National Botanic Garden of Wales — Attraction in Llanarthney

This is one of the great and magnificent gardens of Wales with a fabulous dazzling display from the flower borders and a fantastic array of plant life in the Great Glasshouse & The Tropical House. The place itself has a wonderful range of different things such as The Great Glasshouse, British Birds of Prey Centre, The Tropical House, The Wallace Garden, Apothecary's House, Apothecary's Garden, Double Walled Gardens, Wild Garden & Broadwalk. The Tropical House has a spectacular array of exotic plants from the various Tropical areas of the World and all of which looks magnificent. The Great Greenhouse is probably the best part of the place due to the marvellous teardrop carved into the hillside and houses various plants from the different Mediterranean regions of the world such as Australasia, South Africa and Europe and all of the plants are again a beautiful sight to behold and make a real exotic feel to it and giving you the feeling of being abroad. There is some interesting medicine memorabilia all derived from plants used in medicine and an informative display of where the different plants used in medicine from the different parts of the world, which is very fascinating in Apothecary's House. Apothecary's Garden is a wonderful rock garden with more beautiful plant displays to see and Apothecary's Garden has some informative information displays about how plants can be useful in helping health problems in different parts of the body. The Wild Garden houses some great wildflowers and wildlife and insects and provides a marvellous backdrop and surroundings for the Great Glasshouse and both blend in together very well. The Double Walled Garden is another area to see great flower displays with spectacular transitions of colour between the different flowers and also The Double Walled Garden provides a lovely retiring relaxing walk around. The British Birds of Prey Centre is a fantastic addition to this place with a great selection of Birds of Prey Centre such as a Barn Owl, Little Owl, Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Sparrowhawk, Merlin, Honey Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Red Kite and Hobby to see and all are housed in very spacious enclosures showing they are very well looked after. There are flying displays for the Birds of Prey Centre where you can catch a great glimpse of these Birds in flight getting a great idea of how they live in the wild and hunt and you can also learn more interesting facts about the Birds their habitat and diet etc and also conservation. The flying display times are 11:30hrs and 14:30hrs. There is also a short walk to The Nature Reserve where you see some spectacular lakes and also a beautiful waterfall to see. There is a great gift shop selling a wonderful array of souvenirs at reasonable prices and also a cafe/restaurant selling a great selection of food and drink at reasonable prices. Overall this is a marvellous and beautiful place to visit making for a relaxing and enjoyable day out in one of the great gardens of Wales. Definitely worth a visit whilst in...

The National Botanic Garden is a wonderful experience and I visited in early August 2018. The place is enormous and an absolute dream for gardeners and anyone who loves flowers and gardening with so many different varieties of plants and flowers, and an incredibly diverse range of things to do. The landscaping is amazing as well. There is a nice cafe with a spacious courtyard and a gift shop too. There is also a bird of prey centre for an additional £3.50 on the ticket price which is well worth it with displays that are very educatiobal of all the birds. The only thing I would say is that I feel the enclosures are a bit dull and boring for the birds. There are few places for the birds to perch and little shrubbery for them to hide if they wish to do so, with some containing no shrubbery at all. I do think in terms of animal rights these birds of prey need to have that shelter in terms of places to hide if they want to do so and ability to play with toys as well such as little ping pong balls or swinging things etc to make it more engaging and less boring for them. However, they do care for them I can see but this would make their lives less boring and more engaging. The butterfly 🦋 garden is incredible! Like Alice in Wonderland. Dreamlike with giant butterflies and moths flying everywhere and sometimes landing on your head so do not swat or go in here if you don't like that kind of thing. It's a real way to connect close to nature and even see the world's largest moth, the atlas moth, all year around. Best part of the day was the Butterfly House, no doubt. An overall great experience and the ticket lasts a whole week so you can come back multiple times and enjoy...

Our family visit to the National Botanic Garden of Wales was absolutely lovely. From the moment we arrived, we were drawn in by the peaceful, wide-open landscapes, which are both stunning and calming. It’s one of those places where you immediately feel the stress melt away, and you just want to explore.The Great Glasshouse was one of our favourite spots. It’s such an impressive structure, and stepping inside felt like being transported to another world. The variety of plants from Mediterranean climates around the globe was amazing. Our kids loved wandering through, spotting unusual plants they had never seen before. It really sparked their curiosity and made the visit that much more special. One thing we appreciated was how much there was to do beyond just admiring the plants. There were plenty of opportunities for learning, with informative displays and hands-on exhibits that managed to be fun and educational at the same time. The focus on nature, conservation, and sustainability was woven throughout the experience in a way that really resonated with us as parents.After all the walking, we stopped at the café, which was a perfect little break. The food was delicious, fresh, and locally sourced—definitely a nice touch. It gave us a chance to sit down, relax, and enjoy the views before heading back out to explore more. All in all, the National Botanic Garden of Wales exceeded our expectations. It’s the kind of place that feels just right for a family day out—relaxing, inspiring, and full of beautiful sights and experiences. We’re already planning to come back and would recommend it to anyone looking for a peaceful and engaging outing...