Vancouver to Victoria Seaplane Day Trip + Butchart Gardens visit
Overview
Mobile ticket
Depart Vancouver Harbour by seaplane for an exciting flight over the Gulf Islands to beautiful Victoria. Then take a bus tour to the world famous Butchart Gardens. In Victoria, shopping, the Royal BC Museum, and several other attractions are just steps away. Return to downtown Vancouver on an afternoon or evening flight.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
All passengers 18 years and above must present either one piece of valid government issued photo identification, or two pieces of government-issued identification without a photograph
Baggage allowance: 25 lbs. Guaranteed. Additional standby baggage is space available with a charge. Baggage weight allowance includes all baggage, including purses.
Passengers must arrive at the terminal at least 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time, and be fully checked-in 20 minutes before the scheduled departure time.
Passengers not checked-in before the check-in cutoff times will not be able to board their scheduled flight and will not be refunded their fare.
If travelling with children, please be aware that the child fare applies to children aged 2-11 at the time of departure.
All passengers travelling must be ambulatory in order to fly. A mobility assistance device, such as a wheelchair or cane, may be used by a passenger to get from the terminal to the aircraft, however, passengers must have the ability to walk on and off the aircraft with minimal or no assistance.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Harbour Air Seaplanes
Begin your experience at the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, nestled in the heart of downtown Vancouver at the scenic Coal Harbour. Arrive 40 minutes before your scheduled flight for check-in and a brief safety orientation. Then, board your floatplane and lift off for a 35-minute scenic flight—a thrilling yet serene introduction to the region’s coastal beauty.
Shortly after takeoff, you'll soar over the shimmering waters of the Georgia Strait, with the forested Gulf Islands scattered below like gems. Each island offers a glimpse into the quiet, coastal lifestyle of small communities tucked into nature—an authentic look at life on BC’s rugged coastline.
What‘s Included
Return Airfare
GST (Goods and Services Tax)
All taxes, fees and handling charges
Admission to The Butchart Gardens
Ground transportation to and from The Butchart Gardens
Gratuities
Hotel pickup
Options
Depart 8:15am/Return 4:00pm+
Butchart Gardens
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 10:45am/Return 6:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 8:50am/ Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 9 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 9:10am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 11:15am/Return 6:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 10:30am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 8:30am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 9 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 11:35am/Return 6:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Vehicle type : Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 9:35am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 9:45am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 9:50am/Return 6:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 9 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 7:30am/Return 3:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 8:45am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 9 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 11:50am/Return 6:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 8:25am/Return 4:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 10:35am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 10:00am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 9:15am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 11:40am/Return 6:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 10:10am/Return 6:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 11:55am/Return 6:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 11:00am/Return 6:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 9:00am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 10:40am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 9:20am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 9 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 9:30am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 10:15am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 8:00am/Return 3:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 7 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 7:45AM/Return 3:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 8 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Depart 8:40am/Return 5:00pm+
Check in 40 mins. prior
Duration: 9 hours
Vehicle type: Seaplane, Bus and Seaplane
BUTCHART GARDENS TOUR: 45-min narrated bus to Butchart Gardens (admission included), ~2-hour visit, then 45-min return bus to downtown Victoria.
Reviews
200 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Everything went as...
Chris,,Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Everything went as planned!! We enjoyed our flight and loved the gardens!! Highly recommend this tour!
NOT a real Viatour Tour. Over priced, poorly planned and executed.
