Victoria and Butchart Gardens Day Trip from Vancouver
Vancouver, Canada
This full-day narrated sightseeing tour takes you from downtown Vancouver to Victoria. Visit the world-famous Butchart Gardens and discover downtown Victoria. Travel by comfortable coach and take the BC Ferry for a spectacular sightseeing cruise. Sit back, relax and enjoy the journey.
Starting in downtown Vancouver, travel by comfortable coach and BC Ferry to Vancouver Island. A spectacular 95-minute cruise takes you around the marine wonderland of the Gulf Islands.
Once docked on Vancouver Island (Swartz Bay), head to the world-famous Butchart Gardens. Take your time as you wander the 50 acres of magnificent floral displays.
After the gardens, head to downtown Victoria through quaint Chinatown and the Inner Harbour. You will have free time here to explore and view the Inner Harbour, the Empress Hotel, the Royal BC Museum and the BC Legislature.
In the evening, depart downtown Victoria for your return journey to Vancouver. Enjoy your return cruise to the mainland aboard a BC Ferry, and keep your eye out for whales! You have the ability to return on any of the frequent departures.
You'll arrive in Vancouver at approximately 9:30pm. You can disembark at the terminal or be dropped off at your downtown hotel.
Worth the trip but not enough time at the Gardens. It was a lot to do when we were not traveling.
Review by: herbie2448, December 2017
Great tour with ferry trip and tickets included. _br/_ Butchart Gardens are a must see but you need a full day for there and back plus Victoria._br/_ I little more of Victoria itself would have been nice rather than dropped for more souvenir shops but it is a pretty town and worth the visit.
Review by: John C, October 2017
There was too much travelling and not enough time spent in vancouver island. If I was to go again i would definetly stay overnight as we just didnt have enough time
Review by: kido, October 2017
Awesome..beautiful gardens. Great day out.
Review by: Dave, October 2017
Simply amazing tour. I highly recommend it. - Dave J
Review by: Denise H, October 2017
Enjoyed our time, maybe start a bit earlier but oversll loved this tour
Review by: Judith O, October 2017
Butchart Gardens is a little gem. For birders, it's an opportunity to view the tiny Anna's Hummingbird who resides there all year chattering and flitting among the small tubular flowers. Our tour was well organized wand led by a terrific driver/guide, Erik, who provided lots of information and answered every question.
Review by: Dianne L, October 2017
Fantastic day, gardens were in full colour. A quick taste of Victoria and a great ferry ride. Our driver/guide was very informative and kept us entertained. Lond day but well worth it
Review by: David S, October 2017
More bus time and ferry time than anything else. Gardens were beautiful. Downtown Victoria was attractive but little to do.
Review by: William T, October 2017
Worth the long ride. Fun days outing to the gardens and the town!
Review by: David G, October 2017
This was overall a very enjoyable tour. Picked up on time but had to change busses before proceed to ferry. Ferry ride was scenic and Butchart Gardens were a site not to be missed. Only down side was after ferry ride, Butchart Gardens, and return trip, we only had about an hour in Victoria. had time to get a drink at local pub but we did not see much of Victoria. Because of distance involved and two 1 1/2 hour ferry rides the trip took 13 hours. I don't see how to provide more time in Victoria except for staying overnight. but that portion of tour was not very pleasing.
Review by: Karenleesklar, October 2017
I would give the tour part a zero since there wasn't any tour, just transportation - and a lot of it. Just too much for one day, leaving you very little time to see anything. My primary complaint was with the arrangements which started and ended poorly. The bus company refused to pick me up at my hotel in the morning though they picked up people a few blocks away. They told me they didn't do pick ups. In the evening when I was exhausted, they refused to drop me off at my hotel dropping everyone else at their hotels nearby and I faced a late night walk during which I felt unsafe and utterly exhausted. I called and wrote to victor to complain and never got the courtesy of a reply. Disappointing.
Review by: Robert D, October 2017
Amazing excursion to go visit Butchart Gardens and down-town Victoria.
Review by: Elaine H, October 2017
We took two other tours with Viator on this visit west and both were excellent, both in content and our guides. My daughter and I loved both, but unfortunately this one did not stack up. The places we went and the sights we saw along the way were wonderful but I cannot say the same for our guide, Ed. When he picked us up at the hotel around the corner from ours he was not able to park the bus so he parked two blocks away. He then told us that he would go on ahead so that he could be with the bus since he was stopped in a bad spot. Unfortunately I am handicapped and have mobility issues so that I cannot walk very fast and this seemed to upset him as he was trying to keep to a schedule. The entire trip after that he had a real attitude toward us, even remarking in Victoria to the people on the bus about us being last, although we were never past the time that we were supposed to be back. This, unfortunately, put a damper on what would have been a lovely day for us. I would recommend this trip to others as long as they had a different guide.
