Best Online Bonsai Course for Any Skill Level [Free & Paid]

Whether you are a beginner just starting out or an advanced practitioner seeking to refine your art, there are bonsai courses available globally to fit your needs. This guide covers a curated selection of online bonsai courses – including both pre-recorded, self-paced tutorials and live/interactive learning experiences – suitable for skill levels from beginner through advanced. Each course listing includes key details such as the provider, instructor credentials, bonsai style focus, format, duration, cost, skill level, topics covered, and any certification or feedback offered. A comparison matrix is provided at the end to help you evaluate these courses across multiple criteria (skill level, instructor credibility, course depth, video quality, hands-on feedback, style focus, and value for money).

For a full list of courses options, go here.

Pre-Recorded Online Bonsai Courses (Self-Paced)

Bonsai Beginners Course – Bonsai Empire

• Provider: Bonsai Empire
• Instructor: Oscar Jonker – Founder of Bonsai Empire
• Style/School: Traditional Japanese fundamentals
• Format: 17 video lessons, quizzes, self-paced
• Duration: ~2.5 hours
• Price: $49.99 (lifetime access)
• Level: Beginner
• Topics Covered: Bonsai care, pruning, wiring, styling demos (juniper, maple, pine)
• Certification/Feedback: Certificate upon completion

Bonsai Intermediate Course – Bonsai Empire

• Provider: Bonsai Empire
• Instructor: Bjorn Bjorholm
• Style/School: Classical Japanese techniques
• Format: 24 video lessons, quizzes
• Duration: ~3.5 hours
• Price: $69.99 (lifetime access)
• Level: Intermediate
• Topics Covered: Wiring, pruning, styling case studies, conifers vs deciduous
• Certification/Feedback: Certificate upon completion

Bonsai Fundamentals Course – Bonsai Empire

• Provider: Bonsai Empire
• Instructor: Michael Hagedorn
• Style/School: Japanese aesthetic theory + Western horticulture
• Format: 22 video lectures
• Duration: ~2 hours
• Price: $64.99 (lifetime access)
• Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Topics Covered: Plant physiology, aesthetics, design theory
• Certification/Feedback: Certificate upon completion

Advanced Bonsai Course – Bonsai Empire

• Provider: Bonsai Empire
• Instructor: Bjorn Bjorholm
• Style/School: Advanced Japanese techniques
• Format: 26 video lectures, structured curriculum
• Duration: ~6 hours
• Price: $84.99 (lifetime access)
• Level: Advanced
• Topics Covered: Grafting, bending, deadwood, high-level design
• Certification/Feedback: Certificate upon completion

Developing Deciduous Bonsai – Bonsai Empire

• Provider: Bonsai Empire
• Instructors: Mauro Stemberger, Walter Pall, Harry Harrington
• Style/School: Mixed Western/Naturalistic styles
• Format: 26 video lectures
• Duration: ~10 hours
• Price: $79.99 (lifetime access)
• Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Topics Covered: Branch structure, hedge pruning, carving, rock planting
• Certification/Feedback: Certificate upon completion

Developing Coniferous Bonsai – Bonsai Empire

• Provider: Bonsai Empire
• Instructors: Mauro Stemberger, Walter Pall, Harry Harrington, Jan Culek
• Style/School: Practical Western approach with Japanese techniques
• Format: 23 video lectures
• Duration: ~10 hours
• Price: $79.99 (lifetime access)
• Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Topics Covered: Material selection, big bends, deadwood, potting
• Certification/Feedback: Certificate upon completion

Kimura Aesthetics Masterclass – Bonsai Empire

• Provider: Bonsai Empire
• Instructor: Masahiko Kimura
• Style/School: Elite Japanese artistry
• Format: ~15 video lectures
• Duration: ~4 hours
• Price: $89.99 (lifetime access)
• Level: Advanced to Expert
• Topics Covered: Rock plantings, composition, apex design, aesthetics
• Certification/Feedback: Certificate upon completion

Kimura Techniques Masterclass – Bonsai Empire

• Provider: Bonsai Empire
• Instructor: Masahiko Kimura
• Style/School: Advanced Japanese transformation techniques
• Format: ~15 video lectures
• Duration: ~4 hours
• Price: $99.99 (lifetime access)
• Level: Advanced to Expert
• Topics Covered: Carving, bending, wiring, grafting, full tree redesign
• Certification/Feedback: Certificate upon completion

Bonsai 101 Beginners Course – The Bonsai Dojo

• Provider: The Bonsai Dojo (Bonsai-En)
• Instructor: Joshua Hooson
• Style/School: Practical Western fundamentals
• Format: Video modules, student Facebook group
• Duration: ~5 hours
• Price: $64.99 (lifetime access)
• Level: Beginner to Lower-Intermediate
• Topics Covered: Tools, soil, wiring, pruning, repotting, basic styles
• Certification/Feedback: Completion certificate + community feedback

Bonsai Design Techniques – Craftsy

• Provider: Craftsy
• Instructor: Colin Lewis
• Style/School: Traditional with creative design
• Format: 7 video lessons, worksheets, Q&A platform
• Duration: ~2.5 hours
• Price: ~$39.99 (one-time)
• Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Topics Covered: Sketching, bending, jin/shari, canopy composition
• Certification/Feedback: No formal cert, archived Q&A with instructor