Buchart Garden Tours

[flip]

After our cruise ends in Vancouver, we will travel to Victoria via PC bus lines to spend a couple of days. I have been searching for a tour to take us to Buchart Gardens and the only ones I see are 3 hour tours. Is this enough time to visit the gardens? Part of this time would be getting there and back. We are staying along the harbor. Is there another convenient way to get to the gardens? I also looked at bus lines, but quite frankly the routes look confusing and also look like they would take a long time to get there since they have to make so many stops. If I have to we can rent a car, but was hoping to avoid that. Any other suggestions?

Thanks

Ginger

[denneym1]

I am trying to find out the same thing....ideally there would be shuttles from the cruise piers to the gardens at regular intervals, but so far I have checked the gardens website and Victorias tourist info website and haven't found anything about them. We are also trying to avoid the ships excursions for the exact reason you state, last year we found that we did not have enough time at some stops, and too much at others. If I can find anything out I will post it here, but hopefully someone who knows will chime in and clear things up.

MD

[LeftcoastBC]

Hi

Check out the last few posts in this thread. I am unsure of exactly what the shuttle is ..maybe another email to the tourist board could set you straight. The bus just looks confusing. It's pretty straight forward.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=477995

 

And if you are a flower person I don't think three hours is enough.

[denneym1]

Leftcoast, thank you for the info. If I am reading it correctly, there are shuttles from the cruise ship dock to downtown for $5, and then from the Empress to the gardens for $7. I did e-mail Tourism Victoria to double check and also to find out how late those run, as our ship is there from 5:00 PM to midnight. Thanks for the link, it was a big help!!

MD

[LeftcoastBC]

You are welcome. The gardens are great at night all lit up. Just watch the date that you are there as early/late season sometimes has different hours.

 

I know for sure about the shuttle dock to town and return. The other shuttle to the garden is unclear and that's why I suggested direct contact.

[cruiseryyc]

I would be very careful about taking your own transportation to the Gardens if you're only in port for a few hours. You might want to reconsider taking a ship's tour. The Gardens are a 45 minute drive from where the ship docks, if you mis-judge the time it takes to get back to the ship, it might sail without you. I agree that ship's tours are not the best way to see places, but in this case I strongly suggest you take the tour. While your ship docks at 5:00, you have to allow time for it to clear immigration. It leaves at midnight, which means you have to be back on board by 11:30 at the very latest. If by chance you are in Victoria on a Saturday during the summer, the Gardens have a fireworks display and traffic comes to a standstill. Play it safe, take the ships tour. Of course if you're going to get left behind while your ship sails, there are worse places than Victoria.

[Langley Cruisers]

Ginger - the original poster whose cruise is already over when you get to Victoria - you know what? I think you should rent a car. If you are spending a few days, it will probably be worth it. You can have your freedom that way, and spend as long as you like at Butchart Gardens, plus have the car for shopping or dinner, if you like. Even if you rent it for just 24 hours, it might be the way to go.

 

I used to live in Victoria for 33 years, and I worked in a car rental office for 5 of those years. People rented cars all the time to go to the Gardens, and it's really not that difficult. What time of year will you be doing this? Is it this summer?

 

~Karen

[flip]

Thanks Karen for the info. We will be arriving in Victoria the afternoon of May 9 and leave on May 12. May 11 was the day I had set aside to visit the gardens. We will be staying across from the Victoria Clipper Ferry terminal. Is there a car rental site within walking distance.

 

Ginger

[Langley Cruisers]

Ginger, we moved from Victoria some years ago so I don't know what is by the Clipper terminal now - if there isn't an agency within walking distance (the downtown core is about a 20-25 minute walk, I'd say), my assumption is that the car rental agency of your choice will pick you up at your hotel and take you back to the office to sign the papers and get the car. That's what we used to do.

 

I asked what time of year you are visiting because in summer the Butchart Gardens has fireworks in the evenings, July and August. But May is a gorgeous month to visit... it will be spectacular for you.

 

You've got some time to check out rental car pricing and locations, and make your decision. But, by all means, a guided bus tour would be less hassle for you, although a shorter time at the Gardens as you said in your initial post.

 

Have a great time. :)

[cruiseryyc]

The Butchart Gardens fireworks are only held on Saturday nights during the summer months. If you are in Victoria on a Saturday, they are well worth seeing - probably the best I've ever seen.