Hike-in Required
No
ADA accessible
Yes
Guided tours
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The Butchart Gardens have been in bloom for over 100 years. The area just north of Victoria on Vancouver Island was once a limestone quarry owned and mined by the Butchart family in the early 1900s. Once the quarry was depleted, the family transformed the barren pit into a beautiful garden.

Over time the gardens have expanded to over 900 varieties of plants from around the world. Other features such as pounds, water fountains, sculptures, a carousel, as well as summer concerts, fireworks and winter Christmas lights have all added to the vast beauty of the gardens. Every season has something unique to offer.

In 2004 the Butchart Gardens were designated a National Historic Site of Canada. The family-owned gardens have been handed down over generations and continue to delight and inspire visitors from around the world.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

High

Parking Pass

Other

Pros

Beautiful flowers. Historical landmark.

Cons

Busy.

Pets allowed

Allowed

Features

Big vistas
ADA accessible

Location

Nearby Adventures

Victoria + Gulf Islands, British Columbia
Victoria + Gulf Islands, British Columbia
Victoria + Gulf Islands, British Columbia

Comments

07/01/2017
The Butchart Gardens is definitely a destination to hit if you're on Vancouver Island. The fireworks shows here in the summer on Saturday nights are also impressive.
08/01/2013
Made the visit to Butchart Gardens at the height of the tourist season. The displays were definitely impressive, but it felt more like the Disneyland of gardens. Perhaps it was the crowds? It's less of a garden for botanists (there were no plant labels) than it is for the layperson - most of the plants were annuals or bulbs, and typical garden plants versus more rare ones. That said, I did enjoy the Japanese Garden, and the setting in Victoria is quite beautiful.
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