You have 3 trips in progress.   See all
Trip Planner:   USA  /  Hawaii  /  Kauai  /  Koloa  /  Poipu  /  National Tropical Botanical Garden

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Koloa

4.3
#6 of 15 in Parks in Koloa
Garden · Hidden Gem · Nature / Park
Create an itinerary including National Tropical Botanical Garden
Wander among lush greenery and exotic plants at National Tropical Botanical Garden, set on the former estate of Hawaiian royalty. Explore the garden's array of native plant species, arranged in multiple landscaped sections nestled between the ocean and forested cliffs. Join a guided tour to learn a bit more about the garden's development, the history of the area, and the local flora. Keep in mind that you must book a tour ahead of time either by calling in or via the website. Put National Tropical Botanical Garden on your schedule, and learn what else deserves a visit by using our Koloa day trip app.
Create a full itinerary - for free!

National Tropical Botanical Garden reviews

Rate this attraction
TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
791 reviews
Google
4.5
TripAdvisor
  • This is a must-do on Kauai IMO! Our group ranged for age 6 to 75 and everyone loved it. Our tour guide was informative and friendly, and we learned so much about the history of the garden and area... 
    This is a must-do on Kauai IMO! Our group ranged for age 6 to 75 and everyone loved it. Our tour guide was informative and friendly, and we learned so much about the history of the garden and area...  more »
  • Hubby and I took the morning Allerton tour. But you see parts of both gardens. Diane was our tour guide and was excellent sharing a lot of history about the garden and info about the plants too! Tour....  more
    Hubby and I took the morning Allerton tour. But you see parts of both gardens. Diane was our tour guide and was excellent sharing a lot of history about the garden and info about the plants too! Tour....  more »
Google
  • Wow, this was a terrific experience primarily because of our guide David Alexander. He kept the tour entertaining, offered a ton of cultural and plant trivia, and was overall an amazing spirit. He's also a scientist, so has immense knowledge of botany and appreciates both the taxonomy and landscaping. Thanks to David, I'm seriously considering volunteering next time I'm in Hawaii. Thank you a million times David! The tour lasts about 2.5 hours, covers the history of McBryde and Allerton families, founding of the science center, and about 75% of observation about plants. The highlight is probably visiting the Banyan trees where they filmed the Jurassic Park scenes, as well as the "history" of plants from moss and ferns all the way to orchids and fruit trees.
  • We (me, my mom, and my two little girls) did "The Best of Both Worlds" tour and thoroughly enjoyed it. After trying to just "show up" one day and realizing that they were booked (and not having close-toed shoes), we booked online for a tour the next day. With a little help from Google, we were able to find a discount code that saved us about $20. Our tour guide was Paul and he was great. Lots of corny jokes and knowledgeable about the area. The McBryde Garden was a bit more like a botanical garden with winding paths and different plants in different areas, but it is still rugged and jungle-y. The Allerton Garden is set up with different "rooms" with different plants and art. We loved seeing the areas where Jurassic Park was filmed and had fun playing in the giant tree roots with the "eggs". There is so much to see, that really, a 4 or 5 hour tour would probably be more appropriate, but most people likely don't have the attention span for that.

Plan your trip to Koloa

  • Get a personalized trip
    A full day by day itinerary based on your preferences
  • Customize it
    Refine your trip. We'll find the
    best routes and schedules
  • Manage it
    Everything in one place. Everyone on the same page.