Destination information
Nicknamed the Garden City for its stunning green spaces and mild, almost Mediterranean climate, Victoria is the capital of British Columbia and lies on the Southern tip of Vancouver Island.
As well as all the usual attractions that a big city has to offer, Victoria is home to some quirkier entertainments too, from the Miniature World museum, which features the world's smallest working saw mill to the Bug Zoo, where you can get up close and personal with glow in the dark scorpians and tarantulas!
Thanks to its mild winters, cycling is incredibly popular in Victoria. Let one of the locals show you around by taking a fun pedicab tour. No matter what the season, there’s always something fun to see and do at Butchart Gardens; in the summer months they have musical firework events and in the winter the plants are lit up with special festive displays.
Want to see Canada’s wild side? There are several whale watching tours that operate from the inner harbour who have a good rate of finding the resident pods of Orca whales who live nearby.
For high fashion at deliciously low prices thanks to a generous exchange rate, check out Lower Johnson Street, or LoJo as it’s known, to discover unique local designers. Feel like people watching? Then head to the Inner Harbour to enjoy the free musical entertainment and watch the little float planes taking off.
Eats and drinks: The Saanich Peninsula is just 45 minutes drive away and boasts five wineries. Take a tour to enjoy a few hours educational sniffing, swirling and sipping. For an upmarket meal head to the stylish restaurants that surround Chinatown for west-coast/asian fusion. Looking for incredibly cheap eats? Try the Ocean Island Cafe who host a legendary Wednesday Open Mic night and serve up organic, local and free range food.
Getting around: One of the best was to explore the downtown hub is by foot, so leave the car at home. Hop on a double-decker bus to explore further afield, day passes are approx $7 for adults, $5 for youths and seniors and children aged 5 and under ride for free.
Non drivers
Transfers are available to pre-book at an additional cost.