The 9 Best Butchart Gardens & Garden Tours in Victoria

1.Victoria & Butchart Gardens Tour with Ferry from Vancouver

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,703 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $228Our pick

Travel from downtown Vancouver to Victoria by coach and BC Ferries, with a 90-minute sailing through the Gulf Islands. Your day includes two hours at Butchart Gardens, two hours in Victoria, guide commentary, transportation, hotel pickup, and garden admission. Guides such as Anthony, Bobby, Leslie, and Alex are known for clear local stories and helpful timing.

“Fell in love with Victoria. The garden is beautiful. Our bus driver was very conscientious and made great effort to ensure we had a wonderful day.”

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2.Victoria and Butchart Gardens Day Trip from Vancouver

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,242 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $232

Travel from Vancouver to Victoria by coach and BC Ferries, then tour downtown Victoria and spend about 90 minutes at the 55-acre Butchart Gardens. Guides such as Tim, Gavin, Tony, and Zac have been praised for lively commentary, but expect a very long day, often from early morning until late evening.

“Tim was our guide. The tour route and stops were great, as expected. But Tim Hansen, with his constant commentary, stories, and factoids, made the entire trip so interesting. Plus, one of the guests lost their passport at a stop, and Tim helped them get it back quickly without stopping the tour. He made the day. SO glad I trusted Viator to make a fabulous tour day, they picked Landsea Tours to take us, and that Tim was assigned to us as our guide!”

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3.Victoria, Gulf Islands Cruise, & Butchart Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,165 reviews · 13 hours · from $208

Travel from downtown Vancouver to Victoria by comfortable coach and BC Ferry, with a 90-minute Gulf Islands crossing, two hours at Butchart Gardens, and about 1.5 hours in central Victoria. Guides such as Mark, Dan, Justin, and Dion provide live English commentary throughout the day.

“A long day but an enjoyable one. Our guide Justin was very informative and helpful. He made the journey fun !”

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4.The Butchart Gardens Express Shuttle from Downtown Victoria

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 616 reviews · 3 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $44

Ride from downtown Victoria to Butchart Gardens in about 35 minutes, with English commentary from drivers such as Sarah, Rob, and Emily. You get roughly three hours at the 55-acre garden, then return by shuttle. Admission is extra, and hourly departures make it easy to set your own pace.

“very informative driver to and from the garden. Bus is ready to return to Victoria every hour on the hour so whenever your garden experience is done there is not much wait.”

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5.Victoria & Butchart Gardens Tour with Gulf Islands Cruise Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 565 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $214

Spend about 13 hours traveling from Vancouver to Vancouver Island by coach and ferry, with admission to Butchart Gardens and free time in Victoria. Guides such as Mark, Justin, Dan, Dion, and Senan are praised for clear commentary and good organization. Expect a scenic but demanding day with about two hours at the gardens and roughly 1 to 1.5 hours in Victoria.

“We had a wonderful day. Mark is a great guide. Learned and saw so much about the area and it's history.”

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6.Butchart Gardens and Victoria Sightseeing Tour from Vancouver

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 564 reviews · 13 to 14 hours (approx.) · from $234Top rated

This 13 to 14-hour day trip from Canada Place combines BC Ferries, a guided Victoria sightseeing loop, free time, and 1 hour 45 minutes at Butchart Gardens. Guides such as Byron, Rene, Kim, and Bernie have been praised for lively local stories. Expect a long day, ferry waits, and no hotel pickup.

“Byron was our tour guide. He was great!! He did not take the “typical “ bus routes and showed us some amazing countryside. Gave a lot of the history of both Vancouver and Victoria. This tour takes an earlier ferry than most giving you more free time to explore Victoria and have lunch. Byron recommends what local eating establishments are the best. We tried red fish blue fish and it was great. Small outdoor fish shack overlooking the water. Great food and view. Watched airplanes come and go on the water while we ate. By going to Butchart Gardens last many of the other tour buses were leaving as we…”

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7.COMBO Victoria City Tour & Butchart Gardens & Entry Tix

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 456 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $106

This five-hour Victoria outing pairs a narrated city tour with admission to Butchart Gardens. You get hotel pickup, a reserved seat, garden tips, and 2.5 hours to explore on your own. Guides including Tyko, Mark, Jim, and Markus have been praised for local stories and humor. Small vehicles offer three photo stops, though they have no room for luggage, strollers, or wheelchairs.

“Tour director is witty and knowledgeable. Happy to answer questions; very friendly and courteous also.”

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8.Victoria and Butchart Gardens, an Elevated Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 252 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $223

Spend about 13 hours traveling from Vancouver to Victoria and Butchart Gardens with a guide such as Joel, Aimee, Stephen, or Natalia. The day includes two BC Ferries crossings, free time in Victoria, garden admission, a comfortable coach, wildlife watching, and umbrellas for wet weather.

“The Tour was great. Of course there is a lot of driving, but you can relax on the bus in between. Stephen was a super guide. He made the trip entertaining. He also spoke very clearly and comprehensibly, so I understood everything well. (Not all tourists understand English well, and it's pointless when the guides speak very quickly and in their own slang.) Stephen was perfect. Tai was a great bus driver, and I have great respect for him. I highly recommend this tour with "Star." Victoria and Butchart Gardens are also worth the trip.”

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9.Halifax Churches, Gardens & Graveyards: a Smartphone Audio Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 25 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours (approx.) · from $8Best value

Follow a 5-kilometre self-guided walk through Halifax with automatic GPS commentary at 27 points, from Holy Cross Cemetery and the Public Gardens to Citadel Hill, City Hall, and St. Mary’s Basilica. Download the tour on Wi-Fi, walk at your own pace, pause for breaks, and try the optional location-based trivia game.

“This self paced audio walking tour was great. The tour covers many areas in Halifax and because we were in control of the pace had plenty of time to investigate further the locations. The map easily brought us to the tour locations and with the GPS link it was great as you arrive at the spot the audio narrative begins. Allowed us to also take a break when we needed. Loved this tour very much worth it!”

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