Lovely visit in the middle of Golden Gate Park. The garden is fairly small and thus the entrance fee (11$ for an adult) is a bit high. If you have a pass from sister Tea Gardens, you may be able to get a reduced entrance fee. The tea house in the Garden was excellent.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Such a beautiful spot in the middle of the city to relax and clear your mind. I was definitely a tourist visiting but I loved it. I am not a tea lover or even really like it but the tea we ordered was really good. Such a nice cultural experience.

The Japanese Tea Garden is a jewel inside the Park. It is well maintained, and with clear road signs it is easy to navigate.I bought an online ticket and went as soon as its opened. There were few people on a Sunday morning, if you want to enjoy a calm walk avoiding people is the best time to go.After an hour you can see everything. I recommend to try a cup of tea, the restaurant inside follows social distancing, and you can see them cleaning and disinfecting often.

Very peaceful and beautiful garden for a morning stroll. Currently, the garden is free of charge 9-10 am on Fridays (and I believe Wednesdays?). I went on a nice morning walk during the free hour and stopped by the cute little stand in the garden for some Jasmine tea and delicious miso soup. The garden is fairly small, but very beautifully designed. (And the botanical garden is right next door if you are looking for more extensive walking before/after)

Beautiful place to enjoy nature, trees, fish and ponds, amazing restaurant inside. However a little bit crowded and its not possible to find any quite place to sit and mediate or read. You can walk though, take some photos, visit restaurant, gift store and pretty much it.

Very beautiful outdoor garden, meticulously maintained, and a perfect little escape into nature in the middle of SF during the 2020 Pandemic. To help with Covid-19 social distancing restrictions, all pathways are designated as one-way, visitors are required to wear masks, pass each other in designated areas, and abide by directional signs. Even with these minor restrictions, we really enjoyed meandering through these incredibly landscaped Japanese gardens.

This is truly worth the money. This place has a very calm vibe along with gorgeous nature and Japanese culture truly makes this a wonderful place to visit.

There not much to see!! $7 for sfo residents and 11$ for non residents. It’s not worth the money. I would say some where around 3-5$ would be great for the place!!

Fantastic oasis and one of the best places Ive been to within SF. Highly recommended for tourists, a casual walk or a date. The long lines and ticket price are worth it. You may want to take a jacket with you as it tends to be chillier than the rest of SF. Do not leave SF without visiting!

Perfect place for a pandemic outing. Beautiful garden in any season, with a charming open air tea house, for a quick snack. Definitely worth a visit.

We had such a lovely time at the Japanese Tea Garden!! The tea and snacks were delicious and the views were so beautiful. Will happily come again!!

Pleasant paths through relaxing Japanese gardens. Very beautiful. Limited admittance due to covid so we waited in line to get in. Bathroom closed as well and one building covered with tarp for renovations.

Beautiful Gardens. Kids really enjoyed. Felt like we were visiting Japan.

Not worth your money. We see better gardens and parks for free around. Waste of time and money. I feel good reviews for this place are given by their friends or they wrote there own. It would have been ok if the ticket is 1-2$

When the city suddenly shut everything down this past weekend, we turned our plans to the outdoors and visited GG park, specifically the Japanese Tea Garden. It was a bit busy on the weekend, complete with several photoshoots on the bridge, but otherwise was a very relaxing walk, complete with a hot tea on the small patio. This part of the garden is my favourite!

Amazing! Loved the garden and the little tea garden felt really special! Would totally recommend

Great place to cool down during warm days! Garden is small-ish compared to other Japanese gardens in the Bay Area, but very well maintained.The tea house inside its a gem not to be missed... drinking tea and watching the lovely emerald scenery around will transport you to Japan.

There was not much to see. The main Japanese building, as well as the nearby gate, were under the renovation - this should be clearly written at the entrance. It is totally not a place for walking with a stroller, and no one warned us about it. There are no maps, thus you dont know were to go, you already were there or not, etc.. It is maybe worth $3, but definitely not $11. And it is not a good place for social distancing now days.Dont waist time. There are many other free places in the park and not worst at all than this.

