Begin your tour with a 90-minute cruise aboard BC Ferries. With scenery so jaw-dropping, you won’t want to blink. Relax and enjoy the voyage through Active Pass and the Gulf Islands. Explore the Inner Harbour of British Columbia's capital city of Victoria, named after the British monarch Queen Victoria and visit the breathtaking Butchart Gardens, 22 hectares (55 acres) of meticulously manicured beauty. This tour delivers a royally spectacular day-trip to remember.
In this tour, you'll view the spectacular British Columbia coastline by land and ship, and stop at Butchart Gardens en route to the British inspired city of Victoria. First, board a BC Ferries vessel at Tsawwassen Terminal for a 90-minute sail through the serene beauty of the Gulf Islands. From the outdoor ship decks, you'll likely sight marine wildlife - especially eagles, sea lions, and whales.
Arrive at Swartz Bay Terminal on Vancouver Island and continue to the enchanting botanical paradise of Butchart Gardens. Wander through a series of themed gardens, highlighted by the massive dancing fountain in the Sunken Garden.
The city of Victoria boasts many impressive architectural wonders, including the iconic Parliament buildings and the waterfront of the Fairmont Empress Hotel. Visit the unique shops and cafes of Government Street and Chinatown. Stroll along the Inner Harbour for prime ocean views, and enjoy some free time to take in this culturally significant city. Return on the bus to Vancouver by ferry to conclude this diverse tour.
Packed with ever-changing experiences of the Pacific Coast and Vancouver Island, this tour is a must-do for those who have not yet visited Victoria.
more time at Buchart Gardens little bit less at Victoria
Review by: emmacaroline2, November 2017
Great tour, the gardens were beautiful and our guide/ bus driver Mike was amazing and informative. He not only provided info about the gardens but of Vancouver as well history, places to eat, etc.
Review by: Sandra P, October 2017
Would highly recommend this tour if the Butchart Gardens are on your bucket list! Had a wonderful day, the gardens were amazing and then enough time to enjoy Victoria.
Review by: philippe d, October 2017
Bonne organisation, timing parfait, bus a renover
Review by: Kimberly M, October 2017
Great tour. I highly recommend.
Review by: Denise D, October 2017
What a place...Victoria and Buchart. The ferry crossing was great and the tour well organised, next time I’ll stay overnight because there is so much to see!
Review by: Tasneem S, October 2017
We didn't have enough time at the butchart gardens. If we spent 30 minutes more in the gardens and 30 minutes less in Victoria it would have been perfect. The guide Jack was nice to a point. He was weird towards me, kept on touching me on my arm and almost pinched my cheeks.I felt uncomfortable.
Review by: Jacquelyn D, September 2017
The tour was great and our tour guide Herman was wonderful. I would have given five stars, but I think they should give more time to the gardens and lessen the time in the city. Otherwise, it is a great tour and I do highly recommend it!
Review by: Florence Anne M, September 2017
Good way to get to Vancouver island and see the main sites. long day. great guide but no negatives to report
Review by: Christine S, September 2017
Jeff was one of the best tour guide I ever had. Being native to BC he was able to share both history.
Review by: Sabiha Z, September 2017
The guide was very good and shared interesting information. _br/_ The tour was also very good and covered the sights and sounds of Victoria. _br/_ There was enough time to see the gardens at leisure.
Review by: Jadranka M, September 2017
My intention was to discover Victoria and not to spend half of our time in Butchart Garden. Unfortunately we had only a little more than 2 hours for Victoria to have our lunch and to spend rest of time to discover Victoria. I wish there will be more tour offers without the Butchart Garden in order to spend more time in Victoria and surrounding.
Review by: Suzanna v, September 2017
We enjoyed this trip very much. We only had one day to spend in Vancouver and we're glad we were able to see and experience so much! Our guide, Hermann, was very knowledgeable and informative and his great sense of humour was a delight!
Review by: MAUREEN S, September 2017
Top notch. Very pleasant experience. Our tour guide Gordie did a great job with all his local knowledge.
Review by: Helene S, September 2017
Il was a wonderful tour. Thé bus driver was vert nice and gave a lot of informations.
Review by: Sue W, August 2017
Had a great trip to Vancouver Island and Victoria. The Buchart Gardens were just amazing and everything I thought they would be and more. Two hours there was just enough - could have had more. The bus driver/tour guide was very good and able to give a good commentary and explained things very well. Would definitely recommend this trip.
Review by: Robert G, August 2017
I thought that the trip was all it was cracked up to be. I had been to the gardens prior and enjoyed it even the second time. Our driver was great. he was friendly, very humorous and i really enjoyed his personality and sense of humor. His name was Jeff. i loved the ferry ride both ways. it is a great trip and the viator was great. we also took the on/off bus and it was very nice also. vancouver is a great city. just wish i would afford to live there but almost nobody can, unless you are asian. good job viator. Jeff was great and made the trip very enjoyable, especially to me.
