When we were in Seattle, we took a fairy to British Columbia, Victoria, day trip , Pretty Fun…read more Everybody on the fairy was nice. They got snacks on the boat, fresh , bagels, croissants, cinnamon, buns, you name they have. Good selection of alcoholic drinks and soft drinks.

Return reservation was messed up by Clipper employee. They changed the correct reservation we had…read morescheduled and booked a trip back to Victoria where we already were and then we had to call and wait on hold for over 10 minutes twice (can't do it online you have to call. Tried to leave a message for a return call but it was full. When we FINALLY got through they charged us $30 to fix their mistake!

What a cool experience! It's a ferry that takes you to your destination when traveling around…read moreVictoria Harbour. You can totally see why it's needed just by looking at a map of the city. The harbor is divided into 4 active sections. The cruise ships dock at Ogden Point in the Outer Harbour. The water taxi services the Inner, Upper, and Middle Harbour. It's a great transport option that is more affordable than a standard taxi. There can be a wait time. You may want to book a water taxi ahead of time if you're traveling in a group. The boat can only take up to 12 passengers. Our BC Bites & Sights guide booked it in advance so there was only a 10 minute wait at the Fisherman's Wharf pick up point. We saw a couple of sights along the way. There was a great view of the seaplane port, and the Empress Hotel in the Inner Harbor. We also passed under the Johnson Street Bridge with its beautiful aqua blue lights. We arrived to our destination (Mermaid Wharf) in a matter of minutes. Yes, I know we could have walked to Chinatown. It was already part of the tour, so why not? It would have taken longer to walk, and it was a cold & windy day. Some people in our group said it felt like being near the Great Lakes. The wind around Shoal Point was brutal that evening. I'm sure it's much worse in the Winter. It was fun! I think this is considered to be a Top 10 attraction here, and not just a ferry service. They do offer tours of the Inner Harbour as well as the Gorge Waterway. The latter one would be great for wildlife enthusiasts. That's definitely a tour I'd like to take one day.

Such a delightful way to get around Victoria's waterfront…read more These adorable little ferries are such a fun and scenic way to get around. Whether you're hopping between docks or joining a guided tour, the experience feels personal and relaxed. Boats seat just 11-12 passengers, making it a cozy ride with front-row views of the harbor. Even if you're just catching a lift, one-way fares are available and super easy to pay. QR codes at the docks make it seamless, and for those who are old-school, tickets can be purchased from a few local businesses or directly from the captains onboard. We didn't have time to jump on one of their narrated tours through historic waterways and neighborhoods, but it's definitely on our list for next time.

Booked a tour with this company to visit Butchart Gardens last Summer in 2019 while visiting the…read morecity of Victoria on a 1 day stop on a cruise ship They have a small booth in front of the Empress Hotel to reserve tours and to be picked up by their buses. We waited for over an hour on the street for their tour bus to come pick us up and were reassured it was "coming soon". After 1 hour we gave up and asked for a refund and wasted time standing around waiting for nothing. They said their tour bus broke down, but we later found out this company went to pick up and take care of cruise ship booked tours. Bottom line is they will simply drop you or leave you stranded if more lucrative or more profitable tours come their way...Buyer beware.

REVIEWER #18…read more Visiting Victoria? Want to head to Butchart Gardens or the Butterfly Garden without renting a car? If you answered yes to all of these questions then CVS tours is definitely the way to go! Super easy, convenient and no driving necessary- for you atleast. I was looking into tour buses that will take me to Butchart Gardens as I was visiting Victoria for two days. I came across CVS Tours on the website: Viator as an option. For less than $55 you get a ride to and from Butchart Gardens, as well as entry in. Can't beat that, right? The buses pick you up right in front of the Empress Hotel, which is located on Government Street, right downtown! They advise you to arrive 10 minutes before your departure time to check in and receive your tickets. I love that the bus that are double decker! It makes the ride so much more fun and interesting as you're able to see the view from up high. Once you get to your destination, the buses drop you off right in the front. You're able to venture out on your own and the buses leave from the destination upon every hour of the hour. The last bus leaves Butchart Gardens at 5 p.m. The ride to The Butchart Gardens was great! The buses are very comfortable and doesn't seem to fill up quickly. During the ride, the drivers usually provide history and helpful information about the Gardens. For the price that you pay and the comfortable seats on the bus, it definitely makes the pricing all worth it! I would for sure recommend that you book through CVS if you plan to visit Butchart Gardens!

The BC Ferries Swartz Bay Terminal is located near Victoria on Vancouver Island (specifically on…read morethe Saanich Peninsula, about 30 minutes north of downtown Victoria).  It forms the island end of the major ferry route connecting Vancouver Island to Tsawwassen, which is the terminal located south of Metro Vancouver.

