Everything to See in Chiang Mai's Botanic Garden, Royal Park Rajapruek

Regular readers of this blog will know that I always make time to visit the botanical gardens everywhere I go. I love seeing the landscaping and the local plants all together with the cultural touches that give a garden its local flair. Chiang Mai's royal garden had this and so much more!

About the Gardens

At nearly 200 acres, the Royal Park Rajapruek is a massive expanse with more than twenty unique zones and eight different shuttle bus stops to help you get around. The park was created in 2006 to host an international horticultural exposition in honor of the former King's 80th birthday and the 60th anniversary of his ascension to the throne. Thanks to the success of the expo, the government decided to dedicate the garden as a learning center and tourist attraction. Below is a map of the Royal Park Rajapruek to show you just how expansive it is, with so many unique areas and different water features and structures.

By the way, the name "rajapruek" comes from Thailand's national flower, the Cassia fistula. This is also called the 'golden shower' tree, which has cascading bundles of yellow flowers. These plants are all around the country, and they are so beautiful!

Top Sites in Thailand's Royal Park Rajapruek

1/ Ho Kham Luang Royal Pavilion

Shockingly not plant-based, my top sight has to be the Royal Pavilion. It looms large in the park, sitting on a raised mound above a palatial driveway and a series of square pools. The structure is a gorgeous nod to the traditional Lanna architecture seen throughout Northern Thailand, which features steep multi-tiered roofs. Inside, it's just as regal and impressive as it looks from the outside, and the wraparound porch area offers excellent views of other sections of the park.

2/ International Gardens

One of the most unique and charming parts of the park for me was the International Gardens. This is a pretty big chunk of space dedicated to plant species from around the world. I have, of course, seen such concepts in other botanical gardens. But what I've never seen before was the built environment designed as an homage to the plant's nation of origin. I thought this was a really fun way to bring cultural and architectural elements in with the plants, and this is one of the main places I could have easily spent a lot more time had the weather been more accommodating. Below you can see the gardens of Indonesia (top left), Japan (top middle), Kenya (top right), India (bottom left), Cambodia (bottom middle), and China (bottom right).

3/ Orchid Pavilion

I think I'm constantly amazed by orchid gardens because I find them so hard to keep alive myself. And these orchids are never just one or two stalks, as I always see them around the U.S. These are massive, thriving, monstrous orchid plants that really show off the beauty of what these plants can be. The Royal Park's Orchid Pavilion is an indoor (though still quite warm, don't get your hopes up) area with a few different meandering paths around the landscaping. I especially liked the artistry in here with the elephants made of moss and the sculpted monkeys and fish hiding among the foliage.

4/ Flora Glasshouse

Just next to the Orchid Pavilion is another covered area called the Flora Glasshouse. This smaller area has a lot of colorful flowers and some charming places to sit. The glass roof makes it a bit of a warmer spot, depending on the weather, so you can pop in here quickly before heading back to the relative shade of the nearby pavilions.

5/ Shaded Paradise and Skywalk

This was another of my favorite areas in the Royal Park Rajapruek. I liked the skywalk, which goes throughout the Shaded Paradise and then extends outside and down to the rose garden. I enjoy seeing the plants from above, and having the second story allows for a lot of nice hanging plants and taller trees.

6/ Rose Pavilion

As I said, the Shaded Paradise leads directly into the Rose Pavilion. You get a nice view of it from above before descending a long ramp back to ground level. We didn't spend much time here (on account of the weather, again), but it is right across from one of the shuttle stops, so we got to check out the views while we waited.

7/ Bonsai Garden

As you likely know, I love bonsai. I am putting the park's Bonsai Garden so far down the list not because it isn't stunning and so impressive, but only because I didn't get more time to spend in it. We only passed by as we were on the shuttle bus, which does a great job of providing an overview of the whole park. But we would have had to get out and walk quite a ways in order to get a closer-up view. In any case, the Royal Park Rajapruek has dozens of astonishingly crafted bonsai

When is the best time to visit Royal Park Rajapruek?

You are going to want to head to the park first thing in the morning in order to enjoy cooler temperatures and save your energy. Because you may find yourself walking a lot, and much of the park is obviously outdoors, it's best to make sure the weather won't be dangerously hot when you're planning to visit. That said, please definitely plan to bring sunscreen, water, a shade umbrella if that's your thing, and good walking shoes.

How long do you need in Royal Park Rajapruek?

Honestly, this park is massive, and I easily could have stayed for a half-day if not longer. Unfortunately, we had a lot to do, and the midday heat was absolutely stifling. We made it through the park in just over an hour, taking the shuttle bus between many of the stops in order to save time and walking. The shuttle runs every fifteen minutes, so you won't need to wait long to head to the next stop, but some of the stops are fairly far apart, so you will need to backtrack a bit if you want to make sure to see everything in the park. Alternatively, there are bicycles for rent, which require a bit more work on your part but also offer a lot more flexibility.

Is the Royal Park Rajapruek worth a visit?

At 200 baht for an adult foreign visitor, the park is extremely affordable for Americans. This was one of the more expensive things I did in Thailand, but because of the conversion rate, it still comes in at less than $6 USD. I would have paid easily double that as an entrance fee to this magical park. It was absolutely well worth the visit, and I highly recommend it as a Chiang Mai must-do!