Japanese Tea Garden

Activity Overview

The oldest Japanese Garden in the United States can be found within San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Created for the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition as part of the fair's Japanese Village exhibit these gardens are home to 5 acres of beautifully kept plants and trees of a variety of species. There is also a teahouse, a pagoda, a Zen Garden and more to be explored in this relaxing space.

Things to Do

• Go for a relaxing stroll around the immaculately kept gardens. Take in the traditional Japanese architecture including stone paths lined with stone lanterns, an arched drum bridge and numerous koi ponds. This is perfect to wander around with a young child in a buggy but be warned that teenagers could just get bored with all the serenity.
• At the recently refurbished teahouse you can drink traditional Japanese tea and sample genuine Japanese refreshments. You can take a look at their menu here. The Tea House can be found at the center of the Tea Garden and overlooks the South-facing pond.
• There is a gift shop within the Tea Gardens where you can buy tea and sake sets, a variety of green teas, glazed ceramic bowls and vases, traditional Japanese dolls and more.

Japanese Tea Garden Insider Tips

• The Tea Garden is open daily with no holiday closures
• Admission is free if you enter before 10.00 a.m. All children aged four and under are free at all times of the day.
• Parking for the Tea Gardens can be found in the Music Concourse Parking Facility while street parking is available throughout Golden Gate Park.
• A range of public transportation options are available to get you to the Tea Gardens, it is well serviced by the city's Muni public transport system. You can find a full explanation of all the public transport options here.