Victoria

[becca23]

We will only be in Victoria 7 AM - 2 PM. 4/25/07 Any to does or not to miss. Any High Tea cute places ?

[Marzipan]

We will only be in Victoria 7 AM - 2 PM. 4/25/07 Any to does or not to miss. Any High Tea cute places ?

 

Don't go to the Empress it is so touristy and unnecessarily expensive. Go to the James Bay Tea Room - right behind the Parliament Buildings. This is for Victorians only.

[LeftcoastBC]

Hmmm. 7-2PM seems you have a convience stop for some US rule. :)

 

Not a lot of time.

 

I agree on the price of "High Tea" at the Empress but the hotel inside is kind of neat. Pip Pip and all that......

 

The Legislature buildings have tours and you can walk that entire area easily and that includes the inner harbour.

 

Ther will be likely be a tour to the Butchart Gardens also I'm sure that will be fitted in. It is actually very nice.

[becca23]

Thanks for the help... Yes only a short time in port...

[celticheart47]

If you are sticking to the harbor area then the Provencial Museum is one of the best around. We try to go everytime we are in Victoria. They almost alway have some special exhibit going on. And Buchart Gardens are fantastic.

[buoyant]

Hi David & Becky;

I agree with the other posts,Buchart gardens is good, Empress tea very expensive,provincial museum . If you go to the inner harbour(about .5 mile from ship dock), there are all kinds of tourist things to do. Little boat "harbour tours, wax museum, double decker bus tours , horse drawn carriage rides, miniature world, bug museum, undersea gardens & if you've never seen killer whales,I would recommend,(if you're comfortable in a zodiac boat). The weather may be a factor in your choice?? Rain?

Have fun in Victoria, & your cruise.

Andrea:)

[LeftcoastBC]

Hi David & Becky;

I agree with the other posts,Buchart gardens is good, Empress tea very expensive,provincial museum . If you go to the inner harbour(about .5 mile from ship dock), there are all kinds of tourist things to do. Little boat "harbour tours, wax museum, double decker bus tours , horse drawn carriage rides, miniature world, bug museum, undersea gardens & if you've never seen killer whales,I would recommend,(if you're comfortable in a zodiac boat). The weather may be a factor in your choice?? Rain?

Have fun in Victoria, & your cruise.

Andrea:)

 

I don't want you to be mislead here. It's more like a mile. But a nice walk in mostly residential areas to the inner harbour. The ship docks out on Dallas Road on Ogden Point.

All ships run buses as shuttles or the port does $5.00 last I did it. Drop you beside the Empress and return.

[Knickerbocker]

Here's my 2 cents worth. Honestly I'd skip Butchart Gardens. Imagine 50 people lined up to view one flower. It was so crowded when we went in the summer that it almost wasn't worth it. The walkways are very small and narrow and they won't let you walk on the grass so you must walk on the path. Everyone must walk in the same direction, etc. The BC Museum is a must see. I love that museum.

[Atomica]

I have walked into downtown Victoria from the cruise ship docks at Ogden Point - it's doable and takes about a half an hour. It's a very nice walk, but only if you're able to.

 

As the poster above stated, the Royal BC Museum is a must - see. Still one of the best Museums I've ever been to, and starting April 14th they'll have a special exhibit showing on the RMS Titanic, complete with full-size cabin mockups and artifacts from the wreck. It runs until October, I believe.

 

Other good things to do: if you want to experience the Empress Hotel, I'd take a walk through it and stop at the Bengal Lounge inside and have a drink - it's got far more atmosphere than the Tea Room, and it's much easier on the wallet, too. The Wax Museum is nice, and (in my opinion) no visit to Victoria is complete without a trip to Roger's Chocolates, just up the street from the Empress. If you're hungry, a place called Sam's Deli (just down from Rogers) serves very, very good sandwiches (if a little on the pricey side).

 

And if all that fails, take a walk around the seawall. Lots to see and do!

[sunsetme]

i loved walking around the city area, but I was really impressed with Butchart Gardens. I was lucky to be there when it wasn't packed though.

[becca23]

Thanks for all your help. Great insite and info....So much to do with so little time.

[Kreuser]

All ships run buses as shuttles or the port does $5.00 last I did it. Drop you beside the Empress and return.

I am trying to find out if we can still go behind the Empress Hotel and purchase transportation to/from Butchart Gardens for a low price. I was told the entrance fee was about $23 and the bus to/from the Empress about $12 each way, and that the buses ran every hour or so.

Now I am told that the cost is $56 and the bus leaves 3 times a day from the front of the hotel.

 

Leftcoast- can you straighten me out here? The ship's tour is $65. Are we better off taking that?

 

Vada

[Barrow Boy]

We visited Victoria last fall. Great place to walk around. Check out the tourist info. office, located opposite the Empress hotel, in the inner harbour for maps, and info. on tea houses , staff very helpful. Tour buses depart from the front of Empress, often.The Provincial museum is well worth a visit, as is Butchart gardens. Take a tour of the Parliament Blds. Enjoy your day there.

