The Butchart Gardens Express Shuttle from Downtown Victoria
Victoria, Canada
- 3 to 5 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Butchart Gardens is one of Victoria's most popular attractions—but if you don't have your own transit, getting there from the city center can be tricky. Instead, make logistics simple with this round-trip shuttle service. With multiple daily departure times and transit from a central meeting point, you can leave the logistics to someone else—and save more time for a self-led, sweet-smelling stroll through the 55-acre (22.2-hectare) garden (admission own expense).
- Travel in comfort and ease aboard a spacious shuttle bus
- Leave all the logistics and navigation to someone else
- This transit service is a great option for independent-minded travelers
- A number of departure times are available to fit your schedule
What's Included
- Only Transportation
- Air-conditioned vehicle
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Gray Line Sightseeing Victoria721 Government St, Victoria, BC V8W 1W5, Canada
Please proceed to the Sightseeing Victoria Kiosk, on the sidewalk in front of the Fairmont Empress hotel. Please check in 15 minutes prior to your tour start time.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
This Butchart Gardens express shuttle offers convenient transport to and from the attraction.
At your chosen time, meet your shuttle bus in the city center, right near the Fairmont Empress hotel. Once you board your vehicle, settle in for the ride, which takes about 35 minutes from downtown Victoria without major traffic delays. You also have the option of pre-booking admission tickets when you board for an even smoother visiting experience.
Alternatively, once at Butchart Gardens, pay for your admission tickets and head inside. You'll have ample time to explore at your own pace, and admire the wide range of plantings and attractions on view, before it’s time for your ride back to downtown Victoria.
Drop-off is at the same spot you were picked up from originally.
At your chosen time, meet your shuttle bus in the city center, right near the Fairmont Empress hotel. Once you board your vehicle, settle in for the ride, which takes about 35 minutes from downtown Victoria without major traffic delays. You also have the option of pre-booking admission tickets when you board for an even smoother visiting experience.
Alternatively, once at Butchart Gardens, pay for your admission tickets and head inside. You'll have ample time to explore at your own pace, and admire the wide range of plantings and attractions on view, before it’s time for your ride back to downtown Victoria.
Drop-off is at the same spot you were picked up from originally.
1
The Butchart Gardens
3 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Butchart Gardens offers wheelchair hire for a fully refundable $10 deposit. If a passenger is in their own collapsible wheelchair, but not completely confined to it and are able to board the bus unassisted, the chair can be stored as luggage. If a passenger is confined to a wheelchair, please advise at time of booking and wheelchair access will be requested.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 657 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Linda_D, Jul 2026
Come to the Gardens prepared to spend most of the day, and even the evening to see the fireworks! The Gardens are incredibly beautiful! Also consider the boat cruise- it is fun and informative. Wear sturdy shoes. Make certain to visit the gift shop - there are amazing finds!
Pavlina_N, Jul 2026
The ride is very convenient and the starting point in just up front of the famous Emperor hotel. There is also washroom inside you can use. There is a shuttles every hour you can hop on. Coming back from the Butchart Gardens is as easy as going there. They have a stop up front of the entrance.
Nancy_A, Jul 2026
Wear comfortable shoes. Get ready to take a gazillion photos. It IS that beautiful. This was on my bucket list and I feel blessed to have experienced it.
Ellen_Q, Jul 2026
It isn’t just a ride to the Gardens. They have great personalities and provide information about the points of interest and history on the way there and back. Rob and Emily were personable and interesting. The bus also stops at the Butterfly Garden first and you can see it for about 40-45 minutes before you catch the next bus headed for Buschart Gardens. A hus comes back about every hour so you can walk around as long as you want and catch the bus back.
The Gardens themselves are absolutely gorgeous and worth an hour or two of strolling. We took an hour but could have stayed longer for lunch or gelato.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed the ride we appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back again soon!
