Vancouver to Butchart Gardens?

[judla]

We will be in Vancouver next July before our Alaskan cruise. Has anyone gone to Butchart Gardens from Vancouver? If so how did you do this trip? From everything I read the bus is very slow and a cab is very expensive. I would appreciate any information on getting form Vancouver to where you catch a boat/ferry to Victoria and then how do you get to the gardens once in Victoria.

[Kamloops50]

We will be in Vancouver next July before our Alaskan cruise. Has anyone gone to Butchart Gardens from Vancouver? If so how did you do this trip? From everything I read the bus is very slow and a cab is very expensive. I would appreciate any information on getting form Vancouver to where you catch a boat/ferry to Victoria and then how do you get to the gardens once in Victoria.

 

You need to have a complete day to go to the Gardens from Vancouver.

There are tour companies that will take you one way by bus/ferry and return by plane/helicopter.

 

Here are some links for tour companies

 

http://vancouvertours.com/tour/victoria-tour/

 

http://www.viator.com/vancouver-tours/d616-ttd?pref=02&aid=g2413

[Gardyloo]

Why not save a bunch of time and a LOT of money by visiting Vancouver's own marvelous botanic gardens, IMO in the same class as Butchart?

 

http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/bloedel-conservatory.aspx

 

http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/queen-elizabeth-park.aspx

 

http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/vandusen-botanical-garden.aspx

 

Butchart gets all the hype, but the Vancouver gardens are pretty terrific.

[mapleleaves]

It's not that the bus is so slow; it's a long way. And a long day.

It's a 1/2 hr drive from Vancouver to Tsawwassen where you board the ferry, then a 1 1/2 hr ferry trip to Swartz Bay, then another 1/2 hr drive from Swartz Bay to Victoria. Then there's the staging time and off-loading time for the ferry at each end. So it's about 4 hrs each way.

 

Even if you rented a car and drove yourself, you could only shave 1/2 hr off the trip each way.

 

Pacific Coach makes several trips a day between Vanc and Victoria. An overnight trip is much better. Take a morning bus to Victoria, arrive around 2, spend the afternoon and/or evening at the Garden, overnight, then catch a morning bus back to Vancouver.

 

http://www.pacificcoach.com/Bus-Coach-Travel/Crosswater/Vancouver-to-Victoria

 

You can use PAcific Coach just as transportation to Victoria then use CVS to get to Butchart. Or take the Pacific Coach tour to the Garden.

Edited October 26, 2014 by mapleleaves

[thinfool]

Butchart Gardens was part of our overall Alaska experience and I researched and planned our visit with as much detail as I felt it needed. Details next.

 

We deplaned at the Vancouver airport and were processed through customs. We have refined our travel needs and so only have a carry-on bag for each of us.

 

Passing an ATM we withdrew a small amount of CAD$ for taxi, bus and ferry fares.

 

Then I went to the information desk to inquire about bus service to the ferry.

 

We caught the bus, made a couple of connections to the ferry. Did a walk-on at the ferry. The traffic waiting for the ferry was horrendous, so I was glad we hadn't rented a car at that point.

 

The ferry ride was wonderful and, as I remember, about 45 minutes. The Ferry docks at Sydney on Vancouver Island.

 

Upon leaving the ferry we called Enterprise ("we'll pick you up") where I had made a reservation for a car.

 

We did our own driving tour around Victoria and environs and finished at our hotel in Victoria.

 

Early the next morning we had breakfast and drove to the 'Gardens'. We were easily within the first 10 or so who entered that morning. Very peaceful and no crowds. (this was about 8:45-9:00 am). By 10:00 the tour buses started to arrive and, obviously, things got busier.

 

We saw what we wanted to see and left by 1:00 pm. Back to Enterprise, back to the Ferry, across the bay and back to the city bus for a ride to downtown (no Skytrain back then) and our hotel for one night before we boarded the ship.

 

We so enjoyed our morning at Butchart Gardens. I think that many folks

visiting the Vancouver area miss a lot by passing it up. OTOH, there are a LOT of folks who make it their primary destination, as evidenced by the large number of full tour buses we saw.

Edited October 26, 2014 by thinfool

[cruiseryyc]

Thin fool you really must have enjoyed the ferry ride if you thought it was only 45 minutes, actual time to cross is 1.5 hours.

[thinfool]

Thin fool you really must have enjoyed the ferry ride if you thought it was only 45 minutes, actual time to cross is 1.5 hours.

 

Yeah...I caught that. But we DID enjoy the ride, both ways. Thanks!

[Riverton Quilter]

We self disembarked our Holland Cruise ship in mid September 2014. Arranged a rental car in Vancouver canada place. Avis met us at the counter after we got through customs and took us to their location. All of this was very easy and short in time. We wanted to get the 11 am ferry, since we only had the one day at Victoria we flew home from Victoria. We enjoyed having the car our only regret is that we didn't spend another day in Victoria, the gardens were great.

