Charming Victoria, Canada

Victoria, Canada is the capital of British Columbia and is located on the southern end of Vancouver island. When people travel to British Columbia they normally only travel to Vancouver, one of the most popular cities in Canada. But it is a mistake to miss such a charming city like Victoria.

Victoria is it’s exactly 62 miles from Vancouver and 62 miles from Seattle.

Victoria is known as the “City of Gardens” and is out of the way from heavy traffic of tourists. The weather in Victoria is mild compared to most of Canada so you will retirees and vacationers here. Because Victoria is in a rain shadow it experiences less rain than cities like Vancouver, Seattle, and even Victoria’s own airport. And with 2,193 hours of sun annually, Victoria is one of the sunniest places in British Columbia, and gets more sunshine than most other cities in Canada except those in the southern prairies. It has flowers that can grow year round and some exotic plants that normally grow as far south as Mexico.

Map of Victoria

Getting There

When I went to Victoria back in 2003 I arrived via a ferry (big enough to hold cars as well) from Vancouver. My family went in the summer time so it was an easy and pleasant 1.5 hour trip. I would highly recommend the ferry because of the fact you get to see the surrounding islands of Canada/United States and the ride is very smooth. You can also take a boat ferry from Seattle.

Of course you can fly into Victoria International Airport via Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto!

The Inner Harbor of Victoria also has float-planes that fly from Vancouver and Seattle.

Seeing the City

The city of Victoria is very easy to explore. The best way is to walk the city as it’s not a huge. Best thing you can do is walk from your hotel to the waterfront to see museums, the legislative building, the clipper planes take off from the bay, and enjoy the surrounding area.

My family toured Beacon Hill Park, the Undersea Gardens, which is located right across the street from the Legislative Building, the Legislative Building (you can’t miss it), and enjoyed the surrounding neighborhoods.

Victoria is a city where you enjoy yourself and relax. It is not a fast paced city so take your time.

Do enjoy the coffee shops and the beautiful waterfront that Victoria’s harbor-side has to offer.

What I heard was nice to do. So this list I didn’t actually do but I heard were really nice. Check out:

• Butchart Gardens – is a little bit of a drive from Victoria and is a large garden planted on top of a limestone quarry. During the summer they set music with fireworks and in the winter time they light up the gardens for Christmas.

• Chinatown – Victoria’s Chinatown is decorated with Chinese ornaments and if you’re craving Chinese food as fantastic Chinese restaurants! Also have Canadas smallest road, Fan Tan Alley.

• Royal British Columbia Museum – Basically the history of BC! If you’re a history buff than you can easily spend at least half of a day here.

What to do?

I had one of my most exciting adventures that I have ever done in Victoria. My family and I were able to see whales on a tour that was offered at Victoria’s Inner Harbor. We went in June and during the summer time you have a great chance of seeing a whale or two! We were fortunate to see one but I don’t have any pictures to show you! (since that was 9 years ago I don’t have a digital copy of those!) You won’t regret be able to go whale watching so I would recommend it!

If you’re into something a little more relaxed there is always harbor tours. These tours provide views of the Selkirk Waterway and Inner Harbor.

Take some time to explore the surrounding areas of Victoria especially Dallas Rd., Inner Harbor, and Port Angeles. All are naturally beautiful and will offer great views!

Other fun things to do include wine tasting and these tours are located within 45 minutes of Victoria.

Climate of Victoria/When Should You Go?

Victoria experiences pretty mild weather compared to the rest of Canada. Some even categorize it as the most northern Mediterranean city. As you can see on the map temperatures can reach into the 30’s in the winter time so if you don’t like it to be that cold I wouldn’t recommend the winter time. Summers are very pleasant thanks to the ocean and the relatively high latitude.  My recommendation is go in the June, July, August time frame!

If you’re looking for a relaxing getaway away from the hustle and bustle of major cities then Victoria is a perfect place to go to!! Happy Travels.