The Tea is AMAZING! Everything we ate was super delicious! The garden is definitely worth seeing and enjoying to relieve some stress.

So beautiful. We had a great time here with my daughter. We went pretty early so it wasnt busy.

I really enjoyed the garden, the statues, and the trees. The sheer variety of plants was truly awe inspiring.

The Japanese Tea Garden began as the Japanese Village and Tea Garden at the 1894 Worlds Fair. It was built by Australian born George Turner Marsh, who hired Japanese craftsmen to construct the site. After the close of the fair, Marsh sold his concession to the city of San Francisco for $4,500. Makoto Hagiwara, a Japanese immigrant and gardener, was then hired to manage the garden. He personally oversaw the modification of the temporary Japanese Village fair exhibit to the permanent Japanese Tea Garden and was official caretaker of the garden for most of the time between 1895 to 1925.[1] He imported from Japan many plants, birds, and the now famous koi fish, and he more than tripled the size of the garden.After San Franciscos 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition closed, the South Gate, the Temple Gate, and the Pagoda were acquired from that fairs Japanese exhibits.Following Makoto Hagiwaras death in 1925 his daughter, Takano Hagiwara, and her children became the proprietors and maintainers of the garden. With the onset of World War II in America and rising anti Japanese sentiment, Takano Hagiwara and her family were evicted from the familys home and sent to an internment camp.[1] 120,000 Japanese and Americans of Japanese descent were sent to internment camps during the war. Despite John McLarens agreement with Hagiwara, the displacement of his family disrupted their stay at a promised century long home and the family was not allowed back or reimbursed after the war ended.[2] In the period of their absence, the garden was renamed The Oriental Tea Garden, and some structures expressing Japanese sentiment were demolished, including the Hagiwara home, and the original Shinto Shrine. Japanese tea servers were replaced with Chinese women in their traditional dress.[2]In postwar 1952 the title Japanese Tea Garden was reinstated and the Hagiwara family offered minimal assistance in the beautification of the garden. The period that followed was one of reconciliation. In 1949, a bronze Buddha was donated by the Gump family. Because the 1951 Japanese Peace Treaty was signed in San Francisco, on January 8, 1953, Yasasuke Katsuno, the Japanese Consul General, presented a 9,000 pound Lantern of Peace. The lantern was commissioned in small donations by the children of Japan as a symbol of friendship toward future generations in the United States. At this time, Nagao Sakurai designed a Peace Garden and a karesansui or dry landscape garden. Karesansui are commonly referred to as Zen Gardens outside of Japan, but that name was assigned by those foreign to Japan. In 1974, a plaque contrived by artist, Ruth Asawa was gifted to the garden in honor of Makoto Hagiwara and his family for their dedication to the gardens beginnings and expansion.[3] The San Francisco Recreation & Park Department, which has maintained the garden since 1942, named the road bordering the garden Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive in 1986 to further honor the gardens original benefactors.

Great park very peaceful, quick warning ️ if you park around DO NOT leave any valuable looking items visible in the car.Area all around is very known for car break ins especially towards rental cars.

Visited this place the second time over 4 years and still in love with this place. The tea offering is limited due to covid and the entire garden has direction so it impacts your free movement. But nonetheless, the tranquility and peace you get when you visit is unparalleled. Just sit at the Cafe and have a tea enjoying the waterfall sound and greenery which will take your mind off all the stress going around with covid, wildfires, global warming, financial woes etc.

Perfect space to relax your mind... Small but really well maintained.

We went during covid times, I imagine it would be better if they actually had it open for wandering. It was pretty but small.

Thats an absolutely gorgeous garden in Golden Gate Park! Absolutely worth $10 entrance fee. Just look at the pictures and see for yourself. So much green around. We wish to return there one day and actually try the tea! Local Pagoda is from the famous SF fair.

