From downtown Victoria, depart in your motorcoach to Butchart Gardens, 14 miles (23 kilometers) away. Choose from a 2pm, 4:30pm or 6:30pm departure to view the former quarry right as the sun begins to set or deep into the evening. In the winter, the quarry’s 55-acres of lush vegetation transform into a twinkling wonderland of tens of thousands of lights, strung up into festive illuminations only viewable after the sun dips.

Wind your way through the winterberries, wreaths of holly and evergreen swags lit up in the holiday display. The illuminated walkways will also take you past the popular 12 Days of Christmas vignettes, which include colorful lights and charming figurines. To continue the feeling of holiday cheer, wander to the Piazza for rousing carols and traditional music performances. You can even don a pair of skates and glide around the 3,300-square foot (307-square meter) outdoor rink.

Choose from three return times—5:15pm, 7:30pm, and 9:15pm—to end your visit to this once-a-year attraction on your own time, with plenty of opportunity to soak up the holiday spirit before returning home.

If you’d like to maximize your time exploring the grounds of Butchart Gardens, choose the 4:30pm departure from Victoria and dine at the on-premise restaurant, The Gardens. For an additional cost, you can sample seasonal dishes and gaze out the floor to ceiling windows at the holiday display outside. Utilizing ingredients from local farms and purveyors, past dishes have included oven-roasted turkey served with seasonal root vegetables, organic squash bisque and a composed salad of winter greens.