Laura_J, Jul 2026
Beautiful gardens, very colorful and best ice cream ever! They also had clear umbrellas for everyone to use as it was a rainy day.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We couldn't agree more - the gardens are absolutely beautiful rain or shine. We love the Gelateria so many delicious flavors!!
Julie_L, Jun 2026
This is only the shuttle ride-does not include tickets! Shuttle tide was fine-the driver’s stories made it enjoyable. Drop off and pick up was on time.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. Were glad you enjoyed the driver's commentary!
Graeme_J, Jun 2026
Excellent and well infomred drivers, specifically the 8pm driver on our tour, wonderful Gentleman! Thank you
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for the lovely review. Were glad you enjoyed the tour!
Lori_C, Jun 2026
The commentary by our driver and guide made the experience of the gardens much more enjoyable. As a result of the guidance received, we felt we understood the best way to approach touring the gardens, which otherwise would have been overwhelming, and we had a better understanding of the history of how the gardens came to be.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your kind review! We're delighted to hear that your driver's commentary enhanced your visit!
Gillian_A, Jun 2026
Lots of information given by driver en route and clear instructions about return times and locations. Lots of tips provided to get the best out of the vidit
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your kind words! Hope to see you again soon.
Donna_M, Jun 2026
Our driver, Rob, was both fun and informative. He was truly a wealth of knowledge. We met outside the Empress and had the opportunity to pre-purchase our tickets to the garden, which was a nice feature. The double decker bus was clean and comfortable. The gardens are beautiful!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your kind review. We’re big fans of Rob as well! We're pleased to hear you enjoyed his engaging commentary and the comfort of the bus. Most of all, we're glad you had a wonderful time at the gardens.!
Martha_V, Jun 2026
The staff were friendly and helpful. The bus was clean and the bus driver was very knowledgeable about the Victoria, BC and she added humor to her story telling. Really enjoyed learning from her.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! and thank you for riding with us!
Suzanne_S, Jun 2026
The bus and garden schedule should have been clearly posted when booking our ride to the Butchart Gardens. Because we did not arrive in Victoria in time for an earlier bus ride, by the time we got to Butchart we literally had to run through the gardens to cover as much ground as we could in only an hour. That was very disappointing. The kiosk was difficult to find on the street and the pin dropped in the app took us to a different location. Any day of the week (other than Monday or Tuesday) the gardens are open longer and we would not have had a problem. Because the bus schedule isn't clearly communicated, check the schedule before booking!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're sorry to hear that your visit to Butchart Gardens felt rushed and did not meet your expectations.
We understand how disappointing it can be to have less time than anticipated to explore the gardens, particularly when visiting on a day with shorter operating hours. We appreciate your comments regarding the bus schedule and will continue looking for ways to make transportation and timing information as clear as possible during the booking process.
We'd also like to address your comments about finding the departure location. Our bright red kiosks are located directly in front of the iconic Empress Hotel in Victoria's Inner Harbour, one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. While many guests find the location easy to identify, we're sorry that the map pin and directions did not lead you there smoothly. We will review this information to ensure it is as accurate and helpful as possible.
Laurie_K, Jun 2026
I chose this because I didn't want to go on a tour that they limit you to two hours at the gardens. we could travel at our own pace and there were return buses every hour until 5:00 pm when we were ready to leave. This worked out great, as my mom who is 85 years old didn't feel rushed. The buses are beautiful and comfortable, and we had narration the whole way there and back. They even offered to sell you the entrance tickets, which would save time in line.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
bianca_h, Jun 2026
The shuttle was easy to find .The driver was entertaining and very informative on the ride out and back.Definitely an easy and inexpensive way to get to the Garden.
Virginia_B, Jun 2026
The ad on the Viator website was misleading, it looked like the "tour" included tickets to the garden, but it did not.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hello, thank you for your feedback. The title for the tour is "Express Shuttle" for this very reason! Additionally, it is posted in various places on the listing about how it does not include the admission ticket. We do however sell the admission tickets right at our kiosk that you can purchase when you check in. Thank you!