Don R,,Sep 19, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00This is not a “proper Viatour Tour”. It is a Harbour Air floatplane, a Grayline bus and a ticket to the gardens packaged together. There is no tour guide or Viatour representative. The instructions were dismally lacking. There is no one along the way to inform you of where things are. The Viatour itinerary was dead wrong. It said our outbound flight from Vancouver to Victoria was at 11:15 AM which meant a required 10:35 AM check-in. Fortunately I called Harbour Air directly the day before and found out the flight was at 11:00 AM. If we had followed Viatour’s itinerary (emailed to me) we would have missed the flight entirely. When one arrives in Victoria Harbour there is no one to direct you, or signage, to the bus to the garden. Telling us it is by the Empress hotel isn’t terribly helpful when the Hotel complex occupies about 4 city blocks. By the time we found our way we had missed the 12:00 Noon bus. So, we had to stand in the sun for AN HOUR waiting for the 1:00 PM bus. There were not enough busses and many people toward the end of the line had to wait yet another hour in the sun for the 2:00 PM bus. That’s right, only one bus an hour and not enough busses with 2 monster cruise ships in port! We finally got to the gardens at 1:55 PM and the bus driver said we better be in line early for the bus to return to the port as there aren’t enough busses. We were supposed to be on the 4:00 PM bus to arrive at the Empress hotel by 4:50 PM to walk to the Harbour Air terminal to check in by 5:20 PM for the scheduled 6:00 PM flight back to Vancouver. With the shortage of busses we cut our visit short to stand in line for 3:00 PM bus back so that if it was full we would be at the head of the line for the 4:00 PM bus as we couldn’t afford to miss the seaplane back to Vancouver. The busses are first come, first served, of course except for the line cutters! So in the end, we only had an hour at the gardens. As it turned out we caught the 3:00 PM bus so we went to the Harbour Air terminal and asked if we could change to an earlier flight. It appears that Viatour only provides NON-CHANGEABLE TICKETS! The bottom line is we PAID US$1,047.76 for 2 people to spend most of the day asking strangers (no Viatour representatives around) where to go and then standing in line to have ONE (1) MEASLY HOUR at the gardens! This was not Viatour’s finest day. We have used them before and while this was clearly nowhere near comparable to their previous offerings I will be very careful and give a lot of thought to ever using them again!
Well worth the trip to Victoria
deborahl763,,Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a terrific experience. We did spot whales from the air. Weather was clear for the flight so the vistas were amazing.
Everything went smooth....
Paresh S,,Sep 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Everything went smooth. Very well arranged and everything was right on time. Highly recommend seaplane
Awesome Sea Plane ride!
Pennington-folks,,Sep 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great tour to Victoria from Vancouver. Beautiful lounge with great coffee and comfy chairs. Very nice check in experience with smiling staff. Awesome flights ✈️ with Harbor Air. Beautiful tour out to Buschard Garden. Fantastic gardens and great cafeteria style lunch. Sara was our tour bus driver and guide back to Victoria harbor. Very interesting and informative narration. Nice Sea Plane lounge in Victoria. Flight back was on a Twin Otter. Easy enough to take lots of pictures.
Seaplane trip to Victoria with Butchart Gardens tour.
Mark L,,Sep 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Wonderful experience and great way to see Vancouver, Victoria and Butchart Gardens. The seaplane trip over and back from Vancouver Harbor was delightful. We made a day of it with an early morning trip over and a 6 pm flight back. Gave us plenty of time to explore Victoria after touring Butchart.
Beautiful experience
janelleh905,,Aug 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fun day, guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. Gardens were beautiful and not crowded. Would definitely do again.
On time, professionally...
Ann S,,Aug 29, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00On time, professionally managed trip. It was great. Butchart Gardens deserves to be world best — gorgeous. Harbor Air was a treat.
Vancouver Island
Sharyn D,,Aug 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Great way to see Vancouver from the air. The tour guide Rob on the Island was so informative and helpful. The Gardens amazing .
Fantastic, Fun, and Easy way to tour Butchart Gardens
Maria M,,Aug 11, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00I wanted to see Butchart gardens while in Vancouver but other options to get there had a lot of travel time. Sea Plane option was so fun and worth the spurge. The check in at Harbor Air was easy. The emails had clear instructions on where to go to get the bus to the gardens and we got written directions at check in. We took the 9am flight and made it in time to get the 10am bus. (Note: You are given specific bus times but you aren't limited to those times. You can go on any CVS bus. They leave at the top of the hour from both locations.) The bus drivers did some narration and the gardens were incredible. After we returned to Victoria we visited the Miniature World which was surprisingly pretty interesting. The flight back was efficient as well. The water landing were smooth and the views were incredible. I highly recommend this trip.
From CA$699.69
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Operated by Harbour Air Ltd