Hryshko Botanical Garden. A lilac garden overlooking Vydubychi Monastery, tropical greenhouses and 130 hectares of collections above the Dnipro

The lilac garden overlooking Vydubychi Monastery and the Dnipro
Flower beds by the main stairs of the Hryshko Botanical Garden
An autumn view of the Hryshko garden with the domes of Vydubychi Monastery
Benches on an autumn path in the Hryshko Botanical Garden
Lilacs and Vydubychi Monastery in the Hryshko Botanical Garden
Autumn trees in the Hryshko Botanical Garden
The lilac garden overlooking Vydubychi Monastery and the DniproFlower beds by the main stairs of the Hryshko Botanical GardenAn autumn view of the Hryshko garden with the domes of Vydubychi MonasteryBenches on an autumn path in the Hryshko Botanical GardenLilacs and Vydubychi Monastery in the Hryshko Botanical Garden

One of Europe’s largest botanical gardens – 130 hectares of collections on the Zvirynets hills above the Dnipro, with the classic view of the golden domes of Vydubychi Monastery. It holds more than 16 thousand species, forms and varieties of plants – from lilacs and peonies to tropical orchids in the greenhouses. The garden is open daily, and in May its lilac alleys become the most popular place in Kyiv for walks and photos.

Why visit

  • Lilac alleys overlooking the golden domes of Vydubychi Monastery – Kyiv’s most famous spring view
  • The Lilac Garden: 21 species, about 90 varieties and roughly 1500 bushes on a slope above the Dnipro
  • Greenhouses covering over 2000 square meters: the humid tropics, an orchid house, azaleas and camellias, and a domed greenhouse
  • The world’s best collection of Cornelian cherry forms and Eastern Europe’s largest collections of oak, maple and linden
  • More than 16 thousand species, forms and varieties of plants on 130 hectares of the Zvirynets hills above the Dnipro
  • The garden is open every day: lilacs and magnolias bloom in spring, and the slopes blaze crimson in autumn

Good to know

Ticket prices
Garden admission is UAH 150 for adults and university students and UAH 100 for school students. The Greenhouse Complex is paid separately: UAH 100 for all visitors, with tickets sold at the greenhouse entrance.
Free admission
Children under 6, pensioners, war veterans, people with Group I–III disabilities and combat veterans visit the garden free of charge with valid ID.
Opening hours
The garden is open daily: from May to August, 8:30 to 21:00; from September to April, 8:30 until dusk. The Greenhouse Complex is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 17:00, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; greenhouse ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing.
When the lilacs bloom
The lilacs usually bloom throughout May. On weekends during the bloom, up to 100 thousand people visit the garden a day, so mornings and weekdays are much calmer.
Best photo spots
The classic shot is from a lilac alley toward Vydubychi Monastery, the Dnipro and the left bank. In autumn the maple, oak and linden collections are the most colorful, and in summer the flower beds by the main stairs.
Good to know
The garden spreads over almost 130 hectares of slopes above the Dnipro, so you will need comfortable shoes and a few hours for a walk.
Getting there
From Pecherska metro station – bus No. 62 or trolleybus No. 14 to the final stop, Botanichnyi Sad.

The M. M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden was founded in 1935 in Zvirynets and opened to visitors on May 29, 1964. Today it is a research institution of the National Academy of Sciences with eight scientific departments and plant collections from every botanical-geographical region of the world. The garden’s signature is the Lilac Garden, planted in 1948: 21 species of lilac, about 90 varieties and roughly 1500 bushes on a slope above Vydubychi Monastery. When the lilacs bloom, this is the spot for Kyiv’s most famous spring view – blossoming alleys, the monastery domes, the Dnipro and the left bank. The Lilac Garden, the Rose Garden and the peony collection are designated scientific sites of Ukraine’s national heritage. The garden holds the world’s best collection of Cornelian cherry forms and Eastern Europe’s largest collections of oak, maple, linden, birch, walnut and lilac, so in autumn its slopes blaze with yellow and crimson. Between them lie the botanical-geographical sections “Carpathians”, “Steppes of Ukraine”, “Altai and Western Siberia”, “Hornbeam Oak Forest” and “Beech Oak Forest”, as well as the Magnolia Garden. A world of its own is the Greenhouse Complex, covering more than 2000 square meters: the humid tropics, azaleas and camellias, an orchid house, plants of arid places, aquatic and waterside plants, and the Great Domed Greenhouse. The greenhouses grow rare tropical species, including some already extinct in the wild. From Pecherska metro station, the garden is a few stops away by bus or trolleybus.