Getting to and from the Butchart Gardens on our day in Victoria

[MalibuCA]

We will be visiting Victoria in July 2022 on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth.  We want to visit the Butchart Gardens and prefer to do so as an individual couple rather than on a ship's shore excursion.  Unlike many sights, the Gardens are not located in walking distance from the dock.  What is the best way to get to and from the Butchart Gardens on our own?  We are fine with renting a car if the rental agency and car pick up is conveniently located.  Please share your recommendations for the best way to access the Butchart Gardens from the ship.  

Thanks,

Shelley

[cruiseryyc]

Well as I replied on Trip Advisor, what took place preCovid might not be the same post Covid.  However in the past you could pick up a tour bus either at the pier or in front of the Empress Hotel which would take you out to the Gardens and then you return at your convenience. Here is their website but again not sure if this has been updated for summer of 2022 yet.

 

https://cvstours.com/sightseeing-tours/butchart-gardens/

 

You could arrange for a rental car to be waiting at the pier for you, check with any of the big companies like National, Budget, Avis, Enterprise.

 

You could also take public transportation but that would eat up way too much of your day.

[MalibuCA]

Thank you for your help.  If we can have a rental car brought to us at the ship, I think that would be the easiest and most time efficient solution.  I will definitely pursue that and also check out CVS Tours.

 

If anyone else has another solution to offer, please send it my way.  

Thanks.

[knittinggirl]

Book a ship tour.  Depending on when you arrive, the traffic could cause you to miss your ship.  So, it's best to go through the ship.

[GTJ]

Obviously, you can always travel by taxi or rental vehicle on your own. But if you’re looking to travel by bus, BC Transit does operate to and from the gardens.

 

Bus route 75 operates direct between downtown Victoria and Butchart Gardens during weekday rush hours, Saturdays, and Sundays. During the middle of the day on weekdays, bus route 75 is interlined with routes 30 and 31: from downtown Victoria, the bus is marked as “route 30” or as “route 31,” and upon reaching the Royal Oak Exchange, the bus becomes route 75 and continues to Butchart Gardens (and the reverse on the return trip). The trip by bus takes about 50 minutes between downtown Victoria and Butchart Gardens (by taxi, the same trip takes about 35 minutes). Check the schedules at http://www.bctransit.com/victoria for details. An all-day ticket will cost $5.00

 

Bus routes 30, 31, and 75 begin in downtown Victoria, at the Legislature Exchange, on Government Street immediately north of Superior Street, and then proceed north along Douglas Street, making street stops along the way. To get to downtown Victoria from the cruise ship dock at Ogden Point, you could walk 1-1/4 mile to the Legislature Exchange in about 20 minutes; or you could travel on the BC Transit route 2 from Dallas Road just outside the cruise ship dock area; or you could travel on the shuttle service between the cruise ship dock area and downtown (extra fare for the shuttle service).