Victoria: City Tour & Butchart Gardens with Entry Ticket
Victoria City Tour & Butchart Gardens in One Morning or Afternoon
You get hotel pickup, a one-hour guided loop through Victoria's landmarks with three photo stops, entry to Butchart Gardens, and 2.5 hours to explore on your own. A local guide shares the garden's history on the drive and tips on where to spend your time. Small groups and flexible departure times (morning, midday, or evening) mean you can fit it around your schedule.
Step-by-step itinerary
Victoria city tour and Butchart Gardens
- Hotel pickup service
- One-hour narrated city tour
- Visit iconic Victoria landmarks
- Transfer to Butchart Gardens
- Explore Butchart Gardens for 2.5 hours
- Return to hotel
What’s included
Your day includes hotel pickup (or a convenient location on the route), a one-hour narrated city tour with a local guide, three photo stop opportunities during the city portion, entry to Butchart Gardens, 2.5 hours to explore the gardens at your own pace, a garden map in multiple languages, tips on what's blooming and where to spend your time, and return transport to your hotel. The guide shares the history of Butchart Gardens on the drive and offers advice on how to make the most of your time there.
Times
Next departure: 5 Mar 2027
7 departing soon ›Before you book
Operated by Island Time Tours Ltd.
Prices and times updated today
Traveler reviews
The experience
A guide points out the Parliament Buildings from the van window, then pulls over so you can actually step out and frame the shot. That's the rhythm of this combo: thirty-five minutes driving between two parts of Victoria, with the city tour built around three photo stops that don't feel rushed. You pick the order: start with the one-hour narrated loop through downtown and the Inner Harbour, then head to Butchart Gardens, or flip it and do the gardens first when the light is better. Hotel pickup means no navigating to a meeting point, and the van holds twelve people max, so it doesn't feel like you're on a bus.
Butchart Gardens is the main event, and you get 2.5 hours to walk it at your own pace. Your guide hands you a map, tells you what's blooming that day, and points out the best angles before you go in. The entry ticket is included, which saves the line and the lookup. The gardens sprawl across fifty-five acres, so two and a half hours is real time, not a rushed loop. If you're there on a Saturday evening between June and September, the fireworks go off at nine thirty-five, and the van adjusts the departure time to fit. Morning departures start at eight-thirty to beat the crowds. Evening options run from six-thirty onward, which is new this year.
The constraint is practical: no storage for luggage, wheelchairs, or strollers, and the vehicles need seatbelts, so kids have to be at least five. A moderate amount of walking is involved, comfortable shoes matter. If you're coming off a cruise ship, call ahead to confirm your pickup location and let the driver know when you need to be back. The tour adjusts the timing to get you to the dock. The whole thing runs about five hours from door to door, and you're not sitting on a coach the whole time.
Is this one for you?A good fit if you want both Victoria's highlights and Butchart Gardens in one outing without arranging separate transport or buying tickets separately. Plan for a full morning or afternoon out. That's what makes fitting both the city and the gardens into one trip possible.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (5 to 12 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What time does the tour start?
Departures run at 8:30am, 10am, noon, 2pm, and 4pm. Evening departures at 6:30pm began in June. You choose the time when you book.
Is the Butchart Gardens entry ticket included?
Yes. Entry is included, and you have 2.5 hours to explore the gardens at your own pace.
Can I do the city tour first or the gardens first?
You choose. The 10am option does city tour then gardens. The 1pm option does gardens first, then city tour.
Where does the van pick me up?
Hotel pickup is available for most downtown Victoria hotels. If you're staying at an Airbnb or outside the main area, pickup is at a convenient location on the route. Call to confirm your exact pickup spot.
How many people are on the tour?
Groups are kept to 12 people or fewer, so it's more intimate than a large coach tour.
Can I bring luggage or a stroller?
No. There is zero storage space for luggage, wheelchairs, strollers, or large packages. Leave luggage with your hotel or in the company office.
How long is the whole tour?
About 5 hours total, including the 35-minute transfer between the city and the gardens, the one-hour city tour, and 2.5 hours in the gardens.
What if I'm arriving on a cruise ship?
Evening departures on Sundays and Thursdays are available for cruise passengers. Let the driver know your ship's departure time, and the tour adjusts to get you back to the dock on time.
Victoria: City Tour & Butchart Gardens with Entry Ticket
5h · EN · at your hotel
from CA$ 139 per person
≈ US$ 101 in your currency
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.