Our full-day, Private tour to Victoria with Hahmed was one of the absolute highlights of our trip to British Columbia and an experience we’ll remember for years to come.
The day started with an early morning pickup at the Opus Hotel in Vancouver. From the moment we got in the vehicle, Hahmed made us feel like we were exploring the city with an old friend rather than simply taking a tour. As we made our way toward the ferry, he shared fascinating stories about Vancouver’s history, neighborhoods, culture, and hidden gems that we never would have learned on our own.
The ferry ride itself was beautiful, and once we arrived in Victoria, our first stop was Butchart Gardens. Photos simply don’t do it justice—it felt magical walking through the different gardens, each more beautiful than the last. If you’re considering this tour, don’t rush through the gardens. Take your time and soak it all in.
Next, Hahmed brought us to the iconic Fairmont Empress Hotel. Before we went inside, he shared the hotel’s rich history, which made the experience even more meaningful. We enjoyed the traditional Afternoon High Tea, and one of the most memorable parts of the entire day was that Hahmed joined us! We spent our tea laughing, swapping stories, and having wonderful conversations that made the experience feel incredibly personal rather than scripted. It honestly felt like spending the afternoon with a longtime friend.
Afterward, we had time to stroll through downtown Victoria, browse the shops, enjoy the waterfront, and take in the city’s charm before making our way back to the ferry for the scenic trip to Vancouver.
If you’re debating whether to book a private tour, do it. The flexibility, personalized attention, and wealth of knowledge made it worth every penny. And if you have the opportunity to tour with Hahmed, consider yourself lucky. His professionalism, kindness, sense of humor, and genuine passion for sharing his city turned an already beautiful itinerary into an unforgettable experience. When we return, we will be requesting Tick Tours and Hahmed again!
Five stars simply aren’t enough. Highly recommended!
I
isabelle3474
October 12, 2025
Unforgettable Tour to Victoria & Butchart Gardens with Hamed
My father and I recently took a full-day guided tour from Vancouver to Butchart Gardens and Downtown Victoria, and it was truly an unforgettable experience—made even better by our fantastic guide, Hamed.
From the start, Hamed impressed us with his warm personality, professionalism, and deep knowledge of the area. He kept us engaged throughout the journey with a great mix of historical insights, cultural context, and light humor.
The entire day ran smoothly, from the scenic ferry ride to the transportation between stops. Hamed made sure we stayed on schedule but still had enough time to explore at our own pace.
Butchart Gardens was absolutely stunning, and Hamed gave a helpful introduction before we entered. In Downtown Victoria, we enjoyed visiting landmarks like the Parliament Buildings, the Fairmont Empress, and the Inner Harbour.
What stood out most was Hamed’s attentiveness—he was incredibly considerate of my father’s mobility needs (he uses oxygen and a scooter) and made sure our experience was as comfortable as possible. He was patient, approachable, and clearly passionate about British Columbia.
Highly recommend this tour—and if you get Hamed as your guide, you're in for a great experience!
L
lindalZ3717ML
September 28, 2025
Great Experience!!
We had a wonderful experience with Hamed today. He was both entertaining and very knowledgeable about Vancouver and Victoria. Hamed explained the history of the area. We could tell that he loves his job and his cities.
B
B2035MFmargarets
September 27, 2025
Best ever trip!
Hamed was very eloquent and started our day in a wonderful friendly way! Hamed is so very knowledgeable in all things Vancouver and Victoria, BC. Not only did he share his personal experiences in Canada but provided a lot of history of the places we visited. He also accompanied us to visit Butchart Gardens and answered so many of our questions. What a day! I feel we were lucky to have had him for our guide! We’ve made a new friend! 👏😊
K
Ken C
September 18, 2025
Great guide and driver in Vancouver.
Hamed picked us up at the Cruise Marina and took us to Vancouver Island. He is a very kind and knowledgeable guide/driver.
K
karenfP650IH
August 15, 2025
It was a wonderful day!
Tour Guide/Owner was fantastic! Very knowledgeable, professional, friendly/social and flexible. We was a safe driver. I’d highly recommend his tours! We are already booking another!
M
MNOWOGRODZKI
July 27, 2025
Very recommended
Our driver and guide, Ali Zaranji, was super courteous, very knowledgeable, and extra personable. We had to cancel and rebook at the last minute, and the company was very accommodating. We are happy to recommend their service for this day tour from Vancouver to Butchart Gardens and Victoria.
N
Nancyepstein
July 24, 2025
Bad is an understatement
Guide barely spoke English. Had obviously not guided at the sights he was taking us to before. He wanted to know everyone's exact age to enter
Buchard garden, all they cared about was adult or child. We lost the day due to his lack of language and training. We never got to Victoria
1人が参考になったと回答
事業者からの返答
Thank you for your feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet expectations, but we’d like to respectfully clarify a few key points for accuracy.
First, our guide is trained, licensed, and experienced, and has completed this exact tour—including Butchart Gardens and Victoria—many times. All our driver-guides are required to assist guests with attraction entry. Asking for ages at Butchart Gardens is a standard procedure, as tickets are priced by adult, youth, child, and senior categories.
You were offered the opportunity to start the tour 30 minutes earlier in order to catch an earlier ferry and enjoy more time in Victoria, but you declined, which limited how much could be covered. At Butchart Gardens, your request for the guide to explain every single flower species is simply unrealistic, as no tour guide—unless a trained botanist—can deliver that level of detail for hundreds of seasonal blooms.
We have reviewed the GPS logs and dashcam recordings from your tour, and they clearly show that the guide did follow the correct route, entered Butchart Gardens, and visited all planned sights. The reason you did not reach downtown Victoria was due to your own delay in the garden, where your group stayed longer than the recommended time, which impacted the rest of the schedule.
We understand that language differences may have caused some confusion, but the tour was delivered in fluent English, and no safety or itinerary protocols were skipped. We take all concerns seriously and appreciate every opportunity to improve—but it's important to ensure the facts are correctly presented.
We wish you all the best in your future travels.
3
340mickeyk
July 7, 2025
Only way to Tour
Such a great experience! Hamed provides the personal experience - found out what was important to us and tailored the day to meet our desires. Friendly with a ton of interesting information - highly recommend.
5
594tinak
July 7, 2025
Awesome experience
It was wonderful !!! Hamed , our tour guide was superb ,knowledgeable and very accommodating !! I would highly recommend Tick Tours
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