The Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne are a must-see for any visitor to the city. Boasting over 38,000 individual plants and trees, the gardens span 36 hectares of breathtakingly beautiful land. While there, visitors can take in the magnificence of diverse flora from all corners of the earth, including rare species from Australia’s native bush and rainforest ecosystems. Throughout the grounds, visitors will encounter countless eco-systems showcasing plants from all over the world - from deserts to wetlands, grasslands to temperate forests. 
Visitors can explore an array of themed areas within the gardens and discover more about their history and importance. The Australian Garden boasts a collection of plants indigenous to Australia; while some other popular areas include The Domain Precinct with its majestic old trees as well as historical buildings like Government House and Fairfield Park Homestead; The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden - a vibrant adventure space designed especially for kids; The Fern Gully - a lush fern gully with giant tree ferns spanning hundreds of years old; The Mallee - teaching visitors about dry climate adapted flora and its unique biodiversity; Herbarium Vista - featuring sixty thousand preserved plant specimens that tell the story of Victoria’s past plant life; Terra Australis - a stunning display overflowing with native wildflowers during springtime; Ornamental Lake & Bird Aviary - boasting one hundred different avian species in an idyllic lake setting surrounded by picturesque gums. 
Apart from exploring these captivating landscapes, visitors can also choose from many activities at Royal Botanic Gardens. Each month sees live music performances staged in front of heritage buildings or by waterfalls, bird watching tours which provide great insight into birding ecology, wildflower walks where participants can learn about identifying native wildflowers as well as talks on current topics such as Climate Change & Plant Conservation. Visitors will also find plenty of options for dining al fresco or grabbing a snack at one of several cafes dotted around the grounds. 
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne is truly an enchanting place that's sure to delight nature lovers, families looking for outdoor fun days out or anyone seeking some peaceful respite in this bustling city. It's easy to access via public transport or by vehicle due to its close proximity to central Melbourne locations and is open daily except Christmas Day and Good Friday when it closes early afternoon.