Victoria tour: Butchart Gardens, aquarium and rainforest giants

Walk among 800-year-old cedars and see what lives in the waters around Vancouver Island

A guided tour on Vancouver Island covering three distinct stops: the historical Butchart Gardens with its Victorian structures and blooms, the Salish Sea Aquarium where you touch sea stars and anemones in the touch pool, and the Rainforest of the Pacific Northwest with its giant old-growth trees and seasonal salmon run. Hotel pickup is included, and the tour runs six hours with snacks and lunch provided. Your guide speaks English or French.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit gardens, aquarium, and rainforest

• Pick up by guide
• Tour Butchart Gardens
• Visit Salish Sea Aquarium
• Experience aquarium touch pool
• Walk in Pacific Northwest rainforest
• See giant trees and waterfall
• Drop off at accommodation or terminal

The experience

The tour begins with pickup from your accommodation, downtown Victoria or the ferry terminal. Your guide leads you through the Butchart Gardens, where Victorian-era buildings, fountains and a merry-go-round sit among the blooms. The gardens sprawl across the site, and you move through at a pace that lets you take in the scale of it.

Next is the Salish Sea Aquarium, where the water surrounding Vancouver Island reveals itself through tanks of fish, anemones, jellies and nudibranchs. The touch pool is the moment most visitors remember: you can feel the grip of sea stars and urchins on your fingers. The aquarium also displays whale skeletons that frame what lives below the surface.

The final stop is the Rainforest of the Pacific Northwest, a park close to the city that many visitors overlook. You walk among giant Cedars and Douglas-Firs that are over 800 years old, following the Goldstream River as it drops into multiple waterfalls. Depending on the season, you may see salmon moving upstream. Eagles and migratory birds move through the canopy above. After the rainforest, your guide drops you at your accommodation, downtown or at the airport or ferry terminal.

What’s included

• Hotel, downtown or ferry terminal pickup and drop-off.
• guided tour in English or French.
• snacks and lunch.
• entry to Butchart Gardens, Salish Sea Aquarium and Rainforest of the Pacific Northwest.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except SaturdayDeparts at 08:30Last departure this season: 31 Dec

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (13 to 95 years) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 12 · max 6 per booking

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Island Trails Ecotours

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup means you don't need a car or arrange transport to the starting point, and the guide handles the route between all three stops on Vancouver Island. This works well if you're staying outside downtown Victoria or arriving by ferry without a vehicle.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 12 years). Under 5: they 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 is the Salish Sea Aquarium touch pool like?

The touch pool lets you place your hands in the water and feel sea stars, urchins and anemones grip your fingers. It's a direct encounter with creatures that live in the waters around Vancouver Island, and the aquarium also features whale skeletons and tanks of fish, jellies and nudibranchs.

How old are the trees in the Rainforest of the Pacific Northwest?

Many of the Cedars and Douglas-Firs in the park are over 800 years old. You walk among them on trails that follow the Goldstream River and its waterfalls, and the canopy is home to eagles and migratory birds.

What does the Butchart Gardens include?

The historical Butchart Gardens features Japanese gardens, Victorian-era buildings, fountains, a merry-go-round and a gift shop. The site is known for its blooms and the scale of the plantings across the grounds.

Does the tour include food and drinks?

Yes. Snacks and lunch are included in the six-hour tour. Your guide will manage the timing so the meal fits naturally into the day.

What time does the tour start and end?

Your guide picks you up from your hotel, downtown Victoria or the ferry terminal at the start time you book. The tour lasts six hours total, including transportation between the three stops, and ends with a drop-off at your accommodation, downtown or at the airport or ferry terminal.

Is the rainforest walk difficult?

The rainforest includes walking on uneven trail and a small canyon with a waterfall. You should be comfortable hiking on steep terrain. The operator notes the tour is not recommended for travelers unable to hike steep ground on uneven surfaces or those with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health.