Just an hour from Melbourne, in Yarra Junction, springs an unexpected sight – a water lily garden with thousands upon thousands of glorious floating water lilies and lotus flowers. Welcome to the Blue Lotus Water Garden in the Yarra Valley!
Bring the family for a day of fun, exploration, and beautiful scenery at Australia’s premier lotus garden. Kids under 16 enter for free!
WHEN DOES THE BLUE LOTUS WATER GARDEN OPEN IN 2024/2025?
The Blue Lotus Water Gardens will open from Thursday 26 December 2024 and will be open until Sunday 21 April 2025. The gardens will be open seven days a week including public holidays.
Visit Blue Lotus Garden
The Blue Lotus Water Garden is a huge display garden with over 14 acres (50,000 sqm) of beautiful blooms, tranquil picnic areas and even a fairy garden to explore.
If you’re visiting the Blue Lotus Garden with children make sure you collect a ‘Dragon Spotto’ sheet with different things to find on your scavenger hunt. Then wind your way through water lily garden, ponds, lagoons and lakes all covered in thousands of floral blooms.
It takes about 1-1.5 hours to see everything, though you’re welcome to linger for as long you want. Most of the paths are pram-friendly, though side-by-side double prams may not fit some of the bridges and there are a few steps.
Highlights include Monet’s Lake with stunning Japanese bridge and metal sculpture fountains…
….Lotus Lake….
….the Fairy Garden with wishing well….
and Dragon Trail.
The kids are most impressed by the Giant Amazon Waterlilies, the largest water lily species in the world. They are said to be able to hold the weight of a small child!
There’s no opportunity to test out this claim, though you can stick your head through a photo board and pretend!
While the garden is all outdoors there’s plenty of shaded areas and alcoves. You can also grab a large rainbow umbrella for extra sun protection and photogenic posing.
Blue Lotus Water Gardens is only open during summer/early autumn every year.
Different flowers bloom during the season so you can be assured of beautiful views any time you visit.
Enjoy adult tickets for $26, seniors for $23, and free entry for children aged 0-15 with a paid guardian. Don’t miss special Gift Tickets and season passes for year-round access!
If you want to spend the day at Blue Lotus Water Garden there’s the Lily Pond Cafe & Kiosk, picnic tables and free barbecues. I see a couple of birthday parties setting up by the waterlily garden lake. There’s a small play area next to the cafe seating as well as in the Fairy Garden.
On your way out I recommend a visit to the retail areas – Blue Lotus Plant & Flower Nursery, Blue Lotus Gift Shop and Rod’s Garden Shop. We are inspired to bring the garden home with us and buy three freshly-cut lotus flowers for $12.
Tot Tips For Visiting Blue Lotus Water Garden
- Most of the paths are pram-friendly, though side-by-side double prams may not fit some of the bridges and there are a few steps;
- Kids under 16 enter for free!
- Picnic huts, park bbqs, garden seats & shelters, kids’ gardens and play areas, drinking water, Lily Pond Cafe & Kiosk;
- You need tickets to access cafe and kiosk;
- Plant and flower nursery, gift shop, garden shop;
- Free parking for cars and coaches;
- Accessible parking bays and toilet are onsite;
- No dogs are allowed.
Find Accommodation near Yarra Junction
More things to do in the Yarra Valley with kids
More spectacular gardens around Melbourne – Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, Gardens of Tieve Tara and Alfred Nicholas Gardens
Best short walks in Melbourne for kids
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