The garden is magical. It’s main building which is the gift shop and the restaurant is beautiful. I loved their koi ponds and the church too. So glad we made our way there. Took many photos. The weather wasn’t too hot and on Saturday in June it wasn’t crowded at all. We(5 people) took uber from our hotel at Zona Romantic ($53) and return via city bus ($15). Lunch at the restaurant was memorable.

Do it yourself. El Tuito bus from around Centro. No maps available unless you pay 60 pesos which today is $3.58 *insert eye roll here. Almost $5 CAD. Skip the main hall. Don’t eat there. Don’t buy overpriced anything there. Trails are very poorly marked and there’s rarely a hand railing - little children and senior adults = eeeks! If you wander down the river tie some garbage on a tree so you can find your way home (plenty available on the riverbed).

TL;DR – incredible experience, not to be missed. Plant lovers - bring sunscreen/bug spray and an appetite! This was hands-down my favorite experience during a weeklong family trip to Puerto Vallarta. I’m a plant fanatic, so I booked the private tour (Botanical Delights with Culinary Adventure) for myself, my mother and my sister. The entire experience was amazing - even my sister who could care less about gardening/houseplants loved this tour! We took a taxi to the check-in spot, which is right near the marina. The meeting spot is actually in front of a liquor store, so we were worried initially that we were in the wrong place, but then Juan (our driver) and Eduardo (tour guide) arrived and we were off! Juan drove us south through Puerto Vallarta – through Zona Romántica and the seaside villages that dot the coastline heading towards the mountains, while Eduardo told us a bit about the area and what we could expect for the day ahead, including the menu for lunch. The drive takes a little less than an hour, and follows a winding/curvy road up into the mountains to the Botanical Garden. When we arrived at the garden, we re-applied our sunscreen and started the tour. A note about bug spray – we brought it, and Eduardo also had some, but being late March, the bugs weren’t a problem for us. I could see bug spray definitely being helpful for later spring or summer tours. Eduardo took us through the various conservatories and gardens at the site, all the while teaching us about the history of the botanical garden and pointing out native plants of particular interest (vanilla orchids, monsteras, cacao, etc.) and even giving us a taste of the ones that were edible. The vastness of the orchid collection alone was amazing – but then to see so many tropical plants – philodrendrons, monsteras, allll the succulents – and each specimen was absolutely living its best life in that environment. Eduardo’s knowledge of plants and the region in general is extensive and we felt so lucky to have him to ourselves and to be able to pepper him with questions the entire time. Following the tour, we had lunch in the on-site restaurant with Eduardo. The food was fantastic – I had tortilla soup and fish tacos, with their signature vanilla mojito (made with vanilla produced on-site) and vanilla ice cream (best I have ever had, no lie) for dessert. When lunch was finished, we had an hour to ourselves to do whatever we wanted before meeting Juan back at the van for the ride back to PV. That time went by too quickly! We visited the pet cemetery, another quick peek at the orchids, flew through the gift shop and then poof! Time to go:/ I cannot recommend this tour highly enough – my only regret is that we couldn’t come back the next day and do it over again! Eduardo is such an incredible resource, and we had so much fun hanging out with him for the day.

We decided to hop on the local bus from Zona Romantica and visit the Botanical Gardens independently. The bus ride was fun and cheap & drops your off right outside. Lovely to see sights along the way, places where you might want to discover at a later date. The gardens themselves are absolutely beautiful! We spent hours here, looking at all the different plants/flowers & relaxing. We enjoyed food and drinks in the restaurant and looking out at all the bird feeders expertly hung for close ups of many different birds including hummingbirds. The staff around the gardens were very knowledgeable & friendly. We loved our visit & would highly recommend.

My wife and I took an uber to the gardens which was 450 pesos. It was nice ride out. The entrance booth was set up nicely, you get a wrist band upon entry. It was 600 pesos for my wife and I to enter. I found out on one of the signs that 60 percent of the garden's funding comes from gate entry and 600 pescos for two is reasonable for what you get to see. There is a board map to show you the areas and trails. We got there around 11am. We toured many of the close trails. There is just so much to see. Being from Canada most of the plants we seen are house plants for us, so it was nice to see them in their natural habitat. You can buy plants at this garden, and there is a gift shop. It had many plant related items such as pots, and books about plants. The restaurant was nice as it is up top and you can see around the trees a bit. The meal was good. There was a violinist and pianist playing while we ate. That was a nice touch. They take credit card as well. We toured a bit more of the garden. We were not able to take it all in this day, but we did see quite a bit. While waiting for a taxi which the entrance booth called in for us which was much appreciated, I seen signage for all the land that they have purchased over the years to keep in perpetuity for wildlife. There is still land available next to the botanical garden to purchase. I hope they can purchase it and expand their protected area. Worth seeing. We will be back and hope to see more land secured and protected by the botanical garden.

