Victoria, known as the Garden City, is the capital of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is a beautiful, historic city that is easy to maneuver and enjoy. It is definitely worth seeing, even if you are limited on time. You can easily enjoy it with even just a few days.
Quick Link to:
Transportation
- Alaska Airlines: To get to Victoria, we flew from Denver on a Boeing 737 and connected in Seattle to a small Horizon plane, on a Bombardier Q400 (holds 76 people). The flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Victoria International Airport was very short and only lasted about 30 minutes.
- Hertz: Once landing, we headed to pick up our rental car. We decided that renting a car made the most sense for us, since we were stopping at Butchart Gardens before heading into the city. It cost us $40 for the car.
- Walking: Once in the city, we just walked everywhere. Since everything was so close, we didn’t have a need for a car.
Accommodations
- Strathcona Hotel: This family-owned, historic hotel is located in the heart of the city. It is not far from everything there is to see! The room rate (we paid $132) includes complimentary wifi and breakfast so the only thing extra you have to pay for is parking ($10). The bed was very comfortable after a long day of traveling and exploring. Also, the staff was quite friendly.
To-Do
- The Butchart Gardens: This National Historic Site is located about 20 minutes south of the airport. If you are in Victoria, you absolutely must make time to see the gardens if at all possible!
With 6 beautiful garden displays, we were able to take our time enjoying each one and easily spent 2-3 hours roaming around.
There is also a spot in the Gardens, just past the Japanese Garden, where we saw Butchart Cove. From May 16th to September 15th, they offer a 45-minute boat tour, for an additional cost. You learn about the history of the Gardens and explore the waters of Brentwood Bay.
Ticket prices for the Gardens vary throughout the season ($19-$33), so it depends on when you chose to visit. It also depends on what type of plants will be visible, so you will want to plan around that as well. Take a look at our video of the gardens here!
- The Parliament Buildings: Built in 1893, the Parliament Buildings house the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Free 45 minute guided tours are available all year round and there is also an option for a self-guided tour, which is what we ended up doing.
The hours vary depending on season. From May 19th-September 3rd on weekdays it is open from 8:30am-4:30pm. If you wish to visit on a weekend, you must join the public tour (no self-guided) and go from 9am-5pm. If you are visiting from September 5th-May 18th on weekdays it is open from 9am-5pm and not open to the public on weekends.
The building is beautiful inside and the rich history will keep you interested. If you would like to observe a debate, you are welcome to. Just make sure to check their online calendar to see when the Legislative Assembly is in session.
- The Empress Hotel: The Fairmount Empress, as it is formally known as, is a stunning and historic hotel, built in 1908. If you can afford to spend upwards of $400 a night to stay here, you definitely should! But for us, that’s a bit outside of our price range, so we only got to admire this breathtaking hotel.
We took a peek inside just to see what it looked like, and it was just as gorgeous as the outside.
- Inner Harbour: This is a great spot for just relaxing and people watching, which we tend to do at some point during our trips. It is a beautiful spot to take pictures of the city, such as the Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel. It is also the starting point for most whale watching excursions. May-November is known to be the best time of the year to see the whales and there are booths to book tickets, right on the dock.
- Shopping: Whether you are a window shopper, souvenir collector, or just looking for something unique to remember Victoria by, there is a shop for you! In downtown Victoria, about a 10 minute walk from the Inner Harbour, is Government Street. Along this street, there are a multitude of different stores that will be guaranteed to have what you want.
Food
- Blenz Coffee: Nothing like starting the day off right with some delicious coffee! Blenz is a chain coffee company, that was founded in Vancouver and now has multiple locations across Canada.
The coffee and hot chocolate were very good and came out to $8. It is very centrally located to everything in the city!
- Shima Village: We love some good sushi and especially when it’s All-You-Can-Eat! For $19.99 per person we were able to get unlimited delicious sushi. It was a 10 minute walk from our hotel to the restaurant so again, everything is very centrally located!
They had a variety of rolls, not the biggest selection we have ever seen, but enough of an assortment. We tried the salmon roll, california roll, avocado roll, just to name a few and they were all very good!
- Tim Horton’s: Known for it’s coffee and donuts, Tim Hortons was founded in Ontario, but now has expanded to many different locations across the U.S. and Canada. We were in need of some food for our flight back home and this fit this bill! We had a huge Turkey Club sandwich with a side of potato wedges, which they also were not skimpy on the quantity with. For 2 sandwiches, 2 sides of wedges, and 2 drinks it came out to $28.
Overall, Victoria is a relaxing city, full of vibrance and history! There are plenty of things to do and you can squeeze it all in with a short amount of time or you can stretch it out to be a leisurely vacation. Either way, it is definitely worth making your way to Victoria!
Awesomeness
Thanks for your support, Troy!