Departing from downtown Victoria in the morning, start your tour with a fully narrated drive through Old Town, Mile 0, Beacon Hill Park and Cook Street Village, and admire the holiday lights and decorations throughout the city.
Your first stop is Craigdarroch Castle, a Victorian era Scottish Baronial mansion and National Historic Site of Canada. During Christmastime this magnificent 4-story mansion — built for a Scottish immigrant who struck it rich in the coal industry — transforms into a holiday wonderland, with its astonishing 25,000-square-foot (7,620-square-meter) interior decked out in traditional Victorian Christmas decor. Gaze in awe at the mansion’s grandeur during an independent 1-hour stroll.
Continue driving through Mt Tolmie Park, Oak Bay and Saanich before arriving at the world-famous Butchart Gardens, a National Historic Site of Canada. Explore the 55-acre (22-hectare) gardens at your leisure, paying particular attention to the Sunken Garden, Italian Garden, Japanese Garden and Ross Fountain. During the holidays, the gardens are graced with festive holiday displays, choral music, an ice skating rink and other fun seasonal activities for families.
After strolling through the gardens, you’ll be treated to afternoon tea with traditional Canadian delicacies, sandwiches and homemade sweets. Pair your bites with optional wine samplings from three local vineyards such as Sea Cider Pommeau, Unsworth Vineyards Sparkling Wine and Alderlea Vineyards Heritage Hearth.
Follow your 2.5-hour Butchart Gardens visit with a stop at the Victoria Butterfly Gardens, an indoor tropical oasis filled with plants, waterfalls, birds, butterflies, turtles, fish and more. Experience the warmth of the tropics while you stroll the pathways and view the wildlife up close.
Board your coach in the late afternoon for the drive back to Victoria, learning about the history of the city from your driver along the way. Your tour concludes back at the original start point.
