With springtime arriving, there are beautiful gardens all around the world filled with flowers getting ready to bloom. But which of these spots deserve a place on one’s travel bucket list?
Privileged by their amazing annual cherry blossom spectacle, the Japanese certainly know something about flowers. Perhaps with this in mind, the folks at Japan Rail Pass commissioned a list of the world’s most beautiful gardens – an accounting that spans the globe from Africa to Asia and Europe to British Colombia – the latter, of course, being Vancouver’s Islands beautiful Butchart Gardens.
Rankings were based on a variety of factors, including Google reviews and ratings, Instagram hashtags, and the vibrancy of the flowers in spring to give an overall score. Here is the list:
Top 5
Keukenhof Tulip Gardens, Lisse, Netherlands – 9.7/10: According to the research, the most beautiful flower spot in the world is the Keukenhof Tulip Gardens of Lisse, Netherlands, which has exhibited spring flowers to the public since 1950. The tulips in spring achieve an almost perfect vibrancy score of 9.96/10, proving just how bright and colourful these stunning gardens are.
Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo, Japan – 9.3/10: Next in the rankings, is the beautiful Shinjuku Gyoen in Tokyo, Japan. From the wide variety of cherry blossoms in the national garden, it is the Somei (Yoshino cherry) that bloom in spring. The beautiful Japanese garden has over 856,000 Instagram hashtags, more than any other spot in the top 10, with people all over the world travelling to view the cherry blossoms.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, UK – 9.2/10: The third most beautiful spring flower spot according to the study is in London’s Kew Gardens. With almost as many Instagram hashtags as Shinjuku Gyoen (764,996) and 44,465 reviews, it is clear that the flowers found here, cherry blossom, bluebells, and magnolias to name a few, are beloved by many.
Nabana no Sato, Mie, Japan – 9.0/10: In fourth place is the Nabana no Sato flower park, located in the Nagashima resort in Mie, Japan. The spot is known for its illuminations throughout the park in winter through to spring, as well as the blooming cherry blossoms and tulips which scored a 9.34/10 for vibrancy in the study.
Dubai Miracle Garden, UAE – 8.9/10: The fifth most beautiful spring flower spot in the study was found to be the Dubai Miracle Garden in the United Arab Emirates, which occupies over 72,000 sq. m., making it the largest natural flower garden in the world. With over 75,000 reviews since its opening in 2013, and a vibrancy score of 8.78/10, it is clear that this impressive garden deserves its place in the top five rankings.