 

If you rent car check times for ferries, we did this on a Sunday, and the ferry was full once on its way. We enjoyed the freedom of having a car. Any other questions?

[Keith1010]

We took a tour and it included transportation on both ends via bus and the ferry to and from the island and the entrance to the gardens.

 

Keith

[judla]

what was the name of your tour company?

[mapleleaves]

From the Butchart Gardens web site ( and also posted above)

 

http://vancouvertours.com/tour/victoria-tour/

[whimsy7]

we did the trip from vancouver to butchart gardens by public transport in May 2014.

it is a long day out.

as mentioned, there are some lovely gardens in vancouver too. heard of queen elizabeth botanic gardens and also van dusen gardens......easier to access than butchart.

anyway, we were up early and made our way to bridgeport station. from there we took the bus to Tsawwassen ferry terminal. caught the ferry for the 1.5 hour ride to Swartz Bay. the bus from SB to Butchart took about 50 minutes.

all in all, we traveled for about 3.5 hours each way to spend three hours at Butchart.

would we do it again? probably not.

[Jasjas]

We have a difficult choice of excursions from Vancouver :

 

1) Full day to Victoria @ $180

2) 6hrs North shore to Capilano Bridge and Grouse Mountain @ $130

with maybe some time left for a trolley ride through Stanley Park...

 

Please HELP. ???

 

We are 2 healthy ladies in our mid sixties and no chance of ever visiting Vancouver again.

 

Thanks.

 

Jasjas.

[mapleleaves]

We have a difficult choice of excursions from Vancouver :

 

1) Full day to Victoria @ $180

2) 6hrs North shore to Capilano Bridge and Grouse Mountain @ $130

with maybe some time left for a trolley ride through Stanley Park...

 

Please HELP. ???

 

We are 2 healthy ladies in our mid sixties and no chance of ever visiting Vancouver again.

 

Thanks.

 

Jasjas.

 

What month?

 

How does this one day in Vancouver fit into the rest of your trip? ie is it the day your ship arrives from a one-cruise from Alaska? or the day before a cruise?

 

Is there any reason to make the decision now? Why not wait until the day before and see what you feel like doing ( and the weather).

 

I guess it depends on your interests and what else you've seen and done on your trip. Personally I'd go for Butchart Gardens but that's me.

Edited November 8, 2014 by mapleleaves

[Kamloops50]

We have a difficult choice of excursions from Vancouver :

 

1) Full day to Victoria @ $180

2) 6hrs North shore to Capilano Bridge and Grouse Mountain @ $130

with maybe some time left for a trolley ride through Stanley Park...

 

Please HELP. ???

 

We are 2 healthy ladies in our mid sixties and no chance of ever visiting Vancouver again.

 

Thanks.

 

Jasjas.

 

I would do the Vancouver tour over Butchart Gardens.

From the eight hours you'll probably spend about 5 to 6 hours traveling.

[mapleleaves]

I would do the Vancouver tour over Butchart Gardens.

From the eight hours you'll probably spend about 5 to 6 hours traveling.

 

Butchart Gardens would be a 12 hr day ... 3 hrs each way for travel time.

[Jasjas]

Dear mapleleaves,

 

Vancouver would be our port of disembarkation after our 7 day Alaska cruise from Anchorage (Seward) in mid September 2015.

 

How would the weather affect both these excursions...?

 

Thanks for the advice on the clothing and shoes...

 

Sincerely.

 

Jasjas

[Kamloops50]

Butchart Gardens would be a 12 hr day ... 3 hrs each way for travel time.

 

the trip to the gardens would be almost 4 hours each way.

It is a good 45 minutes to the ferry terminal from downtown Vancouver with pick up.

90 minutes on the ferry to the island . 30 minutes to the Gardens.

Then allow loading and unloading of the ferry at both ends.

Total is about 3 hours of traveling.

I have personally done this trip many times with my personal car .

I usually count 4 hours from Vancouver International to Victoria downtown.

[mapleleaves]

Dear mapleleaves,

 

Vancouver would be our port of disembarkation after our 7 day Alaska cruise from Anchorage (Seward) in mid September 2015.

 

How would the weather affect both these excursions...?

 

Thanks for the advice on the clothing and shoes...

 

Sincerely.

 

Jasjas

 

so your only day available for sightseeing is after disembarking the ship? Do you leave Vancouver the next morning? If so, you need time to disembark, gather your luggage, get it to your hotel for storage, then meet the bus for whichever tour you take. Sightseeing in and around Vancouver might be an easier choice.

 

As for weather .... if it's rainy and windy that might impact your decision on which tour to take. Mid Sept can be sunny and 80 or if a fall storm blows in it can be wet and 55.