Puerto Vallarta Walking Aventures with Abraham was an Excellent choice to go to the Vallarta Botanical Gardens. Abraham was knowledgeable, informative and friendly guide to take us through the gardens and down to the river. Botanical Garden themselves were spectacular and a great place to visit. The Restaurant was excellently with a great variety of food that tasted fantastic. The Tour is well worth it. The bus there was comfortable and provided great scenery and in-depth cometary from Abraham. I would definitely recommend this Tour.

We spent an estimated 4 hours viewing everything and eating at the restaurant. Friendly staff and amazing views. We would go back again.

Enjoyed an afternoon visit to the botanical garden up the mountainside outside Puerto Vallarta. Very inexpensive admission fee and your visit can include strolling the grounds, swimming in a river, watching the wildlife, shopping at a very nice (& affordable!) gift shop, or enjoying a refreshment at the bar and restaurant overlooking the river and gardens. Bring your mosquito spray or purchase some at the entrance so that you can appreciate all the beauty with none of the itch!

I had an amazing time on this tour for my birthday. Juan was a great driver and arrived right on time no stress about pickup. Eduardo was charismatic and seemed to love sharing all he knows about the garden and small bits about Puerto Vallarta itself. This tour included delicious lunch with a view and the experience overall was everything you could ask for on a sunny day. Total trip time including drive was about 5 hours and worth every minute ! If you go make sure you book with Eduardo you'll have a great time !

We did not go on a tour. My friend and I took an Uber for the 40-minute drive to the gardens on a warm day in Puerto Vallarta. We were surprised to find the skies overcast and the temperature very chilly. (Since there was only a fancy shawl to buy in the store, my friend bought a tablecloth for a shawl. I had brought a sun jacket.) An hour after our arrival, it began to lightly rain. Nevertheless, the gardens are stunning with many wandering paths. There is a large restaurant where we had lunch. Our server was very gracious, letting my friend try a couple Mexican wines. We both tasted them and turned them down. I had Jamaica (hibiscus) tea without ice and my friend had a beer. We both ordered tortilla soup which was artfully served but tasted like tomato soup with crisp tortilla strips. My friend liked the pizza she ordered. My Oven Nachos were OK.

Lovely curation of many exquisite plants & flowers. The hike to the river is not super exciting but the river is clear and swimmable (nowhere to change, fyi). There are peacocks, guinea hens and tortoises milling about, which was a fun surprise. The small chapel on the premises has really cool, colorful wallpaper. Just be prepared for a long, winding ride (we took a taxi, but there is a bus, as well) to and from. DO NOT EAT AT THE RESTAURANT THERE, unless you want to spend a ton of money on mediocre food.

It's fun to take the bus from Puerta Vallarta once you find the bus stop. Beautiful garden but save your energy if you go to the river as its lots of stairs down and up. You can swim but rocky bottom tough on feet The gift shop has lovely, expensive things. A tshirt was over $100! We bought a $12 bug spray but no bugs. Restaurant had good food

We had always wanted to go to a botanical garden, and are super happy we chose this one! Getting there by bus from PV was super easy and cheap! The staff were great and helpful. The gardens themselves were beautiful, even considering they were still recovering from the hurricane that had hit there a few months prior. It was extremely peaceful, not too crowded and easy to get around. Buttterflies and birds everywhere! The restaurant was great, we only had the nachos but the salsa was amazing! Service was great, view was outstanding. We would go again in a heartbeat!

Gardens were very nice. We’re so happy to see the river below also. My only regret was using my credit card for the entrance fee. I can’t be sure but it was my only charge of the day and I also got a fraudulent charge immediately afterwards. I’m not blaming the garden but I believe it is best to pay cash. Bus from romantic zone is 50pesos per person each way

This was our third visit here. The gardens are incredible and always changing and improving. Love seeing the butterflies and hummingbirds. This restaurant, sadly, is a tourist trap. Overpriced food and too small portions. Our charming waiter became not so charming after only giving a 15% tip. But the view is incredible. My suggestion: order as little as possible. Its unnecessary gouging.