We are visiting Seattle for 4 days in Aug. IMO there is enough to keep us busy (even tho we have visited before) but my traveling companion has been told we MUST go to Victoria. So to do Victoria as a day trip, I assume by the Victoria Clipper, could someone be so kind as to "walk me thru it". The main purpose would be the gardens - about how much time will visiting the gardens take after we arrive? Also, could we do one leg of the trip by train? Would there be any other delightful flower options in the Seattle area (besides the flowers in the Pike Place market)? Thanks!

http://www.clippervacations.com/vict...s/clippercombo

No train to Victoria...it is on an island, you know. According to their web site, this package is just right for you.

Hmmmmm the Victoria Clipper is a boat..then it looks like the bus tour would be the best option as the B gardens are cosiderbaly Norht of Victoria.

As for other Seattle Gardens

http://www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/Gardens.htm

http://www.seattlewomanmagazine.com/...es/may07-4.htm

http://www.millergarden.org/

1JAR, we must be missing a connection somewhere. The Clipper is a means of getting to Victoria. There is plenty of bus transportation to the Gardens from the Inner Harbor area.

Another possibility, that you may be hinting at but that I have not researched, is to take the train from Seattle to Vancouver and the bus (Pacific Coast Lines?) to Swartz Bay via BC Ferry and onward to the Gardens.

My many trips to the Butchart Gardens have always departed from the Inner Harbor...how I got there changed from trip to trip.

Bobmg... think we are on the same path... am agreeing w/you....but the OP seems to be saying that they could get to the B gardens by taking the Victoria Clipper..and as far as I know..you have to take a bus/car.
(I did one year sail in and tie up to their docks that few know about)

Posters seem to get quie confused between Victoria, Vancover IS and Vancouver City.. and there always seems to be confusion about Victoria Clipper being a passenger ferry only..no car..

The Clipper is 3 hours each way, longer if it's choppy in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. (And if it's really choppy, skip lunch.) There are no shortages of buses and tour operators waiting to take you to Butchart Gardens (which are some distance from the Inner Harbour where the Clipper docks) or you can book a trip to the gardens directly with the Clipper.

Two alternatives to consider:

www.kenmoreair.com - incredibly scenic and fun trip on a float plane from Lake Union in Seattle straight to the Inner Harbour, except it's an hour instead of 3. More expensive for sure, but how much is your time worth?

Queen Elizabeth II park and the Van Dusen gardens in Vancouver, which (IMO) give Butchart a run for its money, but way cheaper and easier to get to. http://vancouver.ca/parks/parks/index.htm You could take the train in the morning from Seattle, spend the day at the gardens (and/or Chinatown, second biggest on the west coast) or shopping in downtown Vancouver, then hop the train back to Seattle. Much cheaper than the Clipper, the ride (along the water for much of the way) is very scenic, and no seasickness.

Hi suec1,

I'm with you. With only 4 days, enjoy Seattle (which has so much to enjoy) and save Victoria for a time when you can really hunker down and appreciate it and not some rushed day trip.

Perhaps you were thinking that you could take the train to Vancouver, then catch the Pacific Coach Lines bus to Victoria and then the Victoria Clipper back to Seattle? 4 hours to Vancouver leaving at 7:45 would get you in to Van around Noon. Then you'd be on the bus at 1:30, getting in to Victoria around 4:30pm. Then you're on the Victoria Clipper at 7pm, checking in at 6pm, leaving you maybe an hour to stroll around the Inner Harbour. Perhaps this route for people who overnight in Vancouver and Victoria might make sense, but not for a day trip (the ferry ride from Van to Victoria *is* beautiful).

The only real way of doing this is via the Victoria Clipper both directions, and to me, it sounds kind of tiring and unappealing. I have however read of others who enjoyed their day trip to Victoria from Seattle, so it depends on your personality I suppose. 7:30am out of Seattle, you get in to Victoria at 10:30am. Enjoy the vibe of the Inner Harbour and make reservations pretty quickly for a tour bus to Butchart Gardens. If it's raining, the Royal BC Museum is a gem in my opinion with its exhibits on Pacific Coast First Nations. You could take the 5:30 pm or 7pm return ferry back to Seattle.

Butchart Gardens are lovely (when I went in 2008, $26 admission, one of the rare cases where I say such a high admission price was worth every penny), but are a good maybe 1/2 hour drive north of Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula; I spent around 2 hours there, but I went independently of a tour. I imagine a tour from the Inner Harbour to Butchart Gardens would eat up (at least) 3 hours of your time in Victoria.

I've enjoyed Victoria very much (and got there via the Victoria Clipper!). I just think it's worth more than a day trip to truly appreciate.

Enjoy your trip whatever you do! Daniel

Thank you Daniel and all - I think I am going to push for us to just stay in Seattle on this trip and just plan for next time to stay longer and do at least on overnight up to Victoria. 1JAR - thanks for the links to other flower opportunities!

Good plan, suec1. Victoria deserves at least an overnight stay. Most of the attractions (except for the Gardens) are around the inner harbor...it is a walking city. We have visited Butchart in spring, fall, and at Christmas, and it is enchanting in every season.

Next time plan on 2 or 3 days in Victoria and one-ish in Seattle (Since you've been before)

That makes getting to/from Victoria worth the cost/time/effort. Butchart Garden alone is just about a full day w/o traveling in from Seattle. Plus there are other lovely gardens, museums, restaurants to easily fill 3 days.

Clipper or Kenair are both good (I took the clipper to Victoria and flew back to Lake Union thanks to Gardyloo's suggestion)

Or you could split a trip between Vancouver and Victoria w/ a bit of time in Seattle.

I think we took salmon dinner cruise to Victoria and hope to see whales but we didn't. This was just a day trip, so we did not make it to Butchart Gardens. We enjoyed Victoria )including my city hating DH)