Free
Beacon Hill Park
A big city park with gardens, ponds, the Mile 0 marker and ocean views.
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Victoria
British Columbia's capital on the tip of Vancouver Island: the Inner Harbour and Parliament Buildings, Butchart Gardens, a seaside park, and whales offshore.
Photo: Victoria's Inner Harbour and the BC Parliament Buildings, Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US), CC BY-SA 3.0
Victoria's Inner Harbour is ringed by the Parliament Buildings, the Fairmont Empress and the Royal BC Museum. Seaplanes and little harbour ferries crisscross the water.
Wander out along Beacon Hill Park and the Dallas Road waterfront on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Then head back downtown to Canada's oldest Chinatown and squeeze through narrow Fan Tan Alley.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Dallas Road waterfront
A cliff-top path along the strait, with views to the Olympic Mountains.
Free
Galloping Goose Regional Trail
A long rail trail for walking and cycling, starting near downtown.
Free
East Sooke Regional Park
Wild coastal trails, tide pools and petroglyphs west of the city.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Inner Harbour
The harbour walkway, buskers, seaplanes and the Fairmont Empress.
Free
British Columbia Parliament Buildings
The domed legislature on the harbour, with free public tours. Outlined in lights at night.
Free
Chinatown and Fan Tan Alley
Canada's oldest Chinatown, with the Gate of Harmonious Interest and the narrow Fan Tan Alley.
Cheap
Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse
A coastal artillery fort and the first permanent lighthouse on Canada's west coast.
Paid
Royal BC Museum
Natural and human history of British Columbia beside the harbour.
Paid
Craigdarroch Castle
A Victorian mansion built for coal baron Robert Dunsmuir.
Paid
Butchart Gardens
Famous gardens in a former quarry, including the Sunken Garden.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Whale-watching from the Inner Harbour
Whale and wildlife boat trips.
Season Half-day tours roughly March–Nov (check before you go).
Victoria Harbour Ferry
Little harbour ferries and tours around the Inner Harbour.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress
The hotel's famous afternoon tea.
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Butchart Gardens Tickets
Part of our Vancouver Island guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Butchart Gardens takes half a day, and it's best near closing time in summer.
- Whale-watching trips leave right from the harbour.
- The Inner Harbour and the Parliament Buildings are lit up at night.
Nearby and worth the drive
Sookeabout 45 min
Rugged coast and East Sooke Park.
Sidneyabout 30 min
A seaside town of bookshops near the ferry.
Ready-made trips with Victoria
Good to know
- Tourism: tourismvictoria.com.
- Getting there: Victoria is on Vancouver Island. Plan for a BC Ferries crossing or a flight.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Victoria's Inner Harbour and the BC Parliament Buildings, Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US), CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: The shore below Beacon Hill Park, Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Craigdarroch Castle, Mike from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: The Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens, Warfieldian, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Fisgard Lighthouse, Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0