Visiting Butchart Gardens from Vancouver.

[colmil]

Prior ro our cruise on the Zuierdam in August, we are staying in Vancouver for three nights and would like to visit Victoria and Butchart Gardens, have any cruisers doen this, any advice would be very helpful. I don't know which hotel we are staying at yet.

 

Greetings from England

[Juanita462]

Here are two options for you

 

www.pacificcoach.com

 

or www.graylinewest.com

 

 

 

both give tours from Vancouver to Victoria and both offer a specific Butchart garden tour

 

YOu will have a wonderful 90 minute cruise getting there

Imagine that they pick up at the major hotels.

 

I hope the weather improves before you get here - summer has been cool and wet so far with only a few sunny days.

 

Greetings from Vancouver Island and two hours from Butchart Gardens!

[Atomica]

Getting to Butchart Gardens and Victoria from Vancouver is fairly easy; however I would do this at the start of your stay in Vancouver, as you are at the mercy of BC Ferries to get to/from the Island.

 

We went over to Victoria this past weekend and ended up waiting four hours at the terminal because one of the ferries broke down; this was in addition to the one that broke down on the Vancouver-Nanaimo run the day before. You definitely don't want to be traveling back from the Island the day of your cruise; if you get stuck in the ferry line from you-know-what, there's not a lot of options to get you back to Vancouver in time for your sailing.

 

Having said that, it's possible to go and do a day trip from Vancouver, albeit a rushed one. I'd suggest staying overnight in Sidney or Victoria and visiting the gardens that way. The ferries, as I stated, are a bit of a rip, but if you go to BC Ferries website you can make a reservation for a particular sailing - I'd highly recommend this.

 

http://www.bcferries.com

 

If you're not planning on renting a car, Pacific Coach Lines has some excellent bus service to both the gardens and Victoria, as well as the Titanic exhibit currently at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. This is probably the easiest and most hassle-free way to get there, but perhaps not the cheapest.

 

http://www.pacificcoach.com/

 

Hope that helps!

[hammybee]

I have only done Butchart while on a cruise. Regardless, it is very worthwhile way to spend a few hours.

[MissWindyCity]

Prior ro our cruise on the Zuierdam in August, we are staying in Vancouver for three nights and would like to visit Victoria and Butchart Gardens, have any cruisers doen this, any advice would be very helpful. I don't know which hotel we are staying at yet.

 

Greetings from England

 

I JUST RETURNED FROM OUR OOSTERDAM CRUISE WHICH INCLUDED A STOP IN VICTORIA. THE BUTCHART GARDENS IS A MUST DO AND WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE PERFECT WEATHER.

I HAD ALSO BEEN THERE A FEW YEARS AGO DURING A TRIP TO VANCOUVER AND I BELIEVE IT WAS BCFERRIES THAT WE TOOK THERE. THEY SEEM TO HAVE AN ONGOING SCHEDULE OF FERRIES GOING BACK AND FORTH EACH DAY.

I WOULD DEFINITELY SUGGEST YOU DO THIS EXCURSION THE FIRST OR SECOND DAY OF YOUR VACOUVER STAY...YOU DON'T WANT TO GET STUCK THERE THE DAY OF YOUR CRUISE.

ENJOY...THE GARDENS ARE FABULOUS!

[jocelysue]

We flew into Vancouver a few days before our cruise to Alsaka. We had reserved a room atthe Sandman Hotel near the airport. We really like this chain of hotels, very clean, very moderately priced with special rates for seniors 55 years of age and over. We had asked for a two night stay, the first night on arrival, the second night, the night before embarkation.

 

We asked them to keep our luggage on the second day when we went over to Vancouver Island to visit Victoria. We took the ferry across, then simply took a bus to Butchart Gardens. Actually, we enjoy being thrifty when we can. We visited Butchart Gardens to our heart's content, then went for High Tea at the Empress Hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Grand Pacific which is within walking distance to the Parliament Buildings, the Museum, etc.

 

Tne next day we ferried back to Vancouver and visited there . We even had time to go to Stanley Park.Stayed once more at the Sandman which has transportation to the Port.

 

Enjoy yourself. Welcome to Canada even if it is only for a short time. Hope you will enjoy your stay in Vancouver .

[colmil]

Thanks for all of your kind advice, is there any sense in going to Butchart Gardens on our own, including booking the ferry ourselves as I'm sure my partner would like more than two hours there, I'm sure someone can help.

 

If you don't think it advisable, we will book one of the tours although they do seem quite expensive

[MissWindyCity]

Thanks for all of your kind advice, is there any sense in going to Butchart Gardens on our own, including booking the ferry ourselves as I'm sure my partner would like more than two hours there, I'm sure someone can help.

 

If you don't think it advisable, we will book one of the tours although they do seem quite expensive

I SEE NO REASON TO BOOK A TOUR TO BUTCHART GARDENS! I HAVE BEEN THERE TWICE. FROM VANCOUVER, WE DID OUR OWN THING SO WE COULD TAKE THE FERRY THERE AND BACK WHENEVER WE WANTED AND SPEND HOW LONG WE WANTED AT THE GARDENS. THE GARDENS HAVE A WELL MAPPED OUT WALKING TOUR THAT YOU EASILY FOLLOW ON YOUR OWN. AND...IF YOU ARE THERE ON A SATURDAY, THEY HAVE FIREWORKS SAT NIGHTS DURING SUMMER!

