If you are looking for a delightful, serene location to spend a few hours while visiting San Diego head over to the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park. The 7 acre garden is filled with meandering walking paths, ponds, waterfalls, and beautiful landscaping. There are many benches spread throughout the garden offering places to rest and enjoy the relaxing environment.
The Japanese Friendship Garden
The garden is divided into two sections, the upper garden and the lower canyon. The upper garden contains several bamboo water fountains, a dry stone garden, an amazing Bonsai tree collection and a koi pond.
The Japanese Friendship Garden
The park is very easy to navigate on your own, but there are free docent led tours offered Monday through Friday at either 11am or 1 pm. The tour is approximately one hour.
The Japanese Friendship Garden
The lower canyon was my favorite part of the garden. You follow a switchback trail to get down to it. It is a relatively easy walk back up.
The Japanese Friendship Garden
The lower garden is filled with a series of waterfalls, bridge crossings, and a meandering stream.
The Japanese Friendship Garden
The garden opens at 10am while the closing hours vary by season (6pm in the winter, 7 pm in the summer). Admission is $12 per adult, $10 for students, seniors and military, children under the age of 6 are free. The third Tuesday of the month is free for San Diego residents and military personnel and their dependents. The garden is located in Balboa Park near the Spreckles Organ Pavilion. I highly recommend stopping by for a visit.
If you are hungry there is a Tea Pavilion located outside of the garden near its entrance. They offer soups, sandwiches and a large variety of teas. My original intent was to try some of their tea on my way out, but it was 100 degrees outside and I did not find the idea of drinking anything hot even remotely appealing. Food is not allowed inside the garden, but you may bring in water. If it is a hot day I suggest bringing water so you can enjoy a longer visit. There are bathrooms and water fountains at several locations in the garden.
I will be covering the Botanical Building in Balboa Park next. It is much smaller than the Japanese Friendship Garden, but it is free to get into and definitely worth checking out. As always, wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life.
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Interested in Balboa Park, check out some of the links below.
Things to See and Do in Balboa Park
Art and Architecture in Balboa Park
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