Review by: Paul B, October 2017
We had a most enjoyable day. Martin, our driver, was very pleasant, engaging and entertaining notwithstanding the frequent corniness. Above all he was unfailingly solicitous without being overbearing, and took full and cheery command of the numerous significant pressures attendant to a bus trip with many moving parts in equally numerous places We, as passenger customers, had nothing more to do than enjoy the experience.
Review by: Shirley B, October 2017
Everything was on time from the moment our guide picked us up. We thoroughly enjoyed the Gardens and were told a lot of history and things about the city from our guide. It was a wonderful day.
Review by: sileneferraz, October 2017
More time is needed in the gardens.
Review by: Kathryn R, October 2017
This trip , although a long day, was worth it. The Gardens are amazing. My feedback would be that there is not enough time spent at the gardens. I understand the difficulty with ferry crossing etc but maybe the time spent in Victoria could just be a drive around and have more time at Butchart or do that as an excursion on its own.
Review by: Evelyn W, September 2017
Very beautiful and worth visiting. Only negative was that with the ferry trip back and forth, it was a very long day.
Review by: Carol L, September 2017
Butchart Gardens were great and we had enough time to see it all. Unfortunately, due to the length of time it takes to get to the island, it only leaves you 1 1/2 hours in Victoria which isn't nearly enough. It would have been nice if the bus had made some stops along the short tour through the city giving you a little time in each area since you don't have enough time to walk to the different areas. It should be made clear, in the information about the tour, that in order to have adequate time at the gardens and any time in Victoria you will need to eat your lunch and dinner on the ship taking you to and from the island.
Review by: John P M, September 2017
Excellent day however the bus was very cramped
Review by: rxdout51, September 2017
Pacific Coach provided a wonderful experience. The bus ride, ferry ride, tour of Victoria and Butchart Gardens was smooth and our driver/tour guide was friendly, shared a wealth of information and explained the itinerary very well. This excursion was excellent!
Review by: Carl L, September 2017
Our guide Gord was such a competent and knowledgeable driver and guide. Our pickup at the hotel was exactly on time and the coach was comfortable and spacious. The gardens were lovely, and we wish we had more time to enjoy them. The trip to Victoria was too abbreviated and one hour was not enough time to explore anything in depth and have a meal, too. We would have liked to skip Victoria and spend that extra time in the gardens. The ferry ride was scenic and relaxing. Overall a four star day.
Review by: Lorraine G, September 2017
we went to Victoria the day before so decided not to do this tour and lookned around Vancouver instead
Review by: Suzanne B, September 2017
We couldn't have visited either places without this trip. Our guide, Eric was excellent and absolute made the visit with his encyclopaedic knowledge
Review by: Michael L, September 2017
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Our bus was comfortable and our guide was excellent. It was a long day but well worth our time.
Review by: krsouders, September 2017
It was a beautiful day. Our bus driver was great. He lived on Victoria Island for many years and gave us wonderful insight into the history and environment throughout the day.
Review by: Susan D, September 2017
Unbelievable gardens, A very long day but efficient and comfortable
Review by: Foxflorea, September 2017
this was a great trip. I guess I didn't realize how long the drive was, but our driver was great, and gave good information on the way and when we got to the ferry, Butchart gardens and Victoria. We were exhausted when we were dropped off at our hotel. It was a great day. Only one star off because of how long the day was.
Review by: Sachin K, September 2017
Excellent arrangements for this trip. Driver / guide was having good knowledge and very co-operative.
Review by: Robert D, September 2017
Gardens are exceptional. We then went to the Empress for High Tea. Great day.
Review by: hawkhamo, September 2017
Be booked tour of Victoria is recommended as waiting queue for ferries is quite long and with_br/_ be-booked tour no waiting time for ferries as tours have priority.
Review by: foz13, September 2017
Everything was great except we needed more time in victoria
Review by: Bruce I, September 2017
Too much travel time to fully appreciate the gardens. First the gardens are spectacular and breathtaking, but the one hour bus ride to the ferry, the 90 minute ferry ride and then another one hour ride to the gardens only to be told you only had two hours to explore and enjoy the gardens before leaving for Victoria which was only a one hour lay over before we reversed our travels and headed back to Vancouver with a one hour ride to the ferry, a 90 minute ferry rides and another one hour ride to our drop off. Very long day and would suggest getting over to Victoria and staying a day or two and take in the gardens while there.
