How much is an Uber from Downtown Victoria to Butchart Gardens? At normal demand a standard ride is about $39, with a likely range of $35 to $46. The trip is 21 km and takes about 30 minutes.
Breaking down the $39 fare
This is our estimate based on average rideshare rates, not a number from Uber. We use a $2.50 base fare, $1.15 per kilometre, $0.35 per minute and a $2 booking fee. At 21 km the distance adds $24.15, and 30 minutes adds $10.50, so the total comes to about $39 once the booking fee is in.
Demand changes it. When things are busy (1.2 times) the fare is about $47. At very busy times (1.5 times) it is around $58, and at a peak surge of 2 times it can reach $76. The final upfront quote appears in the Uber app, and you can accept or decline it before any driver is assigned.
You can also pick a different vehicle. Comfort is about $48, XL for up to six people is about $56, and Premier is about $86.
What a taxi might cost
We have no published taxi tariff we could check for this area, so we cannot give a meter figure. Phone for a quote instead. Uptown Taxi is at 250-886-6066, Victoria Taxi at 250-383-7111 and BlueBird Cabs at 250-382-2222. BlueBird lists wheelchair accessible vehicles and card payment.
Practical tips for a garden visit
You are heading to a place people usually visit for part of a day, so think about the return trip as well as the way out. A one way fare is $39, so a round trip is about double that before any surge.
- Share the exact pickup address, rather than only the name of the gardens.
- Check that drivers are showing nearby before you plan a tight schedule.
- If you are a group of five or six, compare XL with two standard cars.
- Phone ahead for a wheelchair accessible taxi rather than relying on the app.
On a 30 minute drive, a surge matters. The difference between the normal fare and the peak fare is $37, which is nearly the price of a second trip.
If the upfront price in the app looks too high, you do not have to accept it straight away. Check again after a few minutes, or ring one of the taxi companies above and compare. Longer rides like this one give you more room to save by waiting, since the surge is applied to the whole trip portion of the fare, not only a small part of it.