to the Palm Houses. Buy from the garden at rbge.org.uk. Or book a tour: GetYourGuide’s Dean Village and Royal Botanics walking tourad is from £23 (2.5 hours).
The tickets
Prices are from the garden’s Palm Houses page, and tickets are sold at tickets.rbge.org.uk.
The Palm House at the Royal Botanic Garden, seen from the lawn. Photo: Ham, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
| Ticket | With a voluntary donation | Without the donation |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £5.50 | £4.95 |
| Concession | £4.70 | £4.20 |
| Child (15 and under) | Free | Free |
| Young Scot card, or Universal or Pension Credit | £1 | |
| Members | Free, but a slot must be booked |
- Garden entry needs no ticket.
- Gift Aid: UK taxpayers can add it to the ticket.
- A carer comes free; add a carer ticket when you book.
- Membership is from £3.60 a month and includes the Palm Houses.
- Phone: 0131 248 2909.
Which ticket to buy
- Book a slot for the Palm Houses before you go. Entry is timed from 10.15 to 16.15 daily, and the garden asks you to book so that your time is guaranteed.
- Choose the donation price if you are happy to. It is 55p more for an adult and supports the garden’s conservation work.
- Skip the ticket if you only want the garden. Entry is free, and the garden has the Rock Garden, the Woodland Garden, the Pond, the Arboretum, the Chinese Hillside, the Rhododendron collection and the Scottish Native Plants Collection. The garden says access to some areas is currently restricted.
- Book an early slot in winter. Slots run to 16.15, but the garden closes at 16.00 in November and January and 15.30 in December.
Tours worth paying for
A guide adds the route, not the Palm Houses ticket. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Dean Village and Royal Botanics walking tour
From £23 · 2.5 hours · 88 reviews
Edinburgh: Walking Tour of Dean Village & Royal Botanicsad goes through the Georgian New Town, Circus Lane and Dean Village to the Royal Botanic Garden.
Dean Village and Circus Lane walking tour
From £18 · 2 hours · 196 reviews
Edinburgh: Dean Village & Hidden Circus Lane Walking Tourad walks Dean Village and Circus Lane.
What to see
The Royal Botanic Garden is about 70 acres, a mile north of the city centre. The Palm Houses are in the middle of it.
- The Palm Houses. All 5,750 panes of glass were replaced, and the garden says this is the tallest traditional stone-built Palm House in the world. The two houses are joined into one continuous space again, with almost 600 specimens from the Living Collection.
- The plants to look for. The Norfolk Island tree fern (Sphaeropteris excelsa), and the Mexican tree fern (Cibotium regale), among whose fronds around 1,000 ladybirds were introduced to protect the plants from insects.
- The outdoor garden. The Rock Garden, the Chinese Hillside and the Rhododendron collection cost nothing.
What to skip: the closed glasshouses, which are not open to visitors during the restoration.
The Rock Garden at the Royal Botanic Garden. Photo: Bill Boaden, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Getting there and hours
- The walk: the East Gate is on Inverleith Row. The new Palm Houses entrance is near the Willow Pond, close to the East Gate, and signposted to the Welcome Booth. The Palm Houses are about 10 minutes from the East Gate and 15 minutes from the West Gate at the John Hope Gateway visitor centre.
- From the centre: on foot it is a walk along the Water of Leith through Dean Village and Stockbridge. The Regal Tour hop-on hop-off route also stops at the garden.
- Hours: the garden opens at 10.00 and closes at 17.00 from February to October, 16.00 in November and January, and 15.30 in December. It is closed on 25 December and 1 January and may close in extreme weather. Palm Houses slots run from 10.15 to 16.15 daily.
- Access: accessible tarmac routes lead from both gates, and the Palm Houses are step-free.
The garden is one of the free things to do in Edinburgh, and the Royal Yacht Britannia is on the Regal Tour route too. On a Tuesday or Wednesday, when Holyroodhouse is shut from September to May, the garden is open. What to book before you go to Edinburgh has the closed days for every sight.
Common questions
Is the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh free?
Yes, garden entry is free. The reopened Palm Houses are ticketed: £5.50 for an adult and £4.70 for a concession, including a voluntary donation, or £4.95 and £4.20 without it. Children aged 15 and under are free.
Do I need to book the Palm Houses?
Yes, a timed slot is needed. Slots run daily from 10.15 to 16.15 and capacity is limited. Members must book a slot too.
When did the Palm Houses reopen?
On Friday 2 October 2026, after a five-year restoration in which all 5,750 panes of glass were replaced. The other glasshouses remain closed during ongoing restoration works.
What are the Botanic Garden's opening hours?
From 10.00 daily, closing at 17.00 from February to October, 16.00 in November and January, and 15.30 in December. It is closed on 25 December and 1 January, and may close in extreme weather.
How far is the Botanic Garden from the city centre?
About a mile north of the centre. From the East Gate on Inverleith Row the Palm Houses are about a 10-minute walk, and from the West Gate at the John Hope Gateway about 15 minutes.
Is the Palm House step-free?
Yes. The Palm Houses are reached by ramps and paved surfaces, with step-free entry throughout the visitor areas. Wheelchairs and mobility scooters can be pre-booked, and a carer comes free.
