Nothing compares to the spectacular gardens of the Pacific Northwest and this custom tour will not disappoint! From Seattle to Victoria and Vancouver, you’ll enjoy some of the most incredible gardens in the world.
Package Inclusions~
- 9 nights hotel accommodations in superior first class, hand picked hotels
- 7 breakfasts/3 lunches/4 dinners/1 High Tea
- Deluxe private motorcoach
- Ferry service to Canada
- Fully guided private tours as listed within the itinerary
- GBBG escort
YOUR ITINERARY
September 8, 2022 - depart late afternoon from Milwaukee nonstop to Seattle. We’ll be transferred to our hotel and get ready for tomorrows exciting tour! There are several restaurants within walking distance of our hotel. Hotel Hyatt Place
September 9, 2022. After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll take a 5 minute walk to the Space Needle and the adjoining Chihuly Sculpture Garden showcasing the amazing work of Dale Chihuly’s glassworks. Our motorcoach will take us to the iconic Pike Place Market considered the “soul of Seattle” for lunch on our own. The oldest and largest public market in the US will provide time to shop, eat and peruse the 9 historic acres. In the early afternoon we’ll board our coach and take a short tour of the city. This evening we’ll enjoy a welcome dinner with our group. B/D
September 10, 2022. After a leisurely breakfast, the Bellevue Botanical Garden welcomes us to this urban oasis, encompassing 53 acres of cultivated gardens, restored woodlands and natural wetlands. We’ll grab lunch here (included) before departure to our next experience. This afternoon we travel just outside the city of Seattle to visit 3 spectacular botanical sites. The Soos Creek Botanical Garden is led by a docent, sharing with us the history and what makes this botanical garden so special. Next up is the Pacific Bonsai Museum, home to over 100 bonsai trees from China, Japan, Korea Taiwan and America, where we’ll do a self guided tour. We finish our day at Powell Wood Garden, 3-acres of serene, landscaped gardens nestled in a forest complete with a conservatory. Dinner is on our own this evening and the Pier 66 waterfront offers plenty of fantastic seafood restaurants that you may want to try! B/L
September 11, 2022. Following breakfast, we board the ferry for a 35 minute cruise to Bainbridge Island and the Kitsip Peninsula. A short drive brings us to the Bloesdel Reserve, a 150-acre forest garden internationally recognized for the inspirational beauty of its refined gardens. After our visit, we’ll take the short ride to the eclectic port community of Poulsbo. Known as little Norway, the city has a great Nordic history celebrated through the many galleries, museums and craft shops. Enjoy lunch in one of the many waterfront restaurants along the Arts District. Later in the afternoon we journey along the Olympic Peninsula to historic Port Angeles where we board the MV Coho ferry for a relaxing 90 minute cruise to the capital city of Victoria. After settling in to our hotel, stroll along the harbor and enjoy one of the many restaurants in this fabulous city. Hotel Grand Pacific. B/L
September 12, 2022. Following breakfast we begin our day at the Abkhazi Gardens, an exquisite heritage home that was created by the Prince and Princess Abkhazi in 1946. This discreet garden only hints of what is beyond the hedge with its dramatic glaciated rocky slopes, Garry oaks and gorgeous vistas. Later in the morning we’ll have the opportunity to visit the gardens of the Government House where the Queen’s Representative, the Lieutenant Governor resides. This afternoon we visit what is sure to be the highlight of our trip - Butchart Gardens!! Our guide will take us through these spectacular vistas while learning the history of the sunken garden and finishing our tour at the original residence of the Butchart family. In the dining room of Jennie Butchart we will enjoy Afternoon High Tea overlooking the Italian Garden. We return to downtown Victoria with dinner at one of harborside restaurants. B/High Tea/D
September 13 2022. This morning we take a scenic drive to Hatley Park National Historic Site, Canada’s largest and one of the finest kept gardens in the world. Located in southern Vancouver Island, we’ll take a guided tour to get a taste of the 555 oceanfront acres of Edwardian and Italian gardens which surround Hatley Castle. Here we’ll walk through one of North America’s oldest Japanese gardens. There’s so much to see here, and we’ll spend our morning taking it all in!
