Families

Discover the beauty of this inner-city oasis and enjoy live commentary in the comfort of an open-air minibus. Admire rolling lawns and the stunning living collections at Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.  For private group bookings, please call 03 9252 2429 or email mbookings@rbg.vic.gov.au. School Holiday Explorer Bus Children ride for HALF PRICE on the School Holiday Explorer Bus during the Victorian school holidays. Experience amazing sights, sounds and scents as you cruise through Melbourne Gardens on this tour designed especially for families.

wominjeka! Journey into Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, a significant cultural site for the local Kulin Nation, with a First Peoples guide.  Gain insight into the rich history and thriving culture of the First Peoples of Australia with a multi-sensory journey of identifying significant native plants within the Gardens. Your guide may encourage you to use taste, touch and smell to learn about Aboriginal plant uses, customs and ongoing connection to Country. What to expect during your experience Meet our First Peoples guide at the visitor centre Journey through the Gardens engaging your senses with touch, taste and smell as you learn about plants traditional uses, cultural significance and enduring connection to Country See and feel First Peoples cultural items Ask questions and learn about First Peoples history and enduring connection to Country For private group bookings, please call 03 9252 2429 or email mbookings@rbg.vic.gov.au. A note for participants. At Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria we acknowledge the rich diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, representing more than 250 language groups across Australia. We invite you to join this walk with an open heart and mind to deepen your understanding of First Peoples' heritage and living culture—especially in relation to the plants and landscapes of Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is full of incredible birdlife, from coots to cormorants, spinebills to swans. On this guided walk, spot water birds nesting around Ornamental Lake and delight in the sights and sounds of the birds that call the Gardens home. Continue your discovery with a take-home bird guide.

A free guided walk is the perfect way to enjoy the sunny weather in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. Led by a passionate guide, discover the remarkable plant diversity of this sanctuary in the middle of bustling Melbourne. For paid private group bookings, please call 03 9252 2429 or email mbookings@rbg.vic.gov.au.

Pack your headphones, set off along the meandering path andimmerse yourself in Australian Drylands, the latest episodein our much-loved audio series Sonica Botanica. Explore the stories, themes and science behind this experimental new garden, created in response to the challenge of climate change.  Big topics need big voices; you’ll hear interviews andconversations with horticulturists and scientists from ourexpert team as well as biogeographer, Prof. Michael-ShawnFletcher (Wiradjuri) and award-winning poet Dr Jeanine Leane(Wiradjuri), whose words have become a material part of theAustralian Drylands landscape. Visit the featured locations, scan the Sonica Botanica QR code and take in these sublime sonic snapshots or listen online now. Best enjoyed through headphones. Image credit: Igor Sapina 

Glide between the bays and islands of Ornamental Lake on a guided boat cruise.

Set your young ones on an adventure exploring the wondrous scenery, plants and creatures of Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne with our Seek and Find Nature Cards, especially developed by artist Claire Mosley. Collect a card from the Visitor Centre and explore the different landscapes and living collections as you search for all things big and small.  

Solar Tours is sold out for spring. Join our mailing list below to be the first hear about future ticket releases. Come and experience the wonders of our closest star—the Sun—like never before at the historic Melbourne Observatory. You’ll be expertly guided through safe solar viewing using the beautifully restored 4-inch Photoheliograph telescope, as well as solar projection with the Troughton & Simms telescope. Expect to see incredible details on the surface of the Sun, including sunspots and solar granulation, and discover the rich history of solar astronomy at Melbourne Observatory. This program aims to educate and inspire, offering a rare glimpse into both the science and history of solar observation. Whether you’re a curious first-timer or a seasoned space enthusiast, this is a daytime astronomy experience not to be missed! Presented by Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and The Astronomical Society of Victoria. Image credit: Astronomical Society of Victoria  

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is both the setting and catalyst for Design X Nature, an outdoor exhibition of artworks exploring how natural systems can inform creative practice, material experimentation and ecological thinking. As part of Melbourne Fringe, the Gardens’ Australian Drylands Precinct becomes a living gallery shaped by connections between design and scientific research, featuring new works by Courtney Coombs, Cara Johnson, Bethany Kiss, and Soft Meadow Collective. Historically, major design innovations have drawn inspiration from the natural world. The commissions in Design X Nature were developed through a research lab residency at Melbourne Gardens in 2025, exploring nature-led design in dialogue between artists, designers, and experts from the Gardens across various disciplines. Expand your experience of the Design X Nature exhibition through a series of walks, talks, and workshops exploring the creative possibilities of the natural world, set among our stunning native flowering meadows. Welcome the longer evenings of daylight saving with a refreshing drink from the Brunswick Aces Gin Pop-Up on selected dates throughout the exhibition. See the Walks, Talks and Workshops page for dates. For more information and bookings, visit melbournefringe.com.au. Presented by Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria in association with Melbourne Fringe and RMIT University. Design X Nature is made possible thanks to the generous support of Henrietta Flinn and Simon Scott.

Expand your experience of the Design X Nature exhibition through a series of walks, talks, and workshops exploring the creative possibilities of the natural world.  These programs reflect the concurrent exhibition at Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne which brings together artists, designers and other experts to consider how natural systems can shape creative practice, material experimentation and ecological thinking. Set within the living gallery of the Australian Drylands Precinct, the program complements new commissions by Courtney Coombs, Cara Johnson, Bethany Kiss and Soft Meadow Collective.