Parks & gardens

See for yourself exactly why Victoria is the Garden State – inspiring, bold and distinctly Australian, the state's parks and gardens leave a deep, lasting impact on visitors.

Botanical highlights

Victoria is home to a seemingly endless list of modern and heritage gardens. Explore the 15-hectare Australian Garden within the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne. Mixing art, architecture, and innovative design and based on the story of water throughout the nation, the Australian Garden will completely absorb you in the Australian landscape.

The Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne is a 45-minute drive from Melbourne and easily included in the South East Touring Triangle.

Spectacularly different to the Cranbourne gardens is the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. A stone's throw from the city centre, the gardens form a critical part of Melbourne's culture and identity. The gardens buzz during the summer months with theatre performances, exhibitions and the highly popular Moonlight Cinema.

The Garden State

Venture into Victoria's regions to take in unmissable green spaces, like the William Ricketts Sanctuary. Tucked into the Dandenong Ranges, an hour from Melbourne, the sanctuary's tranquil forest hides hauntingly beautiful ceramic sculptures of Aboriginal figures and native animals.

Indulge your love of gardens and nature in the Mornington Peninsula. Less than an hour from Melbourne, the Peninsula boasts a wide range of parks and gardens. Explore the heritage horticulture in Heronswood Estate, and get lost and found in Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens, home to Australia's oldest and most famous hedge maze plus 25 acres of stunning gardens.