WE ALSO DID NOT BOOK THE EXCURSION TO BUTCHART GARDENS FROM OUR OOSTERDAM CRUISE. WE HAD A PARTY OF 6...SO IT WAS ACTUALLY LESS EXPENSIVE TO SHARE A VAN TYPE CAR SERVICE TO TAKE US THERE AND BACK. THE DRIVER ALSO GAVE US A BIT OF A CITY TOUR AND WE WERE NOT BOUND TO THE SET HOURS OF THE BUS TOUR!

[colmil]

Thanks, MissWindyCity,

 

We should know our hotel in Vancouver tomorrow, how easy is to get to the BC Ferries Terminal from downtown Vancouver, and I presume that there are many buses from the dockside in Victoira to the Gardens?

 

thanks

[MissWindyCity]

Thanks, MissWindyCity,

 

We should know our hotel in Vancouver tomorrow, how easy is to get to the BC Ferries Terminal from downtown Vancouver, and I presume that there are many buses from the dockside in Victoira to the Gardens?

 

thanks

 

WELL...WHEN I WAS IN VANCOUVER WE HAD A CAR AND IT TOOK A LITTLE LESS THAN AN HOUR TO DRIVE TO THE BC FERRY TERMINAL FROM DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER. PERHAPS YOU CAN ASK THE CONCIERGE AT YOUR HOTEL ABOUT TRANSPORTATION TO THE FERRY TERMINAL...PERHAPS THERE IS A SHUTTLE BUS OR OTHER BUS SERVICE AVAILABLE. AND CHECK THE FERRY SCHEDULE SO YOU DON'T MISS THE LAST FERRY BACK!

[BumperII]

We have stayed at the Sandman downtown as well as the Sandman Airport. We booked our tours with an outfit called LandSea Tours. They use a smaller bus designed for sightseeing, holds maybe 20 people. And they pick up at all the hotels. They also do a pre cruise tour where they pick you up at the hotel on cruise day, give you a tour of Vancouver and drop you off at Canada Place cruise terminal.

Their tour included a stop at Victoria, Vancouver Island, as well as Buchart Gardens. There is a reason why this is known as the land of flower beds , newly weds and nearly deads. It is one of the most enjoyable excursions we have ever experienced. Bring your camera an lots and lots of film.

[colmil]

Thanks Bumper, i will look at that.

[Charliesmom]

There are seaplanes from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria (they land right across from the Empress Hotel. I think there are two companies doing this. We took a Canadian Rockies tour that left from Vancouver a few years ago. Prior to the tour we went to Victoria, stayed in the Empress Hotel and then took the seaplane to downtown Vancouver. At the time the price was $99.00 per person CDN each way. I have no idea of what the price is today.

 

The bus station with buses to Butchart Gardens is within walking distance of the place where the planes land.

 

Roberta

[susan8231]

As Roberta mentioned, you can travel to Victoria from Vancouver and back via floatplane rather than ferry. I did this two weeks ago, prior to my Alaska cruise, and it was one of the highlights of the whole trip. The floatplane terminal in Vancouver is near Canada Place and it lands in Victoria's inner harbor - so both centrally located. The scenery is spectacular and it allows for much more time in beautiful Victoria than if you take the ferry. Certainly a choice to consider. :)

[colmil]

Thanks to both of you for the information

[MSEm]

COLMIL

When do you sail. We arrive in Vancouve on 1 AUG for 4 AUG sailing on HAL Zuiderdam. We also plan to go to Victoria for 1 day before we board the ship.

[crazy4cruisn]

If you want to stay closer to the gardens, Cordova Bay is a very pretty area and only about 10 - 15 minutes away. It is less crowded and more quiet than Victoria. Also the BC ferry from Tswassan (south of Vancouver) to Sydney is also closer to Victoria and Cordova Bay (the Gardens). We stayed there last week a very pretty B&B. If you want to see the fireworks be sure to get there at least by 5:00. They begin at 10:00 but sometimes the Gardens close due to crowds. Our B&B loaned us folding chairs. The fireworks are very unusual as some are 3D with spinning wheels that rise up from the ground as well as the usual displays.

[colmil]

Thanks everyone.

 

We are on the Zuiderdam on 18th August, we have three nights in Vancouver prior to the cruise

[dvdfreakmc]

Another way to go on the cheap is to go on the BC Ferries to Swartz Bay www.bcferries.com then take the Victoria Transit line 81 from the ferry terminal to Buchart Gardens. Or just rent a car, and then see the rest of the island.

 

Victoria Transit http://www.transitbc.com/regions/vic/schedules/map.cfm?p=side.txt&line=81

[colmil]

Many thanks

[IIcaptain]

The Butchart Gardens were spectacular and MORE..The lights come on about 9 and it transforms the already Beautiful gardens...well worth the tour...

iiCaptain Ashore (til February)

[colmil]

We're looking forward to it, thanks for your post!

[SHayesShip]

I have done this twice from Vancouver. Both times I had a rental car and made an online reservation with BC Ferries for my car and occupants. You do not have to make reservations but it guarantees you a spot for your vehicle and you have a priority lane to get on the ferry. I personally prefer my own car on my own schedule. Both times I took an early ferry in the A.M. and came back in the P.M. It was also less expensive option then the guided tours.

 

If you are not renting a car then I recommend a tour group as mentioned in prior posts.

 

Prior ro our cruise on the Zuierdam in August, we are staying in Vancouver for three nights and would like to visit Victoria and Butchart Gardens, have any cruisers doen this, any advice would be very helpful. I don't know which hotel we are staying at yet.

 

Greetings from England