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Highlights of Victoria, Canada

We’ve been to Victoria twice. The first time was back in ’99 when we drove through the Canadian Rockies from Calgary to Vancouver. From there we took the ferry to Victoria and visited family friends. They drove us around this charming island and we went to the Butchart Gardens.

British Columbia Parliament Buildings
British Columbia Parliament Buildings

Our Alaskan Cruise included Victoria as a port of call and we had the opportunity to visit our family friends again. They picked us up by taxi at the cruise port and we went back to the Butchart Gardens. Our host guided us through the gardens and we had a wonderful time!

Arriving at the Victoria Cruise Port
Arriving at the Victoria Cruise Port

We made sure our cruise stopped in Victoria during the daytime. Sadly, many cruises call in Victoria only late in the evening  and their passengers miss out on a lovely visit to the Butchart Gardens.

The port is within walking distance of the Fisherman’s Wharf and tourist attractions. Along the harbor you’ll see the stylish Empress Hotel. Go for “Tea Time”.

Empress Hotel
Empress Hotel

Butchart Gardens: These beautiful gardens are the result of a transformation of an old limestone quarry into a work of art. The idea came to Jennie Butchart to transform what was an empty pit of an empty mine into a garden. She made the plans.

Horse-drawn carriages brought in the soil to line the bed of the old quarry and the transformation began. The intricate and lovely mixture of various plants, trees and flowers both rare and exotic cover more than 55 acres!

Many birds inhabit the gardens, including peacocks. The Sunken Garden, Rose Garden and Japanese Garden are not to be missed!

Sunken Garden, Butchart Gardens
Sunken Garden, Butchart Gardens

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By Nathalie

Avid Traveler and Master Scuba Diver
Sharing stories, photos and insights about the places I’ve visited. Simply sharing my experience and giving travel tips to help others plan their own dream trip and travel independently.