Originally the land of a family of feudal lords during the Edo period, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden 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.
Directions
The garden has three entrances. The south-east Sendagaya gate is a 15-minute walk from the East Exit of JR Shinjuku Station or a 5-minute walk from Kokuritsu-Kyogijyo on the Toei Oedo Line (take Exit A5). The northwest Shinjuku gate is a 5-minute from either Shinjuku-3-Chome Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line (take Exit C5) or Shinjuku-Gyoen-Mae Station on the Marunouchi Line (take Exit 1). The northeast Okido gate is a 5-minute walk from Shinjuku-Gyoen-Mae Station on the Marunouchi Line (take Exit 2)
Hours
9:00-16:30. Closed on Mondays unless it is a public holiday in which case the garden is open on Monday and closed on Tuesday instead
Cost
Adults ¥200 | Junior high schools students ¥50 | Children can enter for free
Website