Want go to Butchart Gardens and Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria.

[CRZAHOLIC]

My husband and I want go to Butchart Gardens and Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria. The cruise pricce is expensive. Does anyone know the cheapest and best (get us back on time) way?

[Countrygirl44]

My husband and I want go to Butchart Gardens and Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria. The cruise pricce is expensive. Does anyone know the cheapest and best (get us back on time) way?

Both are wonderful excursions in Victoria. We did them on different cruises. We did the cruise ship tours (Princess). I am not sure you could do both on the same port stop.:confused: I am thinking it took up about 45 minutes driving time to get to Butchart Gardens, then toured the gardens, watched the fire works, and then another 45 minutes back to the ship.

[cruiseryyc]

How long are you in port for? If it's only a few hours then I would just do one tour (and Butchart's wins out in my book; the "castle" is just a lovely old big home). Again if you're only in town for a few hours, take the ship's tour to Butcharts - that way you will be guaranteed to be back to the ship on time.

[Putterdude]

The gardens would be a priority with me if I had a short stay in Victoria with Craigdarroch Castle being way down the list of things to see...it really isn't a castle but a large mansion.

There are a couple of options to go out to the gardens but if you are in port in the late afternoon then you are best to stick with a ship's tour.

 

Otherwise if you are with a group it may make sense to rent a car, most of the rental companies will pick you up at the cruise terminal and shuttle you back and forth to their downtown location.

 

You can take CVS tour of the gardens but you must book the tour in advance online. http://www.cvscruisevictoria.com/butcharts.html

 

You can also take public transit out to the gardens from just outside the terminal gates for $2.50 pp. You take the #30 or #31 bus to the Royal Oak exchange and transfer to the #75 bus...then reverse the procedure on return. The issue with the bus is that it takes about an hour each way and the schedule becomes a bit intermittent in the evening hours...so is not necessarily a good option for a short or evening stay in Victoria.