Shelley_W, Jun 2026
This was an absolutely wonderful experience with the bus shuttle to the Butchart Gardens from our Alaskan cruise ship. The gentleman driver was absolutely delightful and we loved his presentation as he drove and described various historical and interesting facts about Victoria. The double decker bus was comfortable and centrally located right in front of the Empress Hotel. The round-trip price was very reasonable and I would highly recommend this service.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you so much for your review! Hope to see you again soon.
Stacy_W, Jun 2026
Our tour guide was a nut! Loved her. She had some great stories & was a natural born storyteller. Fantastic!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're so glad you enjoyed your tour. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words!
Deborah_L, May 2026
It was absolutely beautiful as always. I love the Butchart Gardens and have visited several times before.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your review! Hope to see you again soon.
Peter_G, May 2026
Informative bus driver, he really knows Victoria. Peter is also a great driver.
Butchart Gardens is wonderful, a don't miss experience.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your kind review were glad you enjoyed the tour!
Toma_A, May 2026
This was a shuttle to the gardens. We purchased tickets separately. The driver was very enthusiastic and entertaining and td us lots of facts on our way there and back.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your review! We hope you had a wonderful visit to The Butchart Gardens!
Kenton_C, May 2026
Convienent, on time.
Bus was clean. Easy to hear bus driver.
Peter, our driver, was informative, enjoyable and a very good driver.
Mary_J, May 2026
It's further than I thought from Victoria to Butchart Gardens. It was a lovely interesting trip because of our driver. The bus was nice, too
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello! Thank you so much for your review. We hope to see you again soon!
Sharon_C, May 2026
It was great. Bus drivers are very friendly and knowledgeable. We had a wonderful day at Butchart Gardens. Such a great alternative to cruise ship excursions which are so much more expensive.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello! Thank you so much for your review. We hope to see you again soon!
Andy_A, May 2026
This excursion exceeded my expectations. The tour operator helped get us to the garden, since there was a mixup with getting on the bus. The gardens were beautiful and we really enjoyed exploring them. The bus driver made the ride back very enjoyable with lots of information on places we were driving past. We highly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello! Thank you so much for your review. We hope to see you again soon!
Brandy_G, May 2026
It’s magnificent and motivated me to think seriously about making a small flower garden in my backyard
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your review! We hope to see you next time!
Aaron_F, May 2026
Everything was extremely punctual. Our driver unfortunately wasn’t driving very smoothly, making the drive really uncomfortable to and from the gardens. He also talked on the microphone about his frustrations with other vehicles and pedestrians on the road.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hello! Thank you for your feedback. We pride ourselves on safety first and driver commentary second. We hope you had a wonderful visit at the Butchart Gardens and hope to see you again soon!
PatriciaAnne_B, May 2026
It's a 45-60 minute drive so it's nice to go by bus. The driver gives you interesting commentary along the way (and you come back on a different route so no repeats). We took the 9:30 (first trip) which made it less crowded and you have 3 return choices at 2,4 or 6 hours later. Just be at the bus stop on time.
You get your ticket (or verification if you do it online) right in front of the Empress (red umbrellas) and you can buy BG entry tickets online or at the bus
You can have a full tea at the restaurant!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your kind review!
Shari_G, May 2026
This was a great way to get to the gardens. My only disappointment was the pick up time. Their latest time was 4:30 and we didn't get dropped off until 2:40, so we didn't have enough time in the gardens. We ran late getting there because they let a dozen people buy their tickets late (after our scheduled departure time), so that took away precious time in the gardens.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your review. In the summer months (June to September) we run our shuttles hourly until late. We hope to see you next time!
Jean_K, May 2026
Very informative and fun driver. He was full of history and funny. I didn’t expect a tour, just thought it was a bus to get us to and back from gardens
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your review! We hope to see you next time!
Anita_H, Apr 2026
Our driver was extremely prompt and very interesting. It was a very comfortable way to learn about Victoria and also a easy way to get to Buchart Gardens.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your kind review! Hope to see you again soon!
From $45.11
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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