[LeftcoastBC]

I am trying to find out if we can still go behind the Empress Hotel and purchase transportation to/from Butchart Gardens for a low price. I was told the entrance fee was about $23 and the bus to/from the Empress about $12 each way, and that the buses ran every hour or so.

Now I am told that the cost is $56 and the bus leaves 3 times a day from the front of the hotel.

 

Leftcoast- can you straighten me out here? The ship's tour is $65. Are we better off taking that?

 

Vada

 

Hi.

The place that everyone rerfers to behind the Empress is "The Bus Depot"

 

Here's the Gardens site prices vary in Season have a look

http://www.butchartgardens.com/admission/rates.php

 

You can take the transit system or Book a private tour.

 

http://www.bctransit.com/regions/vic/schedules/map.cfm?p=side.txt&line=75&

 

http://www.etix.com/glwest/servlet/onlineSale?action=viewTourDescription&route_id=12012&franchise_id=408

 

 

 

In Victoria all tickets are available at the tourist centre described above. It's on the Dowtown side corner of the Inner Harbour across from the Empress. Just across the street from where our shuttle from the ship dropped us actually.

The thing to be concered with is the timing. How long you are there in Port vs saving a few bucks and at the whim of others for rides. The garden is a ways out in the country side. But the alternatives are easy if you do have the time.

 

good luck

[MVPinBoynton]

The city itself is quite lovely and a pleasure to just walk around. I would have like to explore it more, but just not enough time since we did a ship tour that did the Butterfly Gardens and Butchart. The Butterfly Gardens weren't worth the hour we spent there, although they were nice. Butchart, to me, is a must see. If you can't stand flowers and beauty, skip it and just enjoy town. Of course, if you don't like flowers and beauty, you won't like Victoria either. :D

[Kreuser]

Thanks everyone for your help! I emailed Tourism Victoria last night and this is their reply:

Quote:

Thank you for contacting Tourism Victoria. The one that leaves from behind the Empress is shuttle service, which will cost 7 dollars each way plus the admission to the Butchart Garden. The other one that cost $56 is the Butchart Garden Tour, which is provided by Gray Line West. The tours are provided all year around. The shuttle services are available from April 30th this year.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask us again. We are happy to help you.

Have a nice day,

Yuri Matsuoka

Visitor Information Counsellor

Tourism Victoria

1-800-663-3883

Now THAT was what I wanted to hear!! So we can take the shuttle to the hotel and get our tickets in the back. We will save about $20 a head from ship prices plus have more freedom to choose how long we want to stay. Thanks again!

 

Vada

[LeftcoastBC]

Thanks everyone for your help! I emailed Tourism Victoria last night and this is their reply:

Quote:

Thank you for contacting Tourism Victoria. The one that leaves from behind the Empress is shuttle service, which will cost 7 dollars each way plus the admission to the Butchart Garden.

www.tourismvictoria.com

Now THAT was what I wanted to hear!! So we can take the shuttle to the hotel and get our tickets in the back.

 

Vada

 

Let us know how that works out exactly will you. Thanks

[letsgosomewhere]

There is a converted indoor pool/ now a plant and animal exhibit in Victoria that we enjoyed. It is called Crystal Gardens and is a butterfly and small animal and indoor greenhouse exhibit. Beautiful plants, butterfies and monkeys. It was not large, interesting, inexpensive and very doeable.

[paullyester99]

Hi local Victorian here. Crystal gardens isn't around anymore and went bankrupt. It definitely was a nice place too bad. I'd highly recommend the provincial museum or simply stroll the inner harbour and enjoy the free street entertainers and funky crafts and such.

 

Any questions you'd like answered ask away.:D

[Nilla]

Hello, so you said something about tea. Well as everyone has said the Empress is nice, but I say way overpriced. There is a very nice tea place in James Bay not too far from the ship. The name has slipped my mind for now. Another Great one where we used to go with Grandma when we were kids is Belthering Place. It is in Oak Bay which is easy to get to by bus. Oak Bay has a few nice shops along the main street. I think the other one in James bay is the James Bay Tea room. Hope this helps!

[Kreuser]

Let us know how that works out exactly will you. Thanks

Regarding the shuttle behind the Empress Hotel to Butchart Gardens, I think we may end up taking a taxi. I understand for the 3 of us it would run approx. $50 each. Does that sound right for roundtrip?

 

Vada

[becca23]

Thanks for all your help. Great insite and info....So much to do with so little time.

Thanks again, very helpful.

[LeftcoastBC]

Regarding the shuttle behind the Empress Hotel to Butchart Gardens, I think we may end up taking a taxi. I understand for the 3 of us it would run approx. $50 each. Does that sound right for roundtrip?

 

Vada

 

Sorry can't comment. I'm thinking very expensive however.

[Kreuser]

LeftcoastBC-

 

Woops! I meant to say $50 one way on the taxi to Butchart Gardens. My fellow cruiser said he called two taxi companies, and that is the quote he received from both of them.

 

Does that sound more like it? :o

 

Vada

[LeftcoastBC]

I'm really not sure...I know it's a fair cab ride. Further than I would want to pay for. Maybe to a yellow page thingy and email a cab company?