Victoria in a day from Vancouver

The ferry is scenic but slow once you add the bus rides at both ends. Flying back on a Harbour Air floatplane from the Inner Harbour saves hours, lands you in downtown Vancouver, and gives you an aerial view of the Gulf Islands. Book the flight ahead in summer.

The gardens are at their best from May to September, and the ferry deck is far more pleasant in sunshine. On summer Saturday evenings Butchart Gardens has typically held fireworks, and in December it is lit for the holidays; check the gardens’ calendar for current dates.

Walk-on passengers buy tickets at the terminal and rarely have trouble boarding. Vehicles on summer weekends and holiday sailings can wait several sailings without a reservation. Fares and reservation fees change, so check BC Ferries before you go.

Butchart Gardens is in Brentwood Bay, on the way from Swartz Bay to downtown, so stop there first rather than doubling back. Give it at least two hours: the Sunken Garden, carved from an old limestone quarry, is the highlight, with the Japanese, Italian and Rose gardens beyond it.

The walking part of this route is level and paved, and BC Ferries vessels have elevators between car decks and passenger decks. The Parliament Buildings and the Royal BC Museum are accessible; check Butchart Gardens’ site for routes that avoid the steps into the Sunken Garden.

Afternoon tea in the Fairmont Empress lobby lounge is a Victoria ritual and a splurge; reserve ahead. For something quicker, the Inner Harbour and Chinatown have plenty of casual options within a few minutes’ walk.

The last sensible sailing back is the one that matters. Check the return schedule before you leave in the morning and leave a buffer for the bus to Swartz Bay; missing the last ferry means an unplanned night in Victoria.

If you turn the day trip into an overnight, stay within walking distance of the Inner Harbour, where the Empress and many other hotels sit. James Bay, just south of the Parliament Buildings, is quieter and close to everything on this route.