This afternoon after our included lunch together we visit the Gardens of Horticulture Center of the Pacific (HCP) to round out our day. Here we will see the gardens through the eyes of an expert. Our guided walk are led by volunteers from the Victoria Master Gardener Association and will cover the highlights of the garden, the history of HPC as well as practical advice. We return to Victoria for an evening at leisure, with dinner on your own. B/L
Whale watching option: the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca are the home of a wide variety of sea creatures including Orca Whales, Seals, Otters, Sea Lions and Eagles. You might choose to enjoy an optional 3 hr Whale Watching expedition in the comfort of a 45-ft deluxe yacht. The tour will leave from the inner harbor of Victoria. Estimated cost is approximately $125.00. (This tour would be an option instead of the afternoon garden tour and would be pre-registered for)
September 14 2022. Following breakfast, we say goodbye to Victoria as we travel through the beautiful Saanich Peninsula to Swartz Bay and board a BC ferry for a leisurely cruise via the Gulf Islands to the mainland port of Tsawwassen. Watch for Orca whales, sea otters and eagles along the way. Before we arrive in downtown Vancouver we’ll visit the Van Dusen Botanical Garden. These small specialized gardens house more than 7,500 different kinds of plants within its 55 perfectly manicured acres. The garden ranks among North America’s top 10! The Elizabeth Maze, Stone Garden, Scottish Shelter and Korean Pavilion are just a few of the garden’s features. Tonite relax and enjoy the nearby shops and galleries of Vancouver ~ Dinner with our group is included. B/D Hotel : Residence Inn Downtown
September 15 2022. We’ll start the day with a short tour of the city, including Gastown, Yaletown and Chinatown. Here we’ll visit the nearby Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, one of the first authentic full scale Chinese Gardens built outside of China. Over the years, the garden has received several honors including Worlds Top City Garden by National Geographic in 2011, as well as Canadian Garden of the year. Later in the morning we visit Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver’s historical jewel which combines a gorgeous landscaped quarry garden with the stunning Bloedel Conservatory and its collection of exotic plants and internationally famous sculptures.
In the afternoon, we travel along the shoreline of English Bay to the grounds of the University of British Columbia to visit the UBC Botanical Gardens where we’ll be introduced to a woodland garden, food garden and traditional Carolinian forest garden. We end the day with a visit to the Nitobe Memorial Garden. The traditional Japanese stroll garden and Teahouse is one of the most authentic outside of Japan and ranked in the top 5 Japanese gardens in North America! Tonite, enjoy dinner on your own in one of the many fine restaurants in nearby Gastown or trendy Yaletown. B
September 16, 2022. A beautifully scenic day lies ahead of us as our motorcoach passes through Stanley Park and over the majestic Lions Gate Bridge as we travel north along fjord like Howe Sound. This is one of the most scenic drives in Western Canada. Along the way we’ll stop to view the historic Brittany’s Beach Copper Mine and take pictures along cascading Shannon Falls. We’ll begin to see the snow-covered peaks of the Coastal Mountains that made Whistler one of North America’s most popular four-seasons resorts. We’ll take a short tour before venturing into the pedestrian only village for shopping, galleries and cafes. There’s an optional gondola ride to the top of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains or visit the Lil’wat First Nations Cultural Center (included).
Later in the afternoon we return along the Sea to Sky Highway stopping in Squamish and Brackendale, having a history in the mining and logging industry, but today a mecca for artists, mountain biking, rock climbers and river rafting. Tonite enjoy a very special farewell dinner as we celebrate our final night in the Pacific Northwest! B/D
September 17, 2022. We have an early start as we depart Vancouver, clear customs and drive to Seattle for our flight back to Wisconsin with our beautiful memories of the fantastic Pacific Northwest!
Pricing information:
- $4961 pp double occupancy
- $5999 pp single occupancy
- $425 pp nonstop Group Air from Milwaukee
- Travel insurance available
- GBBG membership required
- Anderson Vacations charge a 3% cc fee so checks are the preferred form of payment
For more information & details email julie@myfirstclasstravel.com or call. 715-526-4585