Review by: cally h, September 2017
Too much for one day. If you are going to Victoria for the day I recommend sea plane. Taking the bus and ferry takes four hours one way so that's eight hours of transport alone, so you really don't get much time on the island. Beautiful island, just not for a day tour.
Review by: cally h, September 2017
Too much for one day. If you are going to Victoria for the day I recommend sea plane. Taking the bus and ferry takes four hours one way so that's eight hours of transport alone, so you really don't get much time on the island. Beautiful island, just not for a day tour.
Review by: adheilma, December 2016
Excellent way to get a taste of Victoria and Butchart Gardens!
Review by: James S, October 2016
We loved the time and tour we actually got to spend in Victoria. Wish we had more time to spend there. The round trip ferry ride ate up too much time and made it a very long and tiring day.
Review by: Edward J S, October 2016
Trip went well. Bus driver was knowledgeable and prompt. Ferry cruise was interesting. Butchart Gardens were amazing, beautiful, in full color. Victoria was lovely. All in all a great trip!
Review by: Judith P, October 2016
Butchart Gardens is the most beautiful place I have ever seen! An all day trip form Vancouver but worth every minute.
Review by: Chrissie H, October 2016
It started out rainy but turn out to be a great day. Jeff our driver was awesome. He had tons of knowledge and stories. We could have not had a better guide!
Review by: germls, October 2016
Butchart Gardens were beautful and Viator provided excellent service
Review by: Kathryn R, October 2016
The trip was great and we had a terrific driver/guide. The problem we did have was that the information that was sent to us told us to report to Bay 9 at the Vancouver bus depot. We waited in line at Bay 9 and when we got to the driver to check our tickets he told us this was the wrong bus and the bus we were supposed to be on was already leaving the station. He was able to stop the driver and we did get on the correct bus but it was too close for comfort. Please work on better communication .
Review by: Diane H, September 2016
We were very disappointed in our driver and tour guide. His comments were not politically correct and prejudice. he fairy was delayed when brining us back and when it did dock he started shouting for us to get onto the bus. He could have been more observant and rounded us up at an earlier time. When he dropped us off at the Hotel Van. he carelessly pulled away and smashed the traffic light, but never stopped. We took photos of the incident. Since I was organizing the outing for my friends I felt responsible and embarrassed by his poor deportment. The Butchart Gardens and free time in Victoria made the day special.
Review by: Lorraine L, September 2016
Beautiful gardens, well worth the day trip.
Review by: Ellen R, September 2016
The gardens were breathtaking. I can honestly say that they were the highlight to my trip to Vancouver. While it did take a long time to get there, that part of it was fun too! We rode across the channel on a very large ferry that had several comfortable rooms to watch the water, as well as 2 restaurants. They even had free wifi for your computer. I would highly recommend this trip!!!
Review by: Dana F, September 2016
DO NOT do this trip! I booked this trip and my card was charged, but I was never given a time or meeting location for a pick up. I had to email twice, and finally heard back at 10pm the night before the tour. When I got to the meeting place the bus was 30 minutes late and I was not given any heads up, so I sat on hold for 15 minutes with the provider and on a very expensive international call. The tour group was a full coach bus with over 50 people and I was by far the youngest. Of a 13 hour day, we had about 75 minutes total to see all of Victoria. Travel to Victoria took from 8:30am to 1pm you don't get the ferry until 11am, we spent 2 hours in Buchart Garden, and by the time we got to Victoria I only got to walk a few streets and eat. The bus driver is the tour guide and he was very funny, but he is primarily there for transportation, he doesn't walk you around any of the sites. And definitely don't be late for any pick ups because we left people behind when they didn't show on time. We didn't get back to Vancouver until after 10pm. There are better tours that are more informed and have smaller groups for about the same price.
Review by: Michael M, September 2016
Butchart was magnificent! The getting there was a bit tedious, but understandable. Not for the jetlagged! as we were, but the gardens were so uplifiting and the driver was knowledgeable and courteous.. would do it all over again! really appreciated the pick up and drop off at the hotel!
Review by: Semyon V, September 2016
very good
Review by: Anne S, September 2016
The tour was excellent. It was lucky that I had checked my junk mail in advance though as your e-mail about the hotel pick-up across the road from our own hotel went there rather than into my inbox. You may wish to check this as we would have missed the tour had we waited in our own hotel!
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