Review by: Jennifer B, August 2017
Excellent tour, well designed and well executed. Driver/guide Andy was excellent This is the only way we could have seen so much in one day. I would highly recommend
Review by: Linda L, August 2017
This was an amazing trip. Beautiful weather helped, but our guide was very friendly and gave us lots of valuable information. I would highly recommend this tour. Price was right and we were picked up at our hotel and brought back that evening.
Review by: Robyn J, August 2017
The trip to Victoria on the ferry was great, weaving around the small islands and calm water, even though there was smoke haze . Butchart gardens was spectacular. There was a group of young people on our tour and they enjoyed the gardens as well....so not just for oldies. The downtown walk around was a bit ordinary. Wasn't until driving out that i saw the Royal BC Museum was so close by. Maybe driver should have advised us about that rather than shopping area. However the gardens were the main focus of the day and we were not disappointed. Probably need a stopover to truly explore Victoria. Be warned...its a very long day.
Review by: Matthew H, August 2017
Our guide Terry was the best. Very helpful and well informed.
Review by: sharsteck, August 2017
This was a great day tour to Vancouver Island to visit Victoria and Butchart Gardens -- which were absolutely stunning! We wished we'd had more time at the Gardens and would have given up some time in the city of Victoria to stay at the Gardens longer -- but there's only so many hours in a day! We also enjoyed the ferry ride to and from Vancouver Island. Jeffrey, our tour guide, kept us all entertained with knowledge and a sense of humor sometimes a wee bit more of the humor...LOL!._br/_ We highly recommend this Viator tour to anyone wanting to make a day trip to Victoria and Butchart Gardens...well worth the price!
Review by: Pamela W, July 2017
We took this day trip to Victoria and the weather was beautiful. Our guide Andy was great! He was very informative all along the way to the ferry. The Ferry held 500 vehicles! you would ever know it. There were ample seating both indoors and outside. Plenty of food on board. Out first stop was a the gardens for 2 hours. Plenty of time to go through the entire gardens for the non-gardener. I am sure if you are a gardener, it would not be enough time. There were places to get food and gift shop. You could purchase seeds to take to other countries they package it to accommodate going through customs. _br/_ Then we went to the old part of Victoria for about 2 1/2 hours. Again, plenty of time to walk around, get a meal or just enjoy the beautiful weather on the harbor. _br/_ Since the ferry is 40 minutes outside of Vancouver, it is a 90 minute ferry ride and then another 20 minutes to the gardens and another 20 minutes to the city center, most of your time is spent traveling. However, We are a do it yourself kind of travelers and we would rather leave the driving to this tour group. Our driver, Andy was excellent and very accommodating. We would recommend this trip to others.
Review by: Pamela W, July 2017
We took this day trip to Victoria and the weather was beautiful. Our guide Andy was great! He was very informative all along the way to the ferry. The Ferry held 500 vehicles! you would ever know it. There were ample seating both indoors and outside. Plenty of food on board. Out first stop was a the gardens for 2 hours. Plenty of time to go through the entire gardens for the non-gardener. I am sure if you are a gardener, it would not be enough time. There were places to get food and gift shop. You could purchase seeds to take to other countries they package it to accommodate going through customs. _br/_ Then we went to the old part of Victoria for about 2 1/2 hours. Again, plenty of time to walk around, get a meal or just enjoy the beautiful weather on the harbor. _br/_ Since the ferry is 40 minutes outside of Vancouver, it is a 90 minute ferry ride and then another 20 minutes to the gardens and another 20 minutes to the city center, most of your time is spent traveling. However, We are a do it yourself kind of travelers and we would rather leave the driving to this tour group. Our driver, Andy was excellent and very accommodating. We would recommend this trip to others.
Review by: Donald S, June 2017
The tour was well organized; coordination of transfers between busses, ferry ride, and best of all the driver Mark who filled us with information on history, geography and current events. Butchart gardens and Victoria were self guided with 90 minutes to two hours to visit respectively.
Review by: Terri, June 2017
The best part of this trip was our tour guide Mike. He entertained us on the bus ride with a narrative of history, education, geography, culture and great humor! He even helped us navigate the ferry with helpful information about dining, and observing the beautiful scenery. The Butchart Gardens was spectacular and we were provided with a map and flower identification brochure prior to our arrival. I felt we had plenty of time to see the attraction without feeling rushed. I wish I had better prepared for out time in Victoria. After walking the gardens, we walked the village. Lots of walking! Did not know about Parliment tours, harbor tours until it was too late to participate. My suggestion is to do a little planning for the two and half hours before you arrive. Perhaps take in the museum which is directly in front of the drop off point. A long but most rewarding day.
Review by: Suchada T, June 2017
Pretty park, driver was great in planning.
Review by: Mervyn R, June 2017
A long day - 14 hours frrom pick up in Burnaby - but really worth it. The driver of the the fetch and carry first bus was excellent and gave us the best description of the geography and demographics of Vancouver ever - including his part Italian background and how the different cultures interact.
Review by: Amy G, May 2017
A good tour if you want to see Vancouver Island in a day. Tour could start 2 hours earlier to give more time on the Island though, it and #39;s a very late start. Gardens was very rushed and too much time in Victoria which is very pretty but touristy. Our driver was lovely but awful at commentary.