Very beautiful place! Relaxing, romantic, lots of space, easy to find a spot to chill. Theres a university and a museum nearby.

Not a very big park. Because of Covid they are trying to limit the visitors inside the park, so there could be a big line outside. Restroom are also closed inside. Overall nice clean and peaceful park.

Serene, pretty, excellent tea house menu items. They have set up useful one way signs/routes to help with physical distancing.

Very calming and serene. Great ideas for your home garden projects.

My grandparents took me here as a child, so I have many great memories here. As an adult , I enjoy walking around and enjoying the horticulture and nature. I sometimes go jogging on the trails. On Halloween they close down the rose garden area for the RISE Pumpkin carving viewing. These tickets are sold separately and it takes place at night. It is not scary and is child friendly. You can find discounted tickets online. The pumpkin carvings are phenomenal ! Well worth the ticket price. I will post some pictures later. Enjoy .

Love the garden. Its a bit small but beautiful. Having fresh tea at the end was great. The Tea is obviously fresh and perfectly brewed.

Love this place. If you live in San Francisco and havent visited here, WHY? The tea garden is very beautiful, but small. On Christmas day it was free to everyone. I pray that everyone goes once in their life. When I was a kid they used to do a real tea ceremony, but not any more. This was nearly 30 years ago. Hey, if you are going to visit San Francisco and go to the Golden Gate Park take the time to go here. I promise you will love it and return many times.

On our visit to the Bay area we was attracted to the outside entrance and decided to see what it was about.We paid $11 dlrs per person.Thier Corvid rules was fantastic to care for all guest.But on entering the site was disappointing. It was a simple backyard oriental garden going in circles.Paths saying oops you cant enter. Nothing extravagant or a Wow factor.Not worth 11 dlrs per head.Good luck all.

A visit to the Japanese Tea House and Garden creates an intense awakening of the senses with the sounds of an azalea-covered waterfall, the sights of regal lanterns and statues, and the intoxicating scent of sweet wisteria and other magical blooms.

Tranquility. The Japanese Tea gardens San Francisco is such a peaceful place to be. You could easily walk around the gardens for hours even though its not that large but you still feel at one with your environment. Its crazy to even think that but it was such a magical moment walking around getting lost in the scenery and being with your thoughts. We also had some tea while we were there which made it that much better.

Such a beautiful setup. I enjoyed the way everything is laid out. Made it like a trail froma royal garden in Japan, my assumption. Many informational boards that depict a scene and gives you an idea of why they are made and formed in such designs. There is a little shop and cafe like spot in the garden.

What a great adventure walking thru the rose garden at night to see hundreds of professionally carved pumpkins. Well worth the money. Next year, I wouldnt wait until the last few days before Halloween to see it. Very crowded, lots of strollers to watch out for. Great gift shop!

Came in April and the weather was nice. Gorgeous scenery and very well taken care of. Recommend going in the evening for an even better view.

Beautiful place! It seems a bit far, but if you leave early, youll get to enjoy it and have a nice meal somewhere afterwards. They have occasional events and activities so make sure to check back often. Great for family or friends time

Shabby. Seriously sad. Obviously not manicured. Hedges are chopped with blunt, brown-edged leafs interspersed with overgrown new-growth. There are cobwebs on every corner. The ponds are filthy. How on earth is this a Japanese garden? The grasses not raked. Why on earth would one pay to see this? It appears as if the city leaf blowers are the “caretakers” of this “garden”. What a sad reality.

Very serene. Nice atmosphere and pleasant employees. Made a great early day before the academy of science.

I absolutely loved the Japanese Tea Garden. Its a very beautiful, well-manicured, and peaceful spot that is great for relaxing or taking instagram pics. Definitely get some tea and a snack, food is available too.

