Not sure about dogs! Honestly I have never seen animals there abd I have gone 2 times. I might call.

You could probably just smoke in the parking lot. It doesn't take that long to tour the gardens. There's also a small indoor cafe, but smoking would not be allowed inside.

I would definitely Uber. It’s too far to walk. Have a fantastic time. It’s really awesome.

The park should be open today. Closing is generally 5pm.

It's free...just enjoy!

A meandering stroll but there are small hills. It’s worth your time! 😊

Too short for a hike but we really got our steps in by walking along to river and through the park to get to the tea garden.

Dont know but the garden is located in the middle of a very big park, with parking lots and little train nearby-- so there are lots of other places to smoke outside the garden. The Japanese garden (an old quarry) is rather small -- you can walk around it in five minutes..

Yes, you are allowed to bring pets. I talked to a staff member.