Victoria BC Points of Interest – Butchart Gardens

Prepare to have all your senses wowed when you visit the beautiful and awe inspiring Butchart Gardens. Located 20 minutes’ drive north of Victoria, the 55 acre gardens are a dream to visit, whatever the season.

The stunning gardens at Butchart began back in the early 1900s with the vision of owner Jennie Butchart to transform an old limestone quarry into a garden. Over 100 years later, the extensive garden Jennie started is filled with millions of blooms of over 900 varieties and is now classed as an Historic Site of Canada.

Visitors to Butchart can take their time wandering around the different parts of the gardens which include a Japanese garden, an Italian Garden, a Mediterranean garden, and a rose garden. The sunken garden, in the original quarry, features the delightful Ross fountain and a lookout mound offering a bird’s eye view. Don’t forget your camera to capture the beautiful scenery around you.

No visit to Butchart is complete without a ride on the Rose Carousel, featuring 30 carved wood animals and chariots, and loved by young and not so young visitors alike.

There are multiple choices for refreshments during your visit, from dinner or high tea in the Butchart Dining room, casual fare in the Blue Poppy restaurant, or a grab and go drink and snack from the coffee shop.

Christmas is a magical time at Butchart as the gardens are transformed with millions of twinkling lights and 12 days of Christmas displays for a wonderfully festive experience.

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