Nature and outdoors

School group field trip (self-guided)

Butchart Gardens – National Historic Site1 hr 17 min by bus · 17 km

✓ Fits your group

A stone pathway leads through a garden flanked by large, flowering shrubs that appear to be Hydrangea paniculata, featuring creamy white blooms. In the centre, a bronze dragon sculpture is positioned in front of a stone wall, surrounded by colourful flower beds with pink and yellow blooms. Lush green trees and plants provide a vibrant backdrop

Cost

$3 a child

$48 for 16 children

Rates are seasonal. The $3.00 child rate applies in October, November, January–March and April; the child rate is $5.00 during the Christmas season, December 1 to January 6. Youth aged 13 to 17 pay the youth rate for the season.

Ages & size

Ages not published

Up to 60 children

Duration

2 hours

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec

Days not published

Book by

Not published

Plan this trip

Fieldy handles all communication and booking for you.

What it actually looks like

Photos from Butchart Gardens – National Historic Site's website

Our note

The two-hour cap and the walking distance are the same number, so there is no slack in the visit. Plan one loop and skip the gift shop. The Gardens describe themselves as a private display garden and not a playground, and they explicitly rule out running, throwing games and scavenger hunts, so this suits a group that is already comfortable walking quietly. The window closes hard on April 15, which is a fortnight before the tulips peak.

What the children do

Organized school groups and field trips are welcomed October 15 to April 15 only; no school field trips are accepted after April 16. Advance reservations are required and based on availability. Visits are restricted to a maximum of two hours and a maximum of 60 students. Child and youth seasonal rates apply: the child (5 to 12) rate is $3.00 including tax for October, November, January to March and April, and $5.00 during the Christmas season (December 1 to January 6); youth aged 13 to 17 pay the higher youth rate, which ranges from $12.60 to $21.13 across the same months. The Gardens are closed December 25 and January 18 to 31. All chaperones must read and sign the School Group & Field Trip Policy form before arrival.

Walk the main pathways in units of ten or fewer with an adult, staying on the paths and talking quietly, past the Sunken, Rose, Japanese, Italian and Mediterranean gardens. A leisurely full circuit is about 1.5 kilometres and takes most visitors 1.5 to 2 hours.

Good to know

Free parking, washrooms with change tables throughout, and picnic tables by the Information Centre; the whole visit is outdoors and the rain plan is borrowed umbrellas. The public FAQ and the school group policy disagree about whether packed lunches can be eaten on site, so confirm when you book.

Sources disagree. Two of their pages give different booking addresses. If one bounces, try the other. We use the one from their main groups page.

Sources disagree. Their public page says you can bring your own food, but the policy every chaperone signs says no outside meals. Ask before you plan lunch there.

Washrooms

All washroom facilities have a large stall for wheelchair access. Some entrances have electric push-button doors for easy entry. All of the washrooms on the grounds are outfitted with baby changing stations. A parent room is located near the Rose Carousel building and in the visitor parking lot.

Lunch space

There are some picnic tables located close to our Information Centre year-round. Additionally, we add some picnic tables in the green spaces of our parking lots (usually June for the summer months). Picnicking on the grassy areas/lawns within the Gardens is not permitted except on the Concert Lawn and Fireworks Viewing Lawn.

Rain backup

If it rains – or will rain imminently! – our staff distribute hundreds of umbrellas throughout the grounds and parking lots so you can borrow one and stay dry.

Strollers

Complimentary strollers are available with a refundable deposit, on a first-come, first-served basis from the Visitor Centre. Pull wagons are not permitted as they cause congestion on our pathways.

Wheelchair access

Some pathways are narrow and there are pathways with a steeper grade; alternate routes are noted by signage and on the visitor map. The two locations in The Gardens that are not wheelchair or scooter accessible are The Mound and The Wharf.

Bus parking

All parking is free. We do not permit overnight parking. We accommodate cars, bicycles and RVs. Accessible parking for those with disabilities is also available.

Nearby park

Needs confirmation

Restrictions

We do not offer or permit guided tours of The Gardens. No backpacks permitted in The Gardens except for medical reason. Groups are not permitted to participate in scavenger hunts as they are too disruptive to other visitors. No running, no catching or throwing games. Music, musical instruments, and performances of any kind are not permitted. BBQs of any kind are not permitted. The entire property, including parking lots, is smoke-free and vapour-free. Pull wagons are not permitted, however push wagons are allowed

Getting there

800 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1J8

On foot

3 hr 42 min

too far with this group

By bus

1 hr 17 min

includes a 9 min wait

Driving

36 min

The dark pin is Victoria.

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Details checked on 2026-09-02 against the venue’s own pages. Something wrong? , it takes one tap. · Venue page · 250-652-4422