Vancouver Island

We booked a coach to Vancouver Island to take us from Downtown Vancouver to Victoria, via the Butchart Gardens, with GrayLine Westcoast Sightseeing. We were still waking up relatively early, so catching the coach first thing was no issue for us. We were welcomed aboard by our fantastic driver and guide called David, originally from Liverpool, England. His knowledge was incredible, and we learnt a lot from him.

Our first stop was Queen Elizabeth Park, which gave us a great view looking back over Vancouver. Then we headed on to the BC Ferries terminal at Tsawwassen to cross to Swartz Bay, a journey of just over 90 minutes. As the ferry neared Vancouver Island, weaving between smaller islands along the route, and with the expanses of pine forest all around, we really appreciated that we were in Canada. It’s a stunning and peaceful ferry trip, and it all worked like clockwork. Before long, we were disembarked and on our way.

We stopped off at the Butchart Gardens, which are absolutely amazing. We’d always planned to do this trip in the fall, so we could catch the vibrant colours as the leaves began to change. The temperatures at this time of year were pleasantly mild, and we had some sunshine too, including on the day we visited the gardens, which turned out to be a beautiful sunny September day.

I’m no gardener, but you can’t help but be in awe of the colours and variety at Butchart Gardens, it truly is incredible. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It was fairly busy, but as it was a Monday and not a holiday period, it was very manageable. If your time on Vancouver Island is limited, as ours was, I can’t recommend stopping here enough. It’s fabulous, and you can do it all in a day from Vancouver return with Gray Line.

After a late lunch, we boarded the coach again and continued to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. We said farewell to David after a totally wonderful day and arrived at our hotel for the next few days — The Inn at Laurel Point, with a room overlooking the harbour. As we had already discovered, the Canadian common denominator is warmth and friendliness, and the team at the Inn at Laurel Point were no exception.

Victoria is a lovely coastal city, with the very impressive British Columbia Parliament Buildings overlooking the harbour. The building is beautifully lit at night by thousands of bulbs, creating a real postcard moment. Not far from there sits the equally grand Empress Hotel. We took a stroll through to have a look, as it’s a beautiful building inside and out. If you fancy a traditional afternoon tea, this is definitely the place to go. Maybe next time we’re in Victoria, we’ll treat ourselves.

And that was just day one — the rest of our time on Vancouver Island brought even more wonders, which I’ll share next time.

Tips:

Get out on deck on the ferry crossing, weather permitting. It is fantastic, as you weave around the islands.
Visit The Butchart Gardens- You will not be disappointed.
Wander through The Empress hotel- It is beautiful.
The Parliament Buildings at night are spectacular.
An approved organised tour is worth the money.

Vancouver Island