Lotusland - Montecito, California

Patricia M.

The most amazing gardens I've ever toured. The docent tour is well worth the cost. I was glad we had someone knowledgeable to lead us around and tell us the stories about the various rare plants and gardens on the property. Since you are limited on your time there you certainly want to make the most of it and I am not sure we would have been able to on our first visit without a docent. The gift shop is small but has lots of lovely jewelry, fragrances, and other items. Worth stopping in before you leave. I bought our tickets months in advance of our trip and I'm so glad I did because this really was the highlight of our long weekend in Santa Barbara.

Jeannette A.

This is an amazing place for nature and plant lovers. The collection of different species of plants is remarkable. The tour time is 2 hours and at a leisurely pace you can see it all. While there are restrictions on the arrival times due to limits placed on the gardens by the city, we just waited a few minutes for the gates to open- not a big deal. Tickets must be purchased in advance thru their website which was easy to do. There are volunteers throughout the gardens who are generous with their knowledge and time. Everyone is very friendly. Highly recommend a visit.

Sheila D.

Highly recommend paying the $15 for a docent. We would have missed so much. Elizabeth was great. Unique place. Not as colorful as I hoped but still beautiful.

دشاون ?.

Lotusland, located in the exclusive enclave of Montecito, California, stands as one of America's most remarkable botanical gardens. This 37-acre estate, formerly the private residence of Polish opera singer and socialite Madame Ganna Walska, has been transformed into a masterpiece of horticultural artistry and botanical conservation.

The gardens showcase an extraordinary collection of rare and exotic plants, thoughtfully arranged into themed areas that demonstrate both artistic vision and botanical expertise.

Kim R.

As a first-time visitor, we went on a docent tour, and I really think it added to our appreciation of the gardens. I'd probably wander the gardens on my own on subsequent trips. Small group of 6, so that was nice. Don't expect flower beds, not that kind of garden. House cannot be toured. A pleasant 2 hour tour, and we could have gone back into the gardens on our own.

Tammra S.

Beautiful gardens for those that really love plants. My family of 4 visited. It was way too much information for my 13 year old son, but the docent did his best to make it interesting for him. I really like plants but not as much as our tour guide. I would have preferred wandering in the gardens myself and reading the signs than having a guided tour. To each their own. The guide was very into the species of plants which no one in our group was interested in. He was very knowledgeable and kind and that is why it gets 5 stars in addition to being a beautiful place. If you do the guided tour, plan to hear all about plants and where they came from around the world and species they belong to.

Zan L.

One of the most beautiful botanical gardens that I have ever been to. There are many different eco zones that you can walk through either in a self guided or docent lead tour. This was my first visit so we chose the self guided tour and honestly I didn’t see any other people until towards the end, aside from a few staff members that are there to answer any questions that you may have. You’re allowed to be in the gardens for 2 1/2 hours which is plenty of time to stroll through the entire property and really take in the beauty of everything. My favorite part was the cactus garden.

It is a bit expensive, being $50 per person, but it’s definitely somewhere that everyone should go at least once. In fact, I drove up from Los Angeles specifically for this place. Getting reservations ahead of time is necessary because the spaces fill up and they have a limited amount of people that are allowed in each time, which is nice because it never gets too busy. I definitely plan to go again in the future and this would make a amazing date or special occasion location.

Blesilda D.

Wow! This is my new favorite garden. Took a nice stroll in about 2 hours. They have wheelchairs available, which my mom used. Not all areas were wheelchair accessible, but we maneuvered our way around with the tips and help from the awsome staff. First time to see huge bees and not be afraid. They have a variety of plants, informative guides, and set in a beautiful location.