Butchart Gardens Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience the Butchart Gardens. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Victoria & Butchart Gardens Tour With Ferry From Vancouver

• Victoria and Butchart Gardens Day Trip From Vancouver

• The Butchart Gardens Express Shuttle From Downtown Victoria

• Victoria & Butchart Gardens Tour With Gulf Islands Cruise Ferry

• Butchart Gardens and Victoria Sightseeing Tour From Vancouver

Ticket prices for the Butchart Gardens vary by season. In summer (June through September), they cost CA$44.25 for adults, CA$22.13 for youth (aged 13–17), and CA$5 for children (ages 5–12). In spring (April–May) and over the Christmas period, tickets cost CA$41, CA$20.50, and CA$3; in October, they cost CA$36.75, CA$18.38, and CA$3; at other times of the year, when it's open, tickets cost CA$32.75, CA$16.38, and CA$3.

Yes, the Butchart Gardens are worth visiting. An example of Edwardian garden design, complete with a sunken garden carved out of a quarry, the gardens are a National Historic Site of Canada and one of the star attractions near Victoria. Joining a tour helps with transportation—you'll take a 14-mile (22-kilometer) drive from Victoria to reach them—and can add vital context to this historic gem.

Per one customer who booked the Victoria & Butchart Gardens Tour With Ferry From Vancouver, "Butchart Gardens is spectacular! It is breathtakingly beautiful, will delight your senses of color & heavenly scent. Victoria is a beautiful city to visit and easy to get around. Our tour guide & bus driver, Jack was fantastic. He shared interesting (& I am not a history buff) information about the places we visited or were driving by. The Ferry ride was great. Loved being outside on the deck taking photos and just enjoying the moment. I highly recommend this tour."

With two hours at Butchart Gardens, key highlights to see include the Sunken Garden, Ross Fountain, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, Star Pond, and Italian Garden. To experience the gardens’ beloved afternoon tea ceremonies held at the former Butchart Residence, add two hours (and book well in advance).

No, you don’t need to buy Butchart Gardens tickets in advance—you can purchase them upon arrival. An exception is during the busy holiday season in December and early January when timed entrance tickets are required to access the gardens’ light displays, Christmas caroling, brass band, and festive dining.

Butchart Gardens bloom from spring until fall. Tulips, daffodils, and cherry trees generally peak between early April and early May, followed by a mid-May wave of Tibetan blue poppies. The gardens’ nearly 300 varieties of roses start blossoming in early summer, with the most flowers in July–August.

With so much to see at Butchart Gardens, tours provide a curated experience focused on garden highlights. Many tours from Vancouver and Victoria simplify planning by including round-trip transport by shuttle bus, ferry, or private car. Some combine garden tours with sightseeing in Victoria or other parts of Vancouver Island.

Butchart Gardens is open year-round. While the most colorful flower gardens bloom from spring tulips through autumn dahlias, winter ushers in other species. Daphne, crocuses, and primroses bloom outside, and greenhouses overflow with red poinsettias. During the holiday season, from December through early January, there are light displays and carolers.

The best time to visit Butchart Gardens is first thing in the morning or late afternoon. During Butchart Gardens’ peak-season months of July and August, pathways and trails can get crowded in the middle of the day. Choosing quieter, off-peak hours means a bit more room to explore.

There are tons of fun things to do when you're done visiting the Butchart Gardens. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in Victoria:

• Victoria Inner Harbour

• British Columbia Parliament Buildings

• Beacon Hill Park

• Victoria Chinatown

• Sidney

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in Victoria.