Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is the green heart of the city and one of the loveliest places to spend a free morning anywhere. Founded in 1816, it is the oldest scientific institution in Australia and one of the oldest botanic gardens in the southern hemisphere, and it occupies a superb site: the shores of Farm Cove, between the Opera House and the official residence of the Governor, with the towers of the city rising behind. Entry is free, and it opens every day at 7am, closing in the evening at a time that changes with the seasons — 8pm from November to February, earlier in winter. Paths wind through lawns, ponds and themed beds: the Palm Grove, planted in the nineteenth century; the Fernery; the Rose Garden; the succulent garden; and collections of Australian plants from the rainforest to the arid inland. The Calyx, a modern glasshouse, hosts changing floral exhibitions, and the Cadi Jam Ora garden tells the story of the Gadigal people and the plants they used. The harbour edge is lined by a sea wall promenade that leads round Farm Cove to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, a bench carved into the sandstone in 1810 for Elizabeth Macquarie, the governor's wife, who liked to sit and watch the ships. The view from the point, across the water to the Opera House with the Bridge directly behind, is the most famous photograph in Sydney, and at sunrise it is magical. The garden connects seamlessly to the Domain, a large open park used for concerts and events, and to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, so you can make a full day of it on foot.

The garden was established on the site of the colony's first farm, where convicts tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to grow wheat in 1788 — hence Farm Cove. Long before that, this shore was a gathering and fishing place for the Gadigal people, a history the garden now presents through its Cadi Jam Ora story journey and Aboriginal-led programs. As a scientific institution, the Botanic Garden has collected and studied Australian plants for two centuries, and it is home to the National Herbarium of New South Wales collection; its sister gardens are the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden at Mount Tomah and the Australian Botanic Garden at Mount Annan.

How to visit: walk in from the Opera House gate for the harbour promenade, or from Macquarie Street near the State Library. The sea wall walk from the Opera House around Farm Cove to Mrs Macquarie's Chair takes about twenty minutes and is one of the best short walks in the city, with the harbour on one side and the garden on the other. Loop back through the garden beds and the Palm Grove, call in at the Calyx to see the current display, and finish at the cafe or restaurant. Guided walks run regularly — check the What's On listings for the current program — and there are Aboriginal heritage tours that explain how the Gadigal used the plants here for food, medicine and tools. The garden can close early in extreme weather, and some areas close for events.

When to go: early morning is the best time, when joggers and tai chi groups share the paths, the light is soft and Mrs Macquarie's Chair is uncrowded; sunrise there is worth setting an alarm for. Late spring brings flowering displays and long evenings with the garden open until 8pm. In summer the shade of the huge Moreton Bay figs is welcome. The Domain hosts major events, such as Carols in the Domain before Christmas, and on New Year's Eve Mrs Macquarie's Point is one of the most sought-after ticketed vantage points for the fireworks.