Services

There are many ways to enjoy the VanDusen Botanical Garden and Bloedel Conservatory. Click quicklinks below to learn more about restaurants, guided and self-guided tours, tips for enjoying the garden, shopping, and limited mobility access.

Due to COVID-19 all guided tours are suspended indefinitely. This page will be updated once guided tours are again operating. 

To access Self-Guided Botanical Tours, click here.

  • +Food Services

    AT VANDUSEN BOTANICAL GARDEN

    Shaughnessy Restaurant

    The Shaughnessy Restaurant is fine dining in the heart of Vancouver. Located in Garden Pavilion, Shaughnessy provides a retreat like no other. Casual elegance, soothing ambiance, and picturesque garden vistas create the perfect background to your dining experience. The seasonal, innovative, and contemporary West Coast menu focuses on fresh ingredients. Open for lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, and brunch on weekends. Patio open seasonally.

    Truffles Café at VanDusen

    Truffles, VanDusen’s casual cafe in the award-winning Visitor Centre, offers a stunning view of the Garden entrance area and Livingstone Lake. Its inside space accommodates 58 people; with an additional 40 seats on the patio. Aligning perfectly with the Visitor Centre’s ‘Living Building’ philosophy, Truffles offers Fair Trade coffees, handcrafted hot and cold beverages, locally-inspired epicurean entrées, flavourful lunch and snacks – all freshly prepared onsite from the highest quality ingredients. Open for coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea. Take-away picnics available in the summer.

    AT BLOEDEL CONSERVATORY

    Coffee, tea, bottled refreshments, ice cream and vending machine snacks are available on site.

    Seasons in the Park

    Dine at the highest point of Vancouver. Seasons in the Park offers fine dining in the heart of Queen Elizabeth overlooking the stunning Vancouver skyline. Seasons in the Park offers weekend brunch and seasonal patio. Visit the winebar to try a large selection of wines from around the world and British Columbia or to sample our chef’s pairings.

  • +Tours

    Due to COVID-19 all guided tours are suspended indefinitely. This page will be updated once guided tours are again operating. Please enjoy the seasonal self-guided tour prepared by VBGA volunteer guides by clicking here. 

    Guided Tours

    Guided tours are the best way to see and appreciate all the Garden has to offer. From April 1 – Thanksgiving, tours are offered daily by trained volunteer guides starting at 1 p.m and leaving no later than 3pm, as well as Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. In the winter months (Post Thanksgiving- March 31) guided tours are offered only on Sundays at 1 p.m. Please note: all tours are weather permitting.

    Assisting Guests with Mobility Impairments

    Safety is our highest priority for our guests, volunteers, and staff. Volunteers may not assist guests with mobility impairments, due to the risk of injury to both the guest and volunteer with walking aides, transfers or mobility assistance of any kind including getting in or out of our guided tour golf cart, wheelchair, or lending an arm to assist someone in standing. Guests requiring such support should be accompanied by someone able to assist them. Due to safety reasons, we are unable to accept bookings from long-term care facilities for guided tours.

    Pre-Booked Group Walking Tours

    Group walking tours are available 7 days per week from April 1 – Thanksgiving (not available in winter months) for groups of 10 or more.

    • Group tours with under 20 individuals need to be booked a minimum of two weeks in advance. Group tours with over 20 individuals need to be booked a minimum of four weeks in advance.
    • Group tours are not available on Canadian holidays or on days with special events

    Cart Tours

    Cart Tours (primarily for persons with mobility issues) are available daily from April 1 – Thanksgiving (not available in winter months) at 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm.  Advance booking is only available for weekdays, for those with mobility issues and is strongly recommended.

    Cart tours on weekends and holidays are available on a first come-first served basis.  Cart tours are not available on days with special events. Please note: cart tours are weather permitting.

    Bookings

    As of March 15th, bookings can be made from 10am to 4pm in person daily at the Information Desk in the Visitor Centre or by phone: 604.257.8162.  Please do not leave a telephone message. Please note all tours are weather permitting.

    A non-refundable administration booking fee will be taken at the time the pre-booked group walking or cart tour reservation is made.  Groups need to arrive a minimum 15 minutes before the tour.

    • Cart tours: $10 per group (per cart).  Advance Booking can be made until 11am on the day of the tour.
    • Group walking tours:
      • For travel agencies and other business group reservations:  $2.50 per tour participant
      • For Garden clubs, seniors centres, clubs: $1 per tour participant

    Self-Guided Tours

    Inquire at the Information Desk regarding seasonal self-guided tour pamphlets. These highlight plants or plant families that are at their seasonal peak in any given month.

    Bloedel Conservatory

    Tours are not available at the Bloedel Conservatory, however Roving Docents are available on weekends and statutory holidays from 10am – 4pm and on weekdays from 1pm to 4pm. They are happy to answer questions and share the stories of the birds and plants that live under the dome.

  • +Shops

    Due to COVID-19 the gift shops at VanDusen Visitor Center and Bloedel Conservatory remain closed at this time.

    The VanDusen seed collectors store can be accessed online.

