The Himalayan Botanical Garden was developed in 2005. This picturesque and splendid garden is exquisite in its natural beauty. The backdrop of the snow covered peaks provides a mesmerizing view. This garden has become a major tourist attraction of the region, especially for the tourists oriented towards the nature. No doubt, the Botanical Garden is a must visit on a trip to Nainital.

The Botanical Garden is also known as the ‘Nature Study Centre’ as it provides a platform for education and learning to the students, scientists, researchers and botanists. The garden is blessed with some rare medicinal plants. The garden also has a collection of many endangered plant species, native of the Himalayan region, thus driving the attention of the conservationists from all over the country. It houses a rich collection of orchids, ferns, cactus, trees and aquatic flora of the Uttarakhand region.

The major attractions of the garden include a butterfly park, an orchidarium, library, fernery, herbarium, Thunia Alba orchid, Geodesic dome, waterfalls, cactus garden, bamboo hut, etc.

A herbarium has been prepared for the botanists here and the endangered species of the Himalayan region are being developed. Bamboo enclosures have been constructed so that the medicinal plants can be kept safe from the landslides, which is a common phenomenon in this region.

There are three demonstration areas in the garden where the silviculturists have planted trees from all over the Uttarakhand region. The Botanical Garden is controlled by the Forest Department of Uttarakhand.

The Forest Department has developed a cactus garden and a bamboo hut at the Botanical Gardens for the promotion of tourism in the region. These two facilities were inaugurated in 2011.

The Cactus Garden is housed in a transparent geodesic dome that has been constructed in such a way that it gathers maximum sunlight to protect the plants from the frost and the harsh weather conditions, especially during the winter season. There is a unique collection of rare and beautiful cactus plants at the newly developed cactus garden. The Cactus Garden is the first of its kind in the Uttarakhand region with more than 90 species of cactus plants, which have been gathered from different places, which offers an exclusive experience to the people visiting the garden.

The new bamboo hut has been constructed for the visitors so that they can stay and rest in a serene and peaceful environment away from the noise and busy life of the cities. The bamboo cottage not only provides a unique experience to the visitors, but has also helped to popularize the use of bamboo as an alternative construction material which is cheaper as well as eco-friendly. This is also likely to promote employment opportunities for the local inhabitants of the region.

The botanical garden, no doubt, is an interesting spot for clicking photographs.

Location

The Botanical Garden is located on the banks of the heart-shaped Sariyatal Lake at a distance of 5 km from Nainital on Kaladungi road in Uttarakhand. The extent of the garden is 30 hectares. The altitude is nearly 1900 metres.

Entry Fee

The entry ticket costs twenty rupees only.

Timings

The garden is open to the visitors from 10 am to 5 pm.

Best Time to Visit

Nainital is a year-round destination, but the ideal time to visit is during the summer season which extends from March to June.

Heavy rains are expected in the rainy season from July to September and there can be landslides leading to blockage of roads. October can also be a good time. But November marks the beginning of winter season and temperature may go down to as low as zero degrees. Winter season extends till February.

Nearby Places to Visit

Birding and Wildlife trails, Aquatic Garden, Sadiatal Cascade and Butterfly Park.

Accommodation

There are hotels ranging from budget to luxury at good rates in and around Nainital.

How to Reach

By Air

Nainital does not have an airport, being a hill station. The nearest airport is at Pantnagar at a distance of 65 kms. But there are no commercial flights available at Pantnagar Airport. Only chartered flights are there.

Indira Gandhi Airport at New Delhi is at a distance of 290 kms from Nainital, which is connected to all the major cities of the nation and the world. You can easily hire a taxi here to reach Nainital.

By Train

The nearest railway station is at Kathgodam at a distance of 34 kms from Nainital. Kathgodam railway station is connected to all the major cities such as Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata Howrah Junction, Jammu Tawi, Dehradun, Kanpur, Moradabad, etc. You can hire a taxi or a cab to reach Nainital from here.

By Road

Nainital is well connected by buses to major destinations like Delhi, etc. Government as well as private buses are available. A/c, non-a/c, sleeper and Volvo buses are available. Travelling overnight is the best option.

Nainital is just a 6 to 7 hour drive from New Delhi.