Hryshko Botanical Garden Kyiv: Bloom Calendar, Tickets, Hours

[ГОЛОВНЕ ФОТО (прев’ю): квітучі магнолії в ботанічному саду Гришка в Києві]

The M. M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden is Ukraine’s largest botanical garden and a favourite spring walk for Kyiv residents. Magnolias, a lilac collection, hundreds of peony varieties and the country’s largest rose garden bloom here, with views over the Dnipro and Vydubychi Monastery. Here is what blooms when, how to get there, what admission costs and where to plan a date or photo shoot.

More on this topic: when lilac blooms, when peonies bloom, Lviv Botanical Garden, declaring love with flowers.

History and location

Founded in 1935 on the Pechersk slopes above the Dnipro, the garden covers over 100 hectares, the largest in Ukraine. Botanist Volodymyr Lypsky proposed it as early as 1918; after the Nazi occupation, when the collections were looted, director Mykola Hryshko rebuilt it, and it now bears his name. The address is 1 Sadovo-Botanichna Street: walk from Zvirynetska metro, or take bus 62 or trolleybus 14 from Pecherska.

What to see: the main collections

The lilac garden (1948): over 1,500 bushes of about 90 varieties. The rose garden, 3.5 ha, the largest in Ukraine. The magnolia garden, planted in 1966. Peonies: about 565 varieties. The Korean Garden, opened in 2012, and the Mountain Garden with views over Kyiv. The glasshouses hold tropical plants and over 600 orchid taxa. The garden calls its cornelian cherry collection one of the best in the world.

[фото: сирингарій ботсаду Гришка в цвітінні, бузок на тлі Видубицького монастиря]

What blooms when

Magnolias: roughly late March to mid-April, the first and most popular event of the season. Azaleas and rhododendrons: April to June. Lilac: early May, late April in warm years; see when lilac blooms. Peonies: mid-May to mid-June. Roses bloom in waves from June to October. Dates shift each year with the weather.

Opening hours and tickets

At the time of writing (2026) the garden opens daily: 7:00–22:00 in May, 8:30–21:00 in June–August and 8:30 until dusk from September to April. The glasshouses open Wednesday to Sunday. Admission is 150 UAH for adults and 100 UAH for schoolchildren. During air-raid alerts ticket sales may pause and the glasshouses may close. Hours and prices can change, so check the garden’s website.

Dates and photo shoots

The most romantic spots are the viewpoints over the Dnipro and the golden domes of Vydubychi Monastery, the Mountain Garden slopes and the lilac paths in May. For a date, choose a weekday morning: weekends during magnolia and lilac season are very crowded. The administration asks visitors not to enter before opening for sunrise photos.

Picking flowers is not allowed, so bring your own bouquet for a date or proposal; see declaring love with flowers.

If you’d rather not carry flowers across town, order flower delivery in Kyiv and have the bouquet arrive on the day of your date.

[фото: пара з букетом на оглядовому майданчику з видом на Дніпро]

Other botanical gardens in Kyiv

In the city centre, by Universytet metro, is Kyiv University’s O. V. Fomin Botanical Garden, the oldest in Kyiv, with a tall palm house and a cactus collection. It is smaller but easy to combine with a city walk.Read more in Fomin Botanical Garden, and see our guide to botanical gardens of Ukraine.

Tips for your visit

• Magnolias: late March–April; lilac: early May; peonies: late May; roses: summer.
• Come on a weekday morning; peak-season weekends are crowded.
• Wear comfortable shoes: the garden is large and hilly.
• Do not pick flowers or branches; it harms the collections and is forbidden.
• Check opening hours and air-raid alerts before you go.

Flowers after your walk

You can’t take the garden’s peonies, lilac and roses home, but you can order a similar bouquet: flowers delivered in Kyiv, delivered on the day of your date.

View full-size photo

See roses and flowers in a box.

View full-size photo

FAQ

How much is admission?

At the time of writing (2026), 150 UAH for adults and 100 UAH for schoolchildren. Check before visiting.

When do the magnolias bloom?

Roughly late March to mid-April.

How do I get there?

Walk from Zvirynetska metro, or take bus 62 or trolleybus 14 from Pecherska. Address: 1 Sadovo-Botanichna Street.

When does the lilac bloom?

Usually early May, or late April in warm years.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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