The 15 Best 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 Vancouver to Victoria by coach and BC Ferries, with two hours at Butchart Gardens and two hours to explore Victoria. Your guide handles the long connections, shares local stories, and returns you downtown the same evening. Guides such as Leslie, Anthony, Andy, and Bobby Wilson have been especially praised for clear commentary and friendly service.

“Leslie was an amazing guide. Lots of knowledge about the areas we travelled. Would definitely recommend this trip..”

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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 spend free time downtown before visiting the 55-acre Butchart Gardens. Guides such as Tim, Gavin, Zack, and Carol add history and humor along the way. Expect a scenic but very long day, with ferry rides, countryside roads, and limited time at each stop.

“I loved the day trip to Butchart Gardens and Victoria. It was a lot of travel with the bus trip and ferry but I enjoyed these experiences too.”

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3.Vancouver: Victoria, Gulf Islands Cruise, & Butchart Gardens

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

Travel from downtown Vancouver by coach and BC Ferries to Butchart Gardens and Victoria. You get two hours among the gardens, about 1.5 hours downtown, and commentary from guides such as Mark, Dan, Justin, or Dion. Ferry fares, admission, taxes, and transport are included, making this a handy one-day Vancouver Island outing.

“Our driver and guide Mark was excellent! He knew the area very well and shared lots of interesting and insider information with us. The tour was very well organized, giving us enough time to explore on our own. We also got great tips on where to eat and how to make the most of our free time. We were lucky with the weather, but it was really Mark’s knowledge and friendly manner that made this tour such a great experience.”

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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 central Victoria to Butchart Gardens in about 35 minutes with a return shuttle, leaving you roughly three hours to explore at your own pace. Meet near the Fairmont Empress, and listen for local commentary from drivers such as Sarah, Rob, Emily, or Tim. Garden admission costs extra.

“Bus left on time both going to and returning from the garden. Driver (Sarah) was wonderful, full of enthusiasm and gave lots of information about the city and the garden en route”

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

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

Travel from Vancouver to Victoria by coach and ferry, with a scenic Gulf Islands crossing, two hours at Butchart Gardens, and about 1.5 hours in downtown Victoria. The $214.46 price includes transportation, ferry tickets, and garden admission. Guides such as Mark, Dan, Justin, and Dion are known for clear commentary and good trip management.

“Victoria ferry is 1.5 hours each way.and it takes about an hour to get to ferry from downtown Vancouver.”

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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

Travel from Canada Place to Victoria by coach and BC Ferries, with commentary from guides such as Rene, Kim, Byron, and Bernie. See Mile 0, the Inner Harbour, Chinatown, Fan Tan Alley, and the Empress Hotel, then enjoy free time before exploring 55 acres of Butchart Gardens. It is an easy, very long day.

“Our tour guide, Bryon, who worked for Discover Canada, was outstanding. Bryon customized the tour to maximize the experience for us. He was very knowledgeable.”

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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 about 2.5 hours to explore the gardens independently, plus three photo stops around Victoria. Guides such as Jim, Mark, Tyko, and Taiko are praised for lively local stories. Small vehicles, reserved seating, and hotel pickup keep the day simple, but there is no room for luggage, wheelchairs, strollers, or small children.

“Fabulous day out. Excellent tour guide. Jim was very knowledgeable and engaging. The tour was really enjoyable. The Gardens were amazing”

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8.Niagara Falls, Canada: Butterfly Conservatory Admission

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 300 reviews · 1 day · from $20

At Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, you walk through a warm glass house filled with more than 2,000 free-flying butterflies from 45 tropical species. A short captioned video starts your self-guided visit, followed by rainforest paths, a pond, waterfall, and emergence window. Plan on about 30 to 40 minutes inside, plus time for the botanical gardens.

“We didn't have a guide for this trip, but the Conservatory went over and above our expectations!”

