Shore Excursions in Victoria

[kawasaki]

I am booked on the Sun Princess departing July 9, 2006. I am torn between two shore excursions in Victoria and am looking for recommendations.

 

They are offered through Princess and are:

1) Enchanting Butchart Gardens or

2) Castle and Butchart Gardens Picnic

 

Please let me know if you recommend tour #1, 2 or neither.

[RuthJH]

don't know the details/itinerary of each of those two choices, but having been to Buchart Gardens myself on a trip to the west coast I would highly recommend spending as much time as possible touring the grounds of the Gardens - it's spectacular! If the other trip spends less time touring the grounds then I wouldn't recommend it.

[marshacher]

Buchart Gardens definitely. This is a no-brainer. Spectacular doesn't come close to describing it. And don't forget your camera. Hope it's a digital.

[catmand]

I can't recall the name of the castle but we did that a few years ago, along with tea at the Empress Hotel. Last year Buchart Gardens.

As has been suggested: Buchart Gardens.......................it is just beautiful. If you can sneak in a short stop at the Empress it is worth seeing.

[Keith1010]

We have been two Victoria twice and visited Buchart Gardens both times. We thought it was wonderful. Have not visited the Castle you mentoned.

 

Keith

[dam1050]

You should definitely go to Butchart Gardens while visiting Victoria. These are fantastic beautiful gardens maintained and changing year round. Any season at all is a delight to visit them.

 

http://www.butchartgardens.com/main.php

 

As others have mentioned, be sure to bring your camera to enjoy the pictures year round at home! ;)

 

Check out the Cruise Critic port review of Victoria as well at:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=28

 

Dave

[Guest cvbart]

Victoria is a great city.

 

You can't go wrong no matter what you do.

 

We did a city tour and a tour of the Castle last month and loved it. So many great looking homes.

 

We are going back next year.

[H2Obics]

I am booked on the Sun Princess departing July 9, 2006. I am torn between two shore excursions in Victoria and am looking for recommendations.

They are offered through Princess and are:

1) Enchanting Butchart Gardens or

2) Castle and Butchart Gardens Picnic

Please let me know if you recommend tour #1, 2 or neither.

 

We are also on Sun Princess but at the end of July. The "Enchanted Butchart Gardens" returns to the ship at 9pm so if you wanted to be there for the fireworks that is NOT the one to take. The "Castle and Butchart Gardens Picnic" doesn't get back until 10:30 so there is a chance to see the fireworks with that one. I called Princess and they couldn't tell me one way or the other. The time actually spent at the gardens is the about the same. I ended up booking the picnic and when we get on board I'll talk to the shore excursion manager to be sure. You can always change or cancel once on board. Since you are going first let us know!:)

[gwynnetx]

we just returned from the victoria/vancouver area where we spent a week after an alaskan cruise recently, and i would recommend doing both, if you can. we spent about 2 1/2 hours at the gardens, and i feel like that was a good amount of time. we weren't there during a time when we could see the fireworks, though. we also visited the "castle" and if you like to look at amazing old homes, then definitely put it on the list. it was really interesting and beautiful. worth going, in my opinion. it's huge with lots to see. anyway, just my two cents. we also went to the butterfly gardens, which we enjoyed a lot. spent about an hour there.