Victoria, Canada

What to do in Victoria, Canada

Whale-Watching

The waters surrounding Victoria and southern Vancouver Island are naturally abundant with wildlife, and cruises virtually guarantee sightings of many creatures including the Orca whales who make their homes in these waters. This unique habitat is also a haven for seals, porpoise and a myriad of bird life.

Butchart Gardens

This spot is first on many sightseeing lists, reached on a drive along the Saanich Peninsula past many farms and pastoral scenery. The 50 acres of gardens are a dream for horticulturists, naturalists, and everyday flower lovers, with the Sunken Garden, the Japanese Tea Garden, and the English Rose Garden, and more displaying hundreds of floral species. On summer nights, showers of fireworks burst over the gardens and day or night, coffee shops and fine restaurants invite you to linger a while.

Royal British Columbia Museum

This museum rates highly on any list of Victoria's best attractions. The "First Peoples" exhibit includes a genuine longhouse and provides insights into the daily life, art, and mythology of native nations. The Modern History Gallery re-creates a frontier town, complete with cobblestone streets and silent movies. The Natural History Gallery realistically reproduces many of the province's natural habitats, and the Open Ocean mimics a submarine journey. An IMAX theater shows National Geographic films!.

Victoria Butterfly Gardens

A lush, indoor tropical garden where the flowers are always blooming is the delicate stage where butterflies are the star attraction. Hundreds of exotic free-flying butterflies delight visitors with flitting fly-bys and gentle landings on whatever surface is available - even your head!.

Vancouver Day Trip

This is a "people place" best discovered by walking, biking, or riding a trolley through its diverse neighborhoods like Victorian Gastown, ex-hippie haunt Kitsilano, and the Chinatown marketplace. The city is surrounded by water on three sides, creating an exceptionally scenic walk along the banks of water that surround almost the whole of downtown. Snow-capped mountain peaks line the northern horizon, wide beaches border the Pacific bays, and inlets face lush green temperate rain forests. It's really no wonder that Vancouver is celebrated as one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in the world!.

Gulf Islands Day Trip

Six major islands make up this region, and each has its own distinct character. From temperate rainforests to miles of beaches teeming with life, and rolling meadows to rocky shorelines, these quiet places rejuvenate the spirit. Add to this activities for all ages, tastes, and budgets and it's easy to see why the locals consider the Gulf Islands their own slice of heaven! Ferries provides frequent year-round service and boaters find excellent marinas on each of the islands.

Craigdarroch Castle

Robert Dunsmuir, a Victoria coal baron and the town's first millionaire, erected this spooky Gothic castle in the 1880s for his wife. Visit for splendid views of downtown, beautiful stained glass, and some marvelous walls and staircases of intricately carved oak.

Beacon Hill Park

Venture into this park just a few minutes from downtown and you'll feel as if you've sailed a world away from the nearest city. The largest recreational area in Victoria is ideal for picnics, walks, skating, and romancing beneath the willows. The ocean view couldn't be more gorgeous or definitive, the park lying as it does along Vancouver Island's southern coast.

Parliament Buildings

The Legislature buildings are an architectural gem designed, remarkably, by a 25-year-old. Statues of provincial leaders, Queen Victoria, and Captain George Vancouver flank the massive structures and top the gilded dome. A public gallery allows you to watch the government in action and guides take you through the opulent halls.

Market Square

This 3-level square resembling an old inn and courtyard once entertained 19th-century sailors and lumberjacks on leave. Today it has been restored to its original architecture, but the activities are strictly of the 21st-century tourist sort. It's a pedestrian-only collection of cafés and boutiques that lends itself perfectly to people-watching.