Lal Bagh is a 240-acre botanical garden in the south of the city, one of the oldest and finest in India. The garden has thousands of tree species, many of them planted in the 18th and 19th centuries and now enormous. There is a small lake, rocky outcrops, a rose garden, a bonsai section, and the famous Glass House — a Victorian greenhouse modeled on the Crystal Palace, which hosts flower shows twice a year (around Republic Day in January and Independence Day in August). The shows are popular enough to draw huge crowds; go on an ordinary day for a quieter experience.
The garden opens early and is busiest in the morning, when joggers and walkers use the perimeter paths. The Rock Garden section, with its ancient exposed granite, is good to visit and pleasantly cool in the shade. The main gate is on Lalbagh Road, and nearby MTR restaurant makes a natural pairing — botanical garden in the morning, breakfast at MTR afterwards.