Victoria BC Buchart Gardens - Taxi?

[juliejoe]

We'll be on the Star in Aug. with 10 & 12 yr. old grandsons. We'll be in Victoria 6 p.m. to 12 p.m. Following our high priced tours in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, I think we'll just go to Buchart Gardens. We'll be there on a Sat. night and they have fireworks.

 

To get there using the shore ex. would cost a total of $191 at 2005 prices. That seems high for just transportation and admission for the 4 of us.

 

Will we be able to catch a taxi? Any suggestions of a more reasonably priced method of transportation in Victoria?

 

Thanks!

Julie

[SactoSteve]

It's been a couple years since we sailed into Victoria but we did our trip out to Buchart Gardens through a tour company right there at the harbor. We walked off the ship and down the dock a ways. There was kiosk that sold tours out to the gardens. They had buses running a couple times an hour. I think they may even have had double decker buses (pretty cool for the kids) but I'm not 100% sure. They dropped you off right at the entry and you could catch a bus back anytime you pleased. The drivers on both the trip out and the trip back were quite informative and interesting. As I recall, the cost was about 1/2 the price offered through the ship.

[CruisinMK]

They have cheap/good greyline busses running all the time, that's what i did.

Love the gardens.

[Nilla]

Well JulieJoe you foudn the right person to ask about this port! I am born and raised in Victoria BC for 32 years I can answer any questions you have about this lovely place I live in !

[juliejoe]

Thanks for the responses!

 

MikeKaye: We will be in port 6 p.m to midnight and based on what I can find online, the Grayline makes their last trip to the gardens at 3 or 3:30 p.m.

 

Sactosteve: Catching that bus at the pier sounds like a good plan.....

however.............

 

Nilla: Will the bus Sactosteve mentions be available that late in the day? Online I found there is Victoria Taxi and Empress Taxi. If the bus is not available, would you recommend a taxi?

 

Admission to the gardens is something like $23 per adult and $2.50 each for the 10 & 12 yr old. NCL wants far too much for transportation! They even charge $55 for the 12 yr. old.

 

Julie

[Nilla]

Hello, I will call the bus that does the trips out there from Downtown. I know that it is way cheaper and that they are running all the time in the Summer. The cruise season makes it really busy for them, so I really doubt they would stop the shuttles at 3:00 pm. A taxi I think would be an expensive alternative. The Gardens are not exactly close to the pier.

[fntsysprtswidow]

Nilla - When you say summer, does that include May? Specifically the beginning of May?

 

Thanks!

[Nilla]

I will most certainly check! Tourist season usually starts up the end of May. But if there is a cruise ship in port they usually start up for that day as well~! I will research this for you!

[softballcoach1]

I will most certainly check! Tourist season usually starts up the end of May. But if there is a cruise ship in port they usually start up for that day as well~! I will research this for you!

Thank You!

[seafish]

Nilla - we will be docked at Ogden Point Ship Terminal in late May 2006. Do you have the names or e-mail addresses for Tour Companies you mentioned at the dock that do the Butchart Gardens Tour or City Hightlights Tour...or a combo of both? I have located two companies that offer these tours departing downtown hotels but - we'd need to get to/from the cruise terminal. What's the best way to get to downtown....taxi? Appreciate any help - thanks. SeaFish

[Sopwith]

You should check the time of the fireworks display. Usually it is about 10:00 pm, runs about 20 minutes. It is quite congested afterwards as everyone clears out. After you get through the traffic, it is a 25-30 minute drive to the pier. It may be tight timing to make it back to your ship by 11:30 boarding time.

 

Good luck.

[juliejoe]

Thanks for that tip Neil.

[captainron]

Fred,

What's this running to other threads?

 

For city tours it's a short cab ride (8-10 mins) from Ogden Pt to the Inner Harbour. There in front of the Empress Hotel, you can get all sorts of Grey Line and Double Decker City Tours. In addition, there are booths/kiosks along the inner harbour that will get you on tours. That's one thing Victoria is not short of.

 

Butchart Gardens are located out on the Saanich Peninsula on the way to the Swartz Bay Ferry terminal, and the trip is about 30 minutes with good traffic.

 

We're in port from 0800 to 1700 meaning of course were back on board NLT 1630...and of course we're in town on Sunday. Suggest an early tour out to Butchart, and then you can have tea or lunch there if you'd like, or you can head back into town and enjoy the city, the inner harbour, Chinatown, etc after noon.

 

There are lots of things to do in Victoria even in the Inner Harbour area...Empress Hotel high tea (not cheap), Legislative Buildings, the Royal Museum, Madame Tussaud's, the Undersea Gardens. In addition, in February's newsletter I've listed some alternate sights to consider also for tours in and around the Victoria area.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[seafish]

Hi Ron - Only excuse ... a weak moment! The truth is I thought I might get some quick info from a local - so far no word. I do appreciate your info. We've been looking at some Victoria Tours such as the Double Decker Bus City/Castle/Butchart Gardens Tour. The main departure point is in front of the Hotel Victoria 721 Government Street ... so we need to know the best way to get to/from. Looks like taxi is best. Are taxis readily available from/to Ogden Point?

 

Any info on whether or not the Puntarenas tour will be a go? Again - thanks very much for your help. Old Sea Dog Fred

[captainron]

Fred,

On cruise days, there is an abundance of taxis available to take you wherever you want.

The hotel is about a 12-15 minute cab ride from the cruise terminal so you'll have no problems getting there.

WRT Charlie's A3 Tour in Puntarenas, I've got to send him final numbers mid Feb and then he'll fill us in as to where he'll meet us etc. Once I get confirmation, I'll put it on our thread as well as the newsletter.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[seafish]

Ron - thank you. Understand on the taxi & Puntarenas. I'll look forward to your tour info. Take care - Fred

[fourcruises]

Well JulieJoe you foudn the right person to ask about this port! I am born and raised in Victoria BC for 32 years I can answer any questions you have about this lovely place I live in !

Hope that you can answer my question:) We will be in Vancouver May 25 and 26 precruise and would like to go to Victoria for a day...is this feasible and what is the transportation...ferry? How long is the trip, how much would it cost, where does it dock...close to the buses for Butchart Gardens? Thanks.

fourcruises

[Nilla]

Hello Four,

 

Victoria from Vancouver is a hour and a half by ferry! The cost to walk on the ferry is $11. You can take a bus there city or the PCL. From the ferry you coudl catch a city bus that woudl drop you pretty close to Butchart Gardens. If you are really interested let me know and I can get you more info!

[calikak]

There are bus tours to Victoria that leave from the train station in Vancouver, no idea how much they cost but they leave several times a day. They put you on a bus that goes on the ferry and then drives you around Victoria. I'm pretty sure Grayline does these tours, but there may be other companies too. They go to different places in Victoria, like Buchart Gardens and the harbor area.