Victoria & Butchart Gardens Day Trip from Vancouver

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/25

Duration13h

GroupUp to 30

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Ferry, Gardens & Free Time in Victoria — One Day from Vancouver

You board a ferry at your hotel pickup, spend 90 minutes crossing the Strait of Georgia, get a guided tour of Victoria's downtown, then have free time to explore on foot before heading to Butchart Gardens' 55 acres of gardens. Entry to the gardens and ferry are included, and you return by evening without arranging transport or tickets yourself.

13h

Step-by-step itinerary

Victoria and Butchart Gardens day trip

Board mini-coach onto BC Ferries
Enjoy 90-minute scenic cruise
Explore Victoria at leisure
Travel to Butchart Gardens
Stroll through five garden areas
Return crossing with dining onboard
Arrive back at hotel

The Experience

So you've got a day in Vancouver and someone mentions Butchart Gardens like it's non-negotiable, and honestly, they're right — but getting there means leaving the city. The ferry ride across the Strait of Georgia takes 90 minutes, and yeah, you could drive yourself and navigate the whole thing, or you let the coach pick you up from your hotel, drive straight onto the BC Ferries ship, and just sit there while the water opens up around you. The mini-coach stays on the ferry, so there's no fussing with a car once you land on Vancouver Island.

Once you're in Victoria, you get a guided coach tour of downtown first — the kind where someone who actually knows the place points out the architecture and the history without you having to squint at a map. After that, you're loose for a few hours to walk around on your own. The city's got galleries, shops, the harbor — it's small enough that you won't get lost, and the pace is yours. Then comes the part everyone's here for: Butchart Gardens. Fifty-five acres of gardens spread across what used to be a limestone quarry, and it's the kind of place where even people who don't care about flowers end up standing still for a while. There's the Sunken Garden, the Japanese Gardens, paths that wind through lawns and flower beds that change with the season. You're not rushed through it; you walk it at your own speed.

The return ferry crossing happens as the light starts to shift, and if you're hungry, there's food onboard. You're back at your hotel by evening, which means you didn't spend the whole day driving or figuring out logistics — the day trip to Victoria and Butchart Gardens from Vancouver handles that part, and you just show up at your hotel in the morning ready to go.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a 90-minute scenic ferry crossing aboard BC Ferries with your coach, a guided sightseeing tour of downtown Victoria, free time to explore Victoria on foot, full admission to Butchart Gardens, and a return ferry crossing with dining options onboard. A professional driver and guide accompany the group throughout, and local taxes are covered.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Landsea Tours Ltd

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to see Butchart Gardens from Vancouver without renting a car or buying separate ferry and entry tickets — the fixed itinerary and included transport mean you show up at your hotel and the logistics are done.