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.

Taxi was right on time and patiently waited while we got ourselves out to the cab. Friendly service…read moreand easy conversation. At our location I miss calculated what was owed, the driver politely brought my attention to the over payment. One of the best taxi experiences we've had.

Doesn't answer the phone or reply to booming requests. Super weird that they're so highly rated!read more

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 L.A. Limousines over a period of 4 days to pick up and drop off VIPs from Victoria…read moreInternational Airport to the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and also as a shuttle service the night of an event between the hotel and a private home -- with an unanticipated trip to downtown. We made adjustments along the way to accommodate our VIPs. Kyara and her entire team -- from the coordinators to the drivers -- could not be more professional. We could count on them every step of the way without issue and hope to use their services in the future. This decision is a no-brainer. Use L.A. Limousines without hesitation.

We had an amazing experience with LA Limo in Victoria. My family and I were on the Norwegian Bliss…read moreand we found LA Limo through the Butchart Gardens website. We priced out the options and LA Limo's luxury bus was a better value than booking the excursion through NCL. Bob was our driver and was an incredible tour guide. He took us to the Gardens as soon as we got off the ship so we could maximize our time there. We had considerable more time than the people who booked through NCL. After the gardens closed, he took us on an amazing sightseeing tour on the way back to the ship and he told us great stories and the history of Victoria. He was extremely genuine and enthusiastic about his job and he clearly took care of us throughout the tour. He said we were the first cruise ship to dock in Victoria for 2024 so the atmosphere was filled with excitement - which enhanced our experience. Their office staff is very organized and prompt in communication. Jennifer and Dylan were extremely responsive and kept us updated at all times. I cannot wait to return to Victoria and I would not hesitate to use LA Limo for all my transportation needs. That was the highlight of our trip and definitely the most memorable.

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.

The Malahat line travels 225 km from downtown Victoria north to Courtenay, passing by beautiful…read moreforest and ocean views and over a dramatic canyon or two during its 4 hour and 45-minute journey one way. The car (or cars - the train travels with 1 or 2) is older and riders are definitely in for a bit of a bone-jarring journey at times, but it's a great way to travel, leisurely and unrushed. It may be a good idea to bring snacks and water - there are no resources on the train. Interesting fact: When they're using a single car, rather than turning the train around, the seats are simply swivelled to face the other direction between every departure. Even the engineer's seat is merely screwed in and he simply unscrews it, wheels it down the car to the other side and screws it in again. The train leaves Victoria each morning and returns from Courtenay each afternoon.

We love trains, so we decided to take the E&N Via Rail trip from Victoria to Courtenay, BC and back…read moreon our last visit to Victoria. We were disappointed that the train didn't travel the coast as much as we were led to expect. We took a picnic as there is nothing on the train. The personnel were friendly and informative, but the constant blasting of the train horn, even when there were no approaching road crossings, got to be VERY annoying. If you go, plan to spend the night some where in Courtenay or environs. Round trip in one day is way too long.

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.

Great idea for a one day stop on any cruise! It was so easy. I made reservations ahead of time…read moreonline so all we have to do was pick it up. We had plenty of bikes to rent, even if we hadn't taken care of it ahead of time. Bikes are all in great condition and staff were really great! So glad we didn't take a long bus ride with all the tourists to Bouchard Gardens, the gardens and parks just a half a mile from the port are so beautiful and a lovely way to spend the afternoon! We downloaded a $10 audio cast and had a great tour of the area! With all the money we saved, we went to we must exquisite in the Fairmont Empress Hotel. This was the best day of our trip! Highly recommend!

We had a very short stop in Victoria on our cruise recently, and planned to walk into the city for…read morethe view and ride-share back to save time. We were bummed we may not get to see much. We love biking, but didn't even think about biking for this port stop with the port being so far from businesses. When we saw VBR conveniently posted in the port, we were ecstatic! Renting bikes from them was such an easy and quick process. No time was wasted whatsoever..within minutes of introductions, we were on the bikes fully geared up and exploring! We were able to see so much more than on foot or by car. We rode along the bike path along the coast, through a park, by the Parliament, and to Bastion Square. We went to an historical pub and watched the fireworks with the locals. Then a quick shortcut back by the landmarks, and a quick bike return with a proper farewell. We were able to squeeze in as much culture as is possible in 2 hours thanks to VBR, and it was amazing. Thanks...you're a lifesaver and breath of fresh air!