India GOParks and gardens in Pune
Pune's best-known gardens are the Empress Botanical Garden, run by the same society since 1892, and Saras Baug, the city's evening park around an island temple. Add the silent Osho Teerth Park and a Japanese garden, and for wilder green the city has two hills, Vetal Tekdi and Parvati, and a birding lake at Pashan. Here is what each one is and when to go.
Four gardens in the city
The four gardens in the list above are very different places: a botanical garden, an evening park, a silent garden and a Japanese one.
Empress Botanical Garden
Thirty-nine acres near the Race Course, laid out in the British period as the Soldier's Garden and later renamed for Queen Victoria. The Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India has managed it since 1892. Old trees, palm and bamboo avenues and a nursery make it one of the few places in Pune where you walk under a canopy; the big flower show is held around Republic Day week in late January. Entry is a nominal fee, and the garden's own site gives the hours as 9 am to 5:30 pm.
Saras Baug
Twenty-five acres on the bed of an 18th-century lake that Nanasaheb Peshwa made at the foot of Parvati Hill. The island in that lake still carries the Talyatla Ganpati temple, built in 1784 by Sawai Madhavrao Peshwa. Today it is the city's evening park: lawns, the lit temple, and chaat stalls (tangy street snacks) just outside the gate. Free; it opens early in the morning and again from about 4 pm to 11 pm.
Osho Teerth Park (Shunyo Park)
Twelve acres of bamboo, lawns, stone bridges and running water between the lanes of Koregaon Park, made by the Osho commune in the 1990s on a polluted stream. Entry is free and no resort pass is needed, but the hours are short, roughly 6 to 9:30 am and 3 to 6 pm, and silence is the rule: no picnics, no ball games.
P.L. Deshpande Garden (Okayama Friendship Garden)
A Japanese garden made together with the city of Okayama: ponds with koi, small bridges and neat paths. A calm walk; fewer people in the morning or evening.
Hills and a lake inside the city
Pune's other green spaces are not gardens at all: two hills and a reed-fringed lake where much of the city takes its morning walk.
Vetal Tekdi
The highest ground in the city, named after the Vetal temple on top, with red-earth trails starting from Law College Road, Senapati Bapat Road, Kothrud and Pashan. Joggers and birdwatchers walk it in the early morning, past old quarry lakes; no vehicles beyond the gates and no entry fee. There is no water up there, so carry your own. More on the Vetal Tekdi page.
Parvati Hill
The second-highest point in Pune after Vetal Hill, with 108 steps to the temple complex on top. The main Devdeveshwar temple, to Shiva and Parvati, was completed under Balaji Baji Rao in 1749; the Peshwa Museum is also there. The view runs over the whole city and is a favourite at sunset. Saras Baug is at the foot of the hill. More on the Parvati Hill page.
Pashan Lake
A lake in the north-western suburb of Pashan, built by the British in 1867–68 to supply the Kirkee gunpowder works and now a local birding patch with over two hundred species recorded. A track runs round the water; early morning belongs to birders and joggers. Free, with no facilities at all. More on the Pashan Lake page.
What you may see
Pune's parks and hills hold more wildlife than they look. On Vetal Tekdi the Indian roller, once common across Maharashtra, still turns up on the city's hills and outskirts, along with peafowl, bee-eaters and raptors; trail cameras on Vetal Tekdi and the neighbouring hills have photographed crested porcupines, jungle cats, palm civets and golden jackals.
At Pashan Lake, from roughly November to February, migrating ducks and waders arrive along the Central Asian Flyway: pintails, garganeys and sandpipers among the resident herons, cormorants and kingfishers. Bring binoculars.
In the Empress Botanical Garden, the mango (Maharashtra's state tree) and other old plantings predate most of the modern city. More species are on the birds of Pune and trees and flowers of Pune pages.
Tips
Small things that make the visit easier.
- Mornings are coolest — From March the heat builds, with average highs of about 37–38°C in April and May. The gardens and hills are best early in the morning; Saras Baug and Parvati Hill also work at sunset.
- Mind the hours at Osho Teerth — The park closes between the morning and afternoon sessions; plan around roughly 6 to 9:30 am or 3 to 6 pm.
- Carry water — Vetal Tekdi and Pashan Lake have no facilities.
- Flower show — For the Empress Garden flower show, go around Republic Day week in late January.
- With children — Saras Baug and the Empress Garden suit families; for a zoo day see Katraj Zoo.
FAQ
What are the famous gardens in Pune?
The Empress Botanical Garden, Saras Baug with its island Ganpati temple, the Osho Teerth Park in Koregaon Park and the P.L. Deshpande Japanese garden.
Is there a botanical garden in Pune?
Yes: the Empress Botanical Garden near the Race Course, 39 acres run by the Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India since 1892.
What are the Empress Garden timings?
The garden's own website gives 9 am to 5:30 pm. Entry is a nominal fee.
Is Osho garden in Pune free?
Yes. Osho Teerth Park is free and needs no resort pass, but it keeps short hours, roughly 6 to 9:30 am and 3 to 6 pm, and silence is required.
Which park in Pune is best in the evening?
Saras Baug: the lit temple on the island, lawns and chaat stalls at the gate, open again from about 4 pm. Parvati Hill next door is the sunset viewpoint.
Where can I go birdwatching in Pune?
Pashan Lake, especially from about November to February when migratory ducks arrive, and the trails of Vetal Tekdi at sunrise.
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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