Butchart Gardens is one of Victoria's most famous and popular attractions! Located approximately 35 minutes from downtown Victoria, The Butchart Gardens features over 55 acres of meticulously manicured grounds. Begun in 1904 as an effort to restore a worked-out quarry site, the Butchart Gardens has since been delighting visitors from all around the world. During the drive to the gardens, you will get an orientation of what to see and do. Upon arrival, you can set out on your own self-guided itinerary at your own pace.

As you make your way around the gardens, you'll walk through intimate stone paths and streams lined with colorful arrays of flowers and trees. The gardens adjusts their floral displays to suit the season so it is just as spectacular in Spring and Fall as it is in Summer. The Butchart Gardens has been designed to please the eye and generally delight the senses. It could be the pale green of emerging leaves in spring, complemented by brilliant pink or white flowers of trees; the dazzling bedding plants framed in by sweeping lawns, with the treat to the nose of a waft of a thousand scents of summer.

You may return at your own leisure on any of the scheduled trips from the Gardens. There are several return times each day and they vary. For daytime visits, the last transfer back to town is between 4:45pm and 5:00pm, arriving to downtown Victoria approximately 35 minutes later. Your driver will give you a list of all the return times for the specific day you are there. As there are numerous return times, it is up to the guest to make sure they return to town in time to catch the shuttle or a taxi back to the ship before sailing time.