Review by: jaarts, May 2017
We took this tour to visit Butchart Gardens. The Gardens were beautiful, but we did not get to spend enough time there. We were picked up at our hotel by a shuttle, which took us to a meeting place to meet the large bus. From there we traveled by ferry to Vancouver island and on to the gardens. We only had 1 hour and 45 minutes at the gardens. JUST NOT ENOUGH TIME to enjoy. We then drove to Victoria where after driving around the area,were only given 2 hours to explore, also very little time. I was not that pleased with Westcoast Tours. It was very impersonal. You are on the bus/ferry for 6 hours.
Review by: mamdouh k, February 2017
wounderfull place
Review by: Tamas D, December 2016
good but not great
Review by: Paul H, October 2016
From the very moment our tour guide Jeff picked us up at our hotel, we felt like royalty. We did not realize all of the amazing information we would learn about the city of Vancouver, BC and Vancouver Island. The ferry ride over, was even more than we anticipated and Butchart Gardens was breathtaking. We could not have had a more wonderful day or tour guide.
Review by: Jennifer M, October 2016
This was a long day but well worth it and there is no way I could have seen both the gardens and Victoria by myself. Andy our driver was really good and gave a very interesting commentary along the journey. Time is short in both places so eat on the ferry and save valuable sightseeing time. The gardens are spectacular. In Victoria I did the tour of the government buildings which was very interesting which gave about an hour for looking around the rest of Victoria. There was a museum of BC beside the government buildings but both closed at 5pm and we only arrived at 3.45pm so doing both was not an option. A great day out.
Review by: LUDMILA O, October 2016
Excellent trip! From start to finish, everything was done in such a professional matter that we had nothing to worry about. The tour guide was awesome. Splendid tour, the gardens beauty are simply stunning, Victoria is majestic, driver's very interesting comments made the day so much brighter! Thank you for the excellent tour! God Bless you all.
Review by: dl_severincu, September 2016
splendid tour, the gardens beauty are simply stunning, Victoria is majestic, driver's very interesting comments made the day so much brighter!
Review by: Vivian C, September 2016
Excellent trip! Our driver got me picked up right on time for what a great day to experience Victoria. I had just enough time in town, but as an avid gardener really could have spent the whole day at Buchart Gardens. But this trip gave just enough flavor and time to enjoy the gardens and see all of it. The ferry ride was a lot of fun as well. Such a pretty area. I totally recommend this trip if you want to experience Victoria for a day!
Review by: Philippe B, August 2016
Excellent à ne pas manquer à Victoria
Review by: Gerald W, August 2016
We enjoyed out visit to the gardens! Our guide, Mike, was very informative and knowledgeable on our bus ride to Victoria. He had a great personality, very intelligent. He gave us so much history about B C. He is a walking historian and a lot of fun! Thank you Mike for making good out day so delightfyl!
Review by: Katherine K, July 2016
The tour was all that it said it would be. Butchart Gardens was spectacular. The free time in Victoria was wonderful. Our guide (Lorne?) and driver were a great team. They offered so much insight to the trip we were on plus the areas we drove through plus the evolution of Vancouver area. Fun day
Review by: Gary S Schelvan S, July 2016
My wife and I have nothing but the highest praise for your company. From start to finish, everything was done in such a professional matter that we had nothing to worry about. The driver we had to take us to the island, Terry, was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I have already referred a couple from England to your company for the same tour. Thank you for the memories! God Bless you all._br/_ Gary and Cathy Schelvan
Review by: David W, July 2016
A long day but well worth it
Review by: Charles C, June 2016
The tour guide was awesome. Very knowledgeable of area. Interesting and educational. Couldn and #39;t ask for a more beautiful day. We loved Victoria and Butchert Gardens.
Review by: Rowena C, June 2016
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Phyllis W, June 2016
The travel time, including multiple hotel pickups, dropoffs, and ferry ride and waiting times were much too long for the amount of time spent on Vancouver Island. We only had 1.5 hours at Buchart Gardens and 2 hours in Victoria which we felt was inadequate. The bus driver was courteous.
Review by: Ben, June 2016
We enjoyed this tour and would recommend it as a good way to experience a lot of what southwest BC has to offer. The Butchart Gardens are amazing - we would definitely consider going back to the area just to spend more time there. Victoria is a cool place to visit as well.
Review by: MDFAN, June 2016
Very nice trip, very long day witch is a good value. Only problem i had was the length of time allowed in Victoria, just not enough time to really see the city at all.
Review by: Julie B, June 2016
Tour guide was great. The tour was a bit hurried, because we were doing several things in one day. The answer is probably break tour up into 2 days if possible! Good times!!
Review by: Tsz Ying Y, April 2016
The tour was excellent! Very well-planned and did not waste any second. The tour guide Jack is friendly and caring. Commentary was informative and interesting.
Review by: Tsz Ying Y, April 2016
The tour was excellent! Very well-planned and did not waste any second. The tour guide Jack is friendly and caring. Commentary was informative and interesting.
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