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9.Victoria and Butchart Gardens, an Elevated Experience

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

Travel from Vancouver to Vancouver Island by BC Ferries, with chances to spot orcas, bald eagles, sea lions, and whales. Explore Victoria on your own, then spend two hours at Butchart Gardens. Guides such as Joel, Aimee, Stephen, and Natalia add commentary, humor, and local tips, while a comfortable coach handles the logistics.

“It's a long day but well worth it. The coach was really comfortable and new, our guide Natalia was a lot of fun and informative.”

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10.Vancouver to Victoria Day Trip by Seaplane + Butchart Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 200 reviews · 6 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $525

Fly 35 minutes from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria, then ride by narrated bus to Butchart Gardens, with admission included. You get at least two hours in the gardens, plus free time in downtown Victoria before your return flight. Drivers such as Rob and Pam have provided especially helpful local commentary on some departures.

“This is not a “proper Viatour Tour”. It is a Harbour Air floatplane, a Grayline bus and a ticket to the gardens packaged together. There is no tour guide or Viatour representative. The instructions were dismally lacking. There is no one along the way to inform you of where things are. The Viatour itinerary was dead wrong. It said our outbound flight from Vancouver to Victoria was at 11:15 AM which meant a required 10:35 AM check-in. Fortunately I called Harbour Air directly the day before and found out the flight was at 11:00 AM. If we had followed Viatour’s itinerary (emailed to me) we would have missed the flight…”

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11.City Highlights and Butchart Gardens Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 148 reviews · from $86

Spend four hours touring Victoria by comfortable vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide, then explore Butchart Gardens on your own for two hours. You’ll pass Chinatown, Beacon Hill Park, the Inner Harbour, the Empress Hotel, and the BC Legislative Buildings. Guides such as Michael, Jacob, Jim, and Hamish are known for lively local commentary.

“Hammich was very knowledgeable and friendly! We enjoyed our tour.”

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12.Vancouver to Victoria Seaplane Day Trip + Butchart Gardens

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 141 reviews · from $504

Take Harbour Air’s morning seaplane from downtown Vancouver to Victoria, then ride a narrated coach to Butchart Gardens. After exploring the 55-acre National Historic Site, return to Victoria for free time before flying back. The $504 trip saves ferry hours and combines aerial views, gardens, and city sightseeing in one May-to-October day.

“A fantastic day trip. The flights were amazing and the gardens spectacular.”

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13.Victoria Butterfly Gardens Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 74 reviews · 45 minutes to 2 hours (approx.) · from $15

Step into a warm tropical conservatory near Victoria and spend 45 to 120 minutes among up to 70 butterfly species, free-flying birds, frogs, turtles, iguanas, koi, flamingos, and tropical plants. The insectarium adds unusual invertebrates from around the world. Mobile tickets are available, and children must be accompanied by an adult.

“This place was recommended by some locals whom we met in Vancouver Canada, and it does not disappoint. We caught the number 75 bus from the hotel and it’s great.”

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14.Butterfly Gardens Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 44 reviews · 1 day · from $15

Exchange your voucher at the ticket counter, then enter an enclosed tropical garden filled with about 70 butterfly species, free-flying birds, reptiles, amphibians, tropical plants, and an insectarium. A waterfall, indoor pond, carnivorous plants, and a flamingo add variety. Allow part of a day, though your ticket is valid for one day.

“Horrible. Deceptive purchase. I googled Butterfly Exhibit in Seattle and without realizing it I clicked on "purchase tickets now" and was charged for a Victoria Canada Exhibit. When I called they would not refund my money.”

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

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

Walk about 5 km through central Halifax with a Tripvia Tours audio guide that starts automatically at 27 locations. Hear stories about Victoria Park, the Citadel, historic churches, cemeteries, fountains, and city squares. Download the tour on Wi-Fi, then follow the live map at your own pace without a group or fixed schedule.

“Great to see and to know about the times back then. Great to listen too ahead of the excursion to the Tetanic. People buried there!”

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