
Top attractions in Victoria, British Columbia


Boat Tour from Vancouver: Whales, Victoria, Butchart Gardens

Victoria: Self-Guided Audio Tour

Victoria: Marine Wildlife Tour by Zodiac

From Victoria: Floatplane Transfer to Whistler

From Vancouver: Round-Trip Luxury Cruise to Victoria

Victoria Day Trip by Seaplane from Vancouver

From Vancouver: Victoria Whale Watching Adventure

Vancouver to Victoria and Butchart Gardens

Victoria & Butchard Gardens Private Tour from Vancouver

6-Hour Victoria to Cowichan Wine Tour

Telegraph Cove: Half-Day Whale Watching Tour

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Top 10 things to do in Victoria
Located on the southern tip of Vancouver island, Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia and one of the oldest settlements in Canada. Enjoy this scenic, historical town's many landmarks on your next vacation to BC!
Royal British Columbia Museum
Bring your magnifying glass for a titillating day exploring natural history at the Royal British Columbia Museum, which houses over 750,000 specimens and artifacts.
Craigdarroch Castle
Built in the Scottish baronial style with turrets, pitched roofs, and stained glass, this spectacle of a castle was commissioned by a wealthy Canadian coal tycoon in the late 1800s.
Butchart Gardens
Surround yourself with local flora and fauna at the Butchart Gardens. A perfect daytime or evening activity, the gardens are open from 9:00AM to 10:00PM.
Beacon Hill Park
The Beacon Hill Park is fantastic for families. You'll find a waterpark, playgrounds, and even a petting zoo inside. Nothing like mini-ponies and goats to distract the little ones!
Victoria Bug Zoo
Home to the largest tropical bug collection in all of North America, the Victoria Bug Zoo is a wonderful (and reassuring) place to interact with all kinds of insects.
British Columbia Parliament Buildings
The British Columbia Parliament buildings, massive confections of stone built in the Neo-baroque style, feature beautiful works of art depicting the history of Victoria.
Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site
This 19th century lighthouse is a beguiling addition to the coastline. Be sure to visit lighthouse keeper's quarters, which were converted into a quaint little museum.
Emily Carr House
Find unique beauty at the childhood home of esteemed artist Emily Carr, whose Modernist paintings are beloved across Canada.
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
A must on any art lover's list, this gallery houses one of the most significant Asian art collections in Canada, in addition to some of Emily Carr's greatest pieces.
Fort Rodd National
An artillery fort built in the 1870s, this monument offers both fascinating regional history and a great ocean view. Kids will delight in scampering across the ramparts.
Planning Your Victoria, British Columbia Visit
Getting Around Victoria
The best way to traverse Victoria is by taking one of 80 bus lines to your destination. You can also take one of several ferries to cross the waterways within the city.
What to eat in Victoria?
Go for a farm-to-table brewpub, where you can sample truly local cuisine. Pair the gastropub fare with a Canadian Indian Pale Ale for the ultimate sensory experience.
Good to know
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- Language
- English
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- Currency
- Canadian Dollar ($)
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- Time Zone
- UTC (-08:00)
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- Country Code
- +1
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- Best time to visit
- Victoria's weather is warmest and sunniest from June to August. To avoid the rain, you really have to come in the summer time. See the city at its most vibrant and enjoy the best of Victoria's offerings when you come in the warmer months.
Things to Do in Victoria, British Columbia
Top Attractions in Victoria, British Columbia
Cities in Canada
Other Sightseeing Options in Victoria, British Columbia
Want to discover all there is to do in Victoria, British Columbia? Click here for a full list.
What people are saying about Victoria, British Columbia
Great whale watching experience in Victoria BC
We went on this tour in October and saw a number of humpback whales and large numbers of two types of Sea Lions. The naturalist taking the tour, Leah, was knowledgeable, was able to identify the individual whales that we saw, and provided information about the all the different species including the birds we could see. Above all she was friendly, approachable and clearly loved her job and enjoyed sharing her knowledge of the wildlife with us. The type of boat (covered with an upstairs viewing platform) was perfect for this type of activity and guests could shelter from the elements as we moved from spot to spot.
Seaplane was awesome! Get Your Guide provided great service.
Enjoyed the flight over. Very smooth flight. Awesome views from the sky. Great experience! Victoria was nice, but was disappointed that there wasn't more to see and do. In hindsight, we should have included Butchart Gardens in our excursion. The ferry ride back to Vancouver was nice. We did have a communication issue such that our flights were booked incorrectly, but Get Your Guide handled our complaint promptly and to our full satisfaction. I would recommend using them in the future.
Alex is the BEST guide I have experienced EVER!
I have gone on many tours with Greyline, but never have I had a guide as intelligent, articulate, or entertaining as Alex. He never stopped giving us interesting information about whatever was just outside the window. His vocabulary and diction (including word choice) was far above any other guide we encountered on our cruise/land trip. My only criticism is that I wish we had had more time to spend in Butchart Gardens.
Amazing Tour - Exceeded all our expectations
We took the afternoon Tour and saw an amazing number of animals: eagles, seals, otters, sea lions and we were lucky to see a lot of whales. High speed boat, quit comfortabele, we were with only 8 people. Our guide was a marine biologist with lots of expertise who Made our Tour even more enjoyable. I highly recommand this Tour, it is truly unforgettable!!
Comfortable boat, knowledgeable staff, overall great experience!
Comfortable boat with options to sit inside and out, not overly booked so enough room to move around. The staff was pleasant and informing, clearly quite knowledgeable. Because it is a bigger boat, you get less close to the animals than in e.g. a zodiac. But bring a good camera or binoculars and you'll still get to see as much as the others :-)