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If your March calendar is already filling up with foodie specials and seasonal events, here’s one worth circling in green. From 9 to 15 March 2026, National Gardens Week returns, offering locals free access to the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) botanical and zoological gardens nationwide.
It’s the perfect excuse to slow down, step outside and reconnect with the natural world while celebrating South Africa’s extraordinary biodiversity. The week highlights the country’s status as the third most biodiverse nation in the world, home to more than 95,000 known species.
Most SANBI gardens will offer free entry throughout the week, while Kirstenbosch, Walter Sisulu and Pretoria National Botanical Gardens, along with the National Zoological Garden, will offer free access from 9 to 13 March. On the weekend of 14 and 15 March, the zoo will charge a reduced entry fee of just R26. See the full list here.
The 2026 theme, ‘Your free passport to nature, celebrate, restore, and protect all life, ’ will see guided walks, conservation-focused talks and family-friendly experiences that highlight how these gardens support biodiversity conservation.
Cape Town already offers the joy of free Wednesdays at Zeitz MOCAA, Iziko museum free days and a host of other freebies for your birthday month - with National Gardens Week simply adding another good reason to step outside and enjoy what this city has to offer.
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