Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (新宿御苑) was originally the land of a family of feudal lords during the Edo period, but was opened to the public in 1949. Today it is probably Tokyo’s most famous garden and certainly one of the biggest, covering an area of almost 60 hectares. It contains three gardens (a traditional Japanese, a French formal, and an English landscape), as well as a rock-landscaped greenhouse. The sheer size of the gardens means that you could easily spend 2-3 hours wandering the grounds.
The greenhouse at the north end of the park contains over 2,400 tropical plants. The path through the dome takes you over two levels and entrance is free
Many come to lie down or picnic on the wide grass area in the English garden, but unfortunately alcohol is not allowed to be consumed in the grounds
