About this experience
The ideal time of the year for comfort and flowers for such a tour is in the last half of February, March, April, and October. The environments are tranquil, relaxing, full of flowers and you will see ducks, koi fish, squirrels, and more and sit in one or more of the pagodas. These are good sites to take photos. Be prepared to sweat in May, June, July, August, and September and dress warmly from November through the first half of February.
At a glance
- Duration: 3 hr
- Private experience
Plan your experience
Set aside 3 hr for the experience itself, with additional time to reach your meeting or pickup point.
Before you go
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- If parents or grandparents bring their own infant seats, the children can sit in them after they are secured.
What is included
- Entrance fee
- Guided Services
Itinerary and highlights
Allow 25 to 30 minutes. Rienzi was built in 1952; however, we do not enter the house. Landscape architect Ralph Ellis Gunn designed the gardens in the 1950s. It has 4.4 acres. Two steep ravines that lead to Buffalo Bayou slice through the area that has a variety of native plants as well as a reflecting pool. A bayou is a slow moving river whose movement is so slow that it may be imperceptible to the eye. Closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Allow 30 to 45 minutes. The site is The John P. McGovern Centennial Gardens in Hermann Park. This redesigned area opened in December 2014. It has 8 acres. This includes seeing the statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr, Confucius, approximately one-dozen busts of Latin American revolutionary leaders, rock formations, fountains, a waterfall, a Chinese pagoda, and more. You can climb a ramp that wraps around a hill with a waterfall that you will cross 3 times to the top which serves as an observation deck.
Allow 25 to 30 minutes. This is the Japanese Gardens. This was dedicated on May 4, 1992. It is on 5 acres. World recognized landscape architect Ken Nakajima designed the gardens. It is built in the Daimyo style. It has a small pond and waterfall, stone lantern, winding stone paths, crepe myrtles, Japanese maples, irises, a grove of pine trees, peach trees, and more. Twenty cherry trees were planted in 2012. A rarely used tea house is in the center.
Allow 45 minutes. This covers 155 acres. It is home to over 75 varieties of native trees and shrubs, 160 species of birds, and 5 miles of walking trails. It has a pond, overlook, children’s playground, and a small museum and gift shop. Guided.
Walk through Hermann Park from the Centennial Garden to the Japanese Garden. See the replica of the Washington Monument, reflecting pond, Kinder Lake with its peddle boats and large fountain, Miller Outdoor Theatre, statue of General Sam Houston, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, children's train, and more.
Meeting and pickup information
- We meet inside the rotunda of the Houston City Hall at 901 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas 77002 on Monday through Friday. City Hall is closed on weekends. On weekends, we meet at a park bench on the east side of City Hall.
Languages and tickets
- English — Guide
- Mobile Only
Tour operator
- Houston Historical Tours - Day Tours
Accessibility and practical details
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- If parents or grandparents bring their own infant seats, the children can sit in them after they are secured.
- I have selected what I think are 2 of the most interesting and verdant trails to hike in the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center: The Serpentine Donors' Boardwalk Trail that crosses over a swamp and the Ravine Trail. You may want to take several photos on either of these trails. We will have time to only trek on one trail. The Serpentine Trail is probably the shorter of the 2 trails. Keep this in mind when we are going through the other sites so that you allow more time if you want to walk along the Ravine Trail.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Questions about this experience
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Service animals allowed
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