[Gardyloo]

We have a difficult choice of excursions from Vancouver :

 

1) Full day to Victoria @ $180

2) 6hrs North shore to Capilano Bridge and Grouse Mountain @ $130

with maybe some time left for a trolley ride through Stanley Park...

 

Please HELP. ???

 

We are 2 healthy ladies in our mid sixties and no chance of ever visiting Vancouver again.

 

Thanks.

 

Jasjas.

Just personal opinion that might not be shared by others on this board, but worth every rand you've paid for it. ;)

 

After a week on an Alaska cruise, I think Grouse Mountain and Capilano Canyon would be letdowns. You will have seen much more impressive mountains on the cruise, and - just IMO - Capilano is an overpriced tourist trap, particularly when one can visit nearby Lynn Canyon, walk on a scary (or thrilling, depending) suspension bridge over a gorge, and walk away with the Capilano admission price still in your pocket.

 

As for gardens, don't know where in SA you live, but I'd take Kirstenbosch over Butchart any day of the week, and as I mentioned upthread, you could take a taxi (or the safe and easy city bus) to Queen Elizabeth II Park in central Vancouver and get a very, very good garden experience in far less time, and at far less cost, then the long trip to Victoria.

 

Vancouver is one of the most interesting and beautiful cities in the world, and frankly there are so many things you could do or see in the city that spending a day trekking to someplace out of the city seems (to me, at least) missing a big opportunity.

 

Visit Granville Island and its market and shops; or Chinatown, second biggest in North America. Tour Stanley Park, maybe visit the amazing Vancouver aquarium. Ride the scenic ferry over to the Lonsdale Quay market or walk along the beach at the Spanish Banks or English Bay. In short, enjoy a marvelous city as counterpoint to Alaska.

 

Just a suggestion.

[Jasjas]

Dear Gardyloo,

 

To say that I REALLY AND SINCERELY appreciate your feedback and suggestions, would be an understatement...to say the least !!

 

Our trip is already costing us an arm and a leg (due to our VERY shaky currency) and to save such a huge sum of money is an absolute bonus...

 

Some of the attractions you mention, I have never come across in any travel guide or on any website.

 

Sincere thanks.

 

Isabella and Jasjas.

Pretoria.

[Jasjas]

Dear mapleleaves

 

Thanks for responding again...

 

We have an extra day after the day of disembarkation...but on second thoughts we might just stay in Vancouver and enjoy what the city has to offer.

 

Gardyloo has made some wonderful suggestions, so it seems that we will have more than enough to do (and save some serious money)

 

Thanx again.

 

Jasjas.

[Kamloops50]

Just personal opinion that might not be shared by others on this board, but worth every rand you've paid for it. ;)

 

After a week on an Alaska cruise, I think Grouse Mountain and Capilano Canyon would be letdowns. You will have seen much more impressive mountains on the cruise, and - just IMO - Capilano is an overpriced tourist trap, particularly when one can visit nearby Lynn Canyon, walk on a scary (or thrilling, depending) suspension bridge over a gorge, and walk away with the Capilano admission price still in your pocket.

 

As for gardens, don't know where in SA you live, but I'd take Kirstenbosch over Butchart any day of the week, and as I mentioned upthread, you could take a taxi (or the safe and easy city bus) to Queen Elizabeth II Park in central Vancouver and get a very, very good garden experience in far less time, and at far less cost, then the long trip to Victoria.

 

Vancouver is one of the most interesting and beautiful cities in the world, and frankly there are so many things you could do or see in the city that spending a day trekking to someplace out of the city seems (to me, at least) missing a big opportunity.

 

Visit Granville Island and its market and shops; or Chinatown, second biggest in North America. Tour Stanley Park, maybe visit the amazing Vancouver aquarium. Ride the scenic ferry over to the Lonsdale Quay market or walk along the beach at the Spanish Banks or English Bay. In short, enjoy a marvelous city as counterpoint to Alaska.

 

Just a suggestion.

 

Instead of using taxi's (except at night) buy an all day transit pass. Most attractions in Vancouver are within a short walk of transit. This pass covers all bus , sky train and ferry to North Vancouver.

 

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Forums mobile app

[Gardyloo]

Instead of using taxi's (except at night) buy an all day transit pass. Most attractions in Vancouver are within a short walk of transit. This pass covers all bus , sky train and ferry to North Vancouver.

(Slaps forehead.) Duh!

[Gardyloo]

We have an extra day after the day of disembarkation...but on second thoughts we might just stay in Vancouver and enjoy what the city has to offer.

If you have a night available (if it works on the calendar) one of our top, top things to do in Vancouver in the summer is go to a play at Bard on the Beach. This is an annual Shakespeare festival where the plays are conducted in tents in a park facing the city. The venue is wonderful, the plays invariably excellent, the atmosphere casual, fun, and the prices are very reasonable. Check it out. http://www.bardonthebeach.org/

Edited November 9, 2014 by Gardyloo