Absolutely beautiful. It was under construction but still very tranquil and cost was good too. Highly recommend. Both my daughters lived [email protected] @steppin.into.sustainablity

They say in brochure that it is wheelchair accessible. Well we went and I have an electric scooter and was not able to go anywhere in the garden. If cant walk on your own without crutches you arent going to see this place. When asked for refund the answer was no.

Such a cute gem in this city. Its so peaceful here. The neighborhood is a pleasant drive through and theres loads of parking available. Came during the day and with a student ID its only $6! We spent about an hour or more here. Ideally, I would come back with a sketch pad or something and just hang out. Theres plenty of benches throughout for a rest! So much space for kids and its a beautiful place overall. My favorite was the Japanese garden. I wish there were more roses this time around. Ancient forest also had awesome redwoods. Its a great place to checkout for some nice pictures

Considerably smaller than the botanical gardens. However, still peaceful and great, unique opportunities for photo ops. While here, it is a MUST to sit down, eat and drink, all the tasty treats at the Tea House.

Beuatiful scenery, lovely contemplative experience. A little too crowded but still an amazing garden. Would recommend the historical tour.

As always, had a great time! Great for taking awesome photos!

What a wonderful place, even closed down! The whole place has a very calm and peaceful atmosphere. The fee is a little pricey if youre from out of town ($12), so dont come if youre not into walking around seeing stuff.

This garden is so beautiful and serene. A great place to visit if you want to feel peaceful. The tea selection is great and tasted great.

A must see if you’re in town, especially if you’re in Golden gate park. Unfortunately this gem doesn’t seem to make it on most travel blogs however it’s stunning and definitely worth a visit. From what we were told this is also the place where the fortune cookie was invented and also the only Japanese anything where you will be able to get them.

Beautiful place in the city of San Francisco. Its a good place if you want to be outdoors. The garden is small so it is a good place to stop by quickly. There is a nice restaurant / tea shop inside the garden. They serve a very delicious iced green tea. Its a good place to sit down inside the garden and just to get some quiet time. There are also other places within walking distance to check out. Recommend.

A great space to visit for a quiet cup of tea and mochi. A beautiful place to photograph as well. Over the years weve seen plenty of engagement photos taken here.

What a beautiful and a spectacular place to visit in San Francisco city. The moment you enter this garden it gives you fresh and positive vibes. The ambience is so peaceful and great. There is entry tickets and costs only $5 per person. A very wide area covering stunning landscapes, trees, flowers with cool shadows. There’s even a Japanese style architecture for clicking pictures. The lush green garden makes it a picturesque place. At the end of the there’s a small cafe which has some authentic japanese drinks, snacks ice cream and beverages to choose from at affordable price. The Japanese rice ice cream which we ordered was simply amazing with nice flavors. A must visit place for all nature lovers!

What a fantastic place. It’s kinda smallish and it is self-guided so you can just walk around on your own without much help. I don’t think it’s possible to get lost here. It’s a great place to visit and has an amazing vibe.The ticket price is kinda steep at 12$ for non-local visitors.

This was a fun place to take the kids. It was a little crowded the day we went so we didnt go to the tea house, but walking around the well-manicured gardens was pretty cool. They have lots of cool paths and bridges winding through the gardens. The price was reasonable, even for a family of 7. Parking was a little wonky, but there is a parking garage across from the garden.

Absolutely Amazing just speechless such a peaceful experience

What a beautiful place. Its the best $9bucks I have spent in the bay area. The tea was wonderful and the garden is breathtaking. Feel like like you are in a different world.

Extremely peaceful place in San Fransisco. You need to pay to get in, but it is well worth it! I enjoyed walking around the garden and relaxing.Highly recommend visiting and promise you will not be dissapointed! Probably one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever visited. If you are thinking about going - do it!

Very beautiful place, just too small. There isn’t much to see can probably finish in 15 minutes. Not that many tea options from what I thought was going to be there. It does feel like you’re in Japan. If you’re a tourist I’d recommend going.