    Garden Shop at VanDusen Botanical Garden

    VanDusen’s Garden Shop always has something new sprouting up in fashion, home, garden and lifestyle accessories. Located in the Visitor Centre, open daily from 10 a.m., the Shop features an extensive collection of books on gardening and garden design along with the latest in tools. The Plant Patio features rare and unusual plants for your own garden, including many propagated in our greenhouses and seeds collected by our VanDusen Seed Collectors from plants that grow in the Garden. Free parking is available or the #17 Oak bus stops right at the door. As closing times change seasonally, please contact the Gift Shop directly at 604-257-8665 to find out hours of operation so you don’t miss out on a garden gift purchase!”

    VanDusen Seed Collectors Store

    The VanDusen Volunteer Seed Collectors have been collecting, cleaning, packaging and selling our seeds at VanDusen Botanical Garden since 1982. Since 2002, we have been offering seeds online for growing perennials, annuals, biennials, shrubs, Coastal BC native plants, trees, ferns, vines, rhododendrons and more. Click here to find out what seeds are available online.

    Shop at Bloedel Conservatory

    The Conservatory Gift Shop at Bloedel has items for sale, ranging from jewelry to souvenirs of the city.

  • +Purchase Seeds

    Support the Garden, purchase seeds

    Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, The VanDusen Volunteer Seed Collectors have been collecting, cleaning, packaging and selling seeds at VanDusen Botanical Garden since 1982. Seeds have been available for purchase online since 2002 for growing perennials, annuals, biennials, shrubs, Coastal BC native plants, trees, ferns, vines, rhododendrons and more.

    As new harvests ripen from over 650 plant species, the best seeds are collected, cleaned, prepared and stored to ensure the highest viability possible. In keeping with the VanDusen Botanical Gardens Vision and Mission Statement, the seeds collected contribute to conserving plant biodiversity and environmental sustainability. Plants at the Garden are cared for using an Integrated Pest Management system to minimize pesticide use.

    Seeds collected from VanDusen Botanical Gardens are available online and at our annual Seedy Saturday event in February. Proceeds from seed sales support education and other projects in the Garden.

  • +Limited Mobility

    VanDusen visitors can enjoy the Garden and Conservatory year round regardless of their mobility.

    Facility and Garden access

    The Visitor Centre and Shaughnessy Restaurant and Bloedel Conservatory are fully accessible to wheelchairs, mobility scooters and walkers.

    Touring the Garden

    Many of the Garden’s paved paths are accessible to wheelchairs, walkers and mobility scooters. These are clearly marked on the Visitor Guide Map (blue dotted line). Be sure to pick up a copy from the Cashier Desk as you enter the Garden. Also see information below under Safety Points.

    For those guests who are not in a wheelchair or scooter, but have limited walking ability, the Garden is pleased to offer guided cart tours from April through October at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. daily. Advance booking is suggested for weekdays by calling 604.257.8162. Weekends and holidays are on a first come, first served basis. This service is suspended due to Covid-19.

    Washrooms

    VanDusen: Wheelchair accessible washrooms are located in the Visitor Centre as well as adjacent to Shaughnessy Restaurant.

    Bloedel: Wheelchair accessible washrooms are located in the Bloedel Conservatory on the Plaza across from Conservatory entrance.

    Safety Points for mobility scooters, wheelchairs, limited walking ability or poor eye sight

    • Wheelchair paths/routes are marked on the Visitor Guide Map with a blue dotted line.
    • Many of the Garden’s paths, both paved and un-paved can be uneven. Care should be taken for those using walking aids.
    • Some steps do not have handrails or handrails on both sides.
  • +Enjoying the Gardens

    Before you set out on your self-guided tour, review these tips on how to best enjoy the garden:

    • Take in the fresh air – and please, no smoking (it’s the law).
    • Clearly identified BC certified guide and service dogs are welcome – but please do not bring any other animals (e.g. dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, fish, etc.).
    • Stretch your legs – the Garden is a fabulous place in which to walk. Rollerblades, skate boards, bicycles and tricycles are not permitted (baby strollers are fine).
    • Wander and explore – but please avoid walking in the plant beds.
    • Help us protect the collection by not picking plants or flowers, or by removing any of the plant labels.
    • Enjoy the wildlife – birds, turtles, geese, ducks, fish etc.  To ensure they stay wild, please do not feed them.

    Enjoying Bloedel Conservatory:

    Please review these tips on how to best enjoy the Conservatory:

    • Take in the tropical air – its like a mini vacation without the airfare!
    • Certified guide dogs are welcome – but please do not bring any other animals (e.g. dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, fish, etc.).
    • Talking to the parrots is encouraged – many will talk back!
    • Please do not touch, attempt to handle or feed the exotic birds. Do not clap loudly or throw things at the birds to get their attention.
    • Stretch your legs – but please no running! Birds often walk along the pathways (and some are babies).
    • Explore – but please avoid walking in the plant beds.
    • Help us protect the collection by not picking plants or flowers, or by removing any of the plant labels.
    • Extendible selfie-sticks are not allowed at the Conservatory.