I've taken this ferry from Victoria to Vancouver a handful of times over the years. This was the…read morefirst time I had reservations. Because of an accident, I had to change my reservation to a day earlier. We needed to get off the island ASAP and get back to the states in case my wife needed to see a doctor or be hospitalized. Customer service was good to work with. They listened to my story and helped me change my reservation a couple of times. No waiving of fees, not that I was hoping for fee waiver. They did their job and was able to make reservations on the ferry that my wife wanted. Car boarding instructions was a little unclear. I wanted to keep my wife in the car as we made our crossing. I was told that we were supposed to go up to the seating area. Later on I found out that she could've stayed in the car. It was a nice ferry ride from Victoria to Vancouver. It was very smooth compared to the Port Angeles to Victoria ferry ride where it was a little rough. Also, the BC Ferry to/from Victoria and Vancouver is scheduled for almost every hour. BC Ferries is like a well oiled machine. I most likely will take it again to make up for what our medical emergency made us miss.

They picked us up right outside the Canada building on the pier…read more We did it for 3 hours and he got us back to the pier with an hour to spare. We never worried about making it back in time. Our driver was Dale and he is so knowledgeable about the town. He took us wherever we wanted and took time at each stop. We enjoyed his tales and hearing how he got a Dunsmuir Cadillac. They have a London taxi cab that seats up to 4, and a van for 4+. We got the van because originally there was 4 of us, my husband being a big guy he wanted a roomy vehicle. Highly recommend! The best Tour we have ever taken.

Had a great time with Sandra and John as our guide and driver in our tour of Victoria. This wasn't…read moremy first time to here but saw and did more than my previous visits. The "taxi" was a fun experience and we enjoyed our tour, Sandra is full of knowledge as she guided us through the streets of Victoria. We fed the peacocks with special food she provided us and even stopped in to have a pint at a pub! Now that is a unique tour in itself! Sandra and John are wonderful! Thank you!

The Victoria Harbour is about a 1 mile walk from the cruise port but some of the cruislines offer a…read morefree or paid shuttle. The harbour is very nice for walking around, eating at the restaurants and sitting a while to people watch and marine watch. The seaplanes constantly took off and landed in the water throughout the morning hours. On the day I was there, it was the 1st Water Taxi Boat Ballet at 10:40am. It lasted about 20 minutes and was fun to watch. There is also plenty of lodging in the harbour area as it is part of their downtown. I though there was alot to do and an easy way to spend a nice day.

The Harbour is covered in lights in December and is a romantic view. It's a beautiful place to…read morevisit regardless if it's day or night, winter or summer. Great trails and bike paths. Quite walkable.

We used Island Time Tours for a private tour to Bouchard Gardens. She made it incredibly easy for…read moreus as cruise ship passengers to see this world-class garden even though our stop over was relatively short. The pricing is reasonable and well worth the cost. Colleen, the owner, was our tour guide -- she was so informative, kind, and fun. She made the drive extra special by giving us a full history of the gardens and a mini driving tour on the way home of downtown Victoria. Highly recommend doing this!

Wow, what a great time find! We came to Victoria on the Clipper, just before New Year, and my wife…read morewanted to take a winery tour, so we ended up booking Island Time Tours while on the boat over. We were thinking it would be in a large bus with 40-50 other people and I was not excited about it, and we were surprised the next day when Coleen met us in her small party type bus that only seats about fourteen people. There were only four of us and it felt like we were going out for the day with friends. Coleen was very personable and informative, and with only four of us it felt like we were going out with friends for the day. We don't think it was just because of our small group but how Coleen just seems to be. It turned out to be more than just a winery tour as she pointed out various sights and places of interest. We only went to two wineries and an apple cider farm because of the time of year. Coleen appeared to have a good relationship with the wineries that made it more personable. We had a great lunch that was included in the price. Actually, I am not even a wine drinker but I really enjoyed the entire day because it was more than just tasting wine. We started at the boat terminal but she dropped us all off at our hotels. We had planned to go to Bucthart Gardens the next night and were going to take the typical large bus with 40-50 people, like we had done before, and found out that Coleen also runs tours to the Gardens. We decided to go with her and she picked us up at our hotel and again, there were only four of us. The cost was the same as with the large bus tour, but so much more enjoyable since she takes the back roads with less traffic and also get into places easier because of the small van. Victoria is one of our favorite the places to go and finding Island Times Tours has been a great and we will surely use them again.

Great marina with new docks, lights, and gathering areas. Service is friendly and the fees are…read morereasonable. We enjoyed a great night here and especially liked walking to downtown Sidney from the marina.

Arguably one of the best marinas I've been at. This one is always a top choice for me!…read more THE ROSES: Well maintained facilities. Ample space in the fairways makes maneuvering to dock very easy. Ample water and power. Very friendly and helpful staff. Excellent security. Reasonable prices for what you're getting. THE THORNS: All the power pedestals I've seen have only 50amp outlets. The marina does have loaner adapters for yachtsmen you use 30amp power, but it's a bit of a chore to go get one and then remember to return it before you leave. NEITHER ROSE NOR THORN: Curiously, some of the photos posted are of the resort at Roche Harbor, which is not the marina being reviewed here. THE VERDICT: This large marina is well-located located for explorations in Canada's Gulf Islands. If there's a better-equipped and run marina in this neck of the woods, I haven't seen it yet. Highly recommend!