Fun place to walk around. Its very serene. I expected more tea options to actually drink, but its fine. Golden Gate Park is divine and this is a cool attraction. Plus, youre close to the discovery museum which has an outstanding view.There is a restroom, also.And a drink and snack bar.

This is a place to take your visitors to when they come to town. It’s really small, you can do a tour in 20min if you don’t stop by the gift store or the tea shop. some parts of the garden where you can see some Japanese Style landscape are pretty. Entrance fee is $10 and $7 if you’re an SF resident so bring your ID!

There is a charge to enter and you cannot picnic within, but definitely worth the visit. We visited on a non holiday Monday and while it was busy not overly so but would expect that to increase on weekends. There is also a Tea House within that serves tea and some food but think snack or desert.

This place is amazing. If youre familiar with the public transit then Id recommend taking a bus as parking is difficult. The inside is serene and beautiful. We stopped to have some tea and a snack, and were delighted by the strong matcha, green tea cheesecake, and red bean pastries.

If you are getting stressed out by the big city, this is the place to get your Zen on. A great place to relax enjoy a moment of peace and quiet in an atmosphere Phil with some of the most beautiful flowers and plants and waterfalls that you will ever see, and the very large pagodas make a great background for some great photographs. it was $9 for a non-resident which I thought was money well spent and happy to support this place.

Peaceful and relaxing. A little smaller than expected, but with Corona going around it was very empty and relaxing.

Ive been coming here for a year now and its one of the quietest most tranquil gardens. I try to avoid the festival days and weekend prime times because it can get pretty crowded. But I got a membership a couple months ago( which is really worth it) and I come a couple of times during the month. I can come here and unwind with nature.

Good service and friendly staff. One time they were almost closed, my friend flooded my car with her vomit. These guys cleaned everything and made it look like as if nothing happened. The smell went away so quick. They only charged me $30. It was really nice of them. Best place to have your car detailing.

The Japanese Tea Garden is one of my favorite destination when I come to San Francisco. Its a zen garden that is so serene and peaceful. Great place to go to wind down and admire the view with a cup of green tea. The service at the tea house is decent and clean. Great place to take pictures.

The scenery is absolutely amazing. It was so beautiful and seeing it in person was way better than i expected. The landscape is very well maintained and is a very relaxing experience. There isnt too much space to walk around cause it did get pretty busy but it wasnt a big deal at all. It was $9 when I went and thats not too bad of a price considering how beautiful it is. It is a place I would love to go again when I am in San Fran.

So pretty! Stunning gardens and such a nice place to walk around. We had a tea at the end and sat in front of the lake whilst enjoying it. It was quite cold this day so the tea definitely warmed us up! They had a good selection of teas and even some snacks including edamame beans, cake etc.

I loved it! The forest was my favorite with the flower garden coming up second! Its great for the family or a cute date. I think its a bit expensive for the tickets, but its so cute and had multiple interactive light art to play with. They have 10 areas and some drinks and snacks. Do not order the the fries - worse fries I have ever had! How do you go wrong with fries?!

Beautiful. Very calming. Gift shop had neat stuff, not too pricey. Very worth the cover charge.

Good little outdoor space with winding paths and water features. Be careful though the paths can be narrow but worth the price to spend some time among the architecture and gardens. They also have a tea house and gift shop if you’re looking for some gifts or a little snack

Great experience, good cafe section too. Would recommend a visit.

Peaceful place to spend a relaxing afternoon. The gardens and landscape are beautiful. We enjoyed tea while resting in a cafe. The gift shop had some unique gifts. Everyone we passed was friendly and appeared to be enjoying their time at the Japanese Tea Gardens.

Its a very aesthetically pleasing place. I cant attest to its authenticity, and I havent had a chance to have the tea drinking experience, but the place itself, in my opinion, was worth the entrance fee. Ive been to the Portland Japanese garden, so thats my only valid comparison: SF garden by comparison is smaller, somewhat less private, but also more flamboyant and decorative. Overall, I enjoyed both and definitely recommend visiting.

