Victoria Questions

[633]

Our RCCL cruise has a 7A-3P stop in Victoria on 9/17. A couple of questions:

 

1) My wife really wants to see Butchart Gardens. Is there any real reason to do RCCL's shore excursion for this? Is it reasonable to just get a cab and go over there? How long should we allow there?

 

2) I'm more looking for activity, either cycling or hiking. Anyone know anything about this type of activity in Victoria? Places to rent a quality road bicycle (not a beach cruiser, touristy type) there?

 

Thanks,

 

Michael

[Sharby]

According to the Victoria Port Schedule - your cruise ship gets in at 7:00 am and departs about 3 pm (let me know if this isn't correct). September 17 is a Saturday and there will be your ship and one other in port in the morning and 3 coming in later in the day - a total of 5 ships.

 

The Gardens are well worth seeing - but they don't open until 9:00 am. They are a fairish distance from town though, so you will need transportation to and from. There are tours that run from the Inner Harbour area and the Inner Harbour is a 5 minute taxi ride from the port. You could take a taxi to the Inner Harbour - and including a generous tip - it'll be about $10 (confirm that with the driver before you get in though).

 

If your tour ended up in the Inner Harbour, you'd have some time to rent a bike. I'd recommend Dallas Road for biking (the port is on Dallas Road) and you won't get lost and the scenery is spectacular, plus you can ride thorough Beacon Hill Park. You should be able to do Butchart Gardens plus the biking in the time that you are here.

 

I know of two bike/scooter/motorbike rental places within a few blocks of the Inner Harbour. Let me check them out and get back to you.

 

 

PS:

Unlike the poster above, who is leaving in the afternoon, for those of you that are going to be in Victoria on a SATURDAY NIGHT (particularly when there are fireworks at Butchart Gardens) - I urge you to take the ship sponsored tours. There can be quite a traffic jam leaving then as Saturday nights - with fireworks - are hugely popular and you don't want the ship to leave without you! Therefore take the ship sponsored tour!

[Sharby]

This is the Victoria Cycle place that I was thinking of.

 

http://www.cyclebc.ca/locations.htm

 

The Douglas, Wharf and the summer Belleville Street locations are all easily accessible from the Inner Harbour.