Montreal Botanical Gardens visit

Had pretty high expectations of the Montréal Botanical Gardens after reading the rave reviews on Tripadvisor by other visitors who had recommended this as one of the top sights in the city. It's apparently the second most important attraction (out of 219) that one should not miss in Montréal, the first being Vieux-Montréal or the historic city area.

Chinese Garden

It's a large garden, with several lovely areas such as the Japanese garden, Chinese garden, a large conservatory with tropical and desert plants, and a nice rose collection. It's a great and worthwhile place to spend half a day appreciating the collection. The main gripe that I had was the somewhat commercial feel to the whole place.

First, there's an entrance fee of C$16.50 (we paid a slightly reduced fee because the insectarium was closed). Second, the garden administrators deemed it fit for the various parts of the garden to serve as shops selling touristy knick-knacks or offering supposedly educational sessions for a fee.

Tower of Descending Clouds

For example, the 'Tower of Descending Clouds' in the Chinese Garden offered a tea demonstration and tasting for a fee of $2, other pavilions there doubled as souvenir shops, and the Japanese tea garden had a display of origami and tea sets for sale. It's probably better off having just the gift store at the main entrance area.

For me, that just took away the pleasure of visiting a public landscaped garden in the middle of the city, escaping into nature for a brief moment from the hustle and bustle of modern living, and trying to connect a little with the diverse beauty and color of plant species without feeling like it's a tourist trap.