This place was incredible. I mean wow. I was and still am awestruck by it’s beauty and history. I can’t believe I was fortunate enough to visit. My boyfriend and I went early, just as it opened. This was nice because we were able to view the gardens without a mass of noise and people. The setting is so serene and it’s a getaway within the city. The gift shop is fun and affordable. The little restaurant is great and the staff are knowledgeable. We loved everything we got and the teas were enchanting.I loved reading each and every placard through the garden. It really helped you understand how special this place truly is and what the people who helped tend it went through during and after World War II. I think Japanese vegetation is my favorite and the pride and traditions that accompany it are fascinating.Definitely visit here during your trip to SF. It’s a must see.

Lovely Spot. Beautifully manicured gardens with many bonsai, waterfalls, pagodas, bridges, a souvinir shop, a a tea house.

Beautiful place. Fun fact: created the fortune cookie

10 out of 10! A must for every japanophile. The park surrounding the teahouse requires a small admission fee ($10) but is worth it. The park is small but I could have spent hours wandering the paths. The gardens are well tended and I found something new every time I turned around. There was various teas, ice cream, and miso soup available for purchase. There is also a small gift shop with nice items to purchase. If you learned something from this review, please press Like.

Very beautiful scenery. Lots of time can be spent wandering between the intertwined paths with bamboo fences. The cost is reasonable, and the staff was very kind. A must see within Golden Gate Park!

Best part was the old bridge in the garden. Its pretty well kept with a nice gift shop. Be careful though because my sister tipped a tea cup and it broke. You dont actually drink tea but they sell tea pots, tea cups and other souvenirs. Plus, you can take great pictures here.

Is ok but 11 dollars for the admission come on just with the tea and the gif store is enough bro keep the place in a good shape

Every time when My friend and I visited this garden , we were so please and like a little kids found a treasure..this a great place to visited.

A real quite & peaceful place to walk around.

Must see if you’re visiting San Francisco.Nestled in golden gate park, is this cozy manicured garden with pretty paths and tons of nooks and crannies to explore.A little pricey at $9 for adults, $3 for children 5-11 (these are non resident prices) but well worth the one hour visit.

It is near Ocean Beach, so a great escape from city noise & high temps with the wonderful sea breezes nearby. Surrounded by all things green, just a short walk to the park & multiple places to pick up a edible treat.

Beautiful garden.. With amazing man made waterfalls.. Will cost you 9$ for adult... But its worth going.... Take give around 1 hour to explore whole garden and extra time if you want try some janpense cuisine..

This was a very nice escape from the city, it was calming and beautiful. There were plenty of photo opportunities as well as information on the history of plants and statues on display. Entry is $10 for adults and $7 if you are local, lots to see it is worth the price.

Peaceful and tranquil. Something different to see. The matcha green tea was amazing, as well as the Mochi ice cream.

Some interesting teas and some nice gardens to walk around! Worth popping in if you’re in the park.

Such a serene place and so relaxing to have hot tea in the beautiful cafe.

The garden was wonderful but small. There were some blossoms on the trees. We were really interested in taking photos of the bridge and pagodas but it was quite popular. We enjoyed the tranquil setting to wait for our time to shoot. Theres a discounted entry for locals.

Beautiful garden, tons of native Japanese plants and trees. The entire garden is larger than I expected it to be. It was so relaxing and they even have a tea shop where you can either get a teapot to share with a friend or enjoy a cup on your own. It seems a bit busy at times though so do your homework and go on an off day if your looking for a place to mentally unwind.

Such a beautiful really well maintained garden. Every step though this magical place you feel like you are in another land. The Japanese culture really shows through. The tea House was great too. Overall a great pleasant experience.

Exquisite! A beautiful gem in San Fran!

Neat spot to come to in the mornings for a peaceful walk and a cup of tea. Gift shop available. Entrance is free from 9am-10am.Parking: 4 hour and 2 hour parking spots available on surrounding streets.